Friday, April 3, 2009

Ramayana

आपदां अपहर्तारं दाताराम सर्वसम्पदाम.ह .लोकाभिरामं श्रीरामं भूयो भूयो नामाम्यहम.ह ..
aapadaam apahartaaram daataaram sarvasaMpadaam.h .lokaabhiraamam shriiraamam bhuuyo bhuuyo namaamyaham.h ..
" I bow again and again to Sree Rama who removes (all) obstacles and grants all wealth and pleases all. "
This is a salutation offered at the start of reading any scripture as per tradition. This prayer is for removing all obstacles encountered. The prefix Sri to Rama indicates that Rama is always accompanied by Sri, His consort Seetha in the form of goddess Sri Maha Lakshmi.

Ramayana is one of the great epics of India. This story of Sri Rama by the great sage Valmiki is referred to as the Adi Kavya. Other famous versions of Ramayana include Shri Ram Charit Manas in avadhii by Goswami Tulasidas and Kambar’s Kambaraamayanam in Tamil.
The Ramayana has been a perennial source of spiritual, cultural and artistic inspiration, not only to the people of India but also to the people all over the world. It has helped to mould the Hindu character and has inspired millions of people with the deepest of love and devotion.
"Rama, the ancient idol of the heroic ages, the embodiment of truth, of morality, the ideal son, the ideal husband, and above all, the ideal king, this Rama has been presented before us by the great sage Valmiki. No language can be purer, none chaster, none more beautiful, and at the same time simpler, than the language in which the great poet has depicted the life of Rama."
-- Swami Vivekananda

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