ramayana

"I call him Rama. You can call him by any other name but have faith in him, surrender all worldly desires and passions to his will and without effort, become disciplined and principled."

"English Translation: Meaning:1: By meditating on "Rama Rama Rama" (the Name of Rama), my Mind gets absorbed in the Divine Consciousness of Rama, which is Transcendental, 2: The Name of Rama is as Great as the Thousand Names of God (Vishnu Sahasranama)."

"IPA (Sanskrit):Raama Raame[a-I]ti Raame[a-I]ti Rame Raame Manorame | Sahasra-Naama Tat-Tulyam Raama-Naama Vara-[A]anane ||"

"In Devanagari: राम रामेति रामेति रमे रामे मनोरमे । सहस्रनाम तत्तुल्यं रामनाम वरानने ॥"

"The first major legendary reference to Sri Lanka is found in the great Indian epic, the Ramayana (Sacred Lake of the Deeds of Rama), which was written around 500 B.C. It refers to a conquest of Lanka in 3000 BC by Rama, to liberate his abducted wife, Sita, from Ravana, the demon god of Lanka.Many place names in Sri Lanka, very especially in and around Sri Lankan cities such as Galle, and Nuvara Eliya have close resemblance and relationship with this legendary."

"We have often looked on that green hill [Chitrakuta] : it is the holiest spot of that sect of the Hindu faith who devote themselves to this incarnation, of Vishnu. The whole neighbourhood is Ráma's country. Every headland has some legend, every cavern is connected with his name; some of the wild fruits are still called Stáphal, being the reputed food of the exile. Thousands and thousands annually visit the spot, and round the hill is a raised foot-path, on which the devotee, with naked feet, treads full of pious awe.'"

"Say, for instance, 'My Rama, my Krishna.' If you must have pride, then feel like Vibhishana, who said, 'I have touched the feet of Rama with my head; I will not bow this head before anyone else."

"Be not afraid. This is poetry that is coming out of your mouth. Write the life of Rama in poetic language for the benefit of the world. And that is how the poem first began. The first verse sprang out of pity, from the mouth of Valmiki, the first poet. And it was after that he [Valmiki] wrote the beautiful Ramayana, the “Life of Rama”."

"From Kashmir to Cape Comorin the name of Rama is on everyone’s lips. All sects revere it, and show their reverence by employing it on occasions. For example, when friends meet it is common for them to salute each other by uttering Rama’s name twice. Then no name is more commonly given to children, and no name is more commonly invoked in the hour of death. It is a link of union for all classes, castes, and creeds. (Monier Williams 1974: 11)."

"The Diwali holds an imperative meaning among the Hindus, since, the day is reckoned with Lord Rama’s coronation ceremony as the King of Ayodhya after his return to the kingdom from 14 years of exile along with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman - Pramodkumar"

"Bhakthi movement became prominent in later Hinduism. In the Bhakti Marga (Way of Devotion), devotion to god is a specific religious attitude and sentiment, the essential features of which are faith, love, and trust in god...Quite often, native Christian songs, hymns, and lyrics express these very same emotions of faith, love, and trust in Jesus Christ. Hindus identify with these emotions, with the difference that the object of their devotion would be Rama, Krishna and some other god."

"His last words were Hé Ram! This is an exclamation to Ram (or Rama), who in Hindu traditions is one of the manifestations of Vishnu. 'Hé Ram' means “O! lord Ram!”. (This is invoking praise of Rama, rather than an expression of surprise.)"

"Akbar's liberalism can be adjudged from another fact, namely that he issued gold and silver coins bearing the figures of Rama and Sita and inscribed with the legend Rama Siya."

"I myself have been a devotee of Tulsidas from my childhood and have, therefore, always worshipped God as Rama. But I know that if, beginning with Omkar, one goes through the entire gamut of God's names current in all climes, all countries and languages, the result is the same. He and His law are one. To observe His law is, therefore, the best form of worship."

"My Rama, the Rama of our prayers is not the historical Rama, the son of Dasharatha, the King of Ayodhya. He is the eternal, the unborn, the one without a second. Him alone I worship. His aid alone I see, and so should you. He belongs equally to all. I, therefore, see no reason why a Mussalman or anybody should object to taking His name. But he is in no way bound to recognize God as Ramanama. He may utter to himself Allah or Khuda so as not to mar the harmony of the sound."

"To me...Rama, described as the Lord of Sita, son of Dasharatha, is the all-powerful essence whose name, inscribed in the heart, removes all suffering-mental, moral and physical"

"Though my reason and heart long ago realized the highest attribute and name of God as Truth, I recognize Truth by the name of Rama. In the darkest hour of my trial, that one name has saved me and is still saving me. It may be the association of childhood, it may be the fascination that Tulsidas has wrought on me."

"RĀMA, rä'mȧ: In Hindu mythology, the name of the sixth, seventh, and eighth incarnations of Vishnu, Parasurama, Ramacandra, and Balarama. Of these the Ramacandra avatar is by far the most famous, as Rama is here the hero of the Sanskrit epic of the Rāmāyaṇa."

"Rama, Rama, Rama chant, this grand Lord’s name do not forget in mind With nine orifices this jam-packed city Five kings ruling there with all majesty They guard this body with all the vanity Do not get spoiled believing this mendacity. This insecure body, just a bony cage Tightly wrapped with a cover of skin Full of sewage, slush, and germs within Do not rely on this sewn up cartilage Respected by the recurring Brahmas and celestials Take Hari’s name with His supreme credentials Pray the feet of Purandara Vittala And get rid of the fear of the evils all."

"Jatayu, a divine bird, the king of the vultures. He was Sampati. According to Ramayana and Mahabharata, he was the son of Aruna and Shyeni. In the Ramayana he tried to prevent Ravana from carrying away Sita, but was wounded and killed. Rama and Lakshmana performed his last rites, and he ascended to heaven in a chariot of fire."

"...In north India the festival [Divali] celebrates the return of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, and Hanuman to the city of Ayodhya, where Rama’s rule of righteousness would commence."

"In sculpture, Rama is represented as a standing figure, holding an arrow in his right hand and a bow in his left. His image in a shrine or temple is almost invariably attended by figures of his wife, Sita, his favourite half-brother, Lakshmana, and his monkey devotee, Hanuman. In painting, he is depicted dark in colour (indicating his affinity with Lord Vishnu), with princely adornments and the kirita-makuta (tall conical cap) on his head indicating his royal status. Rama’s exploits were depicted with great sympathy by the Rajasthani and Pahari schools of painting in the 17th and 18th centuries."

"It is the abode of the dynasty which had succeeded in ending all anxiety (over Bhārgavas’ war) and is the birthplace of the man with unmatched valour, i.e. Rāma. Here resides the person who is illuminous with glory on account of thousands of valorous deeds. He may not generate greed in us even for the most sought after wealth by the world."

"Rama and Krishna (also an incarnation of Vishnu) were the two most popular recipients of adoration from the bhakti (devotional) cults that swept the country during that time. Whereas Krishna is adored for his mischievous pranks and amorous dalliances, Rama is conceived as a model of reason, right action, and desirable virtues. Temples to Rama faced by shrines to his monkey devotee Hanuman are widespread throughout India. Rama’s name is a popular form of greeting among friends (“Ram! Ram!”), and Rama is the deity most invoked at death."

"References to Rama as an incarnation of Vishnu appear in the early centuries ce; there was, however, probably no special worship of him before the 11th century, and it was not until the 14th and 15th centuries that distinct sects appeared venerating him as the supreme god (notably that of the followers of the Brahman Ramananda). Rama’s popularity was increased greatly by the retelling of the Sanskrit epics in the vernaculars, such as Tulsidas’s celebrated Hindi version, the Ramcharitmanas (“Sacred Lake of the Acts of Rama”)."

"Rama, one of the most widely worshipped Hindu deities, the embodiment of chivalry and virtue. Although there are three Ramas mentioned in Indian tradition (Parashurama, Balarama, and Ramacandra), the name is specifically associated with Ramacandra, the seventh incarnation (avatara) of Lord Vishnu. It is possible that Rama was an actual historical figure, a tribal hero of ancient India who was later deified. His story is told briefly in the Mahabharata (“Great Epic of the Bharata Dynasty”) and at great length in the Ramayana (“Journey of Rama”)."

"“...in Treta-yuga in the shape of Rama alone, for the purpose of spreading fortitude, to conquer the bad, and to preserve the three worlds by force and the prevalence of virtuous action.” (Chapter XLVI)"