T-004: Tinkle #1

Father of Amar Chitra Katha & Tinkle

Anant Pai, (born 17 September, 1929) popularly known as Uncle Pai, is a renowned educationalist and creator of Indian comics, in particular the Amar Chitra Katha series, which retold traditional Indian folk tales, mythological stories, and biographies of historical characters, and Tinkle, a children's anthology.

Early life

Born in Karkala, Karnataka to Venkataraya and Susheela Pai, he lost his parents at the age of two. At the age of twelve, he came to Mumbai, where he studied in Orient School, Mahim. He studied chemistry, physics and chemical technology at the University of Bombay Department of Chemical Technology (UDCT now UICT) and was a dual degree holder from the University of Bombay (now Mumbai). Endowed with a passion for publishing and comics, his failed attempt at creating a children's magazine (Manav, 1954) was followed by a career as a junior executive in the Times of India books division, putting him in the thick of affairs when Indrajal comics was launched by the Times Group. Indrajal featured reprints of popular American strip characters such as the the Phantom, Mandrake the Magician, and later, indigenous characters like Bahadur and Dara.

The Amar Chitra Katha years

The idea behind starting a comicbook series devoted to Indian culture and history came to Pai from a quiz contest aired on Doordarshan in February 1967, in which participants could easily answer questions pertaining to Greek mythology, but were unable to reply to the question "In the Ramayana, who was Rama's mother?". He left his job and started Amar Chitra Katha the same year, with the help of late G. L. Mirchandani of India Book House, when most other publishers from Allied Publishers to Jaico had rejected the concept. Later, he took on the role of writer, editor and publisher. The series went on to become a publishing milestone for the Indian comic book scene, selling over 86 million copies of about 440 titles.

In 1969, Anant Pai founded Rang Rekha Features, India's first comic and cartoon syndicate, and started the children's magazine Tinkle in 1980. His involvement with the above, and the rapport he shared with his readers earned him the title "Uncle Pai".

Other works

Ramu and Shamu, Kapish, Little Raji, Rekha, Fact Fantasy, Funland and Funtime are some of the comic strips created by Pai, most of which continue to appear in newspapers and magazines. He has written and produced two video films, Ekam Sat (the Vedic Concept of God) and The Secret of Success, in English and Hindi.

Pai's other works include a number of books on personality development for children and teenagers, ("How To Develop Self-confidence", "How to Achieve Success", "How To Develop A Super Memory", UBS Publishers) and a series of audio book versions of Amar Chitra Katha stories, "Storytime with Uncle Pai" (Universal Music India, Dec 2001), where he plays the role of narrator-storyteller.

Awards

• Karpoorchand Puraskar of Uttar Pradesh Bal Kalyan Sansthan (1994)
• Yudhvir Memorial Award in Hyderabad (1996)
• Maharashtra Rajya Hindi Sahitya Academy Award (1996)
• Dr. T. M. A. Pai Memorial Award in Manipal (1997)
• University of Bombay Department of Chemical Technology's Distinguished Alumnus Award (1999)
• Millennium Konkani Sammelan Award, Illinois, U.S.A (2000)
• Raja Rammohan Roy Library Foundation's Award (2001)
• Priyadarshni Academy Award (2002)
• Vishwa Saraswat Sammaan (2003)

(~ From Wikipedia)

Check following links:

1. http://www.unclepai.com/
2. http://lambiek.net/artists/p/pai_anant.htm
   

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Do you remember the first Tinkle?

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It's an Ajay's contribution. Many many thank to him.

ACK-081: Jasma of Odes

An out of print ACK #095

Inside cover story

Jasma of the Ode Tribe of Gujarat is remembered for her royalty of husband, for fearless conduct in the face of the might of king Siddharaj jaisingh and for her love of the rugged life of the nomadic odes. many folk song sung about her, to this day, in Gujarat and Rajasthan.

According to legend, in an earlier birth, Jasma was an Apsara (celestial nymph) and had been sent to earth by indra to distract the meditation of sage Nala. the engraged sage cursed her. " she would be born in the poor nomadic community of Odes and be forced to marry an ugly man". it was in fulfillment of this curse that she was married to Rupa, the ugly son of Bhalo Bhand.

A wandering bard of king Siddharaj jaisingh's court chanced to see Jasma and described what he saw to his king when he returned to the Court. The king has to see the dazzling beauty. When he did, he was captivated by her beauty and offered to marry her to make her the queen of Gujarat. Jasma looked him in disdain, spured his offer and rebuked him for having cherished such evil thoughts. This dialogue between the king and Jasma forms, perhaps the most eloquent part of the folksongs and is sung with embrassment by the inspired villagers.

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A Temple is built in her memory which is situated at Pattan railway station, near Baroda in Gujarat State, INDIA.

Odra or Ode caste

During the medieval times, the state corresponding roughly with now-a-days Orissa passed under the various names such as: Utkala, Kalinga, and Odra (Udra) Desa. The state boundaries varied from time to time and were sometimes much larger. These land names are associated with peoples. The Okkala or Utkala, the Kalinga, and the Odra or Oddaka were mentioned in literature as tribes. Ancient Greeks knew the latter two as Kalingai and Oretes. Eventually the names got identified with the territories. The land was inhabited by semi-Hinduized tribes (shabaras) in the hinterland, a group of farming Brahmins (halua brahmuna) who practised invincible Tantra method near Jajpur area (the place of Goddess Biraja), and people of other castes and trades as well. For centuries before and after the birth of Christ, Kalinga was a formidable political power, extending from the Ganga river to the Godavari river. Approximately between the 11th and 16th centuries the name was twisted; the name Odra Desa was gradually transformed into Uddisa, Udisa, or Odisa, which in English became Orissa. The language of Odisa came to be known as Oriya. Ode tribe migrated to gujarat around 12th century for construction of temples in which they are more specialized. People who supplied stone and lime for construction work of temples. People from these region were called as Oddars, Vadderas and Waddars in Andhra, Tamil nadu and Karnataka. The important Deity of Odes is 'Jasma devi'.

(~ from Nationmaster.com)

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It's contributed by Ajay. All thanks & credits go to him.

ACK-071, 072 & 073: Pinocchio, Valmiki & Shringabhuja

This past year has been an exciting one for me and for the blog. Many changes.........

I want to take a moment and say THANK YOU to all of you who have contributed & visited over the past 1 year.

Special thanks to those friends who come forward with scans to survive this blog. Only due to such selfless friends this blog is running regularly & celebrating first anniversary today.

With bonus by TPH and promised post please continue celebration ……

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An out of print ACK #9 (Hindi)

An Italian author, Carlo Lorenzini (November 24, 1826 – October 26, 1890) pen name Carlo Collodi, wrote the famous children’s story Storia di un burattino ("The story of a marionette"), also called Le Avventure di Pinocchio ( The Adventures of Pinocchio) toward the end of his life. It is an archetypal fairy tale of the inward conflict associated with the process of change, growth, and development. It is also noteworthy that Pinocchio contains the prescription to remedy these human dilemmas.
The entire story of Pinocchio symbolises a transition, via voluntary effort, from a purely material life to one incorporating the intangible, but more rewarding, spiritual dimension. The wooden boy, lacking a moral outlook, (crafted out of wood: a substance incorporating low-level life) is naturally prone to misjudgments which then require additional opportunities to prove himself. He returns again and again to his material condition, each time with a new set of surroundings and characters and opportunities.
Like many classic stories, fables, and myths that have weathered the passage of time, it carries the symbolic blueprint for social and emotional conflict and the potential for resolution: Pinocchio has many unhappy adventures as he progresses from his wooden and dependent state to true independence as a real boy. He finally attains fulfillment and happiness when he completes his symbolic quest for the psychological foundations of courage.

Read The Adventures of Pinocchio online.

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ACK #46 (579)

Valmiki
The Great Sage & Author of The Ramayana

Maharshi Valmiki, the author of the great Indian epic Ramayana, was a Hindu sage who lived around the beginning of the first millennium B.C. He is referred to as the 'adikavi', the original creator of the Hindu 'sloka' - a verse form in which most of the great epics such as Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas, and other works are composed.

How Valmiki Got His Name

He was a Brahman*** by birth belonging to the lineage of Bhrigu. Fate consigned him to a family of robbers which brought him up. Accidental contact with the Saptarsis - the Seven Sages and with the sage Narada changed his life. By the repetition of Ramanama or the name of Ram, he attained the supreme state of a 'maharshi' or great sage. Since a 'valmika' or an anthill had grown over his body during his long period of austerities and poised state of penance, he came to be known as Valmiki.

The Epic Vision

When the mythical sage Narada came to his hermitage, Valmiki who received him with due honor, posed a question - who was an ideal man? The reply came from Narada in the form of Samkshepa Ramayana which formed the foundation on which the magnificent 24,000 verse edifice was built by Valmiki. Then, immersed deep into this story, Valmiki left for the river Tamasa with his disciple Bharadwaj. The pleasant and placid river reminded the seer of the mature and modest quality of his hero. He visualized a pure and pious man's mind reflected in the deep waters. In the next instant he witnessed a heartless hunter mercilessly killing a male bird that was in love with its mate. The piteous wailing of the distressed female moved the heart of the sage so much that he spontaneously uttered a curse on the hunter. However, this curse came out of his mouth in the form of a 'sloka', a perfectly metrical composition, which surprised the sage himself: "No - You shall not command any respect in society for a long time as you have shot dead an innocent bird engrossed in love". The sage had turned into a poet.

Lord Brahma's Command

His powerful emotions found equally powerful medium for their manifestation. It was a spontaneous outburst of his inner voice motivated by divine will. When he returned to his hermitage, Brahma (the fourfaced God, the creator), appeared to him and commanded him to compose an epic poem on the story of Ram as he had heard it from the great sage Narada, in his newly discovered metre. He also gave him the boon of the visions of all the incidents and the revelation of all the secrets connected with the story. Accordingly, Valmiki composed the epic, named it The Ramayana - the way or the conduct or the lifestory of Ram - the story of Ram's march in search of truth and righteousness.

A contemporary of the heroes of the Ramayana, Maharshi Valmiki gives very little information about himself since he was a sage who had completely dedicated his life to contemplation on God and service to humanity. History has no account of his life except that he figures briefly and modestly on two occasions in the course of the epic he wrote:

Valmiki's Cameo in Ramayana

He is one of the first sages whose hermitage Ram visits along with his wife and brother on his way to Chitrakoot after leaving Ayuodhya. Valmiki welcomes them with love, affection and reverence and utters just one word 'asyatam' (be seated). He feels honored when Ram accepts his request and sits a while.

The other occasion is when Ram banishes Sita, it is Valmiki that shelters her and rears up her twin sons Luv and Kush. When they recite the epic poem in his royal court, Ram invites Valmiki and requests him to bring Sita along so she can prove her chastity before the elders and sages. Valmiki is offended yet keeps his composure and says Sita would comply with Ram's wishes for he is her husband. While presenting Sita in the Mandapa (prayer hall) Valmiki utters words that highlight the penance and perseverance which Valmiki practiced his entire life.

In His Own Words

"I am the tenth son of the sage Prachetas. You belong to the great dynasty of Raghu. I do not remember to have uttered any lie so far in my life. I say that these two boys are your sons. I performed penance for thousands of years. I shall not accept the fruit of all my penance if there is any blemish in Maithili (Sita). I never entertained any ignoble thought, I never wronged any person, and I never spoke any vulgar word - I shall derive the benefit thereof only if Maithili is void of sin."

A True Sage

Valmiki was truly a Maharshi. I Panduranga Rao describes Valmiki in these words: "He was purity, penance, benevolence and meditation personified and the sole object of his dedication and contemplation was Man, a man leaves his selfish existence and lives for others identifying himself with the composite culture of the cosmic creation." The only work available of the great sage-poet, The Ramayana, has established the poet's timeless fame.

Bibliography

• Makers of Indian Literature: Valmiki by I Panduranga Rao (Sahitya Akademi) 1994
• Studes on Valmiki's Ramayana by GS Altekar (Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute) 1987
• Maharshi Valmiki by Chalasani Subbaro (Machilipatnam) 1988

(~Author Subhamoy Das of this article published at About.com)

*** According to Dr. Nandini Sahu, Valmiki was from Kirata Bhil (a tribal) community. Many other sources also say that he was from tribal community. As there is very little information available about him, point of view differs. But he was first poet of Sanskit mostly specialists agree.

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An out of print ACK #378

Read about author & Kathasritsagara in earlier post.

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Contributors:

ACK #9 - Ajay Misra
ACK # 46 - Anon ( our old ACK conrtibutor friend who requested to not reveal his identity)
ACK #378 - Apoorva Chandar

All thanks & credits go these three friends.

ACK-061: Ashwins to the rescue

ACK #319 (#669)

Ashwins, the twin brothers, twin deities (Devata-s) are generally identified as the father of the founder of Ayurveda. The word 'Ayurveda' comes from the word 'ayur' meaning 'life' and the word 'veda' meaning 'to know'. Ayurveda means 'the science of life', and is a medical system practiced in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal till day & well known in the world.

In Vedic literature Ashwins are among the 33 Devata-s. They are ever young and handsome, bright, and of golden brilliancy, agile, swift as falcons, and possessed of many forms; and they ride in a golden car drawn by horses or birds, as harbingers of Ushas, the dawn. "They are the earliest bringers of light in the morning sky, who in their chariot hasten onwards before the dawn and prepare the way for her." Roth.
As personifications of the morning twilight, they are said to be children of the sun by a nymph who concealed herself in the form of a mare; hence she was called Aswini and her sons Aswins. But inasmuch as they precede the rise of the sun, they are called his parents in his form Pushan.
Mythically they are the parents of the Pandu princes Nakula and Sahadeva.
Their attributes are numerous, but relate mostly to youth and beauty, light and speed, duality, the curative power, and active benevolence.They were the physicians of Swarga, and in this character is called Das and Nasatyas, Gadagadau and Swarvaidyau ; or one was Dasra and the other Nasatya.
Other of their appellations are Abdhijau, 'ocean born;' Pushkamsrajau, 'wreathed with lotuses;' Badaveyau, sons of the submarine fire, Badava. Many instances are recorded of their benevolence and their power of healing.

It can never be doubted that ancient sages and Ayurvedic surgeons had a very good knowledge of anatomy of body. Various body organs also find there name in Vedas. There structural anatomy has also been described in the Vedas (1700-500 BC - the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism).

These are four:
the Rigveda (1700–1100 BC),
the Yajurveda (1,400 - 1000 BC),
the Samaveda and
the Atharvaveda.

Rig veda has also contains certain references regarding the conditions of vaidya (physician) in those days. They were paid for there services and had a high reputation in the society. They are just considered equivalent to Gods. During those days there were three categories of vaidya (physicians), these were:

• Shalya vaidya (surgeons)
• Bhisohaks (physician)
• Bhishk athatvans (faith cures)
  

It will be very surprising for many that surgery is mentioned in Vedas. Ashwani kumar, the twin brothers were the celestial physicians and surgeons who were extolled in many hymns for their cures of disease and feats of surgery. It is believed that they were experts in the orthopedics.

According to Hinduism, Brahma is the creator of the universe. He is said to be the originator of Ayurveda. The knowledge was the passed to Prajapati (lord of creatures). This knowledge was again passed to the Ashwins and then to Lord Indra* (the lord of all deties) who intern taught to seven rishis who approached to him. Thus the science of Ayurveda has been brought into the world through the celestials.

This ACK contains two stories in which Ashwins came to help their devotee.

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*Indra - King of the Devas or Devata-s or Deties. The King of Kings. Handsomest of the handsome. More powerful than the most powerful. Hero of the Rig veda. A warrior par excellence. Ruler of the heavens (Svargaloka). The god of War and Weather. One who can grant any boon. The eldest son of Kasyapa and Aditi. Resplendent with his loyal elephant and brilliantly bedecked horse. Wielding the vajra (thunderbolt) for a weapon, Indra, marks the beginning, the tallest figure in the Hindu pantheon in ancient times.
Above him only the principal trinity God of the Hinduism - Brahma , Vishnu and Mahesh (Shiva).

It is contributed by Ajay Misra. All thanks & credits go to him only.

ACK-050, 051 & 052-053-054: Cinderella; Raman the matchless wit & Bumper Issue 30- Buddhist Legends

Update:

1. 8th January 2009: Original scans of 2 ACK added (without any change).

2. 6th January post ACK-007: Hindi version Vinod Priy Birbal is added.

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An out of print ACK (#2)

Cinderella - one of the most popular fairy tale of all times.

A Cinderella Story Fairy tales evolve over time as they are told from generation to generation. Whether they are passed on by word of mouth or through print. The Greek historian Strabo (Geographica Book 17, 1.33) recorded in the 1st century BC the tale of the Greco-Egyptian girl Rhodopis, which is considered the oldest known version of the story. There are more than 3,000 stories that folklorists ID as "Cinderella variants" worldwide; almost every culture, every nation, has some - native-borrowings by indigenous storytellers who use some of the themes, and some of them more indigenous - with different cultural values embodied.

Oral tradition came to an end when printing presses appeared and scholars began writing down the old stories. Among the earliest of the fairy-tale collectors was a French official, Charles Perrault, born in 1628. He chose the architects for two of the world's most famous buildings, Versailles and the Louvre. For fun, he met with a group of aristocratic women and their children to swap fairy tales. And in 1697 he published a collection of eight fairy tales called Stories, or Tales from Past Times, with Morals, also known as Tales of Mother Goose.

Most modern retellings of "Cinderella" are based on Perrault's version, and the illustrations show characters dressed in the fashions of his time.

No matter what the differences, they all have one thing at common in the heart. The moral. With Cinderella, one learns that despite being unappreciated and condemned to serving others, as long as you are kind natured and a truly good person, your dreams will come true. Cinderella is one of the most well known and popular fairy tales. Why this is, is a little unclear. Perhaps it is because her story is so straight forward and simple. As with the moral her tale presents; Good things come to good people. Cinderella is forced to become a virtual servant in her own home. Yet she doesn’t complain and does the work diligently. In the end, her loving qualities win over the heart of the Prince and her beauty shines through not only from the outside, but her inner beauty as well. Throughout time, the story of Cinderella has changed very little.

Detail evolution history of this story is available at Wikipedia.

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List of some variations on the Cinderella story

Read various versions of Cinderella:

Various versions (online)

Online & download link (Microsoft reader)

Cinderella by the Grimm Brothers

BBC - CBeebies Audio- vedio (online)

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#226 (#581) - Raman Matchless Wit

Garlapati Tenali Ramakrishna (popularly known as Tenali Raman, Tenali Rama, Ramalingudu and Vikata Kavi) is known as the Birbal of the South.
Tenali Raman was a court-poet & among the eight wise men in King Krishna Deva Raya’s court. Krishna Deva Raya was one of the most famous and successful ruler of Vijaynagar and he ruled between 1509 and 1529, much before even Babar established the Mughal Dynasty. He was the king’s favorite and always managed to triumph over with his wit and intelligence.

Read more about at Raman:
1. Kathavarta
2. funonthenet
3. Wikipedia

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Watch

1. Tenali Rama and the Theieves (English)



2. Tenali Raman - Anitmated Humor Stories Here

3. Small Story Tenali Raman 1 (Hindi) Here
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Bumper Issue 30- Buddhist Legends

It contains

1. #218 (#574) Jataka Tales - The Magic Chant (8.92 MB)

2. #118 (#664) King Kusha - A Buddhist Tale (10.48 MB)

3. #224 (#619) Jataka Tales - Nandi Vishala (10.85 MB)

or

Download Comics (original scan) (17.8 MB)

These are Ajay's contributions. All thanks & credits go to him.

ACK-048 & 049; T-2 &3: Sukhu & Dukhu; The Pious Cat and other tales; Tinkle Collection 1; Tinkle collection 11(World Folk Tales-02)

We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room-by-room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential.

A Relaxed Mind, A Peaceful Soul, A Joyful Spirit & Heart full of Love. All these are my Prayers for You......

Wish a Happy New Year

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A folktale is a fictitious story told to amuse and amaze the listeners. The action takes place in a far-off time and place : “Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom...” These stories feature kings and princesses, giants and dragons, fairies and sorcerers, magical objects and talking animals.

What does folktale mean?

Folktales are a type of folk literature (genre) that has 6 elements:

-They usually do not have an identifiable author or often retold.

-They originate as oral tellings.

-They have characters that are either all "bad" or all "good".

-They have fantastic or unrealistic elements (a talking computer....)

-A moral or lesson that is easy to figure out.

-The folktale is set in a vague, historical past "long ago"

(http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_folktale_mean)

Definitions of Folktale on the Web:

• A traditional tale.

(www.louisianavoices.org/edu_glossary.html)

• A short narrative handed down through oral tradition, with various tellers and groups modifying it, so that it acquired cumulative authorship.

(h1.ripway.com/peter21ma/GlossaryofLiteraryTerms-MADOE.doc)

• A narrative form, as an epic, legend, myth, fable, etc., that is or had been retold within culture for generations and is well known through repeated storytelling, as an Anansi tale.

(www.nde.state.ne.us/READ/FRAMEWORK/glossary/general_f-j.html)

• A narrative that has been retold and is well known within a culture.

(classic.ycds.org/~lmavros/literary_glossary.htm)

• A simple, timeless story that deals with the customs,traditions, and beliefs of ordinary people.

(www.daffodil.ca/english/glossary_of_literary_terms_dir/glossary_of_literary_terms_3.html)

• A tale circulated by word of mouth among the common folk

(wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn)

• The word folklore was first used by the English antiquarian William Thoms in a letter published by the London Journal Athenaeum in 1846.

(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folktale)

• A tale or story that is part of the oral tradition of a people or a place

(en.wiktionary.org/wiki/folktale)

• A traditional narrative, usually anonymous, handed down orally -- e.g., fables, fairy tales, legends, etc.

(http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/glossary/g/folktale.htm)

Some folktales :

An out of print ACK

Folktales from Bengal

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An out of print ACK

Folktales from Rajasthan

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Tinkle Collection #1

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Tinkle collection #11 (World Folk Tales-02)

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These are Ajay's contributions. All thanks & credits go to him.

ACK-044: The Acrobat and Other Buddhist Tales

Taking into account archaeological and literary evidence, it appears that Buddhist tales were compiled in the period third century BC to fifth century AD. They give us invaluable information about Buddha, ancient Indian civilization, culture and philosophy.
The stories of Buddha have been very popular in the Buddhist world. These stories have not only been translated into almost all the languages closely related to Buddhism - Chinese, Tibetan, Sinhalese, Burmese, Japanese - but also into many modern European languages. Sanchi, Bharhut, Amaravati and Ajanta in India, Borobundur in Java, Pegan in Burma and Sukhodaya in Thailand bear testimony to the popularity of these tales.

This ACK comprises of multiple stories. The first, "The Acrobat", is about Ugrasena's transformation from the royal treasurer's son to an acrobat to a follower of Buddha. In the second story, "The Harvest", Buddha teachers a farmer about the benefits of detachment. Buddha explains the ills of desire to the young Prince Kumara in the third story, "The Golden Maiden". And finally, "Buddha and Krishna Gautami" is one of the more famous stories, wherein Buddha teaches the distraught Gautami about the inevitability of truth.

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ACK-043: Sridutta

An out of print ACK

This ACK is based on Kathasaritsagara (Ocean of Rivers of Stories) by poet Somadeva (11th century). See more detail about Somadeva in earlier post dated 3rd August 2008.

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It's an Ajay's contribution.

ACK-040 & 041:Valmiki's Ramayana; The Bridegroom's Ring

According to Hinduism and Hindu mythology, Valmiki is the name of a famous maharishi (the great sage) who wrote the Ramayana. The Ramayana is one of the two most famous Hindu epics, the other is the Mahabharata.

About Valmiki

Early Life

Maharishi Valmiki was born as Ratnakara to sage Prachetasa. At a very young age, Ratnakara went into the forest and got lost. A hunter, who was passing by, saw Ratnakara and took him under his own care. Under the love and care of his foster parents, Ratnakara forgot his original parents. Under his father's guidance, Ratnakara turned out to be an excellent hunter. As he approached marriageable age, Ratnakara was married to a beautiful girl from hunter's family.

Turning into a Robber

As his family grew larger, Ratnakara found it next to impossible to feed them. As a result, he took to robbery and began looting people passing from one village to another.

Meeting with Narada and Transformation

One day, the great sage Narada, while passing through the jungle, was attacked by Ratnakara. As Narada played his Veena and sang praises of the Lord, he saw a transformation coming over Ratnakara. Then, he asked Ratnakara whether the family, for whom he was robbing others, will partake in his sins also. Ratnakara went to ask the same question to his family and on being refused by all his family members, he went back to sage Narada. Narada taught him the sacred name of 'Rama' and asked him to sit in meditation, chanting the name of Rama, till the time Narada came back.

Ratnakara followed the instructions and kept sitting in a meditative posture for years, during which his body got completely covered by an anthill. At last, Narada came to see him and removed all the anthills from his body. Then, he told Ratnakara that his tapasya (meditation) paid off and the God was pleased with him. Ratnakara was bestowed with the honor of a Brahmarshi and given the name of Valmiki, since he was reborn from the Valmika (the ant-hill).

Receiving Lord Rama

One day, Valmiki had the fortuity of receiving Lord Rama's wife Sita (later gave birth to her twins Lav & Kusha in his ashram), later Lord Rama and his brother Lakshman at his ashram. On Valmiki's suggestion, Lord Rama built his hut on Chitrakuta hill, near the ashram.

Writing Ramayana

Narada visited Maharishi Valmiki in his ashram once and there, he narrated the story of Lord Rama. Thereafter he received a vision from Brahma in which the Lord instructed him to write Ramayana in slokas, which the sage readily followed.


Srimad Valmiki Ramayana is an epic poem of India which narrates the journey of Virtue to annihilate vice. Sri Rama is the Hero and aayana His journey. In India, there is believe that Sri Rama lived in Treta Yug, millennia BC.

Srimad Valmiki Ramayana is composed of verses called Sloka, in Sanskrit language, which is an ancient language from India and a complex meter called Anustup. These verses are grouped into individual chapters called Sargas, wherein a specific event or intent is told. These chapters or sargas are grouped into books called Kaandas where Kaanda means the inter-node stem of sugar cane, or also a particular phase of the story or an event in the course of story telling.

Srimad Valmiki Ramayana contains 24,000 verses or [sloka] arranged into numerous cantos [sarga], which are contained in six Kaandas or Books, and they are:
Bala Kanda ( Book of Youth) [77 chapters]
Ayodhya Kanda (Book of Ayodhya) [119 chapters]
Aranya Kanda (Book of Forest ) [75 chapters]
Kishkindha Kanda (The Empire of Holy Monkeys) [67 chapters]
Sundara Kanda ( Book of Beauty ) [68 chapters]
Yuddha Kanda ( Book of War ) [131 chapters]

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This one is Ajay's contribution. All thanks & credits go to him.

ACK-037 & 038:The Ancestors of Rama; The Celestial Necklace

Rama's Ancestry

The Sun Dynasty or Solar Dynasty or Suryavansha is one of the most prominent dynasties in the history of Hinduism, along with the "Chandravansha" or Lunar Dynasty.

"Suryavanshi" means a person belonging to this dynasty. This clan was the eldest and the most prosperous in ancient India till the rise of Magadh in the 6th century BC. Ayodhya, the city founded by Vaivasvata Manu son of Vivasvan or Vaivasvata, was their capital.

The full lineage from Brahma is given in the Ramayana by Valmiki, other important sources are the Mahabharat, the Ramayana , the Bhagwat Purana & the Raghuvamsha of Kalidasa

The List of Monarchs

The following is the list, in chronological order, of the monarchs of the solar dynasty. Most of them were rulers of Ayodhya and therefore, Kings of Kosala.

According to Bhagwat Purana, Brahma created sage 10 sages using his mental powers -Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaka, Kratu, Vasishtha, Prachetas or Daksha, Bhrigu, Nārada., one of whom was Marichi.

Kashyapa, the son of Marichi and Kala, is regarded as the father of humanity. His sons from Aditi, the sky goddess, and the daughter of Daksha Prajapati are called Adityas (Sons of Aditi), they were, Aṃśa, Aryaman, Bhaga, Dhūti, Mitra, Pūṣan, Śakra, Savitṛ, Tvaṣṭṛ, Varuṇa, Viṣṇu, and Vivasvat or Vivasvan.

Vivasvan or Vaivasvata (one of the sons of Lord Sun) - the Sun God, progenitor of the clan. His parents were the sage Kashyapa, father of all beings, and Aditi, Aditi's 12 sons, the Adityas, are the sun deities, and both Vivaswan and Aditya mean sun. Therefore another name for Vivaswan is Surya or the Sun, hence the name, Suryavansha. Vivaswan's sons include Shrraaddev and Shanishchar. The river Tapi was named after Vivaswan's sister Tapti.

1. Manu or Vaivasvata Manu - the King of all mankind and the first human being. (According to Hindu belief there are 14 Manvantaras; in each, Manu rules. Vaivasvata Manu was the seventh Manu. Manu is referred to as a Rajan (King) in the Shatapatha Brahmana scripture. He founded the town of Ayodhya. He had nine sons, Vena, Dhrishnu, Narishyan, Nabhaga, Ikshvaku, Karusha, Saryati, Prishadhru, Nabhagarishta and one daughter, Ila, who was married to Budha of the Lunar Dynasty). He left the kingdom to the eldest male of the next generation, Ikshvaku, who was actually the son of Manu's brother Shraaddev.
2. Ikshvaku - the first prominent monarch of this dynasty, giving the dynasty its another name the Ikshvaku dynasty. He had one hundred sons. Fifty of them ruled Uttarapath (Northern India) and fifty ruled Dakshinapath (Southern India).
3. Vikukshi - He is said to have eaten the meat of a rabbit at the time of Shraddha and was known as Shasad. (Some records claim him to be grandson of Ikshvaku.) His son was Kakuthsa or Puranjay.
4. Kakutstha or Puranjaya - He was a brave king and fought in the Devasur Sangram. His original name was Puranjaya. But after he annihilated Asuras (demons) while sitting on the hump (Kukud) of a bull, he was known as Kakuthstha, which means seated on the hump. His dynasty was also known as Kakuthstha after him.
5. Anena or Anaranya
6. Prithu
7. Vishvagashva
8. Ardra or Chandra
9. Yuvanashva I
10. Shravast - He founded the town of Shravasti near Kosala.
11. Vrihadashva
12. Kuvalashva - He killed a Rakshasa named Dhundh. It is said that Dhundhar region and the Dhund river are named after Dhund. Eighteen of Kuvalashva's sons died in the battle with Dhund. Thereafter, Kuvalashva was called "Dhundhumara".
13. Dridhashva
14. Pramod
15. Haryashva I
16. Nikumbh
17. Santashva
18. Krishasva
19. Prasenjit I - His daughter Renuka was married to sage Jamdgni. She was mother of Parashurama.
20. Yuvanashva II - He was married to Gori, daughter of the Chandravanshi king Matinaar.
21. Mandhata - He became a famous and Chakravarti (ideal universal ruler) king. He defeated most of the other kings of his time. He married Bindumati, a daughter of the Chandravanshi king.
22. Purukutsa - He performed the Ashwamedha Yajna (horse sacrifice). He married Nagkanya "Narmada". He helped Nagas in their war against the Gandharvas.
23. Traddasyu
24. Sambhoot
25. Anaranya II
26. Trashdashva
27. Haryashva II
28. Vasuman
29. Tridhanva
30. Tryyaruna
31. Satyavrata or Trishanku - His original name was Satyavrata, but he committed three (tri) sins, and hence got the name Trishanku. First, while he was a prince, he misbehaved and was temporarily exiled from the kingdom. Next, he killed the milch cow of his preceptor Vasishta. His third sin was that he used the unsanctified meat of his kill as food. Trishanku also had a desire to ascend to heaven in his mortal body. After Vashistha refused him this boon, since it is against nature to ascend into heaven as a mortal, the sage Vishwamitra, Vashistha's rival, created another heaven for him, called "Trishanku's Heaven", and located in mid-air. His sons were Dhundumara, and Harishchandra, who was borh of the princess of "Kaikaya" named "Satyaraksha".
32. Harishchandra - He is known for his honesty, truth and devotion to duty or Dharma.
33. Rohitashva - He was the son of Harishchandra. He founded town of Rohtas Garh in Rohtas district, Bihar and Rohtak, originally Rohitakaul, meaning from the Kul (family) of Rohit
34. Harit
35. Chanchu
36. Vijay
37. Ruruk
38. Vrika
39. Bahu or Asit - He was attacked and defeated by another clan of Kshatriyas. After this, he left Ayodhya and went to the Himalaya mountains to live as an ascetic with his queens. At that time Yadavi queen was pregnant with Sagara.
40. Sagara - He recaptured Ayodhya from the "Haihaya" and "Taljanghi" Kshtriyas. He then attempted to perform the horse sacrifice, Ashwamedha Yajna. However, the sacrificial horse was stolen by the god Indra on the south eastern shores of the ocean, which was at that time an empty bed with no water in it. At least sixty of Sagara's sons died attempting to recover the horse, also causing great destruction by their reckless search. Puranic legends say the number of his sons was 60 thousand.
41. Asmanja - Sagara's surviving son was not made king due to his bad conduct.
42. Anshuman - He was the grandson of Sagara, and his successor as king. He did penance in an attempt to bring the holy river Ganges to earth, that she might wash away the sins of his ancestors.
43. Dileepa I - He also tried to bring Ganges to earth, but also failed.
44. Bhagiratha - Sagara's great-grandson, after strenuous penances, at last succeeded in bringing Ganga down from heaven. When she flowed over the remains of his ancestors, their souls were redeemed, and the ocean was refilled. Ganga also bears the name "Bhagirathi", in honour of his deed.
45. Shrut
46. Nabhag
47. Ambarish - According to Buddhist legends, he went to Tapovana to be a renunciant but after a public outcry returned and ruled for some time.
48. Sindhu Dweep
49. Pratayu
50. Shrutuparna
51. Sarvakama
52. Sudaas
53. Saudas or Mitrasah - He performed the Ashwamedha Yajna, but as the rituals were concluding a Rakshasa tricked him into serving human meat to Brahmin,s including Rishi Vashishta. He was then cursed by the Brahmins. He wanted to curse them back, but his wife prevented him. He spent twelve years in exile in the forest.
54. Sarvakama II
55. Ananaranya III
56. Nighna
57. Raghu I
58. Duliduh
59. Khatwang Dileepa
60. Raghu II or Dirghbahu - He was a famous king, who conquered most of India. The great epic Raghuvamsa describes his victories. After him the Sun dynasty was also known as the dynasty of Raghu or Raghu Vansha.
61. Aja
62. Dasaratha
63. Rama - He is considered the seventh Avatar of the god Vishnu. He is worshiped by every Hindu. Rama's story before he became king of Ayodhya is recounted in the Ramayana. After he ascended the throne, he performed the Ashwamedha Yajna. Bharata, his younger brother, won the country of Gandhara and settled there, where his two sons, Taksha and Pushkal, founded the cities of Taksashila and Pushkalavati, now known as Taxila and Peshawar. Rama's third brother, Lakshmana, founded Lakshmanpur, now known as Lucknow, and his youngest brother Shatrughna, Lakshmana's twin, was given Madhura which is now known as Mathura.

Sumitra - He was the last king (118^th) of Ayodhya from solar dynasty. In the fourth century BC, emperor Mahapadma Nanda of the Nanda Dynasty forced Sumitra to leave Ayodhya. He went to Rohtas with his sons. His son Kurma established his rule over Rohtas.

Above motioned Information based on Wikipedia, but modified with help some more authentic sources.

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An ACK based on JAIN STORY

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This one is contributed by Ajay, many many thanks to him.