Valmiki wrote Ramayana, an epic in Sanskrit describing Rama’s journey through life.  Oldest living story as it is, it has turned out to be a gem in world literature. The characters and the story of Rama have captured our imagination for generations.  They continue to define the people and heritage of India, molded in the teachings of the age-old Vedic culture that evolved in India several thousand years ago.

We are fortunate here in the Boston community that Prof. Bijoy Misra, the scientist-scholar from Harvard University has initiated an effort to read, translate and analyze Valmiki’s Ramayana at Shri Dwarkamai Vidyapeeth (Shirdi Sai Temple) in Billerica, MA.  Under Sri Misraji’s stewardship of group of about 15 people meet regularly on Sunday afternoons twice a month to take a dive into the magical world of Valmiki’s Ramayana. The reading effort was initiated on May 5th 2013 and it has now completed a year. The complete reading of the book of twenty four thousand stanzas is expected to take another 4 years.  The group covers about two hundred stanzas per session.  The translation gets posted in a blog http://misrabijoy.wordpress.com

To celebrate the first anniversary of the Reading journey a cultural and devotional program was organized on Sun May 4th 2014 at Shri Dwarkamai Vidyapeeth. The program started with the chanting of Rama RakshaStotram led by Prof. Kaladhar Rao of University of Massachusetts in Lowell, MA, supported by Sri Surendra Vaidya, a Consulting business owner in the area.  Both Sri Rao and Sri Vaidya have been one of the co-organizers of the reading from the beginning.  Sri Rao’s essays on the event can be read at http://www.lokvani.com/lokvani/article.php?article_id=9022 and  http://www.lokvani.com/lokvani/article.php?article_id=9866
Sri Vaidya helped sponsor the event.

RamaRakshaStotram (http://www.dwarkamai.org/downloads/summary/3/28) is composed by Rsi Budha Kaushika and represents the characteristics of Rama as an eternal guardian to the humanity.  In the cultural tradition of Ramyana, Rama is not a symbol, but a shield that protects humans from perils.  The congregation of about fifty people joined the group chant. The chant set a vibrant and humbling tone for the rest of the program to follow.

Sri Mohan Shyamlal and his family sang devotional Bhajans singing the glory of Shri Rama and all present could not help but join in the singing and clapping.   Hailing from Trinidad, Sri Shyamlal was an early initiate to music and devotion.  He has been in the New England community for about twenty years and has been an asset to the devotional programs in the area.  His entire family joins him in playing instruments and providing the necessary voice variation to enhance the quality of music.


The video of the bhajans are posted at

http://vidyapeeth.dwarkamai.org/component/hwdvideoshare/viewvideo/173/spiritual/ram-bhajans-by-shri-shyamlal-and-family-i

http://vidyapeeth.dwarkamai.org/component/hwdvideoshare/viewvideo/174/spiritual/ram-bhajans-by-shri-shyamlal-and-family-ii

After acknowledging Sai’s blessings and the Temple organizers’ assistance, Sri Misra thanked all organizers and the assembled devotees. Then he gave a short talk on a topic entitled “Rama and the Poet Valmiki.”  While admiring the genius of Valmiki, he wanted to analyze the particular manner the poet uses to characterize a truthful person.  Truth is an unknown quantity and all people assume truth in their own point of view.  According to Valmiki, in the absence of pure meditative conviction, the truth has to be accepted as empirical prescribed by the ancestors as given in the scriptural compositions. His view is that the well observed empirical truth has to be eternal until modified by newer discoveries.  Following the “truth” is a code of conduct but can be painful as we see in Rama.  A code of conduct has many competitions but the one prescribed by the scriptures should be followed.  Truth triumphs at the end!  

Dr. Phani Raj, a scientist and engineer working for the Federal Government, led the reading and chanting of Namaramayana along with the students of Sanskrit class taught by Sri Misra at Dwrakamai Vidyapeeth.  Dr Raj has been a regular reader of Ramayana through his family traditions and helps out with the Valmiki Ramayana reading at SriLakshmi Temple in Ashland, MA.  Namaramayana (http://www.dwarkamai.org/downloads/summary/3/29) is a recitation of one hundred and eight phrases from Valmiki’s Ramayana that describes Rama in different phases of his life.   It is a mini recitation of complete Ramayana celebrating Valmiki and Rama.   All attendees read along and participated in the group chanting. In the end, Sri Mohan Shyamlal and family sang a few concluding devotional songs.

Many Sanskrit enthusiasts and Ramayana admirers attended the program.  All organizers and Rama devotees were felicitated with Sai shawls on behalf of the Dwarkamai Vidyapeeth.   The event followed with the evening Arati performed at the Temple for Shri Sai under whose benevolent guidance this reading effort continues. The Prasad offered was a simple “Rsi” food without spices.  Cooked by Smt Jayanthi Prasad and her mother through the grace of Amma’s Kitchen, the food turned out extremely delicious.  Everyone was stunned with the simplicity and the tastefulness.

The event pictures are posted online at
http://www.dwarkamai.org/photos/category/115-valmiki-ramayana-reading-1st-anniversary

Dwarkamai Vidyapeeth thanks all participants and devotees to make the event a success.  The monthly Valmiki Ramayana reading schedule gets posted at http://www.dwarkamai.org/events/events-calendar-view
All are invited to visit the Temple and participate in the reading.

Sairam.

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