Does Valmiki Ramayana contain 24000 slokas?

Gayatri Ramayana. 

 

It is not the story of Shri Rama. All the twenty-four slokas of this Stotra have been taken from Valmiki Ramayana. They are not taken in an order but in such a way the first letters of the 24 slokas form the Gayatri mantra, which is as follows;

 

तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यम् भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि ।

धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात्

 

1.	तपस्स्वाध्यायनिरतं तपस्वी वाग्विदां वरम् । नारदं परिपप्रच्छ वाल्मीकिर्मुनिपुङ्गवम् ॥	bālakāṇḍa 1.1
2.	स हत्वा राक्षसान्सर्वान् यज्ञघ्नान् रघुनन्दनः । ऋषिभिः पूजितस्तत्र यथेन्द्रो विजयी पुरा ॥	bālakāṇḍa 30.23
3.	विश्वामित्रः सरामस्तु श्रुत्वा जनकभाषितम् । वत्स राम धनुः पश्य इति राघवमब्रवीत् ॥	bālakāṇḍa 67.12
4.	तुष्टावास्य तदा वंशं प्रविश्य च विशाम्पतेः । शयनीयं नरेन्द्रस्य तदासाद्य व्यतिष्ठत ॥	ayodhyākāṇḍa 15.20
5.	वनवासं हि सङ्ख्याय वासांस्याभरणानि च । भर्तारमनुगच्छन्त्यै सीतायै श्वशुरो ददौ ॥	ayodhyākāṇḍa 40.15
6.	राजा सत्यं च धर्मश्च राजा कुलवतां कुलम् । राजा माता पिता चैव राजा हितकरो नृणाम् ॥	ayodhyākāṇḍa 67.34
7.	निरीक्ष्य स मुहूर्तं तु ददर्श भरतो गुरुम् । उटजे राममासीनं जटामण्डलधारिणम् ॥	ayodhyākāṇḍa 99.25
8.	यदि बुद्धिः कृता द्रष्टुमगस्त्यं तं महामुनिम् । अद्यैव गमने बुद्धिं रोचयस्व महामते ॥	araṇyakāṇḍa 11.44
9.	भरतस्यार्यपुत्रस्य श्वश्रूणां मम च प्रभो । मृगरूपमिदं व्यक्तं विस्मयं जनयिष्यति ॥	araṇyakāṇḍa 43.17
10.	गच्छ शीघ्रमितो राम सुग्रीवं तं महाबलम् । वयस्यं तं कुरु क्षिप्रमितो गत्वाऽद्य राघव ॥	araṇyakāṇḍa 72.17
11.	देशकालौ भजस्वाद्य क्षममाणः प्रियाप्रिये । सुखदुःखसहः काले सुग्रीववशगो भव ॥	kiṣkindhākāṇḍa 22.20
12.	वन्दितव्यास्ततः सिद्धास्तपसा वीतकल्मषाः । प्रष्टव्या चापि सीतायाः प्रवृत्तिर्विनयान्वितैः ॥	kiṣkindhākāṇḍa 43.34
13.	स निर्जित्य पुरीं लङ्कां श्रेष्ठां तां कामरूपिणीम् । विक्रमेण महातेजा हनूमान् कपिसत्तमः ॥	sundarakāṇḍa 4.1
14.	धन्या देवाः सगन्धर्वाः सिद्धाश्च परमर्षयः । मम पश्यन्ति ये वीरं रामं राजीवलोचनम् ॥	sundarakāṇḍa 26.41
15.	मङ्गलाभिमुखी तस्य सा तदासीन्महाकपेः । उपतस्थे विशालाक्षी प्रयता हव्यवाहनम् ॥	sundarakāṇḍa 53.26
16.	हितं महार्थं मृदु हेतुसंहितं व्यतीतकालायतिसम्प्रतिक्षमम् । निशम्य तद्वाक्यमुपस्थितज्वरः प्रसङ्गवानुत्तरमेतदब्रवीत् ॥	yuddhakāṇḍa 10.27
17.	धर्मात्मा रक्षसश्रेष्ठः सम्प्राप्तोऽयं विभीषणः । लङ्कैश्वर्यमिदं श्रीमान्श्रुवं प्राप्नोत्यकण्टकम् ॥	yuddhakāṇḍa 41.68
18.	यो वज्रपाताशनिसन्निपातान्न चुक्षुभे नापि चचाल राजा । स रामबाणाभिहतो भृशार्तश्चचाल चापं च मुमोच वीरः ॥	yuddhakāṇḍa 59.140
19.	यस्य विक्रममासाद्य राक्षसा निधनं गताः । तं मन्ये राघवं वीरं नारायणमनामयम् ॥	yuddhakāṇḍa 72.11
20.	न ते ददृशिरे रामं दहन्तमपिवाहिनीम् । मोहिताः परमास्त्रेण गान्धर्वेण महात्मना ॥	yuddhakāṇḍa 94.26
21.	प्रणम्य देवताभ्यश्च ब्राह्मणेभ्यश्च मैथिली । बद्धाञ्जलिपुटा चेदमुवाचाग्निसमीपतः ॥	yuddhakāṇḍa 119.23
22.	चलनात्पर्वतस्यैव गणा देवाश्च कम्पिताः । चचाल पार्वती चापि तदाश्लिष्टा महेश्वरम् ॥	uttarakāṇḍa 16.26
23.	दाराः पुत्राः पुरं राष्ट्रं भोगाच्छादनभोजनम् । सर्वमेवाविभक्तं नौ भविष्यति हरीश्वर ॥	uttarakāṇḍa 34.41
24.	यामेव रात्रिं शत्रुघ्नः पर्णशालां समाविशत् । तामेव रात्रिं सीतापि प्रसूता दारकद्वयम् ॥	uttarakāṇḍa 66.1

 

------

Gayathri Ramayana signifies that

·       Ramayana is the essence of the entire Vedas

·       Shri Rama is Narayana.

·       Valmiki's Ramayana contains 24,000 verses, and

·       Gayatri Mantra is the epitome of the epic Ramayana.

 

Let us examine these aspects.

 

-----

 

I)               Ramayana is the essence of the entire Vedas

 

 

a)       The foundation on which the spiritual castle is built – this foundational concept is Trikarana Suddhi or ‘Purity and Unity of Thought, Word and Deed’.

 

b)       The Rishis of the Rigveda stated again and again that those who are in the spiritual path, should practice TRUTH and as a result they will reach the supreme truth and experience the DIVINE BLISS or SOMA.

 

Rig Veda 9.3.3

  एष देवो विपन्युभिः पवमान ऋतायुभिः ।  हरिर्वाजाय मृज्यते ॥

 

 This god, the tawny one, purifying himself, is groomed for the prize by the admiring (poets), who pursue the truth.

 

------

 

c)       The same point was stressed repeatedly by Sage Valmiki Maharishi through Shri Rama.  Shri Rama was described as adherent of TRUTH.

 

 धर्मज्ञः सत्यसन्धश्च शीलवाननसूयकः |

क्षान्तः सान्त्वयिता श्लक्ष्ह्णः कृतज्ञो विजितेन्द्रियः || २-२-३१

 "Rama knows all righteousness. He is true to his word and has good character. He has no envy. He has patience. He consoles those who are in troubles. He speaks good words. He has gratitude. He keeps senses under control."

 

d)       The result of adherence to the TRUTH was narrated in the penultimate sargas (chapters) of Yuddha Kanda of Ramayana.

 

In a terrific fight that ensued, Lakshmana and Indrajit, who were engaged in releasing several streams of arrows, fought like two lions. Lakshmana the foremost among humans and Indrajit the foremost among demons fought with rejoice.

 

That fierce battle went on for a longer period due to exchange of many ASTRAs presided by various deities like Varuna, Agni, Maheswara, etc.

 

Finally fitting a missile presided over by Indra to his bow and drawing it, Lakshmana discharged it at Indrajit, after making the following prayer:

 

धर्मात्मा सत्यसन्धश्च रामो दाशरथिर्यदि ||

पौरुषे चाप्रतिद्वन्द्वस्तदेनं जहि रावणिम् |

 

(Yuddha Kanda - Sarga 90 -  Sloka 71)

 

“O my dear arrow! If Rama the son of Dasaratha has set his mind on virtue (Dharma), adhered to TRUTH and is second to none in his prowess, destroy this Indrajit.”

That large head of Indrajit, separated from his trunk and moistened with blood, was seen on the ground, shining like gold.

 

------

 

We have to understand that the knowledge of Lakshmana in divine weapons did not kill the great warrior Indrajit. 

 

It was the austerity power of Sri Rama in adherence to Dharma - धर्मात्मा, to TRUTH (सत्यसन्धश्च) and is second to none in his prowess (or) not to be vanquished- अप्रतिद्वन्द्व: पौरुषे) that eliminated the Indrajit. 

 

Lakshmana was only instrumental.

 

Hence, the assumption of Gayatri Ramayana that Ramayana is the essence of the entire Vedas is correct.

-----

II)             Shri Rama is Narayana

 

If we study the currently available version of Valmiki Ramayana, leaving aside the Interpolated episodes like (i) Putrakameshti Yajna (Bala Kanda), (ii) Sita's parityaga (disowning of Sita) episode after Ravana’s elimination (Yuddha Kanda), (iii) Uttarakanda in totality, etc., we can understand that Valmiki Maharishi has nowhere stated that Shri Rama is an incarnation of Vishnu/Narayana.

 

However, Sage Valmiki stressed repeatedly that Shri Rama adhered to TRUTH.  And, as per Rig Veda, a person, who adheres to TRUTH and obtains BLISS will become that TRUTH only, ie., that person attains divinity.

 

Rig Veda 4.50.3

बृहस्पते या परमा परावदत आ त ऋतस्पृशो नि षेदुः ।

तुभ्यं खाता अवता अद्रिदुग्धा मध्वः श्चोतन्त्यभितो विरप्शम् ॥

 Translation

 

O Brihaspati!, that which is the highest supreme of existence, thither from this world they attain and take their seat, who touch the Truth - ऋतस्पृश. For thee are dug the wells of honey, which drain this hill and their sweetnesses stream out on every side and break into overflowing

 

Shri Rama, who is adherent to TRUTH, thus, attained DIVINITY and became the BRAHMAN itself.

 

-----

III)           Valmiki's Ramayana contains 24,000 verses

 

a)       The basis for claiming that Valmiki Ramayana contains 24,000 slokas or verses is the 2^nd Sloka in 4^th Sarga of Bala Kanda.  However, there are 2 translations for the same sloka, because of the word तथोत्तरम्, coming at the end of the sloka.

 

One version states that there are 6 Kandas in Ramayana, while the other claims that apart from 6 Kandas, there is Uttara Kanda also, making the total Kandas as 7.

 

चतुर्विंशत्सहस्त्राणि श्लोकानामुक्तवानृषिः |

तथा सर्गशतान् पञ्च षट् काण्डानि तथोत्तरम् ||१-४-२

 

Sage Valmiki composed Ramayana in twenty-four thousand verses, in five hundred chapters, in six books, likewise an end-piece too.

(or)

Sage Valmiki composed the Ramayana in twenty-four thousand verses in six kandas and also Uttarakanda (consisting of five hundred cantos).

-----

Whatever may be the translation, there is a claim that twenty-four thousand slokas/verses and 500 Sargas/chapters are available in both the versions.

------

b)       Before the introduction of printing in India in the early nineteenth century, the Rāmāyaṇa was copied by hand repeatedly in all parts of the country, and at present more than two thousand manuscripts of the poem, in whole or in part, are known to exist.

 

Like the Mahābhārata, the second great epic of ancient India, the Rāmāyaṇa has been handed down in two principal recensions, one from northern and one from southern India. These recensions consist of often heterogeneous versions written in the various regional scripts.

 

Manuscripts of the northern recension come from: Gujarat, Rajasthan, Kashmir, Nepal, Bihar, and Bengal; those of the southern recension from: Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, with Devanāgarī manuscripts variously affiliated to the northern and/or southern tradition.

----

c)       The Kanda-wise Sargas(chapters) in the available version of Valmiki Ramayana, are as follows:

  

    Bala Kanda                                                     77 Sargas(chapters)

    Ayodhya Kanda (Book of Ayodhya)                119 Sargas(chapters)

    Aranya Kanda                                                 75 Sargas(chapters)

    Kishkindha Kanda                                           67 Sargas(chapters)

    Sundara Kanda                                              68 Sargas(chapters)

    Yuddha Kanda                                              128 Sargas(chapters)

….Uttara Kanda                                                111  Sargas(chapters)

 

If we consider the Ramayana together with the Uttarakanda (3,538 slokas), we can get Seven kandas, 645 sargas and 24,253 slokas.

 Or

 If we calculate without the Uttarakanda, there will be six kandas, 534 sargas and 20,715 slokas.

 Looking at the above calculations, keeping aside the issue of number of Kandas, we can understand that the 500 sargas and 24,000 slokas, mentioned in the 4th sarga of Balakanda, do not tally with the available Sargas and slokas, as detailed above.

 

The conclusion is that the 2^nd Sloka in 4^th Sarga of Bala Kanda might be an interpolation.

------

IV)           Gayatri Mantra is the epitome of the epic Ramayana

 

a)       Popularly known as the Gayatri Mantra (originally a Savitri Mantra), it is a Richa - ऋच composed by sage Vishwamitra, dedicated to (goddess - SavitR), and included in the Rig Veda (3.62.10).

 As this Richa - ऋच is composed in Gayatri Chandas/metre, it has come to be known as Gayatri Mantra over time.

 

तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यम् भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि ।

धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥

 Richa refers to a shloka or couplet or mantra, usually two to four sentences long, found in the Rig Veda.

 -----

b)       It is actually just one of the Richās, ऋचा, in the compositions by Sage Vishwāmitra in the Rig Veda.

 Chandas in which a Richa is composed with 24 syllables, is called Gayatri chandas. Richās with syllables less than 24 are called nicṛdgāyatrī - निचृद्गायत्री. In Sanskrit prosody this is admitted once in a while.

 The Savitri mantra, popularly known as Gayatri mantra, was composed in nicṛdgāyatrī chandas (7-8-8) by Sage Vishwāmitra.

 

तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यम् । भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि ।

धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥

 

Therefore, the Savitri Mantra with the 23-syllables, composed in nicṛdgāyatrī - निचृद्गायत्री chandas, cannot satisfy the presumption made in the Gayatri Ramayana that the twenty-four slokas have been taken from Valmiki Ramayana in such a way the first letters of the 24 slokas form the Gayatri mantra seems to be incorrect, as there are only 23 but not 24 syllables in the Savitri mantra, popularly known as Gayatri mantra.

-----

c)       It is, however, stated by some people that the first phrase of this Gāyatri got corrupted in the long course of time. Probably the original तत्सवितुर्वरेनियम् became तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यम् , as it went from recitation to recitation through the generations.

 Above presumption does not appear to be correct, as there are other Savitri mantras composed in nicṛdgāyatrī - निचृद्गायत्री chandas , but still remained as they are without attracting any incorrect presumptions like the one above.