Sri Rama Jayam
By the grace and blessings of God, I have completed the translation of Aranya Kandam, Kishkinda kandam and Sundara Kandam of Valmiki Ramayana. You can read them by clicking
http://englishvalmikiramayanam.blogspot.in/
and then choosing different parts of these translations, which can be seen on the right hand side margin.(November 2013). This is the first time that I am reading these chapters Sloka by Sloka,( I request all of you to do it) and I found the following information , which I did not know earlier:-
1.Three separate chapters give complete description of the winter, autumn and spring in the Dandakaranya forests. Information of vegetation, trees bearing flowers, trees bearing fruits, animal behavior and human visits are given in extensive detail.
2,While giving instructions to the monkeys going in search of Sita, Sugreeva gives detailed instructions of the places, rivers, kingdoms and mountains found in the four different directions with Kishkinda as the centre. Kerala, Andhra, Pandya and Chozha kingdom in the south are specifically mentioned, The Java island is mentioned in the east. Sun is supposed to rise from Udayagiri and supposed to set in Hasthagiri. Sugreeva mentions that that people cannot go beyond that point.
3. Pampa is supposed to be a lake near Kishkinda near river Mandakini on the Vindhya mountain.
4. The first Asura whom Rama meets in the forest is Viradha and he catches hold of Sita and keeps her with him and Rama is offended that he has touched her.
5.There is no mention of Lakshmana drawing a line (Lakshmana Rekha) to protect Sita.
6. From What Sita tells Ravana the mendicant we undertand that
a. At the time of marriage Rama was 15 and Sita was eight year old.
b. At the time of leaving to the forest Rama was 25 and Sita was 18.
c.At the time of meeting Ravana Rama was 38 and Sita was 31.
6. From Sundara Kanda we understand that Sita lived in Asoka Vana for 10 months t the time of meeting with Hanuman.
7. Ravana comes to Dandaka forest riding on a chariot. He lifts Sita by catching hold of her hair and supporting her under the thigh and places her on the chariot . This Chariot is broken to pieces by Jatayu. From then on Ravana flies carrying Sita by his hand.
8.Sita ties her ornaments in her Uthariya(upper cloth) and drops them in the middle of monkeys. In this and in other places ladies are portrayed as wearing as wearing a lower and upper cloth.
9. Rama offers pinda made of meat of killed deer for the soul of Jatayu.
10. Sabari does not offer the fruits which she has tasted to Rama.
11. While Angadha cremates Vali, he was wearing the sacred thread (Yagnopavita) on his right shoulder
12.Tara the widow of Vali lives with Sugreeva and Vali 's son Angadha feels that it is against Dharma
13. In Lanka Hanuman waits to see Sita near a river shore , because she would come there to do her morning rituals.
14. There is a whole chapter on the duties of a king as told by Soorpanaka to Ravana.
I hope by the grace of God to start the translation of Yudha Kanda.
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