Bala Kanda, Chapter 1
Narada briefs Valmiki about Rama & Ramayana
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.
"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...
"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...
"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...
"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.
On listening all those words of Valmiki, the preceptor of all the three worlds, Sage Narada, said "let it be heard..." and beckoning at Sage Valmiki to listen attentively, he spoke these words very gladly.
"Oh! Sage Valmiki, the merits which you have extolled are many, and unattainable even for great emperors, let alone ordinary humans, and also infinite are they... but, about such a man with such merits I will speak on... for I, having known from Brahma of such a man, will make clear about that man..." Thus Narada started to say.
"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...
"He is an adept one, moralist, learned, propitious, and a destroyer of enemies. His arms are lengthy, and his neck is like a conch-shell, and cheekbones high...
"He is lion-chested, thick-shouldered, knee-length are his arms, and his is longbow, an enemy-subjugator, and his emperor's countenance is with a crowning-head with an ample forehead, and his pacing is lion-like...
"He is medium-sized physically, with limbs poised symmetrically, sinew-chested, wide-eyed, complexioned glossily... he is a prosperous personality with all the providential features, and thus he is self-resplendent...
"He is the knower of rectitude, bidden by the truth, also his concern is in the welfare of subjects, proficient in prudence, clean in his conduct, self-controlled and a diligent one, thus he is glorious...
"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...
"He is the champion of his own self-righteousness and also champions for adherent's welfare in the same righteousness, and he is a scholar in the essence of Vedas and their ancillaries, too. He is an expert in dhanur Veda, the Art of Archery...
"He is the knower of the meaning and essence of all the scriptures, excellent at memory thus brilliant, and an esteemed one in all the worlds, gentle, level-headed and clear-headed in discriminating and distinguishing...
"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...
"He who betters the happiness of his mother Kausalya is an embodiment of all noble merits, and in profundity he is like an unfathomable ocean, and by fortitude he is unalterable like the kingly Himalayan mountain...
"In valour Rama is comparable with Vishnu, and in his looks he is attractive like full-moon, he equals the earth in his perseverance, but he is matchable with era-end-fire in his wrath... and in benevolence he is identical to Kubera, God of Wealth-Management, and in his candour he is like Dharma itself, the other God Probity on earth...
"Rama being the possessor of suchlike merits, whose truthfulness alone is his courage, embodied with best intrinsic values, ever involved in the welfare of people, besides being the dear and eldest son of Dashratha, and hence the king Dashratha affectionately intended to establish such a Rama as crown prince to all intents and purposes of country's welfare...
"Then on seeing the arrangements for the anointment of Rama as crown-prince, Kaikeyi, the dear wife and a queen of Dashratha, claimed boons that were once accorded to her by Dashratha, which are the banishment of Rama and anointment of Bharata.
"Bound by the truthfulness of his plighted word and by the halter of righteousness that king Dashratha exiled his dear son Rama to forests.
"Such a brave one as he is, that Rama repaired to forest for the reason of appeasing Kaikeyi, and as directed by the verbal directive of his father, and to follow his father's word of honour.
"In whom humbleness and the natural brotherly affection of a brother are abounding, such a fondly younger brother of Rama, namely Lakshmana, indeed heartily followed his forest going brother Rama, exemplifying the ideals of brotherhood, thus augmenting the happiness of his mother Sumitra.
"Sita, the best one among ladies, a possessor of all best qualities befitting to an ideal lady, the one who is as though fashioned by a Divine marvel, born in Janaka's family and became Dashratha's daughter-in-law, and she who is the loving wife and an ever-amiable alter ego of Rama, even she followed Rama to forests, as with Lady Rohini following the Moon...
"The citizens of Ayodhya and even his father Dashratha have followed that virtue-souled Rama for a distance when he started on his exile. Later Rama reached the tribal chief named Guha, who has a liking for Rama, on the bank of River Ganga in a town called Sringaberapura. And when Rama is teamed with Guha, Lakshmana and Sita, he left off the charioteer and a minister of his father who charioted them thitherto, namely Sumantra.
"That trio of Sita, Rama and Lakshmana on treading forest after forest, and on crossing rivers with plethoric waters, reached the hermitage of Sage Bharadwaja, and by the ordainment of that sage they arrived at Chitrakuta, and setting up a handsome cottage there, they who have enjoyed every comfort in Ayodhya enjoyed every comfort here also in no less a degree and that trio lived happily and exuberated themselves in woods at Chitrakuta, similar to gods and celestials...
"On Rama's going to Chitrakuta thus, King Dashratha is aggrieved by the grief for son and went to heavens grieving for son...
"On Dashratha's departure to heavens, though Sage Vashishta and other Brahmans have impressed upon him for his investiture in kingship, and even though he is highly effectual to rule such a kingdom, he that Bharata refused the kingdom, and that self-denying Bharata, for he is aloft the greed, grouse, and gripe, went to forests to pray for mercy at the feet of Rama...
"But on reaching that great-souled Rama, who is a vanquisher just by his truthfulness, Bharata humbly and reverentially begged of his brother, and the avowed word of Bharata is this, 'oh! Knower of Probity, you alone shall be the king... '
"Even though Rama is a really benevolent one, even though he is a readily willing one, even though he is a greatly reputed one for endowments, even though he is a highly capable endower of whatever sought by his adherers, even then Rama did not desire the kingdom, to keep up his own pledge and also owing to his father's directives...
"On giving his sandals to that Bharata for custodial care of kingdom till his return after the period of exile, then the elder brother of Bharata, namely Rama, persuasively turned away Bharata.
"Unfulfilled is the desire of Bharata in taking back Rama to kingdom, hence on touching Rama's feet and taking sandals, he returned from Chitrakuta, and without ruling from capital Ayodhya, he carried on the kingdom from a village called Nandigrama, with an expectation of Rama's return...
"On the departure of Bharata, that effulgent one, for his self-effulgence is not marred by the arrival of Bharata with an incitement; that truth-bound one, for his truthfulness is undeterred even by the supplications to return to capital by Bharata, Kausalya, and even Kaikeyi; that self-controlled one, for the lure of kingdom has not controlled his senses, such as he is, he that Rama foresaw the repeated arrival of citizens, other subjects, or even Bharata to that place. Hence Rama indeed entered Dandaka forest, determinedly about his plighted promise to undergo exile and decidedly about the elimination of demons...
"That lotus-eyed Rama on his entering the vast of Dandaka forest eliminated the demon Viraadha, and indeed descried Sage Sharabhanga, also even Sage Suteekhsna, also Sage Agastya and likewise Sage Agastya's brother...
"On the advice of Sage Agastya Rama took a bow of Indra from Sage Agastya, which Indra once gave to Sage Agastya, along with a sword, and two quivers in which arrows will be ever-replenishing, and thus Rama is highly pleased to receive befitting weaponry...
"While Rama is staying in the forest of Sage Sharabhanga, all the sages and forest moving ascetics, vaanaprashta-s, have approached him for the elimination of monsters and menacers...
"Rama conceded to the supplications of those sages of that forest, which forest has become an abode of demons, and Rama also promised those sages who are the dwellers of Dandaka forest, and whose glow is like that of the Ritual-fire, to eliminate all of the demons in combat...
"While Rama is living there in Dandaka forest, a guise-changing demoness named Shuurpanakha, who is a resident of Janasthaana, a place in Dandaka forest, is disfigured...
"Then in a combat Rama eliminated all the fourteen demons who rebelliously came at him in the first round of combat incited by the provokes of Shuurpanakha, and then in second round Rama eliminated demon chiefs called Khara, Trishira, Duushana, who are none but the cousins of Shuurpanakha and Ravana, together with all of their hench-demons...
"During his stay in Dandaka forest Rama eliminated fourteen thousand demons in all, who are the inhabitants of that very forest...
"Then on hearing the slaughter of his cousins, Ravana is convulsed in anger and sought the help of a demon named Maareecha...
"But Maareecha deterred Ravana telling him time and again, 'oh, Ravana, unpardonable will be your rivalry with that formidable Rama, formidable because fourteen thousand clansmen of ours could not triumph over him...'
"Then heedless of Maareecha's advice and ushered by the time of his own doom, Ravana advanced to the threshold of Rama's hermitage along with Maareecha...
"Ravana stole the wife of Rama, namely Sita, by getting the princes Rama and Lakshmana distracted distantly from their hermitage through the trickster Maareecha, and after putting the eagle Jatayu, which came to Sita's rescue, to sword...
"On seeing the eagle Jatayu almost dead and on hearing from the same eagle that Maithili is stolen, seethed with anguish and senses frenzied Raghava bewailed...
"Rama then cremated that eagle Jataayu in that anguish, and while searching for Sita in forest, he indeed saw a demon named Kabandha, who is misshapen in his look and monstrous to look to...
"That Rama whose arms are highly powerful has eliminated and cremated that demon Kabandha, and Kabandha while going heavenward told Rama, 'oh, Raghava, proceed to the ascetic lady of right-conduct and an expert in rightness, namely Shabari...' and vanished...
"He who is a great-resplendent one and an enemy-eliminator, that son of Dashratha, Rama arrived close at Shabari, and Shabari venerated him, thoroughly...
"Rama met the vanara Hanumana on the banks of Lake Pampa, and upon the word of Hanumana Rama indeed befriended Sugreeva...
"That highly dynamic Rama detailed to Sugreeva, and even to Hanumana, all that has happened from the beginning in general, and the abduction of Sita, in particular...
"On listening all that has happened from Rama, that vanara Sugreeva befriended Rama where the witness for that friendship is flaring fire, for it alone is auspicious...
"Then that woeful king of monkeys Sugreeva woefully informed Rama about his saga of feud with his brother Vali in reply to Rama's query, in friendship and in its entirety...
"Then Rama solemnly promised Sugreeva to eliminate Vali in retaliation to his foul deeds in respect of Sugreeva and of probity as well, and then that vanara Sugreeva started to tell about the sinews of Vali...
"Sugreeva always remained doubtful about the powers of Raghava and by reason of confiding in Raghava's prowess for himself, and by reason of making Raghava to confide in the powers of Vali, Sugreeva has shown him the massive remains of demon Dundubhi, which is similar to a great mountain...
That omni-dextrous Rama looked at the skeleton, smiled in aplomb, then that very energetic Rama flicked that skeleton with tip of his foot's big toe wholly to a ten yojana-lengths... yet Sugreeva's confidence remained apathetic...
"Again Rama ripped seven massive trees called sala trees with only one great arrow, which not only rived the trees but also rent through a mountain, and to the nethermost subterranean of earth, in order to inculcate certainty in Sugreeva...
"Then Sugreeva's heart is gladdened by that act of Rama and also at the prospect of his own success, and then that great monkey confiding in Rama advanced to the cave like Kishkindha along with Rama...
"Then that best monkey Sugreeva whose body-hue is golden war-whooped at the entrance of cave like Kishkindha, by which loud shouting there emerged Vali, the king of monkeys, out of that cave like Kishkindha...
"Vali came out only on pacifying Tara, his wife, who deterred Vali from going to meet Sugreeva in a combat, as she doubted that Sugreeva must have come with Rama, and then Vali met Sugreeva head on... and therein that duel Raghava eliminated Vali, only with one arrow...
"On eliminating Vali in combat upon the word of Sugreeva, then Rama established Sugreeva alone for that kingdom as its king...
"Sugreeva being the ablest among monkeys summoned all of the monkeys and sent them forth in all directions in search of Sita, the daughter of Janaka...
"Then, upon the word of Sampaati, the eagle and elder brother of Jataayu, the efficacious Hanumana leaped forth the salty ocean, which breadth-wise is in a hundred yojana-s...
"On reaching the city Lanka ruled by Ravana, Hanumana has seen Sita, where she is lodged in Ashoka gardens and meditating on Rama alone...
"Hanumana on presenting the remembrancer, an emblematic ring of Rama to Sita, also on delineating the sad disposition of Rama to her, thus on solacing Vaidehi, he started to smash the welcome-arch of that beautiful Ashoka gardens...
"On wiping out five army chiefs, seven sons of ministers, and on kneading down a gallant demon named Aksha Kumara, Hanumana had to enter into the captivity of a powerful weapon darted by Indrajit, the son of Ravana...
"Though the release from the weapon's captivity is known to him by the boon of Brahma, and though he is valiant enough to pulverise all the demons, but to see and talk to Ravana, thus to gauge the strength of enemy, Hanumana is intentionally tolerant of the demons and their making monkey of him when they fastened him with ropes and dragged him to Ravana's court. After an audience with Ravana Hanumana burnt that city Lanka, except where Sita, the princess of Mithila is stationed, and then to narrate the pleasant news of locating Sita, he again got back to Rama, for he is a great monkey...
"That inestimable intellectual Hanumana on approaching that great-souled Rama, and on performing circumambulation around him in reverence, subtly submitted that, 'Seen... Sita...'
"Then, Rama along with Sugreeva and other monkeys has gone to the seashore of Great Ocean, and when Ocean-god is unyielding to give way, then he started to put the Ocean-god to turmoil with his arrows, as with Sun-god who puts an ocean to turmoil with his sunrays...
"The Ocean-god revealed himself and upon the word of that Ocean-god alone, Rama put up vanara Nala to build a bridge across the ocean...
"On going to the city Lanka by that bridge and on eliminating Ravana in battle, Rama redeemed Sita, but he subsequently came down with much humiliation, since redeeming Sita in enemy's place might become controversial...
"Then Rama spoke harsh words to Sita among the assemblages of monkeys, demons, and others, but she that Sita being husband-devout has entered the burning fire intolerant of those unkindly words of Rama...
"Then, upon the word Fire-god,, and Rama realised that Sita is rid of sins and he is very highly gladdened. And when all the gods reverenced him for his great accomplishment in eliminating Ravana, Rama shone forth with his self-resplendence. Thus all the three worlds inclusive of their mobile and sessile beings, all gods with the observances of hermits have become exultant for this great accomplishment of the great souled Raghava...
"Enthroning Vibheeshana as the chieftain of demons in Lanka, then feeling that his task is fulfilled, Rama indeed rejoiced highly getting rid of febrility about any uncertainty of fulfilling his promises, excepting for Jatayu...
"Rama obtained boon from gods to get all the dead monkeys up on their feet as though woken up from sleep, and he travelled towards Ayodhya by Pushpaka aircraft, with all the good hearted friends around him...
"Rama, the truth-valiant, has gone to the hermitage of Sage Bharadwaja en route, and he has also sent Hanumana to the near of Bharata beforehand...
"Then on boarding Pushpaka aircraft again after leaving the hermitage of Bharadwaja, and telling episodes jovially to Sugreeva and others about the events in the days of his exile in forests, while flying overhead of the very same places, Rama went to Nandigrama, where Bharata is available...
"That impeccable Rama rejoining with all of his brothers in the village Nandigrama removed his matted locks of hair along with them. Thus he, on regaining Sita and on discarding hermit's role again became a householder, and he regained his kingdom also...
"When Rama is enthroned then the world will be highly regaled and rejoiced, exuberant and abundant, also rightly righteous, trouble-free, disease-free, and free from fear of famine..." Thus Narada is foreseeing the future and telling Valmiki.
"While Rama is on the throne men will not see the deaths of their children anywhere in their lifetime, and the ladies will remain husband-devout and unwidowed during their lifetime...
"In the kingdom of Rama there is no fear for subjects from wildfires, gale-storms or from diseases, and there is no fear from hunger or thieves, nor the cattle is drowned in floodwaters, as well...
"May it be a township or a remote province, it will be replete with coin and grain, and as to how people lived in high gladness during the earlier Krita era, likewise people will live in Rama's period also with the same gladness...
"On performing hundreds of Horse-Rituals and rituals wherein plenteous gold is bounteously donated, likewise on donating millions of cows and uncountable wealth to Brahmans and scholars, that highly illustrious Rama will proceed to Brahma's abode, in future...
"In this world Raghava will establish kingly dynasties in hundredfold and he will be maintaining the four-caste system positing each in his own probity, may it be caste-bound or provincial-kingdom-bound probity, in order to achieve a perfect social harmony...
"On reverencing the kingdom for ten thousand years plus another one thousand years, i.e. for a total of eleven thousand years, Rama voyages to the abode of Brahma...
"This Ramayana is holy, sin-eradicating, merit-endowing, and conformable with the teachings of all Vedas... and whoever reads this Legend of Rama, he will be verily liberated of all his sins...
"Any man who reads this lifespan-enriching narrative of actuality, Ramayana, the peregrination of Rama, he will be enjoying worldly pleasures with his sons and grand sons and with assemblages of kinfolks, servants et al., as long as he is in this mortal world and on his demise, he will be adored in heaven...
"A man reading this Ramayana happens to be a Brahman, one from teaching-class, he obtains excellency in his speech, and should he be Kshatriya person from ruling-class, he obtains land-lordship, and should he be Vyshya person from trading-class, he accrues monetary-gains, and should he be a Shudra person from working class, he acquires his personal excellence..." Thus Sage Narada gave a gist of Ramayana to Sage-poet Valmiki.
In the first chapter of Bala Kanda the gist of Ramayana is imbibed and it called samkshepa raaamayana, or also called bala raamaayana . The youngsters are asked to recite these stanzas daily for longevity and a perfect personality like that of Rama. The summarised stanzas reflected here are from the main epic. The canto-wise summarisation is as below: