Ramcharitmanas — Simplified
My next initiative of Ramcharitmanas for Non-Native Speakers
What is Ramcharitmanas?
Ramcharitmanas is the greatest poem in “Awadhi” Language written by Goswami Tulsidas.
The term “Ram-Charit-Manas” means the “Lake of Deeds of Shri Ram”.
It appeared in Goswami Tulsidasji’s heart and thus the term “Manas” has been used. The first two “Ram-Charit” are used to convey that it is the “life/ character/ deed” of “Shri Ram”.
The poem was first written in the 16th Century. It has been translated into almost every language of this world and has been elaborated by various writers, experts, and Saints. The poem has infinite meanings and only my Lord “Shiva” has the capacity to understand the Character of Lord “Shri Ram”. Yet people read it, elaborate on it, and enjoy it because it is such a beauty. It covers the life deeds of “Shri Ram” and each word written has a capacity to shake the soul of the reader.
Ramcharitmanas covers all aspects of life such as:
- Faith
- Compassion toward every individual
- Dedication toward one’s duties and responsibilities
- Love towards family and society
- Responsibilities bearing aspects
Any individual reading it will be amused by the lessons this holy book has. With each reading, you can only learn more. The book is not dedicated to a social group or section of society but is written with an aim to cover each section of society. It includes all phases of life and empowers each individual with clarity in deciding actions for any situation that they may face.
The beauty of Ramcharitmanas is: This has been written in a way to explain the entire content with respect to one attribute. You consider devotion and if you look carefully, you will realize each part of this book is framed about devotion.
You consider persistence, you consider respect, morality, or any attribute. The book not only contains them but it is written in a way that the entire content can be explained in regard to that selected attribute.
This is not a story of any individual, but this is a living embodiment of what can happen to any individual and how one should live life in various conditions. Many people have tried explaining it and abandoned it, realizing that their caliber does not allow them to embark on such a perilous journey. I being the most stupid person on this earth thought about putting down my thoughts in a book to explain the content to non-native readers. People who want to go beyond the literary meaning of the text and people who want to explore the various meaning of this text.
I understand that this task is beyond my capacity and I may never ever be able to complete it. But my lord shiva has always been graceful and happy with me. He has helped me in each endeavor of life and I believe he will not abandon me now. I beg pardon from each living and non-living individual for any mistakes that I may have committed in this endeavor. My sole purpose is to put down my understanding of this great literature. Of course, I realize that my mental level is limited and thus any reader may not appreciate the content but such is the beauty of this text that even if I make blunders the magic of this story will live forever and will hide every wrongdoing that I may erroneously commit.
Ramayana is not just a story of a king who went to the jungle for his father’s promise. But it is the story of how consciousness evolves in different states and various parts of one’s life. There are a million meanings to it and no one can draft them. The more closely you follow the text, the more enriching the text becomes. The beauty of the book, and the true meaning of the book continuously evolves and leads to a higher path. There is no end to it.
I have tried to include whatever my own mental capacity allowed. I understand that I have no understanding of god and of enlightenment. I hope, the insights I have written will help at least one in the entire mankind to feel more connected to Shri Ram and his creation. I pray for forgiveness for any mistakes that I might have made during writing my understanding.
I also understand that you all have understood Ramayana with your own level of understanding, which are better than mine. I do not wish to negate them but only learn from them.
