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. Though that classification, or dividing verses into thousand chapters is unavailable now, the twenty-four verses identified with the 24 letters of Gayatri hymn, called as Gayatri Ramayana,
1. ta – tapaH svaadhyaaya nirataam tapasvii vaagvidaam varam |
naaradam pari papracCha vaalmiikir muni pu.mgavam || 1-1-1
2. sa – sa hatvaa raakSasaan sarvaan yaj~na ghnaan raghuna.ndanaH |
R^iSibhiH puujitaH tatra yathaa indro vijaye puraa || 1-30-24
3. vi – vishvAmitraH sa raamaastu shrutvaa janaka bhaaShitam |
vatsa raama dhanuH pashya iti raaghavam abravIt || 1-67-12 – baala
4. tu – tuSTaava asya tadaa va.msham pravishya sa vishaam pateH |
shayaniiyam narendrasya tat aasaadya vyatiSTata || 2-15-19
5. va – vanavaasam hi sa.nkhyaaya vaasaa.msi aabharaNaani ca |
bhartaaram anugacCha.ntyai siitaayai shvashuro dadau || 2-40-14
6. raa – raajaa satyam ca dharmaH ca raajaa kulavataam kulam |
raajaa maataa pita caiva raajaa hitakaro nR^iNaam || 2-67-34
7. ni – niriikshya sa muhuurtam tu dadarsha bharato gurum |
uTaje raamam aasiinam jaTaa maNdala dhaariNam || 2-99-25 – ayodhya
8. ya – yadi buddhiH kR^itaa draSTum agastyam tam mahaamunim |
adya eva gamane rocayasva mahaayashaH || 3-11-44
9. bha – bharatasya aarya putrasya shvashruuNaam mama ca prabho |
mR^iga rupam idam vyaktam vismayam janayiSyati || 3-43-18
10. ga – gacCha shiighram ito raama sugriivam tam mahaabalam |
vayasyam tam kuru kshipram ito gatvaa adya raaghava || 3-72-17 – araNya
11. de – desha kaalau pratiikshasva kshamamaaNaH priya apriye |
sukha duHkha sahaH kale sugriiva vashago bhava || 4-22-20
12. va – va.ndyaaH te tu tapaH siddha saptasaa viita kalmaSaaH |
praSTavyaaH te api siitaayaaH pravR^ittim vinaya anvitaiH || 4-43-33 – kiSkindha
13. sa – sa nirjitya purim shreSTaam la.nkaam taam kaama ruupiNiim |
vikrameNa mahatejaa hanumaan maaruta aatmaja || 5-4-1
14. dha – dhanyaa devaaH sa gandharvaa siddhaaH ca parama R^iSayaH |
mama pashyanti ye naatham raamam raajiiva locanam || 5-26-41
15. ma – ma.ngalaabhimukhii tasya saa tadaa aasit mahaakapeH |
upatasthe vishaalaakshii prayataa havyavaahanam || 5-53-28 – sundara
16. hi – hitam mahaartham mR^idu hetu sa.mhitam
vyatiita kaalaayati sa.mprati kshamam |
nishamya tad vaakyam upasthita jvaraH
prasa.ngavaan uttaram etat abraviit || 6-10-27
17. dha – dharmaatmaa rakshasaam shreSTaH sa.mpraapto ayam vibhiiSaNaH |
la.nkaishvaryam dhruvam shriimaan ayam praapnoti akaNTakam || 6-41-67
18. yo – yo vajra paataa ashani sannipaataan
na cukshubhe vaa api cacaala raajaa |
sa raama baaNaa abhihato bhR^isha aartaH
cacaala caapam ca mumoca viiraH || 6-59-141
19. ya – yasya vikramam aasaadya raakshasa nidhanam gataaH |
tam manye raaghavam viiram naaraayaNam anaamayam || 6-72-11
20. na – na te dadR^ishire raamam daha.ntam ari vaahiniim |
mohitaaH parama astreNa gaandharveNa mahaatmanaa || 6-93-26
21. pra – praNamya devataabhyaH ca braahmaNebhyaH ca maithilii |
baddha a.njalii puTaa ca idam uvaaca agni samiipataH || 6-116-24 – yuddha
22. ca – calanaat parvata indrasya gaNaa devaaH ca ka.mpitaaH |
cacaala paarvatii ca api tadaa aashliSTaa maheshvaram || 7-16-26
23. da – daaraaH putraa puram raaSTram bhoga aacChaadana bhaajanam |
sarvam eva avibhaktam no bhaviSyati hari iishvaraH || 7-34-41
24. ya – yaam eva raatrim shatrughnaH parNa shaalaam samaavishat |
taam eva raatrim siitaa api prasuutaa daakara dvayam || 7-66-1 — Uttara
idam raamaayaNam kR^itsnam gaayatrii biija sa.myutam |
tri sa.ndhyam yaH paThet nityam sarva paapaiH pramucyate ||
yaavat aavartate cakram yaavati ca vasu.ndharaa |
taavat varSa sahasraaNi svaamitvam avadhaaraya ||
ma.ngalam kosalendraaya mahaniiya guNaatmane |
cakravarti tnuujaaya saarvabhaumaaya ma.ngalam ||
iti gaayatrii raamaayaNam sa.mpuurNam
tapaH svaadhyaaya nirataam tapasvii vaagvidaam varam |
naaradam paripapracCha vaalmiikiH muni pu.mgavam || 1-1-1
1. anvaya / parsing: tapasvii vaalmiikiH tapaH svaadhyaaya niratam vaagvidaam varam muni pumgavam naaradam pari papracCha
tapasvii= sagacious thinker; vaalmikiH = Sage [Poet] Valmiki; tapaH= in thoughtful-meditation; and; sva adhyaaya= in self, study [of scriptures]; niratam= always – who is eternally studious in scriptures; and; vaak= in speaking [in enunciation]; vidaam= among expert enunciators; varam= sublime one – with Narada; muni pungavam= with sage, paragon, with such a paragon sage Naarada; naaradam= with [such a sage] Naarada; pari papracCha = verily [inquisitively,] inquired about; [ellipt. sarva guNa samiSTi ruupam puruSam= all, merited endowments, composite, in form – about such a man.]
A thoughtful-meditator, an eternally studious sage in scriptures about the Truth and Untruth, a sagacious thinker, and a sublime enunciator among all expert enunciators is Narada, and with such a Divine Sage Narada, the Sage-Poet Valmiki is inquisitively enquiring about a man who is a composite for all merited endowments in his form and calibre. [1-1-1]
he very opening word tapaH has diverse meanings. In a way it means j~naana acuity, and it is ‘thinking’ tap aalocane ‘thinking on the Absolute, where that Absolute’s thinking itself is tapaH – yasya j~naanam tapaH thus Narada is one who is a constant thinker of the Absolute. Or, he who always practises kR^icChrandraaayaNaadi vrataH – nitya naimittika karma anuSTHaana paraH the rigorous practises enshrined in Veda-s. It means the Absolute itself tapaH para brahma shabda vaca, brahmai tad upaastvai tat tapaH ‘that which is contemplated upon that is tapaH, meaning Vedanta , Upanishads. Let many Veda-s are learnt and recited mechanically it becomes a rote learning, unless, a thought is given as for what it is being recited, an on whom. Thus Narada has no rote learning, but still trying to get full picture of that Absolute. And the swaadhyaya is Veda, and its regular practise, tapo hi svaadhyaayaH. Veda itself is the Knowledge, that is why it is said svadhyaan na pramiditavyam – taittariiya upaniSadThen, it also means as the Absolute. Thus Narada being a complete embodiment of Veda-s, is the proper sage to clear the doubts of ValmikiHis name has meanings like naara =knowledge; da= awarder; naarada= the rain cloud. Any cloud rains on its own without any requisition from Mother Earth. So Narada is naaram dadaati iti naarada ‘one who accords knowledge concerning the humans…’ or, naaram dyati – khaNdati – iti naarada ‘one who annihilates the ignorance…’ or, ‘one who accords knowledge about the Absolute, or Supreme Person.
kaH nu asmin sa.mpratam loke guNavaan kaH ca viiryavaan |
dharmaj~naH ca kR^itaj~naH ca satya vaakyo dhR^iDha vrataH || 1-1-2
2. asmin loke= in this, world; saampratam= presently; guNavaan= principled person; kaH nu= who is, really; viiryavaan ca = potential one, also; kaH= who is; dharma j~naH ca= conscientious, also; kR^ita j~naH ca= what has been done, knower of it [a redeemer,] also; satya vaakyaH= truth, speaker of [habitually speaking the truth= truth-teller]; dR^iDha vrataH= determined in his deed.
“Who really is that person in this present world, who is principled and also a potential one, a conscientious one, a redeemer, and also a truth-teller and self-determined in his deed… [1-1-2]
caaritreNa ca ko yuk{}taH sa.rva bhUteSu ko hitaH |
vidvaan kaH kaH samarthaH ca kaH ca eka priya darshanaH || 1-1-3
3. kaH chaaritreNa ca yuktaH= who is, conduct-wise, also, blent with [good conduct]; kaH sarva bhuuteSu hitaH= who is, in [respect of] all, beings, a benign one; kaH vidvaan= who is, an adept one; samarthaH ca= an ablest one, also; kaH ca eka priya darshanaH= who, also, uniquely, goodly, to look to.
“Who is he conduct-wise blent with good-conduct… who in respect of all beings is benign… who is adept and also the ablest one… also uniquely good to look to… [1-1-3]
aatmavaan ko jita krodho dyutimaan kaH anasuuyakaH |
kasya bibhyati devaaH ca jaata roSasya sa.myuge || 1-1-4
4. aatmavaan= courageous; kaH= who is; jita krodhaH= one who controlled, his ire; dyutimaan= brilliant one; an+asuuyakaH= not, jealous; kaH= who is; jaata roSasya= caused, in whom anger – when he is provoked; kasya = whom; saMyuge= in war; devaaH ca= gods, even; bibhyati= are afraid.
“Who is that courageous one, who controlled his ire, who is brilliant, non-jealous and even whom do the gods fear, when provoked to war… [1-1-4]
etat icChaami aham shrotum param kautuuhalam hi me |
maharSe tvam samartho.asi j~naatum evam vidham naram || 1-1-5
5. etat aham shrotum icChaami = all this, I, to listen [from you,] wish to; me kautuuhalam param hi= my, inquisitiveness; immense, indeed; mahaa R^irSe= Oh! Great Sage – Narada; tvam= you; evam vidham naram= [about] this, kind of, man; j~nnaatum= to know of [him]; samarthaH asi= competent [mastermind,] you are.
“All this I wish to listen from you, oh! Great Sage, as you are a mastermind to know this kind of man, and indeed my inquisitiveness is immense…” Thus Valmiki enquired with Narada. [1-1-5]
kSvaaku va.msha prabhavo raamo naama janaiH shrutaH |
niyata aatmaa mahaaviiryo dyutimaan dhR^itimaan vashii || 1-1-8
8. ikshvaaku vamshaH prabhavaH= Ikshwaku, dynasty, as his birthplace [emerged from Ikshvaku dynasty]; raamaH naama= Rama, named; janaiH shrutaH = by people, heard [by that name]; niyata aatmaa= controlled, souled [conscientious]; mahaa viiryaH= highly valorous one; dyutimaan= resplendent one; dhR^ithimaan= steadfast; vashii= controller [of vice and vile [or,] senses.]
“One emerged from Ikshvaku dynasty and known to people as Rama by his name, and he is conscientious, highly valorous, resplendent, steadfast and a controller of vice and vile… and his own senses, as well… [1-1-8]
prajaapati samaH shriimaan dhataa ripu niSUdanaH |
rakshitaa jiivalokasya dharmasya pari rakshitaa|| 1-1-13
13. prajaa patiH samaH= people’s, god [Omniscient, Brahma,] equals; shriimaan= exalted one; dhaataa= sustainer [of all worlds]; ripuH ni SuudanaH= enemy [enemies,] complete, eliminator; jiiva lokasya rakshitaaH = living beings, worlds, a guardian of; dharmasya pari rakshitaaH = of probity, in entirety, guards.
“He equals the Omniscient, he is an exalted one for he is the sustainer of all worlds, and he eliminates enemies completely, thus he is a guardian of all living beings and he guards probity, in its entirety… [1-1-13]
sarvadaa abhigataH sadbhiH samudra iva sindhubhiH |
aryaH sarvasamaH ca eva sadaiva priya darshanaH || 1-1-16
16. samudra sindhubhiH iva= an ocean, by rivers, as with; sadbhiH= by clean-minded ones; sarvadaa abhigataH= always, accessible; aaryaH= reachable [or, reverential one]; sarva samaH ca eva = all, treats equally, also, thus; sadaa eva priya darshanaH= ever, thus [the same,] pleasant, in look [ever a feast to eye.]
“Like an ocean that is reached by many rivers accesbly, that reverential one too is always accessible and reachable by clean-minded ones, and he treats all equally, and ever a feast to eye… [1-1-16]
Sri Seethaa Raamar Thiruvadikale Saranam.
Aalvaar Emberumaanaar Jeeyar Thiruvadikale Saranam .
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