Ram Charit Manas/ Ramcharitmanas
Benares
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Astrological benefits of verses from Ramcharitmanas
Radhika Mehrotra | Astrological benefits of verses from Ramcharitmanas | Speaking Tree
Chamba (HP) c. AD 1810
The Ramcharitmanas is not a mere creation but has almost magical properties to it - the verses (chaupai) can remedy any astrological problem.
Remedying Adversity
When you face sudden problems in your life and the situation is so adverse that you have absolutely no idea how to deal with it - Ramcharitmanas will not let you down. Here is the adversity healing verse "राजिव नयन धरें धनु सायक। भगत बिपति भंजन सुखदायक।।"
Remedying Distress
In case you are facing many problems on the home front and your personal problems, ritually chant - “हरन कठिन कलि कलुष कलेसू। महामोह निसि दलन दिनेसू॥” This verse has the power to remedy the most turbulent of distressful situations.
Remedying Tension
Lord Rama is known for his peaceful demeanour and collected self even in the most distressful situation and turbulent times. When facing tension simply chant - “जय रघुवंश बनज बन भानू। गहन दनुज कुल दहन कृशानू॥”
Remedying Evil Eye
There exist certain entities that intentionally harm your inner peace and your harmonious life, for such situation, one must simply remember Lord Rama and Hanuman and chant - “स्याम गौर सुंदर दोउ जोरी। निरखहिं छबि जननीं तृन तोरी।।”
To Earn a Living
Sometimes many of us go through a period of financial crisis or do not get the desired job. The struggle is such, that you might feel useless and unworthy. Simply do a lot of hard work and chant - “बिस्व भरण पोषन कर जोई। ताकर नाम भरत जस होई।।”
Remedying Impoverishment
Everyone has a good and a bad day, that does not make you any less productive, unique and important. When you need to remedy impoverished state of living one must chant - “अतिथि पूज्य प्रियतम पुरारि के। कामद धन दारिद दवारि के।।”
Remedying Delay in Marriage
If you are looking forward to beginning a new life with a prospective person, but there has been a delay for one reason or the other, rather than stressing over it, simply remember Lord Rama and Goddess Sita and chant - “तब जनक पाइ वशिष्ठ आयसु ब्याह साजि सँवारि कै। मांडवी श्रुतकीरति उरमिला, कुँअरि लई हँकारि कै॥”
Excelling in Studies
If you are a hard working student and feel stagnated, study with focus and all your heart and soul, just add of positivity and chant - गुरु गृहँ गए पढ़न रघुराई। अल्प काल विद्या सब आई॥
Remembering Lord Hanuman
If you are an ardent devotee of Lord Hanuman and believe and your faith in him is as strong as your bones and blood vessels, simply remember Rama and Sita with all your heart and chant - “सुमिरि पवनसुत पावन नामू। अपनें बस करि राखे रामू।।”
To Attain Moksha
When there is no other path for you but one that leads you to the soul path, the path of enlightenment all you need to do is connect with self and chant - “सत्यसंध छाँड़े सर लच्छा। काल सर्प जनु चले सपच्छा।।”
Criticisms
A backgrounder
Written by Shyamlal Yadav, February 17, 2023: The Indian Express
The Ramcharitmanas
The poem was written in the 16th century in the Awadhi dialect that is mainly spoken in the areas that are today’s Lucknow, Prayagraj, and Ayodhya districts. It is divided into seven chapters (Kand) that tell the story of Lord Ram from birth to his becoming King of Ayodhya.
The Ramcharitmanas is based on the Ramayana, sage Valmiki’s great epic. It is the holiest book of the Indo-Gangetic region, and among the world’s most read holy books — by one estimate, Geeta Press (Gorakhpur) has sold almost 7 crore copies. Across the Hindi heartland, a reference to “Ramayan” often actually means Ramcharitmanas.
Goswami Tulsidas
Tulsidas, a Brahmin whose original name was Ram Bola Dubey, is believed to have been born in Rajapur by the Yamuna in today’s Banda district. He composed the Ramcharitmanas on the bank of the Ganga in Varanasi — he is said to have begun writing on Ram Navami day in 1574, and completed the poem over the next few years.
In the seventh shloka of the first chapter (Baal Kand), Tulsidas declares, “Swantah sukhay Tulsi Raghunathgatha…” — that is, he has written the “story of Raghunath (Lord Ram) for his own happiness”.
Tulsidas lived in the time of Emperor Akbar, and some believe that he was in touch with Abdurrahim Khan-e-Khanan, the son of Akbar’s commander Bairam Khan, and they possibly exchanged some poetic communication as well.
Tulsidas made the story of Lord Ram popular among the masses because he wrote in the regional dialect that most people understood. This earned him the ire of Sanskrit scholars of the time, and Tulsidas recorded his anguish in his Kavitawali: “...Kahoo ki beti son, beta n byahab, kahoo ki jaati bigad na sou…Maangi ke khaibo, maseet ke soibo, laibo ko eku na daibe ko dou… (I don’t have to marry my son to anyone’s daughter, nor do I have to degrade any caste… I can survive on alms and sleep at the mosque, I have nothing to do (with anyone).”
Portions that are criticised
- The main criticism is of a chaupai in Sundar Kand. Lord Ram is on the coast, but the Sea is refusing to make way. When the Lord threatens to dry the Sea out, he says, “…dhol ganwar shudra pashu naari (imbeciles, illiterates, shudras and women), sakal tadana ke adhikari.” While the Geeta Press Ramcharitmanas (54th edition, 1997) translates “taadan” as “shiksha (education)”, some critics say it means beating or reprimanding.
- In Uttar Kand, Kagbhushundi (the crow) tells Garuda, the king of birds: “Je barnadham teli kumhara, swapach kiraat koli kalwara, naari mui grih sampatti nashi, mood mudai hohin sanyasi (Lower castes like Teli, Kumhar, Chandal, Bheel, Kol and Kalwar, etc. become sanyasis by tonsuring their heads after their wife dies or they lose their wealth).”
- Later, Kagbhushundi says, “Adham jaati may shiksha paaye, bhayau jatha ahi doodh pilaye… (Educating a lower-caste person is like feeding milk to a snake).” This was the line that Bihar Minister Chandra Shekhar mentioned.
- In Aranya Kand, Lord Ram kills the demon Kabandh. When Kabandh mentions Durvasa, Lord Ram praises the sage: “Shapat, tadat parush kahanta, bipra pujya asi gavahin santa, pujiye bipra sheel gun heena, shudra na gun gan gyan praveena (Saints have said that a Brahmin should be respected even if his conduct is not good, and he curses, beats people, or speaks harshly; a Shudra cannot be respected even if he has good qualities and knowledge).”
- When Lord Ram reaches Lanka, Ravan’s wife Mandodari tries to persuade her husband not to go to war. An angry Ravan then describes the eight “avgun (bad habits)” of women.
Past controversies
While in the Ramcharitmanas, Lord Ram is maryada purushottam, the epitome of righteousness, his conduct has been criticised by leaders of anti-Brahmin movements like E V Ramasamy Periyar.
One of the 22 pledges that Dr B R Ambedkar administered to his followers while embracing Buddhism in October 1956 was: “I shall have no faith in Rama and Krishna, who are believed to be incarnation of God, nor shall I worship them.”
Non-upper caste assertion in politics has sometimes been manifested in criticism of the Ramcharitmanas. Critics have used these parts of the poem to accuse Tulsidas of being against the non-upper castes and women, and a flagbearer of the idea of Brahminical superiority.
In 1974, the Socialist Party MLA from Derapur (Kanpur), Chaudhary Rampal Singh Yadav, while participating in a discussion on empowerment of Dalits, tore pages from the Ramcharitmanas in the UP Assembly. Speaker Prof Vasudev Singh frowned at Yadav’s behaviour against a “religious book”, and said “every member should respect all religious books”.
Women
Four women who must be respected as Goddesses
c. A.D. 1860
These 4 women must be respected as Goddesses!
As per Hindu scriptures, a woman is an avatar of Shakti (Goddess) and must be respected, loved, cared for.
Important lessons from Ramacharitamanas
Even the famous and most worshipped Hindu mythological legend, Ramacharitamanas, which establish the ‘living sum of the Indian culture,’ has a verse that quotes Sri Ram as saying:
अनुज बधू भगिनी सुत नारी। सुनु सठ कन्या सम ए चारी॥
इन्हहि कुदृष्टि बिलोकइ जोई। ताहि बधें कछु पाप न होई॥
“Anuj badhoo [the younger brother’s wife] bhaginee [sister] sut naaree [daughter in law], Sunu saTh kanya [girl, woman] sam-e-chaaree, Inhahi kudrishti bilokayi joee, Taahi badheñ kachhu paap na hoee.”
Avatar of Goddess Laxmi
According to this sacred verse, a man should look upon these 4 women as avatar of Goddess Laxmi and must refrain from disrespecting them, anywhere. The following slides would explain the women, who [must never be disrespected and what befalls, if one does.
Daughter-In-Law
Welcoming a daughter-in-law is matter of great honor; she’s not only entitled to be treated as the daughter of the house, also family’s responsibilities towards doubles. The status of the spouse of the child ought to be equivalent to one's own particular girl. It is their obligation and dharma to ensure one's girl in-law. One ought not affront the respect of a little girl in-law and neither ought to bolster the individuals who do.
Sister-In-Law
The spouse of your senior sibling is likened to your mother; while the wife of more younger sibling should be treated as the daughter-in-law. Supporting terrible goals about them prompts sin that can't be offered reparations in any capacity.
Sister
Your sister must be respected as equivalent to your mother. Not ensuring one's sister and manhandling her for narrow-minded reasons is an indication of fiendishness nature. Such a man should persevere through a ton of agony in present and future lifetimes.
Daughter of the house
To regard one's girl and shield her from any circumstance is the obligation of each father. There's no more prominent sin than manhandling one's girl and saving even a look towards with sick aim.
World records
The longest recorded song
May 26, 2023: The Times of India
VARANASI: Shri Ramcharitmanas’, composed and recorded in a single track by Banaras Hindu University’s vedic science teacher Jagadeesh Pillai, is now world's longest recorded song. The Guinness World Records has acknowledged Pillai’s feat. This is the fifth Guinness honour for Pillai in the past 11 years.
Earlier, the longest officially released song was of 115 hours 45 minutes by Mark Christopher Lee and The Pocket Gods from St Albans, Hertfordshire, UK.
Pillai composed and recorded a single track based on the entire book of the epic “Shri Ramcharitmanas.” . It is written in Awadhi language, and composed by the 16th-century bhakti poet Goswami Tulsidas.
UP minister of state, AYUSH, Food Safety and Drug Administration, Dayashankar Mishra ‘Dayalu’ on Wednesday met Pillai and said despite not being from a Hindi speaking state, singing such a long song in Awadhi language in such a beautiful way with bhajans and kirtans as per the rules of Guinness record, are really amazing.
