Writing the greatest epic: Introduction to Balakanda

My 10-year-old granddaughter Kanak Vanam who lives in Redwood City, San Francisco, USA is a voracious reader even at this tender age. On seeing me writing Ramayana in Telugu whenever I come to USA, she asked me can't it be in simple English so that she too can have the benefit of reading Ramayana. Once the same question was raised by my other granddaughters Mihira and Medha. Then I decided to do my best to write in English, as simple as possible. I made Kanak to read first couple of paragraphs and confirmed that she understands. Hence this weekly serial for her and for children of her age group)

The Ramayana authored by the Great Sage Valmiki is undoubtedly the greatest and the best of all epics and classics. The lead role and the central character of Sri Ramayana namely Sitadevi is none other than Goddess Laxmi Devi. The hero of the classic Sri Ramachandramurthy is again the Maha Vishnu himself. The Incarnation of both of them in the era of Treta Yug was precisely for the purpose of annihilating the sinners and safeguarding the virtuous and innocent people and thereby establish Dharma, the righteousness. Had Valmiki not authored their story, the future generations would have lived in utter darkness and would have turned as sinners perhaps!

The Ramayana authored by Sage Valmiki was in Sanskrit (an ancient language from India) which is composed in verses called Shlokas and hence became difficult for many to read and understand. Though many translated it into several languages, they also, mostly were grammatical and linguistic and hence were equally difficult to understand. In English there are very few and mostly difficult to read as they were true translations many a times. This is precisely the reason for writing this in simple, lucid and easy to understand dialect Ramayana in English. Ramayana book is in Six parts known as Kandas in Sanskrit, namely Bala, Ayodhya, Aranya, Kishkindha, Sundara and Yuddha, besides one post script known as Uttara Kanda.

The reason as to why at the end of Treta Yuga (the era) Lord Srimannaarayana had a conversation in his abode Vaikunta with his wife Laxmi Devi and other saints on the subject of annihilating the sinners and safeguarding the virtuous and innocent people, was the Monster king Ravana. Subsequently Lord Srimannaarayana to accomplish his vow to King Dasharatha who worshipped him in his previous birth, born as his sons with the names Srirama, Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrughna. This was the desire of the Lord.

The Lord Maha Vishnu in accordance with his will takes birth in four forms as son to King Dasharatha. In the form of Srirama commits himself to the word given by his father and living an ever-truthful life killed Monster King Ravana. As Lakshmana he was always at the behest of Rama and served him abiding by his command. In the form of Bharata he was always obedient to brother Rama and as Shatrughna he served his elder brother Bharat right from his childhood.

Lord Brahma, with a view, that the story of these four forms, the Rama, the Lakshmana, the Bharata and Shatrughna be exposed to generations and generations to come and for the people of whole universe, thought of a book and passed on the responsibility to Sage Narada and other sages. Brahma further proceeded and directed Sage Narada to instruct and enlighten Valmiki an ardent devotee of Srirama to author it for the benefit of inhabitants of the earth. Thus, the Ramayana written by Valmiki was enthused and inspired by none other than Lord Brahma.

Going into the details, background and context of this…. One day Sage Narada at the behest of Lord Brahma went to the hermitage of Sage Valmiki. He, in tune with the thought process of Saint Valmiki and having understood his view, tutored the story of Sri Sitarama coupled with the Gayatri Hymn. Later he informed Lord Brahma about what he did. Brahma in turn put Goddess Saraswathi the personification of all knowledge and learning on the tongue of Valmiki and directed him to take-up the writing of Sri Ramayana. Brahma also empowered him to do so in the form of a great legendary testament. With that strength bestowed on him by Brahma, Valmiki commenced writing Sri Ramayana. This is thus a Great Literature and Great Epic. Valmiki Ramayana is said to have been composed basing on each of the twenty-four letters of Gayatri Hymn, and a thousand verses are arranged into one book under the caption of each letter.

Genesis of Sri Ramayana and Narada tutoring Valmiki

One day Narada, the professor of theology and spirituality and also a leading Yogi, went to Valmiki. Valmiki who was in search of a suitable teacher, bowed to him and elicited from him whether there was any person who was a true virtuous and righteous in all aspects.

Valmiki thus wanted to know about such a person who has the qualities of: appropriate in disposition, interested in welfare of all beings, adept and also an able one, uniquely pleasant to look at, self-composed one, controlled his ire, brilliant, non-jealous and to whom even the gods fear when provoked to war etc.

Replying to Valmiki, Narada said that, "Oh! Great Sage! The righteous traits that you narrated are unparalleled and extraordinary. In each of these traits, implicitly there are many more such traits and thus they are doubled and tripled. These are seldom found in ordinary human beings. However, I will reveal the name of the person in whom all these great manners, behaviors and qualities do exist. Please listen. In the family lineage of Ikshvakas dynasty where the God has been prayed incessantly and relentlessly, Ramachandramurthy whom the whole world addresses as 'Rama! Rama!' was born. In him all the qualities and traits that you are expecting are in abundance".

Narada described Rama as the one who is with a controlled self, highly valorous, resplendent, steadfast, controller of his own senses, wise one, moralist, eloquent, glorious, destroyer of enemies, preserver of his own righteousness, scholar in the essence of Vedas etc. While lauding Rama, Narada gives an outline of Ramayana, truly highlighting those aspects that are the keynotes in this epic, like virtuosity, generosity, morality, chastity and the like.