Introduction to Araṇyakāṇḍa (अरण्यकाण्ड)

 

श्री रामायणम् – Śrī Rāmāyaṇam

Introduction to Araṇyakāṇḍa (अरण्यकाण्ड)

Araṇyakāṇḍa covers the following incidents.

·       Shri Rama enters the Dandaka Forest, along with Sita and Lakshmana

·       Demon Viradha captures Shri Rama and Lakshmana, who cut off the hands of Viradha and kills him by burying him in a pit

·       Shri Rama proceeds towards the hermitage of Sage Sharabhanga.  There Shri Rama, Lakshmana and Sita had a glimpse of Indra, the king of Devas.

·       The ascetics living in Dandaka Forest request Shri Rama to protect them from the demons and Shri Rama assures them

·       Shri Rama arrives at the hermitage of Sage Suteekshna, as directed by Sage Sharabhanga and builds his own hermitage

·       Shri Rama spends 10 years in Dandaka Forest and visits again Sage Suteekshna, who shows the way to the hermitage of Sage Agastya

·  Shri Rama, Lakshmana and Sita visit Sage Agastya’s hermitage, who directs them to Panchavati near Godavari River in the Janasthana, where they spend the rest of the period happily

·       Shri Rama, Lakshmana and Sita start residing in Panchavati

·       Surpanaksha, and old woman and the sister of demon King Ravana gets attracted towards Shri Rama and asks him to become her husband.  As she tries to kill Sita, Lakshmana, at the behest of Shri Rama defaces her by cutting her nose and ears

·       Surpanakha complains to Khara, the demon commander stationed Janasthana, who attacks Shri Rama

·       Shri Rama all alone eliminates the entire army of 14,000 soldiers and important army generals and Khara

·       Surpanakha complains to Ravana and praises the valour of Shri Rama and the beauty of Sita

·       Mareecha takes away Shri Rama by taking the form of a Golden deer and Lakshmana by employing magic, leaving Sita alone in the hermitage

·       Ravana abducts Sita and cuts off the wings of Bird Jatayu, who tries to save Sita

·       Shri Rama and Lakshmana meet the dying Jatayu, who informs them about Ravana and dies

·     After performing funeral rites to Jatayu, a father-like figure to them, Shri Rama and Lakshmana proceed in the southern direction

·       Shri Rama and Lakshmana kills Kabandha, who was a cursed divinity.  That divinity directs Shri Rama to meet Sugriva, a Vanara and to form a friendly treaty with him

·       Shri Rama and Lakshmana meet Yogini Shabari, at Pampa lake and proceed further

Ayōdhyākāṇḍa Part-26

Araṇyakāṇḍa Part-1