sreevalmikiramayanam (balakanda) -1

Sree Valmiki Ramayana

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. "

Srimad Valmiki Ramayana is an epic poem of India which narrates the journey of Virtue to annihilate vice. Sri  Rama is the Hero and aayana His journey. We in India believe that Sri Rama lived in Treta Yug, millennia BC and we are presently concerned with what Srimad Valmiki Ramayana tells us, rather than when it was told.

This epic poem Ramayana is a smriti which is translated as "from memory". Given the antiquity of Srimad Valmiki Ramayana, there have been some interjected verses. Sometimes these verses can be contradicting. However, scholars, grammarians, historians have put lot of effort to standardize the original text, by verifying various manuscripts available from various parts of India, thus trying to stabilize and save the text from further contradictions. An example of this effort is the critical edition of Srimad Valmiki Ramayana. This site aims to study various versions of Srimad Valmiki Ramayana and arrive at a version of Ramayana that is most relevant to modern times. 

Srimad Valmiki Ramayana is composed of verses called Sloka, in Sanskrit language, which is an ancient language from India and a complex meter called Anustup. These verses are grouped into individual chapters called Sargas, wherein a specific event or intent is told. These chapters or sargas are grouped into books called Kaandas where Kaanda means the inter-node stem of sugar cane, or also a particular phase of the story or an event in the course of story telling.

Bala Kanda –

Book Of Youthful Majesties

Divine sage Narada arrives at the hermitage of Sage Valmiki in order to enlighten him and keep him informed of his duty to author the epic poem Ramayana. In the dialogue between these two sages, Valmiki elicits from Narada about most virtuous person on earth, namely Rama. In this opening chapter, while eulogizing Rama Narada gives an outline of Ramayana, truly highlighting those aspects that are the keynotes in this epic, like virtuosity, generosity, morality, chastity and the like.

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, is available and it is given in the endnote of this page. In tune with the scheme of Gayatri, Ramayana starts the first verse with letter ta an auspicious letter.

The Divine Sage Narada is the brainchild of god Brahma brahma maanasa putra. His 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. Though a Divine Sage, having all these attributes, Narada has no conclusive information about hari liilaa vibhuuti 'Supreme Person's playful acts...' hence he continuously and constantly ponders over that Absolute to get the real essence of that Absolute, or Supreme Person. This is for himself, and not in respect of his reacting with others.

Chapter [Sarga] 1

tapaH svaadhyaaya nirataam tapasvii vaagvidaam varam |
naaradam paripapracCha vaalmiikiH muni pu.mgavam || 1-1-1

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]

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

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

caaritreNa ca ko yuk{}taH sa.rva bhUteSu ko hitaH |
vidvaan kaH kaH samarthaH ca kaH ca eka priya darshanaH || 1-1-3

"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...

aatmavaan ko jita krodho dyutimaan kaH anasuuyakaH |
kasya bibhyati devaaH ca jaata roSasya sa.myuge || 1-1-4

"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...

etat icChaami aham shrotum param kautuuhalam hi me |
maharSe tvam samartho.asi j~naatum evam vidham naram || 1-1-5

"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.

shrutvaa ca etat trilokaj~no vaalmiikeH naarado vacaH |
shruuyataam iti ca aama.ntrya prahR^iSTo vaakyam abraviit || 1-1-6

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. [

bahavo durlabhaaH ca eva ye tvayaa kiirtitaa guNaaH |
mune vaxSyaami aham buddhvaa taiH uk{}taH shruuyataam naraH || 1-1-7

"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.

ikSvaaku va.msha prabhavo raamo naama janaiH shrutaH |
niyata aatmaa mahaaviiryo dyutimaan dhR^itimaan vashii || 1-1-8

"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...

buddhimaan niitimaan vaa~Ngmii shriimaan shatru nibarhaNaH |
vipulaa.mso mahaabaahuH ka.mbu griivo mahaahanuH || 1-1-9

"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..

mahorasko maheSvaaso guuDha jatruH arindamaH |
aajaanu baahuH sushiraaH sulalaaTaH suvikramaH || 1-1-10

"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...

samaH sama vibhak{}ta a.ngaH snigdha varNaH prataapavaan |
piina vakSaa vishaalaakSo lakSmiivaan shubha lakSaNaH || 1-1-11

"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..

dharmaj~naH satya sandhaH ca prajaanaam ca hite rataH |
yashasvii j~naana sa.mpannaH shuciH vashyaH samaadhimaan || 1-1-12

"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...

prajaapati samaH shriimaan dhataa ripu niSUdanaH |
rakshitaa jiivalokasya dharmasya pari rakshitaa|| 1-1-13

"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...

rakSitaa svasya dharmasya sva janasya ca rakSitaa |
veda vedaa~Nga tattvaj~no dhanur vede ca niSThitaH || 1-1-14

"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 Veda-s and their ancillaries, too. He is an expert in dhanur Veda, the Art of Archery...

sarva shaastra artha tattvaj~no smR^itimaan pratibhaanavaan |
sarvaloka priyaH saadhuH adiinaaatmaa vicakSaNaH || 1-1-15

"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..

sarvadaa abhigataH sadbhiH samudra iva sindhubhiH |
aryaH sarvasamaH ca eva sadaiva priya darshanaH || 1-1-16

"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...

sa ca sarva guNopetaH kausalya aana.nda vardhanaH |
samudra iva gaambhiirye dhairyeNa himavaan iva || 1-1-17

"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...

viSNunaa sadR^isho viirye somavat priya darshanaH |
kaala agni sadR^ishaH krodhe kSamayaa pR^ithvii samaH || 1-1-18
dhanadena samaH tyaage satye dharma iva aparaH |

"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..

tam evam guNa sa.mpannam raamam satya paraakramam || 1-1-19
jyeSTam shreSTa guNaiH yuk{}tam priyam dasharathaH sutam |
prakR^itInaam hitaiH yuk{}tam prakR^iti priya kaamyayaa || 1-1-20
yauva raajyena sa.myok{}tum aicChat priityaa mahiipatiH |

.

"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 Dasharatha, and hence the king Dasharatha affectionately intended to establish such a Rama as crown prince to all intents and purposes of country's welfare...[1-1-29b, 20, 21a]

tasya abhiSeka sa.mbhaaraan dR^iSTvaa bhaaryaa atha kaikayii || 1-1-21
puurvam datta varaa devii varam enam ayaacata |
vivaasanam ca raamasya bharatasya abhiSecanam || 1-1-22

"Then on seeing the arrangements for the anointment of Rama as crown-prince, Kaikeyi, the dear wife and a queen of Dasharatha, claimed boons that were once accorded to her by Dasharatha, which are the banishment of Rama and anointment of Bharata. [1-2-21b 22]

sa satya vacanaat raajaa dharma paashena sa.myataH |
vivaasayaamaasa sutam raamam dasharathaH priyam || 1-1-23

."Bound by the truthfulness of his plighted word and by the halter of righteousness that king Dasharatha exiled his dear son Rama to forests

sa jagaama vanam viiraH pratij~naam anupaalayan |
pitur vacana nirdeshaat kaikeyyaaH priya kaaraNaat || 1-1-24

"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.

Sree Valmiki Ramayana

courtesy from

Sree Brahmasri Desiraju Hanumanta Rao ji

and  Sreeman Brahmasri K M K Murthy ji

Humbly I bow to the  lotus feet of both of them

for the collection