Jain Ramayan

Author(s): Gunratnasuri
Publisher: Jingun Aradhak Trust

Page 9

This book also guides us to take proper decision in the hour of crisis. Everything like conversations, actions, inactions and reactions pauses in this greatest book and help us in our spiritual elavation. Weapons, missiles aircrafts, spacecrafts and architecture that are mentioned in Ramayana, speak of their civilization.
A special missile gifted to the King Madhu by Camarendra had a range of thirteen thousand kilometers. It could cover this distance, hit the target, and return into the hands of its owner. This might have been the base for the modern scientists, in the invention of missiles and many more.
The study of Rāmāyana would help us to cope up our personal tensions. Though Rama was tormented by Sita's separation, he helps Jatayu, Vajrakarna and Sugriva. Today when all our personal and social relations are gradually loosing their meaning and value, only Ramayana could give it a new meaning and purpose.
The personal, social, political and religious references in Ramayana are eternal and can be applied to any situation at any time. Savage barbarians attacked India and demolished the temples and plundered the palaces. They used co-ercion to propogate their religious ideology, but they could not damage our greatest heritage of all times, i.e. Ramayana. No amount of their torture and cruel laws reduced the reverence that we have for it. For, it is inter woven in every fibre of our being and it flows in our blood.
Every version of Rāmāyana is in some way different than the other versions because every writer has used his genius to make it dramatic and interesting. We must not really search for the discrepancies and difference in details, but concentrate on the contents. For example, one writer says that Sitä had seen white flowers in the Asokavana at Lanka while others said that the flowers were actually red. We can have aimless and endless debates on this topic and yet would not reach any conclusion. What we must remember is that though Asokavana was one of the best gardens in Lankā, Sitaji could not enjoy its beauty for she perpetually thought of Rama. It is quite feasible that due to constant weeping, her eyes must have turned red, and those white flowers appeared red to her. Instead of resorting to fruitless discussion, we must try and understand the true essence of the story.
In the same way, while the Valamiki Ramayana mentions that Sri Rama was married to Sita and had only one wife, he had no other woman in his life. Uttarapuran, Mahapuran and Paumacariyam mentions that he practiced polygamy. Instead of creating rifts over how many women Rama really married, we should talk about his valour, loyalty and other positive traits. Some believe that Hanumana was unmarried. Some say that he was married. What we must remember is his loyalty towards Rama, his strong mind and gentle nature and the enormous physical strength. Valamiki Ramayana states that Rama had dark complexion while Laksmana was fair. Uttarapuran mentions that Laksmana was dark and Rama was fair. We must forget the colour of their complexion and remember the love that they had for one another and their valour. Some say that Rama was born with supernatural powers and some say that he acquired them after the Diksa. Kavi Kalidasa mentions that the rulers belonging to dynasty of Surya, displayed the traits of ascetics in the advanced age. Whether they had the traits of ascetics or whether they were actually ascetics is really insignificant.
Some scholars believe that Rama was born about 5,000 to 6,000 years ago. Some believe that he was born about 11,75,000 years ago. It is quite feasible that his
enchanting drama is unfolded again and again after a specified time gap and with minor Jain Educatchanges. For Personal & Private Use Only