Versions of Uttarkand - Page 2

Lalitha

Thanks - my points precisely. As it is, Rama's exile of Sita is controversial enough on its own, and god knows we've had sometimes heated debates on this here. It's possible to justify it using the somewhat utopian model in which every citizen has to be happy, but barely. But then one gets into these other versions where Rama can't stand Sita going back to Mithila to give birth (where did that come from), and once people start using that, it's impossible to support Rama under those models.

And the story you read - how stupid did the author think Rama was😡😡 - Lakshman cuts off the ear of a poor deer, and Rama thinks it's Sita's?

The Adbuta Ramayan above doesn't seem so bad in comparison. Imagine our rakshasha club getting a re-boost with a 1000 headed Ravan 😆😆😆

Originally posted by: Vibhishna

Thank you so much for all the information.

I have a book titled Adhyatma Ramayan but it ends with Ram's coronation. In that book the author had followed the concept of Ram knowing his true identity and Kaikeyi and Manthra's words were guided by Saraswati Devi for the sake of Ravan's destruction.

Ananda Ramayan - I haven't read it so far. Interesting stories.

Originally posted by: Khalrika

My source for all this is the book Sanskrit Ramayanas other than Valmiki's The Adbhuta, Adhyatma, and Ananda Ramayanas by Dr. V. Ragahvan. Dr. Raghavan was a very renowned scholar in Sanskrit of yester years and he was the Head of the Department of Sanskrit at Madras (Chennai) University.

Ananda Ramayan has Uttarkand. Ananda Ramayana is very confused about Uttarkand.

Ananda Ramayana:

1. Rama splitting himself into many Rama's and hugging everyone as shown by Sagars is from Ananda Ramayan. " Rama took as many formas as the people there and embraced everyone."

I wondered if it was there in any of the versions. Thanks for telling us about this.

2. It is Ananda Ramayana that says that Rama had 3 things only once: wife, word, and arrow.

This one I had heard of before. In many stories I have read that Ram had only one arrow in his quiver and that arrow returns to him after destroying the target.

3. According to Ananda Ramayana, Janaka comes to Ayodhya to take Sita to Mithila for the birth of the children. Rama is unable to bear even the thought of the separation. So he is said to devise a plan. He uses the gossip of the washer woman and sends Sita to Valmiki ashram. He then asks Janaka to come and live with his daughter in Valmiki ashram. Janaka brings a large retinue with him and then builds a palace for Sita near Valmiki ashram.

Devise a plan to keep Sita near him? And he sends her away? He could have sent her her father's house if he had to send her away instead of humiliating her.

4. Rama also tells Sita about the events that will happen after the birth of the children before sending her away. Also, in Ananda Ramayan there is a story that Kaikeye is the reason for the banishment of Sita in her 8th month of pregnancy. Kaikeye is plotting against Rama again. She aska Sita to draw a picture of Ravana. Sita draws only the toe because that is all she has seen. Kaikeye finishes the picture and then tells Rama that Sita drew it. Her idea is Rama will not survive the banishment of Sita and he will die. Lakshmana will also go away if Rama dies and the kingdom can go to Bharata.

This is news to me.

5. Rama is forced to banish her and he uses the gossip of the washer woman as the pretext. He asks Lakshmana to cut off Sita's arm 😕😕 and bring it him as proof. Lakshman is unable to do that and he asks Vishwakarma to produce an exact replica of Sita's arm.

This makes it sound as if Ram himself doubted Sita. But why cut off her arm after he banishes her? Does he explain why he wants to do so?

6. Ramji then takes to an ascetic way of life. According to Ananda Ramayana, Ramji visits his wife in the ashram secretly on the day of the birth of the children and performs Namakaran ceremony. (I guess this was the inspiration for the Sagars "brilliant" idea of using Vishuji visit Sita. 😆😆😆)

Again a story that is new to me.

7. It is in Ananda Ramayana that Valmiki creates Lava. So, according to this Ramayan only Kusa was born and Lava was a creation of Maharishi Valmiki.

This I have read before. But wondered where it came from. Again, thanks for the information.

Birth of the children of the brothers:

I guess the Sagars followed the Ananda Ramayana here. According to Ananda Ramayan, the brothers all had twins and were born at the same time.

Ananda Ramayana, also has a very elaborate story of Lava Kusa. In Ananda Ramayana, Ramji does not allow Sita to go into the earth. He brings her back and they live happily together after that.

The Adhbuta Ramayan also had Uttarkand. The book I have does not discuss Adbuta at all. When I have the time I will do some research and post it.

Originally posted by: Chandraketu

Lalitha

Thanks - my points precisely. As it is, Rama's exile of Sita is controversial enough on its own, and god knows we've had sometimes heated debates on this here. It's possible to justify it using the somewhat utopian model in which every citizen has to be happy, but barely. But then one gets into these other versions where Rama can't stand Sita going back to Mithila to give birth (where did that come from), and once people start using that, it's impossible to support Rama under those models. I know; all these other versions, though interesting to learn about, that have Rama mistreating Sita or Kaikeyi resorting to her old way (rolls eyes here), are the farthest from authentic we can get.

And the story you read - how stupid did the author think Rama was😡😡 - Lakshman cuts off the ear of a poor deer, and Rama thinks it's Sita's?Exactly, that was my reaction as well! How the heck is a deer ear similar to a human ear?😳

The Adbuta Ramayan above doesn't seem so bad in comparison. Imagine our rakshasha club getting a re-boost with a 1000 headed Ravan 😆😆😆Oh God, we'd we well into Rakshas Club 3 if that happened.😆

Originally posted by: Chandraketu

Bhavabhuti too has Rama & Sita re-uniting. But the Sagars aren't going to show that, going by the trailers shown to date

Originally posted by: Khalrika

No need for thanks Vibs. I've had this book for a long time but didn't bother to read it until today. 😆😆😆 He has done a very detailed study of the changes made in the other Sanskrit Ramayans when compared with Valmiki. It is a little hard going because there are so many Sanskrit verses quoted. I have to wade through all that to get to the English parts. 😆😆😆

Aradhana

Congratulations on Goldie! Vibs, stop slouching and go postal😆

Aradhana

You are right - that was the curse. The other versions being discussed here are just that - other versions. Since Valmiki was the contemporary and wrote the Ramayan at the time of Rama (in fact before), he's is what ought to be treated as authentic.

The other versions have a probabilitity of being or not being true, depending if not on compatibility with Valmiki, at least on logic. The Ananda Ramayan described above paints such an ugly picture of Rama that I refuse to treat it seriously.

Bhavabhuti does have them re-uniting, but then again, it doesn't have Bhrigu's curse. That's actually a version I don't mind so much.