For centuries, Kishkinda was a sacred Kshetra, the abode of Hanuman. Its environs birthed the great Hindu Empire of Vijayanagara. Over the last three decades, its sanctity has been almost completely erased.
Adikavi, Maharshi Valmiki provided the first great model for composing poetry imbued with all the nine Rasas. He authored the Ramayana at a time when the formal academic discipline of aesthetics was nonexistent. This essay brings out a beautiful exposition of the aesthetic and artistic elements of t
The Ramayana captures every aspect of Sanātana-dharma that is in practice today. In fact, the word ‘Sanātana-dharma’ itself occurs quite a few times in the epic. The Ramayana is also a wonderfully artistic exposition of the Purusharthas that formed the bedrock of the Hindu society since time immemor
As long as our emotions remain relevant to us, the Rāmāyaṇa will remain in currency. Sri Rama was truly the national integrator. He belonged to the Sūrya-vaṃśa and just as the world cannot exist without the Sun, it cannot exist without Rāma and the Rama-Tattva.
According to the Puranas, Valmiki was a robber initially. He was enlightened by the Rishis after which he sat in meditation chanting the sacred name of Rama with such intensity that an anthill grew around his body. As he emerged out of the anthill or Valmīka, he came to be called Vālmīki. Having thu
This is the introductory episode of a series exploring the various nuances of Maharshi Valmiki's immortal epic, Srimad Ramayana. It is part of the Prologue written by scholar and researcher, Sri Arjun Bharadwaj's latest work titled "The Essential Ramayana."
The concluding episode of this series of comparative analysis of the Manthara episode and Richard III delves into a striking, fundamental contrast between the Sanatana mind and the Mleccha mind.
