Bala Kaanda and Uttara Kaanda

[Anirudh]

Namaste

Last Sarga of Yuddha Kaanda (Raama Pattabhisheka) serves as a conclusion of Srimad Vaalmiki Raamayan. I came to know Bala Kaanda and Uttara Kaanda are later additions and weren't rendered by Sri Vaalmiki. Is it true? I have got Srimad Vaalmiki Raamayan from Gita press. It has both Bala and Uttara Kaanda. Book written by Sri. Keerthanacharya C.R.Sreenivasa Ayyangar (Lifco publication ) and English version from the same publisher doesn't have Uttara Kaanda.

I was following Raamanin Aruamudham by U Ve Krishnan Swamigal earlier but lost track after Sundara Kaanda.

I will be grateful if members can share wisdom along with the reason why those two Kaanda should/shouldn't be part of Srimad Valmiki Raamayan.

[Anirudh]

Namaste

I came across this (http://www.patheos.com/blogs/drishtikone/2012/11/sita-abandonment-no-matter-which-way-one-looks-ram-was-never-a-bad-husband/) while figuring out an answer.

Is their anyone here who can share information on this...?

[svh]

Hello and Namaste, Anirudh.

Good question.

You may find some answers here: http://hinduism.stackexchange.com/a/15252

Some people believe there are 24,000 shlokas (24 letters of Gayatri mantra x 1000) in Valmiki Ramayana (VR) in total. And you reach that total only by including the Uttara-kanda.

Even I have the 2-volume VR from Gita press. And it does include Uttara-kanda like you said.

Hope that helps a bit :)

- SV

[Anirudh]

Hello and Namaste, Anirudh.

Good question.

You may find some answers here: http://hinduism.stackexchange.com/a/15252

Some people believe there are 24,000 shlokas (24 letters of Gayatri mantra x 1000) in Valmiki Ramayana (VR) in total. And you reach that total only by including the Uttara-kanda.

Even I have the 2-volume VR from Gita press. And it does include Uttara-kanda like you said.

Hope that helps a bit :)

- SV


Namaste SV

This opens up an interesting debate. Thanks for the (all*) links provided to me.

Best Regards

[yajvan]

hariḥ om̐
~~~~~~

namasté
We know the rāmāyaṇam consists of 24,000 śloka-s within 7 kāṇḍa-s ( a bundle, joint, heap ~ chapter~). Yet talk to us about the 1st letter of each section ( 1,000 x 24 = 24,000) coming from the gāyatrī hymn¹ (mantra). What is the significance? What is vālmīki-ji¹ telling us?

इतिशिवं
iti śivaṁ

terms

tát savitúr váreṇyam |
bhárgo devásya dhīmahi|
dhíyo yó naḥ pracodáyāt || ṛg-veda 3rd maṇḍala, 62.10
vālmīki’s birth name was ratnakkardaḥ; the term valmiki means 'ant hill'.

[Anirudh]

hariḥ om̐
~~~~~~

namasté
We know the rāmāyaṇam consists of 24,000 śloka-s within 7 kāṇḍa-s ( a bundle, joint, heap ~ chapter~). Yet talk to us about the 1st letter of each section ( 1,000 x 24 = 24,000) coming from the gāyatrī hymn¹ (mantra). What is the significance? What is vālmīki-ji¹ telling us?

इतिशिवं
iti śivaṁ

terms

tát savitúr váreṇyam |
bhárgo devásya dhīmahi|
dhíyo yó naḥ pracodáyāt || ṛg-veda 3rd maṇḍala, 62.10
vālmīki’s birth name was ratnakkardaḥ; the term valmiki means 'ant hill'.



Namaste Yajvan,

I am unable to understand your post, but, let me clarify the reason behind my question. Events described in Raamayana (taken from different flavors) contradict in some places. I personally (based on the works of different Sri Vaishnava Acharaya(s), Guru(s) and eminent people) consider Sri Vaalmiki Ramayana is closer to an authenticated version than the rest. More over, history of Sri Venkataachalapathi a.k.a Sri Balaji is intertwined with Sri Raamayana. So this thread had been raised with an intention to find out whether Bala and uttara kaanda are the part of Srimad Vaalmiki Ramayana or not.

If you ask me what is use of this research, my reply is, it is important to know why we are doing a certain thing than trying to generalize or discard it. A majority of Hindus believe Sri Raama, but their ideology conflict with each other, there by, we are giving an opportunity (to make a mockery of our scriptures) to our (pseudo) secularists. This is a baby step to stop that.

Thanks

[yajvan]

hariḥ om̐
~~~~~~
namasté

Namaste Yajvan,

I am unable to understand your post, but, let me clarify the reason behind my question. Events described in Raamayana (taken from different flavors) contradict in some places. I personally (based on the works of different Sri Vaishnava Acharaya(s), Guru(s) and eminent people) consider Sri Vaalmiki Ramayana is closer to an authenticated version than the rest. More over, history of Sri Venkataachalapathi a.k.a Sri Balaji is intertwined with Sri Raamayana. So this thread had been raised with an intention to find out whether Bala and uttara kaanda are the part of Srimad Vaalmiki Ramayana or not.

If you ask me what is use of this research, my reply is, it is important to know why we are doing a certain thing than trying to generalize or discard it. A majority of Hindus believe Sri Raama, but their ideology conflict with each other, there by, we are giving an opportunity (to make a mockery of our scriptures) to our (pseudo) secularists. This is a baby step to stop that.
My question was more for svh as he mentions 24,000 śloka-s, ( 1,000 x 24 = 24,000) & gāyatrī. If some one looks at the rāmāyaṇam , they will see each syllable of gāyatrī repeated within the 1st śloka of each kāṇḍa. This was no coincidence...that was the crux of my post.
Yet I thought since you mentioned the following,
If you ask me what is use of this research, my reply is, it is important to know why we are doing a certain thing than trying to generalize or discard it. I thought perhaps you may also might care to reply.

इतिशिवं
iti śivaṁ

[svh]

If you ask me what is use of this research, my reply is, it is important to know why we are doing a certain thing than trying to generalize or discard it. A majority of Hindus believe Sri Raama, but their ideology conflict with each other, there by, we are giving an opportunity (to make a mockery of our scriptures) to our (pseudo) secularists. This is a baby step to stop that.



My take on this is, whether you agree there are interpolations in Ramayana or not, we cannot take deny the dharma we can all learn from Ramayana. As long as there is human race on earth, there will be some people who will always criticize 1 or 2 acts of Rama (abandoning Sita at Valmiki's ashram, killing Vaali from a distance, ruthless killing of śambūka (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shambuka) etc.) and reject the rest 99% good acts of his. Also, comparing events of Ramayana with current laws and norms of society is not a good way to judge an epic or a personality from it. We should take the good from it and leave the rest.

[TTCUSM]

hariḥ om̐
~~~~~~
namasté

My question was more for svh as he mentions 24,000 śloka-s, ( 1,000 x 24 = 24,000) & gāyatrī. If some one looks at the rāmāyaṇam , they will see each syllable of gāyatrī repeated within the 1st śloka of each kāṇḍa. This was no coincidence...that was the crux of my post.
Yet I thought since you mentioned the following, I thought perhaps you may also might care to reply.

इतिशिवं
iti śivaṁ


Yajvan,

I hope you don't interpret my reply as a personal attack against you, but your post reminded me of the following Bhagavad Gita verses (http://asitis.com/2/42-43.html):


TEXTS 42-43

yam imam puspitam vacam
pravadanty avipascitah
veda-vada-ratah partha
nanyad astiti vadinah
kamatmanah svarga-para
janma-karma-phala-pradam
kriya-visesa-bahulam
bhogaisvarya-gatim prati

TRANSLATION
Men of small knowledge are very much attached to the flowery words of the Vedas, which recommend various fruitive activities for elevation to heavenly planets, resultant good birth, power, and so forth. Being desirous of sense gratification and opulent life, they say that there is nothing more than this.

There's a lot more to Valmiki's Ramayana than ornate poetry and grammatical constructs. It, along with the Bhagavad Gita, form a complete manual on how to live one's life in accordance with the teachings of righteousness. It's a good thing we have a forum here to discuss these topics.