23rd Annual Sri Ramacharitamanasa reading at Sri Lakshmi Temple

The Ramayana, the Adi Kavya- a foremost Prosody - was composed by Sage Valmiki before writing became known in the Indian Region. The propagation of the over 25,000 slokas in Sanskrit has been kept in tact over thousands of years and an equally great number of versions have been published in various Indian Languages since then. Among such bounty the Ramacaritamanasa holds a distinct identity for gaining devotion to the Lord Almighty and as a guide to achieving the Adhyatma Jnana.

In the tradition of ritualistic reading of the Sanskrit Text “Ramayana”, it is claimed tha the attention given to diction of every letter included in the 25000 plus slokas enables mankind to dispel the cumulative effects of the Evil Deeds conducted in the past by the reader. This is evidenced by the sloka in the फलश्रुति (declaration of benefits) as follows:

चरितं रघुनाथस्य शतकोटिप्रविस्तरम् ।

एकैकमक्षरं प्रोक्तं महापातकनाशनम् ॥

The historical rendering of the life of Raghunatha exceeds a billion versions. Diction of every and each letter (of that rendering) destroys the resulting reactive effect of even the most sinful deed.

Tulasidasa has entwined this declaration into his work, The Ramacaritamanas (RCM) intuitively in all sincerity. This is evident in the inaugural sloka of the RCM:

वर्णानामर्थसन्घानां रसानां छ्न्दसामपि ।

मङ्गलानां च कर्तारौ वंदे वाणीविनायकौ ॥ RCM 1.1

The simple translation of the above reads as follows:

I salute the Dieties known as Vani and Vinayaka, who are the primary initiators of blessing the letters, the meaning associated with the conjugation of the letters, the expressiveness, and the poetic meters.

One of the commentaries that I have read on this starting sloka of RCM suggests that Tulasidasa has embedded such ominous benedictions at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of his work, based on the traditional belief that any work that includes such reading of grace and devotion all through the work enables both the reader and the listener to be blessed. This belief has been the foundation of conducting the contiguous overnight reading of the RCM at the Sri Lakshmi Temple in Ashland, MA during the rituals to celebrate the birthday of Rama, which falls on the ninth day following the Lunar

New Year known as Yugadi.

एहि मह रघुपति नाम उदारा । अति पावन पुराण श्रुति सारा ॥

मंगल भवन अमंगलहारी । उमा सहित जेहि जपत पुरारि ॥ RCM 1.9.1

This contains the gracious name of the Lord of Raghus, which is exceedingly holy and the very cream of the Puranas and the Vedas. It is the abode of the blessings and the remover of the evils: and is chanted by Lord Shiva, the enemy of the demon Tripura, along with his consort Uma.

मंगल करणि कलिमल हरणि तुलसी कथा रघुनाथकी ।

गति कूर कबिता सरितकी ज्यो सरित पावन पाथ की ॥

प्रभु सुजन संगति भनिति भलि होइहि सुजन मन भाविनि ।

भव अंग भूति मसान की सुमिरत सुहावनि पावनि ॥ RCM 1.9.ch.

The tale of the Lord of Raghus, Oh Tulasidasa, brings forth blessings and wipes away the impurities of the Kali age. The course of the stream of this poetry is tortuous like that of the Holy Ganga. By its association with the auspicious glory of the Lord this composition will be blessed and will captivate the mind of the virtuous. On the person of Lord Shiva, even the ashes of the cremation ground appear charming and purify by their very thought.

This concept is carried through the entire reading time and again and at the end of each part. The entire story is classified into seven parts and at the beginning and at the end of each part Tulasidasa reiterates the benedictions time and again. Tulasidasa continues his rendering of the story even appealing to the wicked and evil minded people, believing that all that exists in this universe is a projection of Rama. He calls upon the distinct nature of knowledge that while differentiating good from evil enables the virtuous to grasp only the good.

This can be seen in the following:

भलेउ पोच सब विधि उपजाये । गनि गुन दोष बेद बिलगाए ॥

कहहि बेद इतिहास पुराना । बिधि प्रपन्चु गुन अवगुन साना ॥ RCM 1.5.2

जड चेतन गुन दोषमय बिस्व कीन करतार ।

संत हंस गुन गहहि पय परिहरि बारि बिकार ॥ RCM 1.6.

The good as well as the vile, all have been brought into being by the Creator; it is the Vedas that have differentiated them by reckoning the merits of the former class and the demerits of the other.

God has created the universe consisting of animate and inanimate beings as partaking of both good and evil; swans in the form of saints imbibe the milk of goodness rejecting water in the form of evil.

जड चेतन जग जीव जत सकल राममय जानि ।

बंदउ सबके पद कमल सदा जोरि जुग पानि ॥ RCM 1.7.C

Whatever beings, animate or inanimate, there are in the Universe, recognizing them, one and all, as consisting of Sri Rama, I ever adore the lotus feet of all with joined palms. Tulasidasa thus leaves no one in his appeal to read and enjoy the story of Rama, as he has composed, in a very rhythmic poetry.

The reading of SriRamacharitamanasa at SriLakshmi Temple was commenced in 1994 through the efforts of Trustee Sri Bharat Dave and the Ramayana enthusiast Sri Bijoy Misra. Sri Prbhulal Rathi and his wife Smt Drupadi Rathi have been instrumental in organizing SriRamacharitamanasa reading in Boston since 1975, with the support of Mrs Sarla Dayal who has singlehandedly procured Ramayana books from India to be used in the reading. Currently the Temple has SriRamacharitamanasa books in Hindi, Gujarati and Telugu, the latter ones having been procured by Sri Dave.

The 23 rd SriRamacharitamanasa reading was organized through the help of Smt. Vineeta Agrawal, Sri Satya Kanakagiri, Sri Srinivasan Meka, Smt. Sangeeta Misra and Smt Vimla Sharma. The Temple Trustees and the officials were helpful in providing hospitality and support to the dozens of readers who assemble for such occasion. Food was donated by the Rasoi restaurant in Framingham, Smt. Rama Bhattar in the Temple and Sri Mahesh Sharma family. Special thanks are due to Smt Ranjini Ramaswamy, the Chairperson of the Trustees who herself is a great connoisseur of the Ramayana poetry.

The Temple priests under the leadership of Sri Krishna Bhattar made the day special for all devotees and the Temple as the rejuvenation event with the advent of Spring.

May all who continue to participate in the reading and listening be blessed by Sri Rama.

|