Sometimes one comes across references in the Ithihasa and Puranas , when related to the Vedas there is confusion.
Rama and Sita.
The Vedas,the Scripture of the Hindus, are accepted as Apaurusheya, not man-made and timeless, are undoubtedly the earliest works of Sanatana Dharma, and the Vedas , especially the Rig Veda is considered to be first literature of Mankind.dated conservatively at 5000 BC.
The Ithihasas Ramayana and Mahabharata come later.
One comes across references to Rama and Sita in the Ramayana.
References to Rama in Ramayana.
‘
“14 This to Duḥśīma Pṛthavāna have I sung, to Vena, Rama, to the nobles, and the King.
They yoked five hundred, and their love of us was famed upon their way.
15 Besides, they showed us seven-and-seventy horses here.
Tānva at once displayed his gift, Pārthya at once displayed his gift; and straightway Māyava showed his.” XCIII Visvedevas.
Vena is the ancestor of Rama.
In the absence of Dasaratha reference, some dispute the name Rama as the Rama of Ramayana.
There is an interesting note found in the Bala Kanda of Ramayana.
Valmiki wrote that he wrote the Ramayana to expound The Vedas.
“kushiilavau tu dharmaGYau raajaputrau yashasvinau |
bhraatarau svarasampannau dadarsha aashramavaasinau ||
sa tu medhaavinau dR^ishhTvaa vedeShu pariniShThitau |
vedopabR^ihmaNaarthaaya taavagraahayata prabhuh ||
kaavyaM raamaayaNaM kR^itsnaM siitaayaashcharitaM mahat.h|
paulastya vadhamityeva chakaara charitavrataH||
(vAlmIki-rAmAyaNa–bAlakANDa 1.4.5-7)
The princes, the brothers, Kusha and Lava, were knowledgeable about Dharma and were glorious. Their voices were melodious and they lived in the hermitage of (vAlmIki). He (vAlmIki), established in good deeds, observed those two extremely intelligent (princes), skilled in the Vedas, and for the sake of expounding the Vedas, he composed and made them study the poem sampUrNa-rAmAyaNa (the entire rAmAyaNa) (containing) the great story of sItA and the slaying of rAvaNa.
These verses from the vAlmIki-rAmAyaNa clearly show that the sage vAlmIki composed the rAmAyaNa to expound the meaning of the Vedas…
Sita in the Vedas.
| “ |
Auspicious Sita, come thou near;We venerate and worship thee
That thou mayst bless and prosper us
And bring us fruits abundantly. |
” |
-Rig veda 4.57
In Harivansha Sita has been invoked as one of the names of goddess Arya:
| “ |
O goddess, you are the altar’s center in the sacrifice,
The priest’s fee
Sita to those who hold the plough
And Earth to all living being. |
” |
The Kausik-sutra and the Paraskara-sutra associate her repeatedly as the wife of Parjanya (a god associated with rains) and Indra.[4]
Sita is known by many epithets. She is called Jānaki as the daughter of Janaka and Maithili as the princess of Mithila.[5] As the wife of Rama, she is called Ramā. Her father Janaka had earned the sobriquet Videha due to his ability to transcend body consciousness; Sita is therefore also known as Vaidehi.
Is this not an Anachronism?
How can the Vedas mention Rama and Sita who came later?
The Ramayana mention that Rama was adorned with Upaveeda and the Upanayana ceremony was performed according the Vedic procedure.
Sita Rama Marriage was performed according to Vedic rites.
Why this contradiction?
The explanation for Rama being found Rama in Vedas.
10.111.07 sacanta yad uShasaH sooryeNa citrAm asya ketavo rAm avindan |
10.111.07 A yan nakShatraM dadRushe divo na punar yato nakir addhA nu veda ||(Rig Veda)
pra tadduHshIme pR^ithavAne vene pra rAme vochamasure maghavatsu |
ye yuktvAya pa.ncha shatAsmayu pathA vishrAvyeshhAm.h ||9Rig Veda 10.93.14),
In yajnas of wealthy kings such as duHshIma, pR^ithavAna, vena, and the powerful rAma, I utter hymns to the gods who travel by 500 chariots drawn by horses in the world of the gods, and who are fond of us (humans).
1.’Since rAmAyaNa is based on the Vedas, there must be mantras in the Vedas that correspond to the immortal story of rAma. It is with this objective that nIlakaNTha, the great commentator on the mahAbhArata, has presented, with his own wonderful commentary, the mantra-rAmAyaNa. The mantra-rAmAyaNa is a compilation of Riks from the R^ig Veda that narrate the story of rAma or the rAmAyaNa.”
2.As I have posted earlier the Vedas were not grasped in one shot.
They were grasped by different Rishis at different times.
Hence the reference to Rama in the Ramayana could have been included in the later revelations, while a portion of the Vedas were in existence before Rama, which Rama followed.
Reference of Sita in Ramayana.
1. If one were to look at the etymology of the word Sita, it means Furrow, indicating that Sita was found while using furrowing.
As such she was considered to be daughter of Earth.
As Sita was found while using the Furrow, she might have been given the name Sita.
The name given to her was Janaki, daughter of Janaka..
This practice is called Thaddidhaantam, that of linking the the name of the offspring to father.
Thus Rama is also called Dasarathy.
The other explanation for Sita being mentioned in the Vedas is the same as stated for Rama.
Citation.
https://ramanisblog.in/2014/08/07/ramayana-in-the-rig-veda/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sita#Legend
Hanuman Birth Chart.
You must be logged in to post a comment.