|
Valmiki
Valmiki (; , ) was a legendary poet who is celebrated as the traditional author of the epic ''Ramayana'', based on the attribution in the text itself. He is revered as ''Ādi Kavi'', the first poet, author of ''Ramayana'', the first epic poem. The ''Ramayana'', originally written by Valmiki, consists of 24,000 shlokas and seven cantos (kaṇḍas). The is composed of about 480,002 words, being a quarter of the length of the full text of the ''Mahabharata'' or about four times the length of the ''Iliad''. The ''Ramayana'' tells the story of a prince, Rama of the city of Ayodhya (Ramayana), Ayodhya in the Kosala, Kingdom of Kosala, whose wife Sita is abducted by Ravana, the demon-king (Rakshasa) of Lanka. The scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th to 4th centuries BCE, and later stages extending up to the 3rd century CE, although original date of composition is unknown. As with many traditional epics, it has gone through a process of interp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ramayana
The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics of Hinduism known as the ''Itihasas'', the other being the ''Mahabharata''. The epic narrates the life of Rama, the seventh ''avatar'' of the Hindu deity Vishnu, who is a prince of Ayodhya (Ramayana), Ayodhya in the kingdom of Kosala. The epic follows Exile of Lord Rama, his fourteen-year exile to the forest urged by his father King Dasharatha, on the request of Rama's stepmother Kaikeyi; his travels across the forests in the Indian subcontinent with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana; the kidnapping of Sita by Ravana, the king of Lanka, that resulted in bloodbath; and Rama's eventual return to Ayodhya (Ramayana), Ayodhya along with Sita to be crowned as a king amidst jubilation and celebration. Scholarly estimates for the earliest stage ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rama
Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda'' ''puruṣottama''), Rama is the male protagonist of the Hindu epic '' Ramayana''. His birth is celebrated every year on Rama Navami, which falls on the ninth day of the bright half ( Shukla Paksha) of the lunar cycle of Chaitra (March–April), the first month in the Hindu calendar. According to the ''Ramayana'', Rama was born to Dasaratha and his first wife Kausalya in Ayodhya, the capital of the Kingdom of Kosala. His siblings included Lakshmana, Bharata, and Shatrughna. He married Sita. Born in a royal family, Rama's life is described in the Hindu texts as one challenged by unexpected changes, such as an exile into impoverished and difficult circumstances, and challenges of ethical questions and moral dilemmas. The most not ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Valmiki Samhita
The ''Valmiki Samhita'' () is a Sanskrit text of six chapters. It comes under the Narada Panchratra. The ''Valmiki Samhita'' is attributed to the worship of Rama and Sita. It describes them to be the ultimate reality. According to the ''Valmiki Samhita'', Rama is Svayam Bhagavan whose abode is higher than the highest and who is considered as the origin of Chaturvyuha, namely Vasudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha. And from him the lineage of ''Shadakshar Sri Ram Mantraraj'' (six-syllabled mantra of Rama) has been started - भगवान् रामचन्द्रो वै परं ब्रह्म श्रुति श्रुतः। दयालुः शरणं नित्यं दासानां दीन चेतसाम् ।। इमां सृष्टिं समुत्पाद्य जीवानां हितकाम्यया। आद्यां शक्तिं महादेवीं श्रीसीतां � ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sita
Sita (; ), also known as Siya, Jānaki and Maithili, is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. Sita is the consort of Rama, the avatar of god Vishnu, and is regarded as an avatar of goddess Lakshmi. She is the chief goddess of the Ramanandi Sampradaya and is the goddess of beauty and devotion. Sita's birthday is celebrated every year on the occasion of Sita Navami. Described as the daughter of Bhūmi (the earth), Sita is brought up as the adopted daughter of King Janaka of Videha. Sita, in her youth, chooses Rama, the prince of Ayodhya (Ramayana), Ayodhya as her husband in a swayamvara. After the Sita Swayamvara, swayamvara, she accompanies her husband to his kingdom but later chooses to accompany him along with her brother-in-law Lakshmana, in his exile. While in exile, the trio settles in the Dandaka forest from where she is abducted by Ravana, the Rakshasa king of Lanka. She is imprisoned in the garden of Ashoka Vatika, in Lanka, until she ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Balmiki Sect
Balmikism or Valmikism is a Hindu sect that reveres the sage Valmiki, Srishtikarta (also known as Bala Shah or Lal Beg) as their ancestor as a patron saint. Followers believe that Valmiki was an avatar of God, and they consider his works, the ''Ramayana'' and the ''Yoga Vasistha'', as their holy scripture. Balmiki is often depicted as wearing red clothing and is thus known as Lal Bhekh (or Lal Beg). Ashram (Valmiki), Valmiki mandirs (temples) are open to all and the most important festival celebrated by Valmiki Hindus is Valmiki Jayanti, which marks the birthday of Valmiki. Many worshippers at Valmiki Hindu temples, especially those belonging to the Valmiki community, though adherents from other castes pray there too and patrons of Valmiki temples come from diverse castes. Demographics See also * Valmiki caste * Ardaas * Pargat Diwas References {{reflist Hindu denominations ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lava (Ramayana)
Lava (, ) and his elder twin brother Kusha, are the children of Rama and Sita in Hindu texts. Their story is recounted in the Hindu epic, ''Ramayana'' and its other versions. He is said to have a whitish golden complexion like their mother, while Kusha had a blackish complexion like their father. Birth and childhood The first chapter of Ramayana, '' Balakanda,'' mentioned Valmiki narrating the Ramayana to his disciples, Lava and Kusha. But their birth and childhood story is mentioned in the last chapter '''Uttara Kanda which is not believed to be the original work of Valmiki. According to the legend, Sita banished herself from the kingdom due to the gossip of the kingdom folk about her chastity. She chose self-exile and took refuge in the ashram of Valmiki located on the banks of the Tamsa river. Lava and Kusha were born at the ashram and were educated and trained in military skills under the teachings of Sage Valmiki. During this time they had also learned the story of R ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kusha (Ramayana)
Kusha (, ) and his younger twin brother Lava were the children of Rama and Sita. Their story is recounted in the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. Hindu traditions claim he ruled the entire region of Kashmir, Indus River and Hindu Kush as frontier lands of India known as Hindu Kush Kshetra and founded the city of Srinagar in the Kashmir Valley and Kasur with Lavapuri of Lava in base lands, though local lore contends Kasur was founded in 1525 by Pashtun migrants. His brother Lava is traditionally believed to have founded ''Lavapuri'' (current day city of Lahore). The imperial line that ruled Kingdom of Benares-Kashi and the Maurya Empire, which ruled South Asia from 320 to 185 BCE, claimed descent from Kusha. Kusha is said to be a Raghuvamshi Ikshvaku Suryavanshi. He got two children from his wife Kumudvati: Athithi (son) and Kanikamalika (daughter, wife of Yadava descent king Mahabhoja). Birth and childhood According to the Ramayana, a pregnant queen Sita is made to leave the ki ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yoga Vasistha
''Vasishta Yoga Samhita'' (, IAST: '; also known as ''Mokṣopāya'' or ''Mokṣopāyaśāstra'', and as ''Maha-Ramayana'', ''Arsha Ramayana'', ''Vasiṣṭha Ramayana'', ''Yogavasistha-Ramayana'' and ''Jnanavasistha'', is a historically popular and influential syncretic philosophical text of Hinduism, dated to the 11th—14th century CE. According to Mainkar, writing in 1977, the text started as an Upanishad, which developed into the ''Laghu Vasistha'', incorporating Buddhist ideas, and then, between 1150 and 1250, the ''Yoga Vasistha'', incorporating Shaivite Trika ideas. According to Slaje, writing in the 2000s, the ''Mokṣopāya'' was written in Kashmir in the 10th century. According to Hanneder and Slaje, the ''Mokṣopāya'' was later (11th to the 14th century) modified, showing influences from the Saivite Trika school, resulting in the ''Yogavāsiṣṭha'', which became an orthodox text in Advaita Vedanta. The text is attributed to Maharishi Valmiki, but the real author ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lanka
Lanka (; ) is the name given in Hindu epics to the island fortress capital of the legendary Rakshasa king Ravana in the epics of the ''Ramayana'' and the ''Mahabharata''. The fortress was situated on a plateau between three mountain peaks known as the Trikuta Mountains. The ancient city of Lankapura is said to have been burnt down by Hanuman. After its king, Ravana was killed by Rama with the help of Ravana's brother Vibhishana, the latter was crowned king of Lankapura. His descendants were said to still rule the kingdom during the period of the Pandavas. According to the ''Mahabharata'', the Pandava Sahadeva visited this kingdom during his southern military campaign for the rajasuya of Yudhishthira. The palaces of Ravana were said to be guarded by four-tusked elephants. Ramayana Rulers of Lanka According to both the ''Ramayana'' and the ''Mahabharata'', Lanka was originally ruled by a rakshasa named Sumali. According to Uttara Kanda, Vishwakarma, the divine architect of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ravana
According to the Mahakavya, Hindu epic, ''Ramayana'', Ravana was a kingJustin W. Henry, ''Ravana's Kingdom: The Ramayana and Sri Lankan History from Below'', Oxford University Press, p.3 of the island of Lanka, in which he is the chief antagonist and is considered to be a Rakshasa (demon). In the ''Ramayana'', Ravana is described as the eldest son of sage Vishrava and Kaikesi, Kaikasi. He abducted Rama's wife, Sita, and took her to his kingdom of Lanka, where he held her in the Ashok Vatika, Ashoka Vatika. Rama, with the support of vanara King Sugriva and his army of vanaras, launched a rescue operation for Sita against Ravana in Lanka. Ravana was subsequently slain, and Rama rescued his beloved wife Sita. Ravana was well-versed in the six shastras and the four Vedas, including the Shiva Tandava Stotra. Ravana is also considered to be the most revered devotee of Shiva. Images of Ravana are often seen associated with Shiva at temples. He also appears in the Buddhist Mahayana t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aubrey Menen
Salvator Aubrey Clarence Menen (22 April 1912 – 13 February 1989 Weatherby, W.J.Obituary: Aubrey Menen. Three nation novelist ''Guardian'', 27 February, 1989 (via newspapers.com)) was a British writer, novelist, satirist and theatre critic. Born in London, his essays and novels explore the nature of nationalism and the cultural contrast between his own Irish-Indian ancestry and his traditional British upbringing. The first sentence of ''Dead Man in the Silver Market'' offers an example of his good-humoured approach to this contentious topic: "Men of all races have always sought for a convincing explanation of their own astonishing excellence and they have frequently found what they were looking for." Early life and education Aubrey Menen was born in London in 1912 to Kali Narain Menon (also Kalipurayath Narayana Menon), "scion of a prominent Nayar family" of Indian Malayali origin, and Alice Villet, an Englishwoman of Irish descent. Aubrey chose to change his surname's spellin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Varuna
Varuna (; , ) is a Hindu god. He is one of the earliest deities in pantheon, whose role underwent a significant transformation from the Vedic to the Puranic periods. In the early Vedic era, Varuna is seen as the god-sovereign, ruling the sky and embodying divine authority. He is also mentioned as the king of asuras, who gained the status of a deva, serving as the chief of the Adityas, a group of celestial deities. He maintains truth and ''ṛta'', the cosmic and moral order, and was invoked as an omniscient ethical judge, with the stars symbolizing his watchful eyes or spies. Frequently paired with Mitra, Varuna represents the magical and speculative aspects of sovereignty, overseeing the relationship between gods and humans. The transition from the Vedic to later periods saw Varuna's domain begin to shift from the firmament to waters. He became associated with celestial waters, marking the initial phase of his transformation. By the time of the '' Itihasa-Purana'', Varuna ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
