From Ayodhya to Lanka
Balakanda - Sarga 3
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Balakanda - Sarga 3
After hearing the story of Rama from the wise Narada, the righteous Valmiki wanted to know more. He sat on kusha grass (a sacred grass used in rituals) facing east, sipped water to purify himself, and used his spiritual power to see the past events clearly.
Valmiki saw everything that happened to Rama, Lakshmana, Sita, and King Dasharatha. He witnessed their experiences, conversations, and even their laughter, as if watching it happen in real time. Through his spiritual vision, Valmiki saw all that Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana went through in the Dandaka forest.
The sage's mystical powers allowed him to see these past events as clearly as if he held them in his hand.
Valmiki, filled with divine inspiration, prepared to compose the story of Rama. He crafted it to include:
The pursuit of pleasure and prosperity
The importance of righteousness
Captivating details, like an ocean full of gems
The sage wrote the history of the Raghu dynasty just as Narada had told it to him.
Valmiki's epic covered Rama's entire life, including:
His birth and great strength
His kindness to all and his popularity
His patience, good looks, and truthfulness
His meeting with the sage Vishwamitra
Various amazing stories
Breaking the great bow and marrying Sita (Janaki)
His argument with Parashurama (another incarnation of Vishnu)
Preparations for Rama's coronation
Kaikeyi's wicked plan
The cancellation of the coronation and Rama's exile
King Dasharatha's sorrow and death
The people's grief and Rama leaving them behind
Rama's conversation with Guha (king of the Nishadas, a forest tribe)
Crossing the Ganges river
Meeting the sage Bharadwaja
Arriving at Chitrakuta mountain
Building a hut and living there
Bharata's arrival and attempt to persuade Rama to return
Rama's performance of his father's funeral rites
The symbolic coronation of Rama's sandals
Bharata ruling from Nandigrama
Rama's journey to the Dandaka forest
The killing of the demon Viradha
Valmiki's epic continued to describe Rama's journey:
Meeting the sage Sharabhanga
Encountering Sutikshna
Sita's friendship with Anasuya, who gave her fragrant ointments
Meeting the sage Agastya
Befriending Jatayu, the vulture king
Arriving at Panchavati
The appearance of Surpanakha (Ravana's sister)
Rama's conversation with Surpanakha and her disfigurement
The killing of demons Khara and Trishiras
Ravana's plot against Rama
The killing of Maricha (who took the form of a golden deer)
Sita's abduction
Rama's grief
The death of Jatayu while trying to save Sita
Meeting Kabandha (a cursed being)
Seeing the Pampa lake
Meeting Shabari, a devoted ascetic
Encountering Hanuman
The story then moves to Rama's alliance with the monkeys:
Rama's journey to Rishyamuka mountain
Meeting Sugriva, the exiled monkey prince
Forming a friendship and alliance
The fight between Sugriva and his brother Vali
Rama killing Vali and crowning Sugriva as king
Tara (Vali's wife) mourning
Rama waiting through the rainy season for Sugriva to fulfill his promise
Rama's anger at Sugriva's delay
Gathering the monkey army
Sending search parties in all directions
Rama giving his ring to Hanuman as a token for Sita
The epic then focuses on Hanuman's search for Sita:
Hanuman and his team entering a cave
Meeting Sampati, Jatayu's brother
Hanuman leaping across the ocean
The appearance of Mount Mainaka in the ocean
Hanuman killing the demoness Simhika
Reaching Lanka and seeing its beauty
Entering Lanka at night and searching for Sita
Seeing Ravana and his flying chariot, Pushpaka
Finding Sita in the Ashoka garden
Giving her Rama's ring and receiving her jewel in return
Ravana threatening Sita
Trijata's (a female demon) dream predicting Ravana's defeat
Hanuman destroying the Ashoka garden
Fighting and defeating Ravana's guards
Being captured and setting his tail on fire
Burning down much of Lanka
Leaping back across the ocean
Informing Rama about Sita's location
Valmiki then described the great war:
Rama's army building a bridge to Lanka with Nala's help
Crossing the ocean and besieging Lanka at night
Vibhishana (Ravana's brother) joining Rama's side
The death of Kumbhakarna (Ravana's giant brother)
The killing of Indrajit (Meghanada, Ravana's son)
Ravana's destruction
Rama reuniting with Sita in Lanka
Vibhishana's coronation as the new king of Lanka
The appearance of the Pushpaka chariot
The epic concludes with:
Rama's return to Ayodhya
Reunion with his brother Bharata
Rama's coronation celebrations
Dismissing the monkey army
Rama making his subjects happy
The banishment of Sita
Valmiki also mentioned that he composed future events in Rama's life in the Uttara Kanda (the last book of the Ramayana).
This concludes the third chapter (sarga) of Balakanda, the first book of the Ramayana, the great epic composed by the sage Valmiki.