Picture: Rama on currency note issued by Maharishi Maheshyogi Organisation. It is accepted at many places in Nederland
Part 4– Ramayana wonders
Millions of Lines
Millions of Words
300 versions from India to South East Asia
Literature spanning over 3000 years
Conflicting versions; Interesting interpretations!
Ramayana has made a great impact in the life of Indians. No other EPIC story in the world has made such an impact on any other community in the world. No one can read all the 300 different versions in one’s lifetime. It is in every major language of India- from Assamese to Tamil. One must have proficiency in Sanskrit to read Valmiki, in Tamil to read Kamban and in Hindi to read Tulsidas, leave alone the Pali and Prakrit versions. South East Asian countries have their own versions of Ramayana.
A sloka (couplet) says, “Saritham Ragunathasya Sathakoti Pravistharam, Ekaikam Aksharam Proktham Mahapathaka Nasanam” (Rough translation: Rama’s history is in THOUSAND MILLION couplets. If anyone says even a single letter from it, all the sins will vanish).
Scholars have listed up to 300 different versions of Ramayana. If we take the references to Ramakatha in various scriptures it will be more than 300 versions. All the singers, composers, writers, saints have sung about Rama. Ram Charit Manas of Tulasidas (in Hindi) and Kamba Ramayana (in Tamil) are read by millions. Valmiki, Kamban and Tulasidas are household names in India.
Shri Ramadasa Gauda in his book Hindutva lists some of the Ramayana works:
1.Maha Ramayana:
It is part of a dialogue between Siva and Parvati. It describes 99 Rasa Lilas of Sri Rama.It proclaims complete divinity of Rama.
2.Samvrta Ramayana
Author of this work is Narada. It contains 24,000 slokas.
3.Lomasa Ramayana
Dasaratha and Kausalya are spoken of as King Kumuda and queen Viramati reborn.
4. Agastya Ramayana
It gives the stor ofBhanupratapa Arimardana. Here King Kuntala and Sindhumati are described reborn as Dasarath and Kausalya. It contains 16,000 slokas.
5.Manjula Ramayana
Author is Sutiksna. This also give the story of Bhanupratapa.
6.Sarupadya Ramayana
Author Atri gives the Pupavatika episode describing meeting of Rama with Sita.
7.Mahamala Ramayana
Bhusundi removes the infatuation ofGaruda.
8.Sauharda Ramayana
Author Sarabhanga refers to the cleverness of Rama and lakshmana in comprehending and conversing in the language of the monkeys
9. Maniratna Ramayana
Vashista and Arundhati are the authors. It gives the Vasantotsava celebrated by Rama in Mithila and Ayodhya.
10.Saurya Ramayana
Hanuman and Surya are the authors. It gives Suka’s life. Suka is reborn as a washer man whose gossip resulted in the banishment of Sita.
11.Candra Ramayana
It is a dialogue between Hanuman and Candra. It gives the story of previous birth of Kaivata
12.Mainda Ramayana
It is in the form of a dialogue between Mainda and Kaurava
13.Suvarchasa Ramayana
It is a dialogue between Sugreeva and Tara. It contains a dialogue between thw washerman and his wife.
14.Deva Ramayana
It is in the form of a dialogue between Indra and Jayanta.
15. Svayambhuva Ramayana
Dialogue between Brahma and Narada. Sita is described as a daughter of Mandodari
16.Subrahma Ramayana
Narada and Brahma debates
17.Sravana Ramayana
Dialogue between Indra and Jayanta Janaka also comes to Citrakuta when Bharata visited.
18.Duranta Ramayana
Bharata’s greatness is extolled in a dialogue between Vasista and Janaka.
19.Campu Ramayana
It is a Dialogue between Siva and Narada. Reference to swayamvara conducted by Silanidhi is found in it.
20.Ananda Ramayana
Ananda Ramayana has nine cantos divided into 109 chapters (sargams). It has 12,252 slokas/couplets. This is also attributed to Valmiki. But this Valmiki may not be the contemporary of Rama. It differs with the original Valmiki Ramayana in many places.
21. Bhusundi Ramayana
The original dialogue between Bharata and Atri is narrated by Bhusundi to Sandilya. Holy places around Citrakuta are mentioned in it.
22.Mantra Ramayana
It is conspicuous by the absence Ramakatha. It gives different Ramamantras
23.Vedanta Ramayana
This gives the story of Parasurama.
Picture: Indonesia released stamps with Ramayana characters during International Ramayana Conference
Rama’s name in Vedas
Rama’s name is in Rig Veda, Parisishta of Sama Veda and Patanjali’s Mahabhasya. Satapata Brahmana gives the list of performers of Asvamedha in which Rama’s name appeared. Following are other religious literature where Ramayana story is found:
1)Jaiminiya Asvameda 2)Mailravana Carita 3) Sahasramuka Ravanacaritam 4)Satyopakhyana 5) Hanumat samhita 6)Brhatkosalakhanda
Ramayana in Poetry
Ramayana is found in the poems of Kalidasa (Raghuvamsa), Pravarasena (Ravanavaho or Setubandha), Bhatti (Ravanavadha), Kumaradasa (Janakiharana), Abhinanda (Ramacarita), Ksemendra ( Ramayana Manjari and Dasavatara Carita), Sakalyamalla (Udararaghava), Cakra Kavi (Janakiparinaya), Advaita Kavi (Ramalingamrta), Mohanaswami( Ramarahasya or Ramacarita) and the Dramas of Bhasa (Pratima and Abhiseka), Bhavabhuti ( Mahavira Carita and Uttararama Carita), Dinnaga (Kundamala), Murari( Anargharaghava), Rajasekhara (Balaramayana), Hanuman (Hanumannataka or Mahanataka), Saktibhadra ( Acaryacudamani), Yasovarman (Ramabyudaya), Mayuraja (Udattaraghava).
Ramayana in Dramas
Ramayana is in the dramas of Ksiraswami (Abhinavaraghava), Ramachandra (Raghuvilasa and Raghabyudaya), Jayadeva (Prasannaraghava), Hastimalla (Maithilikalyana)Subhata (Dutangada), Bhaskarabhatta (Unmattaraghava) Tryasamisradeva(Ramabdhyudaya), Mahadeva (Adbhutaramayana), Ramabhadra Dikshita (Janaki Parinaya).
Anonymous Ramayana Dramas : Chalita Ramayana, Krtya Ramayana, Mayapuspaka Ramayana and Svapnadarsana
Ramayana in Slesakavyas (Puns):
Dhanajaya (Raghavapandaviya), Madhavabhatta (Raghavapandaviya), Haradatta Suri (Raghava Naisadiya), Cidambara (Raghavapandaviya-Yadaviya), Gangadara mahadevakavi (Sankatanasana stotra).
Picture: Rama stamp issued by India
Ramayana in Vilomakavyas:
Suryadeva (Ramakrsna Vilomakavya), Venkatadhvari (Yadhavaraghaviya)
Ramayana in Citrakavyas
Krsnamohana( Ramalilamrta), Venkatesa (Citrabandha Ramayana)
Ramayana in Amorous Khandakavyas
Venkatadesika (Hamsasandesa or Hamsaduta), Rudravacaspati (Bhramaraduta), Vasudeva( Bhramara sandesa), Anonymous (Kapiduta), Venkatacarya( Kokilasandesa), Jayadeva (Rama Gitagovinda), Krsnacandra (Candraduta), Harisankara (Gitaraghava), Prabhakara ( Gitaraghava), Haryacarya( Janakigita), Harinatha (Ramavilasa), Visvanathasimha( Sangita raghunandana), Visvanatha (Raghavavilasa), Somesvara (Ramasataka)
Prose Romance and Campus
Ksemendra (Brhatkathamanjari), Somadeva (Kathasaritsagara), Bhoja (Campu Ramayana), Vasudeva (Ramakatha).
Ramayana in Regional languages and South East Asian languages are not listed here.
(Campu means Mixture of Prose and Poetry)
Continued in Part 5………………………………….
Please read other posts by Santanam Swaminathan about Rama: 1. Ram –the Best PR Man 2. தியாகராஜ சுவாமிகளுடன் 60 வினாடி பேட்டி 3.நாமும் அனுமார் ஆகலாம் 4.கம்பனுடன் 60 வினாடி பேட்டி 5.ராமாயண வினா-விடை (க்விஸ்) 5.Where is Rama Setu (Rama’s Bridge) ? 6.Did Sita Devi Die in Earth Quake? 7. Ramayana Wonders Part1 (8) . Ramayana Wonders Part2 :How many miles did Rama walk? (9) Ramayana Wonders Part 3 : Rama and Sanskrit G’ramma’r
