Ramayana

"With their own hands the glad king and queen take and place before Rama golden vases and costly jewelled trays full of holy water and delicious perfumes. The saints with auspicious voice recite the Veda, and at the proper time the heaven rains flowers, while the father and mother of the bride look on in rapture and begin to wash the holy feet."

"The lovely images of Rama and Sita were reflected in the jewelled pillars, and sparkled like incarnations of Kamdev and Rati, who had come to witness Rama's glorious weddings, and, from mingled curiosity and bashfulness, at one moment showed themselves openly and at another retired out of sight."

"Then came the joyous Rama, the glory of the Solar race, with his brothers to Janak's palace to take leave. All the people of the city, whether men or women, ran to see the four brothers so lovely and so unaffected."

"Courteously the king dismissed the burglars and reverently bade all the mendicants and approach and bestowed upon them ornaments and clothes and horses and elephants, and affectionately cherishing them made them stand up before him. After again and again reciting his praises they turned home with Rama in their heart."

"Of all the boys, Rama was the brightest and the most valiant. He possessed the gift of soothing everyone's heart like the spotless moon. Rama was highly skilled in the art of archery and was constantly engaged in perfecting this art through practice. Rama was also a filial son."

"A major portion of my yagna has been completed. However, feeling threatened, demons like Maarich and Subahu are hell-bent on disrupting it in its final stages...Hence, O King [Dasharatha], I request your help for the protection of this Yagna [Siddhiyagya]...Hence, O King! I request you to press your able, brave, eldest son [Rama] into my service for a few days...In return for his help, I will bless him with the knowledge of Pashupatastra and several other weapons."

"O, Muni!, after an agonizingly long wait, these sons were born to me in my old age. In addition, Rama being the eldest of my sons, is especially dear to me. Further these Rakshasas are very able too – in addition to being physical giants. My concern is how an ordinary human like Rama be able to face them."

"Do not doubt Rama's ability to fight the demons. I will train Rama personally in the art of breaking through the spells and magic of the Rakshasas. I will transform him into an exceptionally able warrior."

"When I myself am feeling incompetent to fight these evil souls how can the young boy Rama stand up to him? Moreover he is not that familiar with skills of warfare. He is too young right now. Hence, I am fearful for his safety and security."

"Lakshman was like Rama's shadow; hence it was sure that he would follow Rama whenever he went. Standing in the royal assembly, Rama could read worry written on his father's face. But he also knew that his father had won over himself. He had succeeded in showing preference for his dharma over affection for his son. Rama rejoiced over this fact."

"Just as Ashwini Kumars walk behind Brahma, in the same way, the two brothers Rama and Laxman gracefully followed the Muni [Vishvamitra]."

"Dearest Rama! Kindly wash yourself now with the water from the River Saryu. After that, receive this holy mantra in the name of Bala and Atibala. The effect of this mantra upon you would be extraordinary – you would never experience tiredness or illness and there would be no distortion in your appearance. Even when you are asleep or in a state of inattentiveness, the Rakshasas won’t be able to harm you. No one on this earth would be able to stand up to your strength."

"O Rama! I command you to clear this region of Tadaka's interference. I desire that this region regains its past glory and becomes truly free from all troubles. That fearsome witch has wrought great damage to this area with her reckless exploits."

"O Illustrious Prince! May you be blessed. Now I take the pleasure of presenting you with those promised weapons with which you would be able to defeat any any enemy of yours. These weapons have magical powers and can change their appearance. These are the rewards for the destruction of Tadaka. You have pleased me immensely"

"..and, all these weapons immediately presented themselves before Shri Rama and folding their hands, addressed him, "O ever generous Raghunandan! May you be blessed. Consider all of us your slaves. We are fully prepared to give."

"Taking this opportunity, Rama promptly used his Agneya Astra and aiming it at Subahu's chest, ended his life. On completing his yagya when Maharshi Vishwamitra saw that Rama had killed all the demons, who used to disturb his yagya, he was thrilled."

"Maharishi Vishvamitra narrated to them the story of Ahalya and Indra. The amorous Indra deceived Ahalya and raped her. When Muni Gautam came to know of this he cursed Indra to become hundred eyed and cursed Ahalya to survive on air and and lie in ashes for thousands of years. O, Rama! This is the forlorn ashram of that accursed Ahalya. Now that you have arrived here, I request to bless Ahalya and release her from her curse. On entering the ashram Rama came across Ahalya engaged in deep meditation. Ahalya was invisible to both humans and devas. Rama was the only person who could see her in all the three worlds."

"On seeing Rama, Ahalya's curse ended. Now she became visible to everybody. Recalling Maharshi Gautam's words, Ahalya received the princes with great affection. Ram accepted her hospitality wholeheartedly. With her powers of meditation Ahalya regained her true appearance. She was reunited with Maharishi Gautam with the intervention of Rama."

"Here [Mithila], two weddings were solemnised - one of Rama with Sita and the other of Laxman with Urmila. After consultations with Maharshi Vishwamitra, the daughters of King Janak's younger brother, Kushdhwaj- Mandavi and Shrutikirti were also selected as brides for Bharat and Shatrughan. In this way the marriage of all the four sons of Dasharath was solemnized'"

"Rama has proceeded to the forests and now Bharat is heir apparent to this kingdom. However, I doubt whether I would be able to live long enough to see Bharat's coronation."

"Kaikeyi was in a predicament. It now seemed to her that she had made a big mistake. She felt that sending Rama into exile for fourteen years was probably too bitter and tough a condition."

"Advancing thus [in his exile], Rama came upon a kingdom, known for its prosperity. Here, he had a vision of goddess Ganga. How attractive was this place! In the waters of river Ganga, the Devas took holy dip. A king named Guh]] ruled over this region called Shrigaverpur. He was a devotee and fast friend of Rama....When Raja Guh that Rama had entered the boundaries of his kingdom , he was delighted…rama rejected the royal welcome extended to him by Guh and proceeded to rest under a tree on a mat of mere straw."

"Sumant [he had been ordered to back by Rama] had witnessed Rama's every stage of growth. Today, he was watching the same Rama go off into exile, but he also had no powers to redeem the situation. He, too, was bound by his commitments. This was Rama's first day outside his kingdom without Sumant."

"Maharshi Bhardwaj was sitting with his disciples, after completing his yagna. Rama, Laxman and Sita greeted him and touched his feet. Rama said, "O great Muni! This is my younger brother Laxman. This is my wife Sita and I am Rama, Dasharath’s son. In obedience to our father’s command we have come to the forests."

"Saint Agastya presented Rama with the bow made by Vishwakarma. This bow was made of gold and studded with diamonds. Along with this, there were two quivers gifted by Indra, which never became empty. He also gave Rama a golden sword. While handing over all these weapons to Rama, Agastya said, “Kindly receive these as gifts. These will help you in gaining victory over the demons."

"Ravana: It seems that Rama has come to Janstana accompanied by the might of all Devas and Devraj Indra. Akampan: No Maharaj! Rama lives alone, accompanied by his wife and younger brother. Ravana:Then I will proceed there right now to kill them and thus prove that it is not just child’s play to gain victory over the Rakshasas Akampan: Don’t be agitated , O King! No one can defeat Rama. He has the power to prevent the earth from sinking into the ocean; he can stop the flow of a mighty river by his arrows; he can destroy all the inhabitants of the earth in a moment and create a new universe. It is my estimate that all the combined might of the Devas and the Asuras cannot destroy Rama. But Maharaj I have an alternate plan...You can deceive Rama through magic and abduct Sita."

"Akampan told me that this Rama is a very powerful man and possesses divine qualities. It may not be possible to defeat him in personal battle. Hence, I have decided to deceive them first through magic and then abduct his wifeSita."

"Vibhishan, concerned for his brother's safety, summoned up courage and said to Ravan, "My respected elder brother and king of Lanka! It is the height of folly to show enmity towards those who have amply displayed their prowess by hurting w:Surpanakha|Surpanakha, killing Khar, Dhhosana, Maarich and by destroying the entire [[army of demons. I suggest that you return Rama’s wife to him."

"Ravan, greatly angered, said, ”If any one else had uttered these words I would have put him to death. It is in your interest to go away from here."

"Rama said, "Hanuman had told me about Vibhishan on returning from Lanka. This is the right occasion for him to come here. He has sought the company of good by dissociating himself from evil influences. Hence, we should welcome him. I, for one, will not reject him under any circumstances. On receiving Rama’s signal, Vibhishan descended from the skies, fell at Ram’s feet, wept and said “Master! I am Ravan’s younger brother. I have come to seek refuge with you after being oppressed and insulted by him. Kindly accept me as your servant. Maharaj! Through Brahma’s blessings, Ravan is protected eternally from the attacks of the Devas, Gandharvas, Yakshas and Asuras. Our middle brother, Kumbakaran, is also mightily blessed. Ravan’s Commander-in-Chief, Prahast, had defeated Kuber’s commander, Manibhadra, in a battle at Mount Kailsah. Ravan’s eldest son is named w:Indrajit|Meghnad Indrajeet. He knows the art of vanishing on the [[battlefield, confusing his opponents."

"Overwhelmed with emotion, Rama brought some water from the ocean and crowned Vibhishan as the future king of Lanka. When the issue of crossing the ocean was raised, Vibhishan said, "Rama! For this, you will have to ask the ocean itself to show you a way."

"After reaching the enemy's territory, Rama and his supporters were making consultations with each other as regards the course of action to be taken. Vibhishan showed the topography of Lanka to Rama from the peak of Mount Subet."

"Hearing this [On giving one last chance for Ravan to repent], Vibhishan replied, “O Maharaj! Your suggestion is sound, but will that evil man have the grace and wisdom to repent?” Rama said, “O Lankapati! I know in my heart of hearts that Ravan may reject my offer. If he was made of the right material, he would not have abducted Sita in the first place"

"Shouting sky-rending slogans praising Rama, these monkeys descended upon the demons with all their might. Rama was stationed, along with Laxman and Sugreev, at the northern gate. They were accompanied by one crore [ten million] monkeys."

"From its first success, the book became treasured by devotees of Rama and its fame spread throughout the country. Many people in India still use it today. The Tulsidas Ramayana itself can be used as an oracle. There are various methods of selecting verses from it to answer questioners."

"Meditate upon Rama's brother Bharata, on the Wisdom Goddess Sarasvati, on elephant-headed Ganesha who removes obstacles, on the wise planet Mercury, on Rama's brother Shatrughna, and the Guru's name. Knowledge, wisdom will come to you on Wednesday."

"In your heart worship the lotus feet of Rama, the Lord of compassion, the protector of the sages' holy practices, then give up all fear. This action will protect you from all evil and sorrow."

"Along his journey Rama freed Ahalya from her curse. The grace of God is so strong it can free us from the most difficult situations. Through it our inner wisdom, symbolized by the sage's wife, can be released from the stone of ignorance and materialism in which it is trapped. But for this to occur, we must open ourselves to the Divine Will. Otherwise obstacles will arise that we cannot possibly overcome by our power."

"At Rama’s great victory, evil kings were filled with envy and jealousy. Like swans enthralled with delight, Virtuous kings were overjoyed in their hearts."

"At that very moment in Ravana’s capital of Lanka, evil omens appeared everywhere. Repeated happenings of fear, death, grief, misery and destruction occurred in all parts of the city."

"Like the two months of spring, the two Kings Janaka and Dasharatha happily greeted one another. Good omens were as abundant as trees in the forest. Good deeds were as abundant as fruit and flowers on the great forest trees."

"The exiled party first took rest near the sacred Ganga river, where a forest chieftain served them with love and care. This sign is both good and bad. Happiness and sorrow are often mixed and one turns into the other."

"Sita, Rama and Lakshmana met the venerable ancient seer Agastya in their travels to the south. The company of the wise brings joy: seeing the three holy wanderers the yearnings of the heart are naturally fulfilled."

"...to the narration of the Ramayana with Hanuman still in Lanka having to fight his way out of the city. He returns across the sea and helps Rama prepare his forces for the coming battle."

"Rama was crowned king of Ayodhya according to the most sacred rites. Thus began the sacred reign of Rama, when peace dwelled on Earth. Of all verses, this is the foremost to give triumph and success."

"Rama, representative of the Divine is established as the king of the world. The Divine Will is again honored by people, which brings peace and blessings."

"All people lived in peace and happiness, engaged in their appropriate work and performed the worship appropriate to their temperaments and stage of life. The image of Rama 's reign brings the fruit of rituals, mantras and yogic practices"

"Lava and Kusha, now grown, visit the court of Rama. Long-estranged associates or kinsmen appear with important new tidings and knowledge or old events. One's children or protégés will gain honor and recognition."

"We are encouraged to action on these days much life at the beginning of the oracle, but here the results are more certain."

"Perform your actions remembering the four holy brothers Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna. You will gain success in your endeavours, profit, love, and all good fortune."