''Araṇya-Kāṇḍa,'' or ''The Forest Episode,'' is the third book of the

epic poem An epic poem, or simply an epic, is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants. ...

Ramayana The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...

. It is also found in the Rāmcaritmānas. It follows the legend of Rama through his fourteen-year exile in the forest, joined by his wife and his brother. Rama overcomes challenges and demons by upholding standards of behavior. Nearing the end of his exile, Rama's wife is kidnapped, and he learns of what happened. The story continues in the next book, '' Kiśkindhā Kāṇḍ''.

Background

At the time of the

Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

Medieval India Medieval India refers to a long period of Post-classical history of the Indian subcontinent between the "ancient period" and "modern period". It is usually regarded as running approximately from the breakup of the Gupta Empire in the 6th cen ...

, ''Rāmcaritmānas'' (an

) was written by

Tulsidas Tulsidas (; born Rambola Dubey; also known as Goswami Tulsidas; c.1511pp. 23–34.–1623) was a Ramanandi Vaishnava Hindu saint and poet, renowned for his devotion to the deity Rama. He wrote several popular works in Sanskrit and Awadhi, but ...

in 1574. In verse 1.33.2 of Bālkānd, the first chapter of Rāmcaritmānas,

mentions 1631 as the date according to Vikram Samvat's calendar, which is 1574 in the

Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...

Common Era Common Era (CE) and Before the Common Era (BCE) are year notations for the Gregorian calendar (and its predecessor, the Julian calendar), the world's most widely used calendar era. Common Era and Before the Common Era are alternatives to the o ...

(CE). A composition of Avadhi dialect, the Rāmcaritmānas belonged to the

saguna Saguna may refer to: * Saguna brahman, a Brahman absolute with qualities * Saguna Baug, an agritourism centre in Neral, Raigarh, Maharashtra, India * Saguna, Nadia Saguna is a census town in the Kalyani community Development Block in the Kal ...

form of the Bhakti movement(also called Bhakti kāl or devotional period).

Kabir Kabir Das (1398–1518) was a 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint. His writings influenced Hinduism's Bhakti movement, and his verses are found in Sikhism's scripture Guru Granth Sahib, the Satguru Granth Sahib of Saint Garib Das ...

Mirabai Meera, better known as Mirabai and venerated as Sant Meerabai, was a 16th-century Hindu mystic poet and devotee of Krishna. She is a celebrated Bhakti saint, particularly in the North Indian Hindu tradition. Mirabai was born into a Rathore ...

and

Surdas Surdas (IAST: Sūr, Devanagari: सूर) was a 16th-century blind Hindu devotional poet and singer, who was known for his works written in praise of Krishna, the supreme lord. He was a Vaishnava devotee of Lord Krishna, and he was also a ...

are the greatest devotional poets of Bhakti kāl in

Hindi literature Hindi literature ( hi, हिन्दी साहित्य, translit=hindī sāhitya) includes literature in the various Hindi language which have writing systems. Earliest forms of Hindi literature are attested in poetry of Apabhraṃś ...

. Inspired by the

Valmiki Valmiki (; Sanskrit: वाल्मीकि, ) is celebrated as the harbinger-poet in Sanskrit literature. The epic ''Ramayana'', dated variously from the 5th century BCE to first century BCE, is attributed to him, based on the attributio ...

Rāmāyana, the Rāmcaritmānas of

is a poem in

vernacular A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...

Avadhi language, spoken throughout large parts of

North India North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Central ...

. The masterpiece of

renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

challenged the dominance of high-class

Brahmanical The historical Vedic religion (also known as Vedicism, Vedism or ancient Hinduism and subsequently Brahmanism (also spelled as Brahminism)), constituted the religious ideas and practices among some Indo-Aryan peoples of northwest Indian Subco ...

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

, echoing the revolt of

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...

against Brahmanical elitism.

The Ninefold Devotion

Rama Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...

tells Shabari the Ninefold devotion, which he asks her to listen with caution and keep in mind. The first devotion is the company of righteous. The second is love for my legends. Serving

Guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential ...

's lotus feet without ego is the third devotion. The fourth devotion is guileless singing of my qualities. Recitation of

mantras A mantra (Pali: ''manta'') or mantram (मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit, Pali and other languages believed by practitioners to have religious, ma ...

and firm faith in me is the fifth devotion that is enlightened by the

Vedas upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute th ...

. The sixth devotion is being well-mannered, detachment from various

Karma Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptivel ...

and conscientious persistence in goodness. The seventh devotion is seeing me pervading the whole world without prejudice and regarding righteous even above Me. The eighth devotion is contentment in what one gets and even in dreams not to see fault in others. The ninth devotion is simplicity, guileless behaviour towards all and trust in me without joy or sorrow in heart. Out of nine even one who has that woman or man is extremely dear to me.

tells Shabari that all types of devotion are firm in you. Rare even to groups of Yogis that state today is available to you. The fruits of my visit are transcendental, a creature attains its natural state. Sita’s whereabouts, O dear! If you know, say to me, O beautiful! Go to river Pampa,

, there will happen Sugriva's friendship. He will say everything.

, you know but still ask, O omniscient! Again and Again she bowed before

. With love she narrated the entire story. After telling the entire story, seeing

’s face, she kept the lotus feet of

in her heart. Burning her body by the fire of

Yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consci ...

, she became rapt in

's feet, a place of no return. O human! Various

, misdeeds and beliefs, are sorrowful, reject all. Having faith, says

, adore

's feet. Belonging to lower caste, a birthplace of sins,

gave

Moksha ''Moksha'' (; sa, मोक्ष, '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'' and ''mukti'', is a term in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, enlightenment, liberation, and release. In its soteriologic ...

to even such woman. O stupid mind! You want happiness after leaving such lord?

Journey to Pampa River

Leaving even that forest, proceeded

. Incomparable in strength, both are lions in human form. Like a lover parted from his love,

regret, relating tales and many anecdotes. O

Laxmana Lakshmana ( sa, लक्ष्मण, lit=the fortunate one, translit=Lakṣmaṇa), also spelled as Laxmana, is the younger brother of Rama and his loyalist in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He bears the epithets of Saumitra () and Ramanuja (). ...

! Behold the beauty of the forest. After seeing whose mind will not be charmed? With their females are all birds and animals. As if to taunt me. Seeing us all-male deers fly. Female deers say you have nothing to fear. Being common you be glad. In search of golden deers, they have come. Male elephants bring females closer to them. As if to advice. Scripture, though well-studied, should be reviewed again and again. King, though well-served, should not be considered under control. You may have a woman in your heart. But young lady, scripture, and king are under no control. See brother, the charming spring season. Without beloved, it breeds fear in me. Knowing me in love agony, powerless, and all alone, as if, the Cupid attacked with forest, honey bees, and birds. When his agent saw that I am with my brother, he then camped with his army. alauda arvensis 2

Tall trees are tangled with creepers. Like various types of tents are tied. Banana and

palm Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae **List of Arecaceae genera * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music * Palm (ba ...

trees are like beautiful flags and banners. The sight doesn't enchant only a calm mind. In various ways are trees in blossom. Like archers are dressed in various uniforms. A lot of beautiful trees are spread. Like soldiers are spread apart. Calling

cuckoos Cuckoos are birds in the Cuculidae family, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes . The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals and anis. The coucals and anis are sometimes separa ...

are like crying elephants.

Herons The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychus ...

and

rook Rook (''Corvus frugilegus'') is a bird of the corvid family. Rook or rooks may also refer to: Games *Rook (chess), a piece in chess *Rook (card game), a trick-taking card game Military * Sukhoi Su-25 or Rook, a close air support aircraft * USS ...

s are

camels A camel (from: la, camelus and grc-gre, κάμηλος (''kamēlos'') from Hebrew or Phoenician: גָמָל ''gāmāl''.) is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. ...

and mules.

Peacock Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera '' Pavo'' and '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl are r ...

s, Chakoras and

parrots Parrots, also known as psittacines (), are birds of the roughly 398 species in 92 genera comprising the order Psittaciformes (), found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three superfamilies: the Psittacoide ...

are fine horses.

Pigeons Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

and swans are all Arabian horses. Partridges and

quails Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally placed in the order Galliformes. The collective noun for a group of quail is a flock, covey, or bevy. Old World quail are placed in the family Phasianidae, and New Wor ...

are infantry. Beyond words is Cupid’s army. Hills are chariots. Chariots are hills and drums are falls.

Skylarks ''Skylarks'' is a 1936 British comedy film directed by Thornton Freeland and starring Jimmy Nervo, Teddy Knox and Nancy Burne.Low p.386 Nervo and Knox were a comic team, who became associated with the larger Crazy Gang grouping with whom they s ...

are various bands singing praises. Hum of honey bees is

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

and

shehnai The ''shehnai'' is a musical instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is made of wood, with a double reed at one end and a metal or wooden flared bell at the other end.Laxmana Lakshmana ( sa, लक्ष्मण, lit=the fortunate one, translit=Lakṣmaṇa), also spelled as Laxmana, is the younger brother of Rama and his loyalist in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He bears the epithets of Saumitra () and Ramanuja (). ...

seeing this Cupid's army who remain calm them the world honors. He has one greatest force – woman. Who recovers from that warrior is greatest. O, Brother! Three are the most powerful devils – lust, anger, and greed. They instantly delude the minds of even sages who are the seats of wisdom. Greed has the weapon of desire and arrogance. Lust has only woman. Anger has the weapon of harsh statements. Such is the opinion of great sages. Beyond nature, the lord of all,

, O

Uma Parvati ( sa, पार्वती, ), Uma ( sa, उमा, ) or Gauri ( sa, गौरी, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi in ...

, is omniscient. To the lustful, he showed humiliation. To the minds of the calm he made firm

Notes & References

Notes References Online Sources *

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Aranya-Kanda (The forest episode) Ramayana Epic poems Hindu texts Works based on the Ramayana Hindi-language literature 16th-century Indian books 16th-century poems