गुरू ब्रह्मा गुरू विष्णु,

गुरु देवो महेश्वरा

गुरु साक्षात परब्रह्म,
तस्मै श्री गुरुवे नमः
That means the teacher is equal to Brahma and
Vishnu. The teacher is Maheshwara. The guru is
equivalent to the Almighty.
 RAMAYANA
The Ramayana is a Sanskrit epic composed over a period of
nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage
of the text ranging from the 8th to 4th centuries BCE, and later
stages extending up to the 3rd century CE.

It follows Prince Rama's quest to rescue

his beloved wife Sita from the clutches of
Ravana with the help of an army of
monkeys.
 About The Author
Valmiki was the composer of the first Sanskrit poem (the Adikavya) known
the world over as the epic Ramayana (Story of Lord Rama), hence he is called
the Adikavi or First Poet - the Poet of Poets of India. He was born along the
banks of the Ganges in ancient India to a sage by the name of Prachetasa. His
birth name was Ratnakara. He apparently got lost in the jungles as a child and
was found by a hunter who raised him as his own son. When he grew up he
became a hunter like his foster father but also took to being a bandit to
supplement his livelihood. Once it so happened he met the Maharishi Narada
and tried to rob him. However Narada convinced him of the evil of his ways
and converted him into a 'Brahmarishi' or religious scholar. He narrated the
story of Rama (Ramayana) to him and asked him to write it down for
posterity. Ratnakara did penance for many years and an ant-hill grew around
him. Hence his new name 'Valmika' which in Sanskrit means an ant-hill. He
came out of the anthill and penned the great epic sometime between the 4th
and the 2nd century BC. "As long as there are rivers and mountains in the
world, people will read the Ramayana ."
 Preface Of Ramayana
Ramayana is the oldest epic in world literature. It is a treasure house of knowledge
and an inexhaustible mine for later poets and has a special place in Indian culture as
well as Sanskrit literature. It is translated into all Indian languages and to several
European languages along with English. It is also rendered with variations in many
South and South-east countries since several centuries and they have adopted the epic
in their music, dance, ballet, art and architecture. It is believed that Valmiki
Ramayana was put to writing around 500 AD. It was told and retold since several
centuries orally in and around India. Maharshi Valmiki is confident of its circulation
among people until mountains stay erect on the [Link] is known as a treatise
of Dharma. The four Purusharthas –values of [Link]., Dharma, Artha, Kama, and
Moksha are dealt here with utmost care. Kalidas the famous Sanskrit poet
summarizes the values of life upheld by the kings of Ikshvaku dynasty as narrated by
Valmiki. The Ramayana epic is strewn with exposition of values of life from great
sages. The concept of Dharma is depicted well through the conduct of various
characters and more so by Rama. He deals with difficult situations with the ardent
devotion to Dharma. It gives a clear message that Dharma will be victorious in the
end. But those who want to stand by Dharma may have to pay the price in order to
achieve benefit for the entire society. The path of Dharma is open for fearless and
noble people.
 Theme
The theme of the Ramayana is dharma. Dharma is the Hindu concept
of the right way of living or respecting one's duty so that the cosmos
remains in order. Unlike the other great Indian epic, the Mahabharata,
the characters are more grounded in their human forms, and they
embody the ideals in their roles within the story.

Sita is the ideal woman, whose true

nature is that of the goddess Lakshmi,
wife to the god Vishnu, whose avatar,
Rama is the ideal king, husband, brother,
and son. Sita's unconditional loyalty,
love, and strength of character make her
the ideal wife. Rama's devotion is what
makes him ideal in each of his roles.
 Characterization
Rama is the hero of the Ramayana epic,
an incarnation of the God Vishnu.

The eldest and favourite son of

Dasaratha, King of Ayodhya, he is a
virtuous prince and is much loved by the
people.

He is exiled from Ayodhya due to the

plotting of his stepmother, Kaikeyi.
Sita is Rama's wife and daughter of King Janaka
of Mithila. Sita is the epitome of womanly purity
and virtue.

Lakshmana is Rama's younger brother. Completely

loyal to Rama, he chooses to go with Rama and Sita
when they are exiled from Ayodhya.
Ravana is the king of Lanka and has 10 headsand 20
arms. He received a boon from the God Brahma that
he cannot be killed by gods, demons or by spirits,
after performing a severe penance for 10,000 years.
After receiving his reward from Brahma, Ravana
began to lay waste to the earth and disturbed the
deeds of the good Hindu sages. Vishnu incarnates as
the human Rama to defeat him, assisted by an army
of monkeys and bears, thus circumventing the boon
given by Brahma.

Dasaratha is the King of Ayodhya, Rama's father and a

scion of the Suryavamsha dynasty.
Kausalya is Rama's mother,
Dasaratha's chief wife.

Kaikeyi is Dasaratha's wife and Rama's

stepmother. She demands that Rama should
be banished to the forest and after that her
son Bharata be awarded the kingdom instead.

Sumitra is Dasharatha's wife and

mother of the twins Lakshmana and
Satrughna.
Bharata is the second son of Dasaratha. When he
learns that his mother Kaikeyi had forced Rama into
exile, causing Dasaratha to die broken hearted, he
storms out of the palace and goes in search of
Rama. When Rama refuses to return from his exile
to assume the throne, Bharata obtains Rama's
sandals and places them on the throne as a gesture
that Rama is the true king.

Sugriva is the ruler of the monkey kingdom. His

throne was taken by his brother Bali, but Rama helps
him to defeat the usurper in return for hisassistance in
finding Sita.
Hanuman is one of the central characters of the Hindu
epic Ramayana. He is an ardent devotee of Rama and
one of the Chiranjivis. Hanuman is regarded to be the
son of the wind-god Vayu.

Luv and Kush, the sons of Lord Rama and Sita,

support their mother during her exile from
Ayodhya. When they visit Ayodhya, a shocking
truth is revealed to them.
 Plot & Technique of Ramayana
This is the Story Of Ramayana. Long ago, the wise King Dasharatha ruled over
the Kingdom of Ayodhya, on the banks of the river Sarayu. Though the King had
three wives, he didn't have any children. The chief priest Vasishta advised
Dasharatha to conduct a fire sacrifice to obtain a boon from the gods. He did so
and the gods were pleased. One of them appeared out of the flame and handed
him a pot full of nectar. The god told Dasharatha to share the nectar with his
three Queens- Kausalya, Kaikeyi, and Sumitra.

In time, the three Queens gave birth to sons.

Kausalya had Rama, Kaikeyi had Bharatha, and
Sumitra had twins, Lakshmana and Shatrughan.
The whole Kingdom rejoiced. The four young
Princes were intelligent and good-natured. They
loved each other, but there was a special bond
between Rama and Lakshmana.
One day, sage Vishwamitra came to Dasharatha and
asked him to sent Rama to the forest with him to kill a
demon who was continuously disrupting the fire
sacrifices of the sages. Dasharatha sent both Rama and
Lakshmana with Vishwamitra and Rama was able to kill
the hideous and terrible demon Tadaka. Vishwamitra was
very pleased and so were the gods.

Vishwamitra then took the young Princes to the

neighboring Kingdom of Mithila which was ruled by
King Janaka. In Mithila, Rama succeeded in stringing a
great bow given by Lord Shiva, which many before had
tried and failed. This won him Janaka's daughter Sita in
marriage. Rama married Sita and they lived happily for
many years. Dasharatha decided that it was time for
Rama to become King. Everybody was pleased because
Rama was a kind, Prince.
However, Kaikeyi's maid, Manthara was not happy.
She wanted her Queen's son, Bharatha, to become the
King. Manthara poisoned Kaikeyi's mind She decided
to ask Dasharatha for the two boons he had promised
her Kaikeyi asked Dasharatha to make Bharatha the
King and send Rama away to the forest for fourteen
years. King Dasharatha was heartbroken but he was
bound to keep his promise. Rama left for the forest
without hesitation, accompanied by Sita and
Lakshmana. The whole Kingdom was grief-stricken.

Dasharatha died soon after. Bharatha was horrified

by what his mother had done. He went to the forest
to persuade Rama to return. When he refused,
Bharatha took Rama's footwear and placed it on the
throne. He said he would rule till Rama returned.
Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana lived in the forest amidst
the beauty and peace of nature's treasures. Birds
sang, streams gurgled and flowers bloomed in
thousands.
One day, a terrible thing happened. A she-demon called
Soorpanakha saw Rama and wanted to marry him When Rama
refused, she asked Lakshmana to marry her Angry at his
refusal, she attacked Sita. On seeing this, Lakshmana rushed to
help Sita Soorpanakha went to his brother, Ravana, the King
of Lanka and asked him to punish them for insulting her.

Ravana sent his uncle Mareecha who took the form

of the golden deer to attract Sita On seeing this, Sita
asked Rama to catch it. Rama chased the deer and
finally shot it. As Mareecha lay dying, he used his
magic and called out for Lakshmana in Rama's
voice. Hearing Rama's voice, Sita was afraid and
sent Lakshmana to help him. Before leaving,
Lakshmana drew a magic line to protect Sita and
asked her not to cross the line under any
circumstance.
As soon as Lakshmana left, Ravana came in the guise of the sage. He
was offended when Sita told him that she couldn't cross the line to
give him food On seeing him angry, Sita forgot Lakshmana's
warning and crossed the line As soon as she crossed the line, Ravana
grabbed her and flew away to Lanka Hearing her cries, Jatayu, the
King of Eagles tried to help her but Ravana wounded him badly.

Rama and Lakshmana set out in search of Sita Jatayu

told them that Sila had been abducted by Ravana On
their way, Rama killed demon Kabandha releasing him
from the curse The demon advised them to meet Sugriva,
who would be of great help in finding Sita. They took the
demon's advice and met Sugriva. Sugriva agreed to help
only if he killed Bail, who was Sugriva's brother Rama
defeated Bali and Sugriva became the monkey King
Keeping his promise, Sugriva asked his chief, Hanuman,
and his entire army to help him.
Rama sent Hanuman in search of Sita. Hanuman found
Sita in one of the gardens of Ravana's palace He gave her
Rama's ring and told her that Rama would come and
rescue her soon Ravana's soldier caught Hanuman and
took him to Ravana Hanuman then asked Ravana to set
Sita free but Ravana refused He caught Hanuman and set
his tail on fire Hanuman flew high over the city and left
many parts of it in flames.

Rama, Lakshmana, and Sugriva then rounded

up a huge army. A bridge was built to Lanka
and the army marched across A fierce battle
began Thousands of great warriors of both
armies were killed Ravana's army was losing
He called on his brother Kumbhakama who
had the habit of sleeping for six months at a
time for help. After eating a mountain of food,
he appeared on the battlefield striking terror,
Rama killed Kumbhakama.
Indrajith, Ravana's son, who was the great
warrior and had the power to become invisible
took command. He injured Lakshmana with a
magic arrow. Lakshmana lay unconscious till
Hanuman flew to the Himalayas and brought a
herb that helped revive him. Lakshmana killed
Indrajith and finally, Ravana and Rama came
face to face. It took many days before Rama
could finally kill Ravana with a weapon given
by the Gods.

Finally, Rama and Sita were united. The fourteen

years of exile was over and they returned to
Ayodhya. People rejoiced and came out to
receive him. The celebrations went on for many
days. The Gods smiled down on the new King,
who brought prosperity and happiness.
 Summary
Rama, prince of Ayodhya, won the hand of the beautiful
princess Sita but was exiled with her and his brother
Lakshmana for 14 years through the conspiracy of his
stepmother. In the forest Sita was abducted by Ravana, and
Rama gathered an army of monkeys and bears to search for her.
The allies attacked Lanka, killed Ravana, and rescued Sita. In
order to prove her chastity, Sita entered fire, but was vindicated
by the gods and restored to her husband. After the couple's
triumphant return to Ayodhya, Rama's righteous rule (Ram-raj)
inaugurated a golden age for all mankind.
 Relevance of the essence of
Ramayana in today’s era
• It is not your position but your spirit of service that matters.
Whether he was required to serve his people as a king or give his position up
and venture into the forest, Lord Rama unequivocally stepped up to serve his
people, his family, and what he believed in. Instead of getting stuck on positions
or fame, the Ramayana teaches that the spirit of service is what sets you apart -
do your bit where you are and with whatever resources you have.
• The truth always prevails.
It is understandable to be disappointed in how people and governments all over
the world are functioning today. Even faced with insurmountable odds and a
strong opponent like Ravana, Lord Rama stood by what is right and defeated the
odds. Perhaps, the most important life lesson to learn from the Ramayana is that
truth always prevails and the victory of good over evil is inevitable-do not lose
hope.
• Value your support system.
When Lord Rama was banished into exe, his brother Laxman chose to give up
the luxuries of life as a prince and stand by his brother Similarly, Bharat stayed
back but did not accept the position of king choosing to rule in Lord Ram's stead
as he waited for his brother to come home. The people that surround you are
your biggest strength. This life was not meant to be lived alone Seek help when
you need it, and value the people in your life. The untimely death by suicide of
actor Sushant Singh Rajput is a critique of the flailing mental health conditions in
India. Seek help when you need it. Like Lord Rama you are not alone.
• Plant seeds of faith.
Ramayana teaches that a devotee has access to God wherever he/she is. Visiting
places of worship is not practical or desirable during the pandemic. However,
like Shabari whose devotion brings Lord Rama right to her doorstep, you do not
need a temple to worship- all you need is a clear heart and faith. Improving on a
93-year-old tradition, Mumbai's Lalbaugcha Raja Ganeshotsav Mandal has
decided to hold a blood and plasma donation camp to help COVID-19 patients
instead of raising the traditional pandal for a grand Ganesh idol. With Mumbai's
increasing number of coronavirus cases in mind, this is a move that says that the
way to please God is to extend help to your fellowmen.
• Unity in diversity is possible and necessary.
When Lord Rama set out to defeat Ravana, he was not alone. Even though
he was exiled, he had his people's support. The gods stood with him, too.
The famous Vanarasena led by Sugriva and Hanuman were by his side. This
support and unity are what made it possible for Lord Ram to reach Lanka
and defeat Ravana. In today's world, it might seem impossible for people
from different backgrounds to come together and help each other. With
more cases of violence against Dalits, now is the time to stand with each
other, irrespective of differences. The Ramayana teaches us that not only is
it possible, but it is also necessary to ensure victory over evil forces.

Lord Ram is the epitome of kindness, compassion, and love. His wisdom
and patience made it possible for him to follow his inner good without
worrying about the loss of luxuries and kingship. There is much to learn
from the personal character of Lord Ram as well as the many stories in the
epic. Look deeper than face value to find the hidden truth of the Ramayana.
 Conclusion
• Value Unity and Relationships – More Than Greed, Pride and Power
Always stand together as a family. The fruits of togetherness will give you the
power to sail through the worst storms. Every relationship is an opportunity for
us to rise above greed, anger and power. If we hold love higher than everything
else, our value and respect for life increases automatically. Moreover, it purifies
our soul and sets us on the path to good karma.
• Embrace All – Irrespective of Caste, Creed or Colour
Love and respect everyone. Do not discriminate anyone on the basis of caste,
creed, colour or status.

• Stay Away from Negative People

Guard yourself against vicious counsel and stay away from negative people. A
negative mind can easily brainwash all the good inside you.
• Forgiveness Trumps Revenge
Be forgiving in nature. Anger and revenge do not bring any good;
they do not allow us to move on to better things.

• Victory of Good over Evil

Ravana was highly intellectual, but a cruel and arrogant king. He
kidnaps Lord Rama‘s wife, Sita, to claim revenge from him and his
brother Laxman for having cut off the nose of his sister Surpanakha.
However, in the end, Lord Rama wins the battle and rescues Sita.
 In today’s modern life, many of us have
stopped believing in the ideals laid out by
our venerated scriptures. However, in
reality, these lessons are truly
enlightening and important to lead a life
by good karma. By following these
lessons, we are sure to experience peace,
harmony and contentment in life.
 THANK YOU
PRESENTED BY: PARTH GUPTA & PRIYANSHI NAGAR

SUBMITTED TO : PRAGATI Ma’am