Introduction
Prime Minister Narendra Modi listened to different versions of Ramayana during the 11-day fasting for Ram Mandir Pran Pratistha in Ayodhya. His 11-day-long penance included rituals, fasting, temple visits, and live-in ascetic. Meanwhile, he visited various temples of Lord Rama that mark the footprint of Lord Rama and relate with him directly or indirectly.
'Ram Belongs to Everyone' was a significant statement, he put out to the nation while addressing the Ram Temple Consecration ceremony. It must be his learning experience through the 11-day Ram Bhakti Yatra in which he learned the many forms of Ramayana and understood the omnipresence of Lord Rama.
Read the full story of PM Modi’s Lord Rama Trail and the Many Versions of Ramayana in this unique article.
Who Is Lord Ram?
In Hindu ancient texts, Ram is said to be the 7th Avatar (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu. But In actuality, he is the 'Loving Son' of Ayodhya king Dashrath. He is the 'Ram Lalla' for his mothers (Mata Kaushalya, Mata Sumitra, and Mata Kaikayi). He is ‘Ramchandra’ for his brothers (Lakshman, Bharat, and Shatrughana). He is the ‘Raghunandan’ for his gurus (Maharishi Vashistha).
He is ‘Siyapati’ for his wife (Mata Sita). He is ‘Prabhu Shri Ram’ for his devotees (Lord Hanuman, Sabri). He is the 'Slayer of Evil' (Demon King Ravana) and the Savior of his friend (King Sugriv). He is the ‘Maryada Purushotam’ for the society. He is the Supreme Deity of Hindus and the 'Greatest Idol for Mankind' that ever existed.
Image: Lord Rama
The Significance Of The Name ‘Ram’ And The Power Associated With It
The beautiful name 'Ram' is composed of two Hindi letters “र” and “म” hence, it forms a unique combination to pronounce according to the phonetics (the study of speech sounds and their physiological production and acoustic qualities). It is the easiest name to pronounce and the most adorable.
Therefore, Goswami Tulsidas (the greatest poet of India) glorifies these two letters by comparing them with the two adjacent rainy months ‘Sawan’ and ‘Bhado’ (the Hindu Name of Months according to the Hindu Calendar). He adds that “the name ‘Ram’ is the form of Trinities - Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva, and it is the life of Vedas. The following stanza from Ramcharitmanas by Tulsidas shows his love for the name 'Ram'.
बरषा रितु रघुपति भगति तुलसी सालि सुदास।
राम नाम बर बरन जुग सावन भादव मास ।।
‘Ram’ means ‘Pleasant’ or ‘Charming’. It also means the ''Inherent Element In The Universe''. The name is divine and has divine power associated with it. Lord Hanuman always chants ‘Ram-nam’ to strengthen and magnify his powers. He believes the name ‘Ram’ is the source of his power.
It is a common practice in Hinduism, to write a repetitive count of the name for days against a wish to be fulfilled. Writing the name 'Ram' is believed to remedy many obstacles and problems.
Ram - The Greatest Idol Of Humanity
Lord Rama is an ideal God respected and worshipped in all sects and cults of Hinduism. He is even a prominent figure in many religions and cultures. The greatest example is Indonesia, a Muslim Country whose cultural identity is deeply rooted in Ram and Ramayana. Sikhism has teachings in the name of Lord Ram. Take the example of the famous quote of Guru Nanak Dev JI (Founder of Sikhism) from his early life:
राम जी की चिड़िया, राम जी का खेत।
खा ले रे चिड़िया भर-भर पेट।।Ram ji's bird, Ram ji's farm. Eat your fill, bird.
This means that everything belongs to Ram and he is the only feeder. Who are you to keep the hungry away from the food? Let everyone eat their part because whatever you think is yours belongs to that supreme.
This is a clear example of how people feel about Lord Rama and his teachings. The devotees of Lord Ram find his presence always with them, they connect with him in their daily life. He is more than just a worshiping entity to his devotees and hence is inseparable to them.
Ramayana: The Journey of Lord Ram
The word Ramayana is composed of two words ‘Ram’ and ‘Aayan’ which means ‘Ram’s Journey’. The journey of Lord Ram is the journey of developing values, fulfilling duties, accomplishing responsibilities, building characters, setting morals, and emerging as a leader of society.
Originally, The ‘Ramayana’ is a smriti-based composition of the life events of Lord Rama by Maharshi Valmiki in Sanskrit. Therefore sometimes it is also referred to as ‘Valmiki Ramayana’ to distinguish it from other versions of Ramayana formed later. However, the exact date of composing is not known.
The book is holy to Hindus and contains lessons that teach ways to lead a better life. This is why Hindu houses keep ‘Ramayana' in their homes and follow a regular path (Daily Reading) of it. Elders at home must teach the moral values from ‘Ramayana’ to children so that they can lead the right path and become good human beings.
Image: PM Narendra Modi listening recitations from different versions of the Ramayana
Different Versions Of Ramayana
It is believed that there are three hundred versions of the Ramayana globally. The different versions of Ramayan are efforts to provide everyone access to Lord Rama's teachings. The people in the world may have been divided by culture, religions, languages, and speech but are united by his teachings values, and characteristics. He presented these values for every mankind and therefore he is the ideal for everyone irrespective of man-made differences between them:
Valmiki Ramayana
Valmiki Ramayana is the original Ramayana written by Sage Valmiki in Sanskrit. It is a smriti-based composition of the life events of Lord Rama. Maharshi Valmiki is revered as the Ādi Kavi, which means the First Kavi. In Valmiki Ramayana, he presented Lord Rama as one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu. It contains 24000 verses in 7 Kandas. The original date of writing is unknown.
Ramcharitmanas
Ramcharitmanas is the greatest epic poem by the great Indian poet Tulsidas in 'Avadhi' in the 16th century. It is also known as 'Tulsikrit Ramayana' in which Tulsidas presented Lord Rama in the human form contrary to Maharshi Valmiki. The book has been recently included in UNESCO's Memory Of The World Regional Register Asia Pacific.
Adhyatma Ramayana
Sage Veda Vyasa wrote the Adhyatma Ramayana in Sanskrit in the 13th-15th century. He is the personality who compiled Mantras in Vedas (Vedas are the four sacred texts in Hinduism). The Adhyatma Ramayana contains 4500 verses in which Lord Rama is presented as the Supreme Brahman. It is also the inspiration for 'Tulsikrit Ramayana'.
Sri Ranganatha Ramayana
Sri Ranganatha Ramayana is the Telugu Interpretation of Valmiki Ramayana by Gona Budda Reddy between 1300 and 1310 CE. Gona Budda Reddy popularly known as Ranganatha was the ruler in the Andhra Pradesh region of today. However, he also had poetic qualities and worked on the Telugu Version of Ramayana which is popular in the Andhra Pradesh state of India.
Bhavartha Ramayana
Bhavartha Ramayana is the Marathi Version of Ramayana by Sant Eknath Ji between the 12th and 13th centuries. Sant Eknath was a great devotee of Lord Vitthala also known as Vithoba (The form of Lord Vishnu in Maharashtra). In addition to this, he was also a great poet and philosopher who was popular in the Maharashtra and Karnataka regions of India.
Kamba Ramayanam or Ramavataram
Kamba Ramayana or Ramavataram is a popular Tamil Version of Ramayana by Poet Kamban in the 12th century. Kamban is a great Tamil poet and quite famous in Tamil Nadu. He is also known as Kambar or Kavichakravarthy Kamban. He wrote this version of Ramayana by getting inspiration from Valmiki Ramayana.
Dasaratha Jatak
Dasaratha Jatak is the Buddhist Story of Lord Ram in the Pali Language in Buddhism. Jataka narrates stories of Gautama Buddha's previous births in both human and animal form. In Dasaratha Jatak, Lord Buddha is described as Lord Rama in his last birth. However, the essence of these stories is to highlight the perfection and qualities of Lord Buddha. The Dasaratha Jatak later became the foundation for other versions such as Ramakien (Thai Version of Ramayana).
Ramakien
Ramakien means 'Glory of Rama', the Thai version of Ramayana. The book is said to be inspired by Valmiki Ramayana while the main story is similar to the Buddhist story of Lord Rama in Dasaratha Jataka. Ramakien is also Thailand's national epic.
Reamker
Reamker is the Khmer version of Ramayana which is the National Epic of Cambodia. Similar to Ramakien, It also means 'Glory of Lord Rama'. It is inspired by the Sanskrit and Buddhist versions of Ramayana.
Kakawin Ramayana
Kakawin Ramayana is the Javanese version of Sanskrit Ramayana. It is written in the Kakawin Meter style (The Javanese style of writing poems) in 870 AD. The Kakawin Ramayana is the most popular version of Ramayana in the Java region of Indonesia.
Ramaenna or Ramaensho
Ramaenna is the Japanese version of Ramayana. It is also known as Ramaensho and is believed to have been brought to Japan with the spread of Buddhism. It is said to be inspired by Dasaratha Jatak.
Pothi Ramayana
Pothi Ramayana is the Urdu version of Ramayana written in the 17th century. It is also known as Urdu Ramayana.
PM Modi’s Learning Experience After Going Through Different Versions Of Ramayana
Prime Minister Modi has always been vocal about his religious beliefs and the significance of Lord Ram’s character in unifying the country. It must be his learning experience, which came out in the form of his words after going through the teachings of different versions of Ramayana.
Here are PM Modi's words on the day of the Ram Lala Temple inauguration ceremony:
Ram appears in different forms at different instances, but Ram is everywhere. Kamba Ramayana in Tamil, Raghunath and Ranganath Ramayana in Telugu, Ruipad-Katedapadi Ramayana in Odia, the Kumudendu Ramayana in Kannada. When we go to Kashmir, we find the Ramavatar Charit, we find the Ramacharitam in Malayalam. There is Krittivasi Ramayana in Bengali, Guru Gobind Singh has written Gobind Ramayana himself. Therefore, Ram is the source of India's unity in diversity.
Thus, he successfully conveys the message to the world that Lord Ram is the need of everyone and hence belongs to everyone. The different versions of Ramayan are not a subject of differences but the key to unity. We might have been divided into languages but united with culture and heritage.
Should You Read Different Versions of Ramayana?
Lord Ram seems one but is multi-dimensional. Every dimension originates with him and terminates with him. It is similar to the sky whose direction you point upward but is in an unknown direction in actuality. We assume that upward is the dimension of the sky (space), but in reality, whatever direction you point it will refer to the same sky (space).
Every version of the Ramayana is created to fulfill the spiritual quest of mankind and to show them the right path. Therefore, the more versions you read, the more will you get closer to his values, characters, and personality. The more people will read the many versions of the Ramayana, the more inclusiveness will be fostered in society.
Highlights
Following are the key points of this article with a focus on the different versions of Ramayana:
(a) Narendra Modi listened to different versions of Ramayana during his 11-day penance for the Ram Mandir Pran Pratistha in Ayodhya.
(b) Lord Ram is the 7th incarnation of Lord Vishnu who lived on Earth in Tretayug as per the Hindu Philosophy.
(c) Ramayana is the narration of Lord Rama's life Journey. It was originally a Smriti-based composition by 'Maharishi Valmiki' in Sanskrit.
(d) There are three hundred versions of Ramayana across the globe featuring Lord Rama as the central character.
(e) Valmiki Ramayana by Maharishi Valmiki is the real version of Ramayana and the inspiration for all other versions.
Conclusion
Lord Rama is the central figure in each version of Ramayana. Hence, it connects people from different faiths and backgrounds and brings all to the same table of brotherhood, equality, and inclusivity. Lord Rama in different versions of Ramayana is the key to bringing human values closer to each other and bridging the differences. Hence, each version of Ramayana is essential to let humanity and kindness survive on Earth and we must read them respectfully.
FAQs
Q1. How many versions of Ramayana are there?
Ans. It is to be noted that Valmiki Ramayana is the only Ramayana that is original. There are said to be more than three hundred versions of the Ramayana across the globe with different names. However, Lord Rama is the central character in every version.
Q2. What is the Story of Ramayana?
Ans. Ramayana is a Sanskrit word that means 'Ram's Journey' or 'Journey of Ram'. It mainly contains brief descriptions of the live events of Lord Rama.
Q3. What are the Seven Kands in Ramayana?
Ans. In Ramayana 'Kanda' refers to a single phase which is the collection of many chapters. Each chapter is a collection of many verses. The seven 'Kandas' in Valmiki Ramayana are Bala Kanda, Ayodhya Kand, Aranya Kand, Kishkindha Kand, Sundra Kanda, Yuddha Kanda, and Uttara Kanda.
