Adhyatma Ramayana

Adhyatma Ramayana (

Brahmānda Purana, and the author is considered to be Vyasa.^[4] The Hindu tradition also attributes the text to the Bhakti movement saint Ramananda.^[5]

The text consists of 7 books, 65 chapters or 4,500 verses in the form of a dialogue between

Oriya, Bengali and Malayalam version by Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan.^[7]^[3]

Name

The word Adhyatma (Sanskrit: अध्यात्म) means "transcendental, relating to

Atman (self, soul)".^[8]

Adhyatma Ramayana represents the story of Rama in a spiritual context. The text constitutes over 35% of the chapters of Brahmanda Purana, often circulated as an independent text in the Vaishnavism tradition,^[9] and is an Advaita Vedanta treatise of over 65 chapters and 4,500 verses.^[5]^[10]^[11]

The text represents Rama as the Brahman (metaphysical reality), mapping all saguna (attributes) of Rama to the nirguna nature (ultimate unchanging attributeless virtues and ideals).^[11] Adhyatma Ramayana raises every mundane activity of Rama to a spiritual or transcendent level, the story into symbolism, thus instructing the seeker to view his or her own life through the symbolic vision for his soul, where the external life is but a metaphor for the eternal journey of the soul in Advaita terminology.^[11]

The book is aimed to be used as a guide and a ready source of instruction for a spiritual seeker, as it presents the Ramayana as a divine allegory. The text influenced the popular Ramcharitmanas by Tulsidas.^[9]^[11]

Overview

The Adhyatma Ramayana is organized into seven Kandas, or chapters:
1. Bala Kanda – This chapter begins with the description of Brahmaswarup, the cosmic and celestial appearance of Lord Rama as an

Ahilya

's deliverance by Rama.
2. Ayodhya Kanda – Life in Ayodhya, including Rama's exile, the death of his father

Dasarath

, etc.
3. Aranya Kanda – The forest (Aranya) chapter, which includes the kidnapping of Sita by Ravana.
4. Kishkindha Kanda – the episode of Kishkindha. This chapter describes the killing of Bali, and the initiation of the active search for Sita.
5. Sundar Kanda – details Hanuman's arrival and activities in Lanka.
6. Lanka Kanda – corresponding to the Yuddha Kanda of the

Valmiki Ramayana

. It contains details of the battles between Rama's armies and Ravana, the killing of Ravana, and the coronation of Rama upon his return to Ayodhya from Lanka.
7. Uttara Kanda – Epilogue. It includes the banishment of Sita, the birth of Lava and Kusha – the sons of Rama and Sita – and Rama's departure from the earth to Vaikuntha, the abode of Lord Vishnu. The fifth adhyaya (sub-chapter) of the Uttar Kanda describes a conversation between Lord Rama and his brother Lakshmana, often referred to as the Rama Gita (the song of Rama). It is essentially an Advaitic philosophical work.^[12]

Translations

South Asian languages

Bhanubhakta Acharya translated Ramayan from Sanskrit to Nepali.
Beladakere Suryanarayana Shastri, Adhyatma Ramayana, Kannada translation with Sanskrit original, Shri Jayachamaraja Granthamala, Series 47, Mysore, 1948.
Gita Press translation of Adhyatma Ramayana from Sanskrit to Hindi.

English translations

Swami Tapasyananda
, Adhyatma Ramayana, Original Sanskrit, with English Translation, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Madras. 1985.
ISBN 81-7755-895-1
.

Subir Kumar Sen, Adhyatma Ramayanam from Sanskrit to English, Shastra Dharma Prachar Sabha, 2012.
ISBN 978-81-920022-1-7

References

^ ^a ^b Rocher 1986, pp. 157–159.
^
ISBN 978-0-7914-8856-0
.

^
ISBN 978-0-253-21953-4
.

^ Ramachander, P.R. "Adhyatma Ramayanam". Hindupedia. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
^ ^a ^b Rocher 1986, pp. 158-159 with footnotes, Quote: "Among the texts considered to be connected with the Brahmanda, the Adhyatma-ramayana is undoubtedly the most important one".
^ Winternitz 1922, pp. 578–579.
^ Rocher 1986, pp. 158–159.
^ Adhyātma, Sanskrit-English Digital Lexicon, Koeln University, Germany (2011)
^ ^a ^b John Nicol Farquhar (1920). An Outline of the Religious Literature of India. Oxford University Press. pp. 324–325.
^ Winternitz 1922, p. 552.
^
ISBN 978-81-208-0443-2
.

^ Adhyatma Ramayana. advaita-vedanta.org.

ISBN 81-7755-895-1
.

Williams, Joanna. The Two-Headed Deer: Illustrations of the Ramayana in Orissa. Berkeley: University of California Press, c1996.

Richman, Paula, editor. Many Ramayanas: The Diversity of a Narrative Tradition in South Asia. Berkeley: University of California Press, c1991.

Bagchi, P. C.

, Introduction to Adhyatmaramayanam, Page 76.

F. Whaling, The Rise of the Religious Significance of Rama, Page 113.

ISBN 1-84664-664-2
.

ISBN 978-8120802643
.

' Ramayana kathaganam- adyatma ramayana visishtata ' by M.S.Rani Prameela Devi

'saraswata vyasamulu ' by Nori Narasimha sastri

External links

The Adhyatma Ramayan from the Brahmanda Purana as included in the Upodhatapada section; English translation by G. V. Tagare [proofread] (includes glossary)
Dr.Goli Sanskrit & Telugu audio
Dr.Goli Sanskrit & Telugu audio
A study of Adhyatma Ramayana
Maya Sita in Adhyatma Ramayana
Concise Adhyatma Ramayana by Chandan Lal Dhody on Google Books

[FOOTNOTERocher1986157–159-1] Rocher 1986, pp. 157–159.

[Lamb2012p28-2] 
ISBN 978-0-7914-8856-0
.

[Richman2008p17-3] 
ISBN 978-0-253-21953-4
.

[4] Ramachander, P.R. "Adhyatma Ramayanam". Hindupedia. Retrieved 17 March 2022.

[FOOTNOTERocher1986158-159_with_footnotes,_'''Quote:'''_"Among_the_texts_considered_to_be_connected_with_the_''Brahmanda'',_the_''Adhyatma-ramayana''_is_undoubtedly_the_most_important_one"-5] Rocher 1986, pp. 158-159 with footnotes, Quote: "Among the texts considered to be connected with the Brahmanda, the Adhyatma-ramayana is undoubtedly the most important one".

[FOOTNOTEWinternitz1922578–579-6] Winternitz 1922, pp. 578–579.

[FOOTNOTERocher1986158–159-7] Rocher 1986, pp. 158–159.

[8] Adhyātma, Sanskrit-English Digital Lexicon, Koeln University, Germany (2011)

[jnfarquhar158-9] John Nicol Farquhar (1920). An Outline of the Religious Literature of India. Oxford University Press. pp. 324–325.

[FOOTNOTEWinternitz1922552-10] Winternitz 1922, p. 552.

[Tulasīdāsa1989p875-11] 
ISBN 978-81-208-0443-2
.

[12] Adhyatma Ramayana. advaita-vedanta.org.

[4]

[5]

[7]

[3]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

Ikshvaku dynasty		Dasharatha Kausalya Sumitra Kaikeyi Shanta Rama Bharata Lakshmana Shatrughna Sita Urmila Mandavi Shrutakirti Lava Kusha
Vanara	Hanuman Sugriva Vali Angada Tara Rumā Nala Nila Kesari Anjana Makaradhwaja
Rakshasa	Ravana Vibhishana Kumbhakarna Indrajit Akshayakumara Atikaya Kabandha Khara Dushana Mandodari Dhanyamalini Lavanasura Malyavan Maricha Mayasura Narantaka-Devantaka Prahasta Sarama Subahu Sulochana Sumali Shurpanakha Tataka Trijata Trishira Viradha
Sages	Agastya Ahalya Arundhati Bharadvaja Kambhoja Parashurama Vasishtha Vishvamitra Rishyasringa Valmiki
Other figures and concepts	Lakshmana rekha Jambavan Janaka Kushadhvaja Jatayu Manthara Maya Sita Sampati Shabari Shravana Kumara Vedavati Shambuka
Places	Ayodhya Mithila Dandakaranya Kishkindha Lanka Oshadhiparvata
Books/Kandas	Bala Ayodhya Aranya Kishkindha Sundara Yuddha Uttara
Versions	Adbhuta Ramayana Adhyathmaramayanam Adhyatma Ramayana Ananda Ramayana Bhanubhakta Ramayana Bhaṭṭikāvya Bilanka Ramayana Hikayat Seri Rama Jagamohana Ramayana Kakawin Ramayana Kamba Ramayanam Krittivasi Ramayana Maharadia Lawana Phra Lak Phra Ram Raghunatha Ramayana Ramakien Ramayana Kalpavruksham Ramcharitmanas Ranganatha Ramayanamu Reamker Saptakanda Ramayana Sri Ramayana Darshanam Sri Ramayanamu Trai Bhet Yama Zatdaw
Related	Ramlila