रामं लक्ष्मण-पूर्वजं रघुवरं सीतापतिं सुंदरम् ।
काकुत्स्थं करुणार्णवं गुणनिधिं विप्रप्रियं धार्मिकम् ।
राजेन्द्रं सत्यसंधं दशरथनयं श्यामलं शान्तमूर्तिम् ।
वन्दे लोकभिरामं रघुकुलतिलकं राघवं रावणारिम् ॥
रामाय रामभद्राय रामचंद्राय वेधसे ।
रघुनाथाय नाथाय सीताया: पतये नम:
Rama, the elder brother of Lakshmana, best of the scions of the Raghu, the husbandof Sita,
handsome Ocean of compassion, treasure of virtues, the most beloved of the religious people
Lord emperor of kings, follower of truth, son of Dasharath, dark-complexioned, idol tranquillity
Salute to that which pleases the eyes of all people, the crown jewel of the Raghu dynasty and the enemy of Ravana
I salute to Ram, beloved Ram, moon like peaceful Ram
To Lord of Raghu Scion, Lord (of all), husband of Sita, I salute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The above two shlokas are from the Rama Raksha Stotra attributed to a Rishi called Buddha Kaushika. Who this person was, is still a mystery. It is said, this Rishi was recited the entire Rama Raksha Stotra by Lord Shiva, in a dream.
The above two also form the opening lines for the Kriitibasi Ramayana, the Bengali Ramayan written by Krittivasa.
================================================
There are references to the Kalpataru tree (the tree that fulfils all wishes) and Goloka in the opening stanzas of the Bengali version of the epic. Both these, as per the Puranas are assciated with Krishna and not Narayana or Vishnu.
This also shows the influence of Vaishnava teachings in Bengal in that period.
Both Kriitivasa (or Krittibasa) and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu were from a similar period in Bengal. Krittivasa was born earlier. During the reign of the Pala kings in Bengal, Vaishnava influence was evident in the writings.
The love of Radha and Krishna became immortalized in Vaishnava Padabali.
==================================================
Vaishnava influence of love is evident in the Bengali Ramayana in places. Rama and Lakshmana have tears in their eyes when beg for forgiveness.
What we have today as the Krittibasi Ramayana may not be 100% of his work. He had written his work in the 14th / 15th century. In the last 3 - 4 centuries, people discovered his work, added some of their own shlokas and interpretations
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\
Irrespective of this, the 600 pages of the Bengali composition is a joy to read. In simple verse, it has many Bengali interpretations of customs (Rama's wedding is one such example, with Sita being offered Sankha and Pala as wedding bangles) and slight deviations from the Valmiki Ramayana (Mahiravana and Ahiravana is one, and Rama's Akal Bodhan).
=============================
Reading this gives that joy. It also reminds one that when this was being composed, Bhakti movement had started in Bengal.
काकुत्स्थं करुणार्णवं गुणनिधिं विप्रप्रियं धार्मिकम् ।
राजेन्द्रं सत्यसंधं दशरथनयं श्यामलं शान्तमूर्तिम् ।
वन्दे लोकभिरामं रघुकुलतिलकं राघवं रावणारिम् ॥
रामाय रामभद्राय रामचंद्राय वेधसे ।
रघुनाथाय नाथाय सीताया: पतये नम:
Rama, the elder brother of Lakshmana, best of the scions of the Raghu, the husbandof Sita,
handsome Ocean of compassion, treasure of virtues, the most beloved of the religious people
Lord emperor of kings, follower of truth, son of Dasharath, dark-complexioned, idol tranquillity
Salute to that which pleases the eyes of all people, the crown jewel of the Raghu dynasty and the enemy of Ravana
I salute to Ram, beloved Ram, moon like peaceful Ram
To Lord of Raghu Scion, Lord (of all), husband of Sita, I salute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The above two shlokas are from the Rama Raksha Stotra attributed to a Rishi called Buddha Kaushika. Who this person was, is still a mystery. It is said, this Rishi was recited the entire Rama Raksha Stotra by Lord Shiva, in a dream.
The above two also form the opening lines for the Kriitibasi Ramayana, the Bengali Ramayan written by Krittivasa.
================================================
There are references to the Kalpataru tree (the tree that fulfils all wishes) and Goloka in the opening stanzas of the Bengali version of the epic. Both these, as per the Puranas are assciated with Krishna and not Narayana or Vishnu.
This also shows the influence of Vaishnava teachings in Bengal in that period.
Both Kriitivasa (or Krittibasa) and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu were from a similar period in Bengal. Krittivasa was born earlier. During the reign of the Pala kings in Bengal, Vaishnava influence was evident in the writings.
The love of Radha and Krishna became immortalized in Vaishnava Padabali.
==================================================
Vaishnava influence of love is evident in the Bengali Ramayana in places. Rama and Lakshmana have tears in their eyes when beg for forgiveness.
What we have today as the Krittibasi Ramayana may not be 100% of his work. He had written his work in the 14th / 15th century. In the last 3 - 4 centuries, people discovered his work, added some of their own shlokas and interpretations
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\
Irrespective of this, the 600 pages of the Bengali composition is a joy to read. In simple verse, it has many Bengali interpretations of customs (Rama's wedding is one such example, with Sita being offered Sankha and Pala as wedding bangles) and slight deviations from the Valmiki Ramayana (Mahiravana and Ahiravana is one, and Rama's Akal Bodhan).
=============================
Reading this gives that joy. It also reminds one that when this was being composed, Bhakti movement had started in Bengal.
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