RAMAYANA

Ramayana என்ற ஆங்கில புத்தகத்தில் இருந்து இராமயணத்தைப் பற்றி தெரிந்து கொண்ட சில விஷயங்கள்.

 1.  The ramayana is the older of the two (Ramayana, Mahabharata) and was authored by 

   

  Maharishi Valmiki at the instance of sage Narada.

 2.  This epic is divided into seven units. Each unit forming an episode by itself. These episodes are under:

            I.     The Childhood episode.

           II.     The Ayodya episode.

          III.     The Forest episode.

          IV.     The Kishkinta episode.

           V.     The Facinating episode.

          VI.     The Lanka episode.

        VII.     The Concluding episode.

 3.  In south India, Kamban wrote the Ramayana in Tamil while Kirtivasa wrote it in Bengali.

 4.  The human body is made up of five elements – air, water, fire, earth and space.

 5.  The life span of a man has four parts.

            I.     From birth to the age of 25 years – BRAHMACHARAYA (Continence)

           II.     From the age of 25 years to the age of 50 years – GIRHATH (house - holder)

          III.     From the age of 50 years to the age of 75 years –

VANAPRASTHA (detachment)

          IV.     From the age of 75 years to the death – SANYAS (renunciation)

 6.  “Three qualities are found in human-beings”

I.        The Satva     (higher values  ie, virtues)

II.      The Rajas     (worldly values  ie, luxuries)

III.     The Tamas    (base values    ie, vices)

   Every person has one type of the above mentioned qualities in himself / herself prominently. Whereas virtues lead a man to piety and goodness, vices lead him to impiety and evil.

 7.  Rama was married with Sita, Janak’s first daughter. Laxman was married with Urmila, Janak’s second daughter and Bharat and Shatrughna with Mandavi and Shrutikirti, the daughter’s of Janak’s younger brother Kushadhwaj.