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## Editorial
(Second Edition)
Sri Ravishenacharya, by composing the Padma Purana, has greatly benefited all beings. The eighth Balabhadra, Sri Ramachandraji, was known as Padma. This text is known as Padmacharit or Padma Purana after him. Ramachandraji's brother Lakshmana, the ruler of the three divisions of Bharat Kshetra, was the eighth Narayana. The love between Narayana and Balabhadra is world-renowned. These great souls, born in Ayodhya, adorned the land of India in the Tirtha of Bhagwan Manisuvratnath. Even after a long time, they are worthy of reverence for every Indian.
Ramachandraji's life is filled with extraordinary events. He is worshipped as Maryadapurushotam. He was completely obedient to his father, King Dasharatha. Upon receiving the order of fourteen years of exile, he went to the forest without any protest. He considered exile to be the best course of action, believing that Bharat's kingdom would not prosper while he was alive. The devoted wife Sita and Lakshmana, filled with brotherly love, were his companions in exile. The Padma Purana clearly shows how many destitute kings he protected during his exile. Lakshmana was the embodiment of brotherly love, while Sita was the epitome of the natural adornment of the Indian woman, the virtue of Pativrata Dharma.
Ravana, the king of Lanka, abducted Sita from Dandaka Van. To retrieve her, Ramachandraji waged a righteous war against Ravana. In this righteous war, Ravana's younger brother Vibhishana, the prominent Sugriva of the Vanarvansha, Hanuman, and the Vidhyadharas like Viradhit, all provided full support. The victory achieved by Rama-Lakshmana, who were earthbound, over the celestial Vidhyadharas, is a testament to their extraordinary inner strength.
After Ravana's death, Ramachandraji treated his family with affection. He declared that he had to fight Ravana only to oppose injustice. After the war ended, the comfort he provided to Ravana's widowed queens and Vibhishana, who was overwhelmed by the loss of his brother, reveals his noble nature.
He was a staunch advocate of the happiness of the people and the protection of justice. This is why, when some people presented the argument of Avarnavada, he had the pregnant Sita abandoned in a terrifying forest. One should understand that Sita's Panyoday means that even in that desolate forest, she was provided with means of protection. He did not hesitate even for a moment to abandon the same Sita for whom he had fought a terrible war against Ravana, driven by the sentiment of the people's happiness.
Among the Purana texts, the Padma Purana, composed by Ravishenacharya, holds a prominent place. It is read with great devotion by people of all ages. The Hindu society also has a natural reverence for the Ramakatha. There is hardly any temple where a copy of the Padma Purana is not found.
The first edition of the Padma Purana, edited by me, was published by the Bharatiya Gyanpeeth in 1958.
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