122.175.115.20: /* Blessing of Squirrel */

2021-03-16T03:31:16Z

Blessing of Squirrel

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{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2019}}
'''''Sri Ranganatha Ramayanamu'''''<ref name="Pollet1995">{{cite book|author=Gilbert Pollet |title=Indian Epic Values: Rāmāyaṇa and Its Impact : Proceedings of the 8th International Rāmāyaạ Conference, Leuven, 6-8 July 1991 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EVnK3q48dL0C&q=ranganatha+ramayana+telugu&pg=PA59 |date=1 January 1995 |publisher=Peeters Publishers |isbn=978-90-6831-701-5 |page=59}}</ref> ('''శ్రీ రంగనాథ రామాయణము''') is one of the most famous adaptions of the [[Valmiki]] ''[[Ramayana]]'' in [[Telugu language|Telugu]], a [[Dravidian language]] spoken by the people of [[Andhra Pradesh]] and [[Telangana]]. Telugu has a very rich literary tradition, starting in the 11th century A.D. Although there are more than forty [[Versions of Ramayana|adaptions]] of the Valmiki ''Ramayana'' which are partly or completely in Telugu, only four adaptions have covered the entire theme of the original [[Indian epic poetry|epic]]. They are '''''Ranganatha Ramayana''''', ''Bhaskar Ramayana'', ''Molla Ramayana'', and ''Ramayana Kalpavriksham''.

''Ranganatha Ramayana'' was written by the poet Ranganatha—also known as [[Gona Budda Reddy]]—between 1300 and 1310 A.D. This ''Ramayana'' was composed in 17,290 couplets (in Dwipada [[metre (poetry)|metre]]). This meter is lyrical and can either be recited like the Valmiki ''Ramayana'' (written in Anustupa metre) or sung like the ''[[Ramcharitmanas]]'' (written in [[Doha (poetry)|Doha]]-[[Chaupai (poetry)|Chaupai]]). It is quite popular with both scholars and illiterates.

==Structure==
Although Ranganatha follows the theme of the Valmiki ''Ramayana'', he still made changes in some incidents which effects the course of events.
The theme of the ''Ranganatha Ramayana'' has been classified under seven [[canto]]s.
* '''Bala Kanda''' (Chapter: Childhood; బాల కాండ): This covers the theme starting from the conversation between [[Valmiki]] and [[Narada]] to the return of [[Rama]] to [[Ayodhya]] after his marriage with [[Sita]] from [[Mithila (ancient)|Mithila]].This canto describes an incident connected with young Rama and [[Manthara]] (whereas in the Valmiki ''Ramayana'', Manthara's entry is in ''Ayodhya kanda''). When Rama was playing with a ball and a stick, suddenly Manthara threw the ball far away from Rama. In anger, Rama struck her on the knee with the stick and her knee was broken. This message was conveyed to king [[Dasaratha]] by [[Kaikeyi]]. The king decided to send Rama and his other sons to school. This incident makes the king to think about his responsibility of educating his sons, so that they can learn and become wise. Manthara had developed a kind of antagonism towards Rama and was waiting for an opportunity to take revenge against him.
* '''Ayodhya Kanda''' (Chapter: Ayodhya; అయోధ్యకాండ)
*''' Aranya Kanda''' (Chapter: Forest; అరణ్యకాండ)
* '''Kishkindha Kanda''' (Chapter: Kishkindha; కిష్కిందకాండ )
*''' Sundara Kanda''' (Chapter: Beautiful;సుందరకాండ )
* '''Yudha Kanda''' (Chapter: War;యుద్ధకాండ)
* '''Uttara Kanda''' (Chapter: Last;ఉత్తరకాండ)

==Blessing of Squirrel==
Ranganatha added some significant incidents to make the theme more natural and reliable. For example, when the bridge was built, a squirrel thinks that it should help Sri Rama to achieve his end; it dips in the sea water, rolls down in the sand and gets rid of the sand in the middle of the rocks under construction. Knowing this, Sri Rama blesses squirrel for its devotion and draws three lines on its back with his fingers. The three white lines on the back of squirrels are supposed to have come into existence in this way.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Ramayana}}

[[Category:Telugu-language literature]]
[[Category:Ramayana]]
[[Category:14th-century literature]]

Ranganatha Ramayanamu - Revision history

122.175.115.20: /* Blessing of Squirrel */