Ramayana
Disclaimer: I learnt this as a kid, from parents not totally conversant with Sanskrit. In other words, there's more of Shruti and Smriti in this than structural soundness.
Ado rAma tapOvanAdhigamanam etvA mRgam kAncanam
Vaidehi haraNam jaTAyu maraNam sugrIva sambhaSanam
vAlI nigrahaNam samudra taraNam lankApurI dAhanam
pashchat rAvaNa-kumbhakarNa hananam tretAdirAmAyaNam
Each line above had the following scheme (one swara for each syllable):
This is a version of the Ramayana that my brothers and I were taught as kids. Although encouraged to say this every night, I would usually fall asleep before I was half-way through it. But at those not-so-occasional times when the mind's eye saw faces in the dark, and heard whispers in the corners, and everyone but I seemed asleep and oblivious to my doom at the hands of the "vile contagion of the night", I clutched the end of my mom's saree and recited this devoutly. And the solace I found then still sweeps over me today.
Ado rAma tapOvanAdhigamanam etvA mRgam kAncanam
Vaidehi haraNam jaTAyu maraNam sugrIva sambhaSanam
vAlI nigrahaNam samudra taraNam lankApurI dAhanam
pashchat rAvaNa-kumbhakarNa hananam tretAdirAmAyaNam
Each line above had the following scheme (one swara for each syllable):
A---do--rA--ma--ta--pO--va--nA--dhi-ga-ma-nam
g2--m1--g2--r2--g2--m1--m1--g2--r2--s--s--r2
et--vA--mR--gam-kAn-cha-nam
g2--p---m1--g2--r2--n2--s
g2--m1--g2--r2--g2--m1--m1--g2--r2--s--s--r2
et--vA--mR--gam-kAn-cha-nam
g2--p---m1--g2--r2--n2--s
This is a version of the Ramayana that my brothers and I were taught as kids. Although encouraged to say this every night, I would usually fall asleep before I was half-way through it. But at those not-so-occasional times when the mind's eye saw faces in the dark, and heard whispers in the corners, and everyone but I seemed asleep and oblivious to my doom at the hands of the "vile contagion of the night", I clutched the end of my mom's saree and recited this devoutly. And the solace I found then still sweeps over me today.
posted by Sketchy Self at 7:29 AM
Your thoughts: 4
Neat work! I have heard this version as well!
Evidently, I was good at reciting marathi shlokas in my early childhood, the only evidence being my voice recorded on the tape.
One of the things, that still remains (much to my chagrin) in the to-learn list is the "rama-raksha stotram". To be a ghati and to not know the rama-raksha is like to be a gult and not know suprabhatam!
kedar, interesting that you have heard of it...it's one of those quaint personal memories that you hardly attach any significance to, but it's also one of those rare yet inescapable brushes with culture!
Sorry chandu, this comment comes in very verry late. But I got interested when you sadi Shruti and Smriti.
As far as my knowledge goes, Shruti is/are the Vedas, Smriti is/are Manu Smriti etc etc.
Can you elaborate on all that you know regarding this. It would be great.
Sorry vidya,
when i said shruti and smriti i was just playing with the words:
shruti - that which is heard (ie what i heard from my parents)
smriti - that which is remembered (ie what my parents remembered)
I have no idea if this shloka(?) figures anywhere in our scriptures :D !!
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