Aadhyatma Ramayanam and the 7th

day of the Sundara Kandam Parayanam

______________________________________________

We all know that Veda Vyasa composed the Mahabharata and

that Valmiki composed the Ramayana. But, very few know that
Veda Vyasa also composed the Ramayana.

Granite Ramar Set

Lord Ram, Sita, Lakshmana, & Hanuman
The Ramayana story, as told by Vyasa, is known as Adhyaatma
Ramayanam. It differs from Valmiki Ramayanam in a very
fundamental way. In Valmiki Ramayanam, Shree Rama acts and
behaves like a human. He says so Himself, during Sita's chastity
test after Ravana has been killed, when He asks Sita to enter the
fire to prove Her chastity to all the worlds. Everyone is shocked,
including Sita. But Rama signals to Lakshmana, with just the look
from the corner of His eye, to set the torch to light the pyre into
which Seeta will enter.

The fire cannot burn Sita. It was known to all (see the narration
of the 8th day of the Sundara Kandam Parayanam). The fire
could not burn Sita when all of Lanka was set ablaze by
Hanuman. The fire could not even burn Hanuman's tail, because
Sita prayed to the fire god to spare Hanuman.

But, the fire test to prove Sita's charity was conducted,

nonetheless. During this test, the fire god, Agni Bhagavan, rises
and presents Sita to Rama. Then all the celestials appear,
including Lord Brahma and Shiva, and remind Him that He is
Narayana Himself and that Sita is His divine consort. How could
He put Her to such a test? But, Rama says, "Aatmanan
manusham manye, I consider myself to be a mere human."

In Adhyaatma Ramayana of Vyasa, however, Rama knows, like

Krishna knows, that He is the Supreme Being. Every part of the
story as told by Vyasa differs, subtly, in how it is presented,
although the story is the same. Ravana also knew that Rama was
the Divine incarnate and that abducting Sita would force Rama to
kill him. Mareecha, who became the golden deer, also knew that
Rama was the Divine. When Ravana hatched the plan, Mareecha
did not want to cooperate. Ravana threatened to kill Mareecha if
he did not do as told. Then Mareecha agreed to cooperate
thinking, "Better to be killed by Rama than to be killed by this fool
Ravana". So he became the golden deer. And so also did Ravana
abduct Sita. He wanted to be killed by Rama. But, the real Sita
was never abducted by Ravana!

Before Ravana arrives, Rama and Sita, who know the future,
conspire and hide the real Sita away. It is a Maya-Sita that
Ravana abducts and the rest of the drama is played out to kill
Ravana. The real Sita reappears during the chastity test, out of
the fire that Lakshmana lights.

There is also an interesting humorous twist in this Ramayanam

about the destruction of the Ashoka vana (grove with thousands
of beautiful trees, filled with fragrant flowers and fruits) by
Hanuman. After conversing with Sita and receiving the
Choodamani (the crest jewel from Her hair, placed at the top of
the head) from Her, Hanuman decides to return. But, before he
leaves he decides to test the strength of the enemy and also
meet Ravana. So, he comes up with the plan to destroy the
Ashoka vana.

To do this he tells Sita that he is very hungry and would like

something to eat. He wants Sita's permission to eat some of the
fruits from the nearby trees. Sita tells Hanuman to please himself.
Then he starts shaking the trees vigorously to let some fruits fall.
This shaking of the trees is the start of the destruction of the
Ashoka vana. Valmiki does not include this little detail about how
the destruction of Ashoka vana began. He tells the story a bit
differently.

The Sundara Kandam of Aadhyaatma Ramayanam is much

shorter than Valmiki's. The entire Sundara Kandam parayanam
can be completed in just about 3 hours, in a single day. I have
given below the link for the Sanskrit document. I will provide the
links for the same in other languages, if I can find them.

http://sanskritdocuments.org/all_pdf/adhyaatmaRamsundara.pdf

Today, April 18, 2011, at the Sri Balaji Vedic Center, in Sterling
Heights, MI, we finished the part of the recitation where
Hanuman destroys the Ashoka vana following which he kills all
the Rakshasa armies sent by Ravana, is finally captured by
Ravana's son Indrajit, bound by the Brahmastram (the weapon of
Lord Brahma, received by Indrajit)  and brought in front of
Ravana. He then gives an eloquent sermon to Ravana where he
reveals that he is the messenger of King Sugreeva, and is in
Lanka to find Sita. He is also the messenger of Rama who is the
allied with Sugreeva.

In this sermon Hanuman advises Ravana about Dharma and what

he should do. But Ravana is consumed by his anger and wants
Hanuman killed there and then. In the following sargam,
Ravana’s brother Vibhishana advises Ravana about the apropriate
punishments that can be given to a messenger, but killing is not
one of them.

Sometimes atrocities seem to dominate in this world. It appears

that there is no justice. No God. Only evil. Only the wicked seem
to triumph. We experience such situations in our personal lives
too, sometimes. It is very painful. Very stressful. Our acaryas tell
us to read these two sagrams (51 and 52) of the Sundara
Kandam under these conditions. When atrocities seem to be on
the rise and if you wish that Dharma be reestablished, just read
these two sargams. We don't have to wait for the Lord Himself to
reincarnate again, like Krishna tells us in the Bhagavad Gita. Just
reading these sargams will help reestablish dharma. It will help us
to overcome the atrocities that, God forbid, we are forced to face
sometimes in life.         

Yada yada hi dharmasya glaanir bhavati Bharata l

Abhyutaanam adharmasya tadaatmaanam srujaamyaham ll
ParitraaNaaya saadhoonaam vinaashaya ca dushkrutaam l
Dharma samsthaapa-naarthaaya sambhavaami yuge yuge ll

Aartaah vishaNaah shitilaah ca bheetaah

ghoreshu ca vyaadhishu vartamaanaah l
Samkeertya NarayaNa shabdha maatram
vimukta dhuh-khaah sukhino bhavanti ll
Note that in the last sloka above, I have quoted the version which
ends with bhavanti, instead of bhavantu. Bhavantu and bhavanti
are both used in this verse. But, there is a BIG difference in the
meaning. Bhavantu implies a wish, as when we say let it be, let it
happen, I wish it happens. Bhavanti, on the other hand, is an
emphatic statement. It will be so. It will happen. It is a certainty.

So, if you are an aarta (extremely distressed), then say bhavanti,

if you are a vishaNa (completely dejected), then say bhavanti, if
you are a shitila (lost all strength in body and limb), then say
bhavanti, if you are a bheeta gripped with fear about the future
and some impending disaster or sorrowful events), then say
bhavanti, if you are a ghoreshu vyaadhishu vartamaana (suffering
from incurable and horrible disease), then say bhavanti, with a
firm resolve and full faith.

The rest of the verse says that all one has to do is try to compose
the letters that together make the sound Narayana. One does not
even have to utter that sound in its entirety. That is how painfully
distressed sometimes some can be. But one can try to utter that
Divine Nama. Like Gajendra did. Like Draupadi did. Like Prahalada
did. Like Meerabhai did. Like Sita did. Like other great devotees
did.

Let dharma prevail with our recitation of the Sundara Kandam.

That is the purpose of the parayanam. To help us overcome all
the distress that we feel in our lives and also to help us liberate
ourselves for good. Just reading the first sargam will give
moksham. Reading sargams 51 and 52 will help establish dharma
both in the world at large and in our mundane personal lives.   

Very sincerely

V. Laxmanan

April 19.2011