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Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Adikavi Bhanu Bhakta Acharya ~ and the Epic Ramayana


ஜகம் புகழும் புண்ணிய கதை இராமனின் கதையே !

Ramayanam is the undiluted history – greatest Ithihasa Purana of Bhagwan Sree Rama.  

In this Epic, Srimad Valmiki   narrates the journey of Virtue to annihilate vice. This epic poem Ramayana is a smriti which is translated as "from memory". Given the antiquity of Srimad Valmiki Ramayana, there have been some interjected verses.  



தப:ஸ்வாத்யாயநிரதம் !  தபஸ்வீ வாக்விதாம் வரம் ।
நாரதம் பரிபப்ரச்ச  வால்மீகிர்முநிபுங்கவம் ॥
तपःस्वाध्यायनिरतम्  -  तपस्वी वाग्विदां वरम् ।
नारदं परिपप्रच्छ  वाल्मीकिर्मुनिपुङ्गवम् ॥

இக்ஷ்வாகுவம்ஸப்ரபவோ ராமோ நாம ஜநை: ஸ்ருத: ।
நியதாத்மா மஹாவீர்யோ த்யுதிமாந்த்ருதிமாந் வஸீ ॥
इक्ष्वाकुवंशप्रभवो   रामो नाम जनैः श्रुतः ।
नियतात्मा महावीर्यो   द्युतिमान्धृतिमान् वशी ॥

Naradha answers Valmiki  on the Greatest person, the most virtuous as - He is known to all by the name Rāma;  He is born into the lineage of Ikshwāku ; He is well balanced and in complete control of his words, thoughts and deeds ; He is a man of great valor; He  is a person of steadfast character and radiant countenance.

Thiru Ayodhya, also known as Saket is the ancient and holy city where Lord Sri Rama, the hero of Sri Ramayana was born.  Ayodhya  was the capital of the ancient Kosala Kingdom.  Ayodhya is on the  banks of the river Sarayu.  Valmiki is  believed to have begun writing the Ramayana in Ayodhya. Its opening chapters recount the magnificence of the city, the glories of its monarch and the virtues, wealth and loyalty of its people. Geographically it is in Uttar Pradesh closer to  Faizabad city.


13th July marked the 206th birth anniversary of Bhanu Bhakta Acharya, the first Nepali poet who translated the great epic 'Ramayana' from Sanskrit to Nepali language. Despite having other contemporary poets in the country during his time, he is revered and honored with the title of Adikavi (The First Poet) of the Nepali language.  Bhanubhakta Acharya was born on July 13, 1814 in Tanahu District of Nepal in a village called Ramgha. Acharya was born to a Brahmin family and received education at home from his grandfather. Bhanubhakta received his education of Sanskrit at his home and later in Varanasi.  The comments of the Nepalest PM in that function  embroiled as he claimed Nepal to be the Birth place of Lord Rama.


The 206th birth anniversary of Adikavi Bhanu Bhakta Acharya was observed in a function organised by Nepali Sahitya Parishad at Bhanu Udhyaan, Zero Point, Gangtok today. The function was graced by the Governor Shri Ganga Prasad as the Chief Guest, Chief Minister Shri Prem Singh Tamang as the Guest of Honor , along with the Speaker SLA, Shri L. B. Das, Cabinet Ministers, MLAs, MP Lok Sabha, Political Secretary to HCM, Chief Secretary, Secretary to HCM, Heads of Departments, Government officials, literary figures, members of Nepali Sahitya Parishad and other dignitaries.   Commemorating the birth celebrations, the programme commenced with the lighting of lamp, offering of prayers, recitation of verses from Ramayana and garlanding to the statue of late Bhanu Bhakta Acharya at Bhanu Udhyaan by the Chief Guest, Guest of Honour and other dignitaries present. Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister Shri Prem Singh Tamang said that Adikavi Bhanu Bhakta Acharya has been an inspirational figure and remarked that Adikavi laid the foundation of Nepali literature and has always been revered as a significant literary figure in the Nepali communities.

Bhanubhakta Ramayana, commonly known as Ramayan, is the Nepali translation of Valmiki Ramayana by Adikavi Bhanubhakta Acharya. It was posthumously published in its complete form in 1887.  It is widely considered to be the first Nepali epic. The prose style of the epic has been termed Bhanubhaktiya Laya since it was completely original in Nepali literature, being the first work. Due to this distinction, the author, poet Bhanubhakta Acharya is known as Adikavi (first poet) in Nepal.

The book and the poet is held in high regard in ethnic Nepali communities outside Nepal as well, especially in Darjeeling. It is noted that Darjeeling literary community was the first to recognise the importance of Bhanubhakta Ramayana, even before Nepalese did.  There is a statue of Bhanubaktha Acharya in Darjeeling.  Bhanu Jayanti, falls on the 29th day of the month of Ashad according to Nepali calendar.

from wiki commons - pic Ganesh Paudel 

The Nepalese Foreign Ministry today sought to clarify Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli’s statement that the “real” Ayodhya where the Hindu deity Ram was born is in Nepal. The remarks, the ministry said, were “not linked to any political subject and have no intention at all to hurt the feeling and sentiment of anyone”.

In yet another attempt to provoke India amid tensions between the two nations, Oli said Monday that the “real Ayodhya lies at Thori in the west of Birgunj”, reportedly adding that Lord Ram wasn’t born in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. Oli was addressing an event to mark the   birth anniversary of Adikavi Bhanu Bhakta Acharya, the author of the Ramayana in Nepalese. He also said Nepal had been a “victim” of “cultural encroachment” and “manipulation of history”.

 “The remarks made by the Prime Minister are not linked to any political subject and have no intention at all to hurt the feeling and sentiment of anyone,” the foreign ministry said. “As there have been several myths and references about Shri Ram and the places associated with him, the Prime Minister was simply highlighting the importance of further studies and research of the vast cultural geography the Ramayana represents to obtain facts about Shri Ram, Ramayana and the various places linked to this rich civilisation.”  It added, “The remarks were not meant to debasing (sic) the significance of Ayodhya and the cultural value it bears.”

Every year, the ministry said, Nepal celebrates the tradition of ‘Bibaha Panchami’, marked by the arrival of a marriage procession from Ayodhya, India, to Janakpur in Nepal, which is revered  to be the birthplace of Lord Ram’s wife Sita.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar
14.7.2020.


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