Raamayana

Raamayana is known as “ Aadi Kaavya ” or the first (known) poem in Sanskrit, and its composer Valmiki, is called “ Aadi Kavi ” or the first poet. The Raamayana is the tale of Raama, the prince of Ayodhya, the seventh avataara of Vishnu. The main purpose of this avataara was the killing of Raavana and Kumbhakarna.

In later years, Goswami Tulasidas (said to be Valmiki reborn) wrote the Raamcharitmaanas, in Awadhi* language, which gave birth to the tradition of the Ramlila festivities observed in North India, during Dussera culminating in the burning of huge effigies of Raavana. The Raamcharitmaanas also contributed to the Bhakthi movement, owing to the twin reasons: the commonality of language as opposed to the exclusivity of the original work in Sanskrit, and, the projection of Raama as a God, unlike Valmiki who portrayed Raama, as an ideal son, brother, and ruler.

*a dialect of Hindi

Shloka, Sarga, Kaanda

The Raamayana is divided into 7 chapters (Kaandas): Baala Kaanda, Ayodhya Kaanda, Aranya Kaanda, Kishkinda Kaanda, Sundara Kaanda, Yuddha Kaanda and Uttara Kaanda.

Each Kaanda is divided into sections (sargas) which are made up of verses (shlokas). There are 500 sargas and 24000 shlokas in all.

Not only were the authors contemporaries of the people featured in both the epics, but they too featured as part of the stories; Valmiki in the Raamayanaand Veda Vyaasa in the Mahaabhaaratha!

Raamayana, much less complex than the Mahaabhaaratha, is an eternal story, which all of us have heard/read umpteen times over the years. So instead of going through the story chronologically, you will receive nuggets of information about Gods, sages, humans, birds, bears, vaanaras, raakshasas, rivers, ocean, places, objects etc. that are a part of this great epic.

This beautiful song has been written by Harapanahalli Bheemavva (1822-1903). Born near Hospet, in Karnataka, she was married at eleven and widowed at 36. Post the severe ritualistic impositions after her widowhood, inspired by the pious environment of her childhood, she composed numerous songs with the ankitha is Bheemesha Krishna.

It has been set to music and sung melodiously by Venugopal Khatavkar.