Adbhuta Ramayana

$39.00

by Sri Ajai Kumar Chhawchharia

The sage Valmiki wrote the Ramayana to glorify the character and works of Sri Rama, and while his narration was in fact truthful, he left out important events that would have glorified Sita at Sri Rama’s expense in the eyes of his followers. But when Sri Rama’s sojourn on Earth was over, Valmiki wrote the Adbhuta Ramayana to set the record straight and reveal Sita as far superior in courage, strength and valor than previously depicted.  more details in product description

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by Sri Ajai Kumar Chhawchharia

From the Jacket

The sage Valmiki wrote the Ramayana to glorify the character and works of Sri Rama, and while his narration was in fact truthful, he left out important events that would have glorified Sita at Sri Rama's expense in the eyes of his followers. In fact, women in the Ramayana were depicted as submissive to male dominance in Indian society, and Sita in particular was depicted as buffeted by a cruel destiny without the authority or powers to resist. But when Sri Rama's sojourn on Earth was over, Valmiki wrote the Adbhuta Ramayana to set the record straight and reveal Sita as far superior in courage, strength and valor than previously depicted.

This classic book is divided into two parts. Cantos 1-16 describe the circumstances pertaining to the birth of Sri Ram and Sita. In Cantos 11-14, Sri Rama reveals to Hanuman the profound metaphysical truths of the Sankhya and Vedanta philosophies dealing with Atma and Brahma, the origin of creation and its dissolution, and Sri Rama's sublime divine form as the almighty Authority in creation.

In Cantos 17-27, Valmiki narrates the battle against the thousand-headed demon king Ravana of Pushakar who was the elder brother of the ten-headed Ravana of Lanka and much stronger and more powerful than his younger sibling. When Sri Rama is knocked unconscious by Ravana, it is Sita who assumes the form of Mahakali, the naked Goddess of death and destruction, and kills the elder Ravana and his demon army. When he regains consciousness, Sri Rama praises Mahakali with great humility, singing her 1008 divine names as a hymn that is considered the best devotional stotram to honor Shakti or Mother Nature.

The mystery and secrecy of this story was maintained until narrated by Valmiki because none of the members of Sri Rama's army was present on the battlefield at the time and Sri Rama himself lay unconscious at the hands of Ravana. Only Valmiki was a witness to these events, and he kept them secret because the story of Sri Rama laying unconscious and being rescued by Sita was considered unacceptable for general consumption by the masses. When Sri Rama left his body, the sage decided to undo the injustice done previously by revealing the events that glorified Sita instead of Sri Rama.

Sanskrit text with Transliteration and English commentary

Hardcover 520 pages with 3 Appendixes and an Index of Verses