Krishna Lila

Sri Krishna and His Raas Lila

Sportive Play with Radha and Gopis: the milkmaids of Vrindavan

Raas Lila forms the most enchanting and the most devotional play (Lila) of Sri Krishna. It depicts the supersensual love between milkmaids (Gopis) of Vrindavan and Sri Krishna. However, it must be remembered that child Krishna was just about ten years of age at that time. All this love for Gopis in general and Radha in particular should be seen as divine love between atman and paramatman, without any physical or carnal element. We human beings may not understand the celestial beauty and spiritual content of such love between a man and a woman, but it is not the fault of Sri Krishna or the Gopis; we must blame ourselves if we see the whole episode with impure mind, if we get feeling of attraction between flesh and flesh in this Lila.

Sri Krishna now started going to forest regularly with his cows. As the cows grazed in the loneliness of forest, Sri Krishna would play most melodious tunes on his flute. The clear skies, soft breeze, and newly blossomed tress with lush green foliage made the atmosphere pleasant, enchanting and cool. Peace, bliss, and love exuded all around. The Gopis (milkmaids of Vrindavan) were captivated by the sweet melody of Krishna's flute, unable to control their feelings towards Him. Forgetting their household duties, their children and husbands, these youthful lovers of Sri Krishna rushed to forest to have the company of their beloved. [This is known as relationship of a devotee with the attitude where the Lord is 'sweetheart'; Madhur Bhava as it is called.] Their heart and mind was occupied with the virtues of the Lord of the Universe, Paramatman Krishna. Praising the beauty and love of Sri Krishna, the Gopis were immersed in His Bhakti in its highest manifestation - para bhakti - where union of Atman with Paramatman was the goal sought. Body, mind, and thoughts vanished even while in body; transcendental joy and bliss was all that mattered. What to talk of Gopis and Radha (best amongst the Gopis), even the trees and shrubs, flowers and leaves, birds and animals all surrendered themselves to the sweet music of captivating flute. Hence, Sri Krishna is also known as 'Muralidhar' (One holding the Flute).

Evenings changed into nights, the full moon spreading its bright but pleasant light to make the night shine with gaiety and desire to unite. Sri Krishna with a peacock feather in his hair, adoring the loveliest yellow silk cloth on his beautiful celestial dark body, the flute kissing his rosy lips, and the gracious dance that he performed, all this was beyond the grasp of any mortal on the earth. The Gopis oblivious to the time of day rushed to the Tulasi (Sweet basil) Grove to meet Sri Krishna in this prime mood of Love.

Then the divine Raas Lila would to be enacted. The leader amongst the Gopis, Radha by name, the most beautiful and greatest exponent of Madhur Bhava, Love Power of Lord Krishna, losing her ordinary consciousness would start dancing in tune with Chitchor (one who has stolen the mind and heart - another name of Sri Krishna). Other Gopis would encircle this divine pair and thus would the Lila continue whole night. [It still continues night after every night in Vrindavan, and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Vallabhacharya, Surdas and a few more saints and Holy people have had visions of these Raas Lilas at Vrindavan in their lives).

Heavens and earth would come to standstill; gods and demigods of heaven - kinnaras, gandharvas, and yakshas - would enjoy Raas Lila peeping down from their abode in the high sky. They would fill the grove with fragrance of celestial freshness and sweetness of heavenly music, while stars and the moon would stop in their orbit in awe and joy, becoming brighter and cooler to allow Raas Lila to reach its peak of eternal bliss.

However, this supernatural delight brought feeling of superiority and pride in the hearts and minds of the Gopis. "Why, the Lord Himself is dancing with me. Has anyone else such a fortune? Others are inferior to me", so would think a Gopi. And to rectify this defect of vanity and pride, Sri Krishna would vanish for a moment! The restless Gopis would search Him here and there, running from one tree to another, from one shrub to the next, inquiring 'have you seen my Krishna? Please tell me where he has disappeared.' And when the pangs of separation would become too unbearable, the Gopis would cry and lament:

"O my friend, please arrange my meeting with Him, I cannot stay alive without Him. Where has He gone? What wrong have I done that He now no more loves me? I have given everything to Him, and now how shall I survive! My body, mind, emotions, thoughts, home and children, husband and family I have sacrificed in his favor. O my friend, bring Him to me; otherwise this life force is sure to leave from my heart. Bring Him to me or take me to Him; I shall wash His feet with tears from my eyes, I shall clean his feet with my long hair. I shall do everything and anything that might appear impossible for a human being. These pangs of separation are no more possible to tolerate, don't you feel my skin is dry and parched, burning in the separation from the Beloved! Don't you see my eyes have lost their entire luster, my breath is irregular, my mind is not steady, and my heart is pounding in fear! O friend, have you seen my Krishna!"

Such and many more songs are composed in the Vaishnava tradition of literature in India, which bring tear to every eye, which express the pang of separation as writhing of heart like a wet towel. From medieval time to this date, scores are songs are composed, ballet and dramas enacted, with wonderful description of Raas Lila. From Kashmir in the north to Kanyakumari in the south, from Dwaraka in the West to Manipur in the east music is played in all Vaishnava temples with madhur bhava as the main ingredient eulogizing this 'out of the world' feat of Sri Krishna and Radha.

No one has captured the heart and mind of the masses with such fervour as Sri Krishna has. Not for nothing, He is the most adored deity in His many varied and beautiful divine forms. In his gesture of supreme love towards Radha and Radha's love for Him, Sri Krishna blessed her thus: 'O Radha, for centuries to come people would take your name first and then mine.' And thus devotees chant 'Radhe Krishna; Radhe Krishna', in ecstasy of madness; Radhe Krishna having become the Mantra for Final Liberation!

Gita manthan

Bhagwad Gita

Lord Krishna appeared over five thousand years ago in Mathura, India to Devaki and Vasudeva in the jail cell of the king Kamsa. The place of His birth is known as Sri Krishna Janmasthana. He appeared with His brother Balarama in response to the demigods' prayers for protection from the widespread influence of demonic administration on earth.

GITA GYAN

Sri Krishna, our eternal companion, invites us to sit in the chariot beside Arjuna. We hear the tumultuous sounds of drums, conchs, the war cries and as the chariot moves on we slowly realize that we are being conveyed to an entirely different world - a world of reassurance and inspiration and peace bestowed by a profound knowledge about ourselves and our relation with the universe.
The Bhagavad-gita is the famous philosophical discourse that took place between Lord Krishna and the warrior Arjuna, just before the onset of the great Bharata War. Although widely published and read by itself, the Bhagavad-gita originally appears as an episode in the Sixth Book of the Mahabharata . In this treatise of 700 verses, Lord Krishna systematically surveys the major Vedic dharmas and shows how each directs a person toward the ultimate conclusion, the "most confidential of all knowledge." He analyzes the performance of sacrifices and the worship of demigods; He discusses the yogas of work, meditation, and knowledge. In each case, Krishna shows how it leads to the "most secrets of all secrets, " pure loving devotional service to God. "Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer you homage unto Me." This, Krishna says is "the most confidential part of knowledge."

The Gita is the cream of the Vedas and the essence of the soul-elevating Upanishads. It is a universal scripture applicable to people of all temperaments and for all times. It is a wonderful book with sublime thoughts and practical instructions on Yoga, Devotion, Vedanta and Action. It is profound in thought and sublime in heights of vision. It brings peace and solace to souls that are afflicted by the three fires of mortal existence, namely, afflictions caused by one's own body (disease etc), those caused by beings around one (e.g. wild animals, snakes etc.), and those caused by the gods (natural disasters, earth-quakes, floods etc).It contains the advice given by Sri Krishna about the duties of life as well as spiritual obligations. Sin arises not from the nature of the work itself but from the disposition with which the work is performed. When it is performed without attachment to the result, it cannot tarnish the soul and impede its quest. True Yoga consists in the acquisition of experience and the passage through life in harmony with the ultimate laws of equanimity, non-attachment to the fruits of action, and faith in the pervasiveness of the Supreme Spirit. Absorption in that Spirit can be attained along several paths; and no path is to be preferred exclusively and none to be disdained. The Gita emphasizes the importance of knowledge, charity, penance and worship, and does not decry life as evil.

GITA is GYAN

Aham Brahmatmana Namah

Yoga Chitta Niroga

YOG

Yoga (Sanskrit: योग) is a group of ancient spiritual practices originating in India for the purpose of cultivating a steady mind. A practitioner of Yoga is called a Yogi or Yogini.

Yoga has been defined as "technologies or disciplines of asceticism and meditation which are thought to lead to spiritual experiences and a profound understanding or insight into the nature of existence." Outside India, yoga is mostly associated with the practice of asanas (postures) of Hatha Yoga or as a form of exercise.

Many Hindu texts discuss aspects of yoga, including the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and the Shiva Samhita.

Major branches of yoga include: Hatha Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Raja Yoga. Raja Yoga, established by the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and known simply as yoga in the context of Hindu philosophy, is one of the six orthodox (astika) schools of thought.

The Sanskrit term yoga has many meanings. It is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj, "to control", "to yoke", or "to unite". Common meanings include "joining" or "uniting", and related ideas such as "union" and "conjunction". Another conceptual definition is that of "mode, manner, means" or "expedient, means in general".

History of Yoga

Several seals discovered at Indus Valley Civilization (c. 3300–1700 BC) sites depict figures in a yoga- or meditation-like posture, "a form of ritual discipline, suggesting a precursor of yoga." Archaeologist Gregory Possehl points to 16 specific "yogi glyptics" in the corpus of Mature Harappan artifacts as pointing to Harappan devotion to "ritual discipline and concentration." These images show that the yoga pose "may have been used by deities and humans alike."
The most widely known of these images was named the "Pashupati seal" by its discoverer, John Marshall, who believed that it represented a "proto-Shiva" figure. Many modern authorities discount the idea that this "Pashupati" (Lord of Animals, Sanskrit paśupati) represents a Shiva or Rudra figure. Gavin Flood characterizes the Shiva or Rudra view as "speculative", and goes on to say that it is not clear from the 'Pashupati' seal that the figure is seated in a yoga posture, or that the shape is intended to represent a human figure. Authorities who support the idea that the 'Pashupati' figure shows a figure in a yoga or meditation posture include Archaeologist Jonathan Mark Kenoyer, current Co-director of the Harappa Archaeological Research Project in Pakistan and Indologist Heinrich Zimmer.

What does Bhagavad Gita says about Yog

The Bhagavad Gita ('Song of the Lord'), uses the term yoga extensively in a variety of senses. Of many possible meanings given to the term in the Gita, most emphasis is given to these three:

Karma yoga: The yoga of action
Bhakti yoga: The yoga of devotion
Jnana yoga: The yoga of knowledge

The influential commentator Madhusudana Sarasvati (b. circa 1490) divided the Gita's eighteen chapters into three sections, each of six chapters. According to his method of division the first six chapters deal with Karma yoga, the middle six deal with Bhakti yoga, and the last six deal with Jnana (knowledge). This interpretation has been adopted by some later commentators and rejected by others.

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

In Indian philosophy, Yoga is the name of one of the six orthodox philosophical schools. The Yoga philosophical system is closely allied with the Samkhya school. The Yoga school as expounded by Patanjali accepts the Samkhya psychology and metaphysics, but is more theistic than the Samkhya, as evidenced by the addition of a divine entity to the Samkhya's twenty-five elements of reality. The parallels between Yoga and Samkhya were so close that Max Müller says that "the two philosophies were in popular parlance distinguished from each other as Samkhya with and Samkhya without a Lord...." The intimate relationship between Samkhya and Yoga is explained by Heinrich Zimmer.

The sage Patanjali is regarded as the founder of the formal Yoga philosophy. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are ascribed to Patanjali, who, as Max Müller explains, may have been "the author or representative of the Yoga-philosophy without being necessarily the author of the Sutras." Indologist Axel Michaels is dismissive of claims that the work was written by Patanjali, characterizing it instead as a collection of fragments and traditions of texts stemming from the second or third century. Gavin Flood cites a wider period of uncertainty for the composition, between 100 BCE and 500 CE.

Patanjali's yoga is known as Raja yoga, which is a system for control of the mind. Patanjali defines the word "yoga" in his second sutra, which is the definitional sutra for his entire work:योग: चित्त-वृत्ति निरोध:

Patanjali's writing also became the basis for a system referred to it as "Ashtanga Yoga" ("Eight-Limbed Yoga"). This eight-limbed concept derived from the 29th Sutra of the 2nd book became a feature of Raja yoga, and is a core characteristic of practically every Raja yoga variation taught today.The Eight Limbs of yoga practice are:

1) Yama (The five "abstentions"): nonviolence, truth, non-covetousness, chastity, and abstain from attachment to possessions.
(2) Niyama (The five "observances"): purity, contentment, austerities, study, and surrender to god
(3) Asana: Literally means "seat", and in Patanjali's Sutras refers to seated positions used for meditation. Later, with the rise of Hatha yoga, asana came to refer to all the "postures"
(4) Pranayama ("Lengthening Prana"): Prana, life force, or vital energy, particularly, the breath, "ayama", to lengthen or extend
(5) Pratyahara ("Abstraction"): Withdrawal of the sense organs from external objects.
(6) Dharana ("Concentration"): Fixing the attention on a single object
(7) Dhyana ("Meditation"): Intense contemplation of the nature of the object of meditation
(8) Samadhi ("Liberation"): merging consciousness with the object of meditation

Goal of Yoga

There are numerous opinions on what the goal of Yoga may be. Goals can range from improving health and fitness, to reaching Moksha.

Within the monist schools of Advaita Vedanta and Shaivism this perfection takes the form of Moksha, which is liberation from all worldly suffering and the cycle of birth and death (Samsara) at which point there is a realisation of identity with the Supreme Brahman. For the bhakti schools of Vaishnavism, bhakti or service to Svayam bhagavan itself is the ultimate goal of the yoga process,[27] wherein perfection culminates in an eternal relationship with Vishnu, Rama or Krsna, depending on the affiliation

योग: चित्त-वृत्ति निरोध:

Krishna's Tula Daan

SHRI KRISHNA’S TULA DAAN

Dear Bhakts it is well know that our Krishna doesn’t accepts any offering which is felled with greediness & he rejects them what ever they cost, We also know that when ever we offer him some thing with love & affection directly from our Heart & soul, He instantly accepts them, Krishna doesn’t looks for the quality or the quantity of offering made to him, What he looks is pure dedication, belief & love all molded in one.

In his childhood, Shri Krishna’s parents Yasoda & Nandbaba determined one day for Shri Krishnas & balrams tuladaan,so that their kids get God’s grace. When Krishna sat on one side of tula (libra) all short of jewels & precious things couldn’t weigh him, then Radha Rani put flower full of pure love & devotion on one side of the tula & here comes the miracle…Krishna’s weight was balanced by just a small flower.

Another time ,when shri Krishna wanted to free Satyabhama from ahankar (pride) he again forced a situation of tula daan on Satyabhama. She was having a pride that she was the only owner of all precious goods in the world ,so she wanted to weigh krishna with all precious things & then Shri Krishna expanded his maya. Nothing could weigh him even when Satyabhama putoff her all jewelleries ,then Rukmini weiged him just by a tulsi leaf……

Tula daan is just a play to ensure all his bhakts that only a leaf or a flower full of pure love & dedication can weigh him, since there is no other Shri Krishna who can match his perfection & can be placed on the other side of the tula to balance the state…

Krishna Murari Maya dhari

THE VEDAS

The Vedas (in Sanskrit वेद,veda,"knowledge") are a large corpus of texts originating in Ancient India written by the Aryan Civilization. They form the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism.

According to Hindu tradition, the Vedas are apauruseya "not of human agency", being supposed to have been directly revealed, and thus are called sruti ("what is heard"). Vedic mantras are recited at Hindu prayers, religious functions and other auspicious occasions.

The class of "Vedic texts" is aggregated around the four (turiya) canonical Samhitas or Vedas proper, of which three (traya) are related to the performance of yajna (sacrifice) in historical (Iron Age) Vedic religion:

The Rigveda, containing hymns to be recited by the hotr or chief priest;
The Yajurveda, containing formulas to be recited by the adhvaryu or officiating priest;
The Samaveda, containing formulas to be sung by the udgatr or chanting priest.
The fourth is The Atharvaveda, a collection of magical spells and healing or apotropaic charms.

Philosophies and sects that developed in the Indian subcontinent have taken differing positions on the Vedas. Schools of Indian philosophy which cite the Vedas as their scriptural authority are classified as "orthodox" (astika). Other traditions, notably Buddhism and Jainism, though they are (like the vedanta) similarly concerned with liberation did not regard the Vedas as divine ordinances but rather human expositions of the sphere of higher spiritual knowledge, hence not sacrosanct. These groups are referred to as "heterodox" or "non-orthodox" (nastika) schools. In addition to Buddhism and Jainism, Sikhism also does not accept the authority of the Vedas.

Dating/Period

The Vedas are arguably the oldest sacred texts that are still used. Most Indologists agree that an oral tradition existed long before a literary tradition gradually sets in from about the 2nd century BCE. Due to the ephemeral nature of the manuscript material (birch bark or palm leaves), surviving manuscripts rarely surpass an age of a few hundred years. The oldest surviving manuscripts of the Rigveda are dated to the 11th century CE. The Benares Sanskrit University has a manuscript of the mid-14th century.

The Vedic period lasts for about a millennium, spanning the Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age. Gavin Flood sums up mainstream estimates, according to which the Rigveda was compiled from as early as 1500 BCE over a period of several centuries. The Vedic period reaches its peak only after the composition of the mantra texts, with the establishment of the various shakhas all over Northern India which annotated the mantra samhitas with Brahmana discussions of their meaning, and reaches its end in the age of Buddha and Panini and the rise of the Mahajanapadas (archaeologically, Northern Black Polished Ware). Michael Witzel gives a time span of c. 1500 BCE to c. 500-400 BCE. Witzel makes special reference to the Mitanni material of ca. 1400 BCE as the only epigraphic record of Indo-Aryan that may date to the Rigvedic period. However Mitanni Indo-Aryan is linguistically slightly older than the language of the Rigveda, and the comparison thus still does not allow for an absolute dating of any Vedic text. He gives 150 BCE (Patanjali) as a terminus ante quem for all Vedic Sanskrit literature, and 1200 BCE (the early Iron Age) as terminus post quem for the Atharvaveda.

The canonical division of the Vedas is fourfold (turiya)

The Four Vedas

Rig-Veda (RV)
Yajur-Veda (YV, with the main division TS vs. VS)
Sama-Veda (SV)
Atharva-Veda (AV)

Of these, the first three were the principal original division, also called trayi, "the triple Vidya", that is, "the triple sacred science" of reciting hymns (RV), performing sacrifices (YV), and chanting (SV). This triplicity is so introduced in the Brahmanas (ShB, ABr and others), but the Rigveda is the older work of the three from which the other two borrow, next to their own independent Yajus, sorcery and speculative mantras.

Thus, the Mantras are properly of three forms: 1. Ric, which are verses of praise in metre, and intended for loud recitation; 2. Yajus, which are in prose, and intended for recitation in lower voice at sacrifices; 3. Saman, which are in metre, and intended for singing at the Soma ceremonies.

The Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda are independent collections of mantras and hymns intended as manuals for the Adhvaryu, Udgatr and Brahman priests respectively.

The Atharvaveda is the fourth Veda. Its status has occasionally been ambiguous, probably due to its use in sorcery and healing. However, it contains very old materials in early Vedic language. Manusmrti, which often speaks of the three Vedas, calling them trayam-brahma-sanātanam, "the triple eternal Veda". The Atharvaveda like the Rigveda, is a collection of original incantations, and other materials borrowing relatively little from the Rigveda. It has no direct relation to the solemn Shrauta sacrifices, except for the fact that the mostly silent Brahmán priest observes the procedures and uses Atharvaveda mantras to 'heal' it when mistakes have been made. Its recitation also produces long life, cures diseases, or effects the ruin of enemies.

Each of the four Vedas consists of the metrical Mantra or Samhita and the prose Brahmana part, giving discussions and directions for the detail of the ceremonies at which the Mantras were to be used and explanations of the legends connected with the Mantras and rituals. Both these portions are termed shruti (which tradition says to have been heard but not composed or written down by men). Each of the four Vedas seems to have passed to numerous Shakhas or schools, giving rise to various recensions of the text. They each have an Index or Anukramani, the principal work of this kind being the general Index or Sarvanukramani.

VEDAS ARE OUR BACKBONE AND WE SHOULD RESPECT THEM

RAMAYANA

The Ramayana (रामायण) is an ancient Sanskrit epic attributed to the Hindu sage (maharishi) Valmiki and an important part of the Hindu canon. It was the original story on which other versions were based such as the Thai Ramakien, the Lao Phra Lak Phra Lam and the Malay Hikayat Seri Rama.

The name Ramayana is a tatpurusha compound of Rama and ayana "going, advancing", translating to "Rama's Journey". The Ramayana consists of 24,000 verses in seven books, and 500 cantos and tells the story of Rama, whose wife Sita is abducted by the demon (Rakshasa) king of Lanka, Ravana. Thematically, the epic explores themes of human existence and the concept of dharma.

Verses in Ramayana are written in thirty two syllable meter called anustubh and the epic was an important influence on later Sanskrit poetry and Indian life and culture, primarily through its establishment of the sloka meter. But, like its epic cousin the Mahabharata, the Ramayana is not just an ordinary story. It contains the teachings of the very ancient Hindu sages and presents them through allegory in narrative and the interspersion of the philosophical and the devotional. The characters of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Bharata, Hanuman and Ravana are all fundamental to the cultural consciousness of India.

One of the most important literary works on ancient India, the Ramayana has had a profound impact on art and culture in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The story of Rama has inspired great amounts of latter-day literature in various languages, notable among which are the works of the fifteenth century Bengali poet Krittibas Ojha, known as the Krittivasi Ramayan; the sixteenth century Hindi poet Tulsidas, Tamil poet Kambar of the 13th century, Molla ramayanam in Telugu and the 14th century Kannada poet Narahari Kavi`s Torave Ramayan. The Ramayana became popular in Southeast Asia during the 8th century and was represented in literature, temple architecture, dance and theater.

Dating/period of Ramayana

According to literary scholarship, the main body of the Ramayana first appeared as an oral composition somewhere between 750 to 500 BC. Cultural evidence (the presence of sati in the Mahabharata but not in the main body of the Ramayana) suggests that the Ramayana predates the Mahabharata Traditionally the epic belongs to the Treta Yuga, one of the four eons (yuga) of Hindu chronology, and is dated as far back as 880,000 years in the past. Rama is said to have been born in the Treta Yuga to King Dasaratha in ikshuaku vansh (clan).

Structure of Valmiki's Ramayana

Valmiki's Ramayana, the oldest version of Ramayana is the basis of all the various versions of the Ramayana that are relevant in the various cultures. The text survives in numerous complete and partial manuscripts, the oldest surviving of which is dated from the eleventh century AD. The current text of Valmiki Ramayana has come down to us in two regional versions from the north and the south of India. Valmiki Ramayana has been traditionally divided into seven books, dealing with the life of Rama from his birth to his death.

seven books are as follows:
Bala Kanda – Book of the Childhood
Ayodhya Kanda – Book of Ayodhya
Aranya Kanda – Book of the Forest
Kishkindha Kanda – Book of Kishkindha
Sundara Kanda – Book of Auspiciousness
Yuddha Kanda – Book of the War
Uttara Kanda – Book of the North

There have been speculations on whether the first and the last chapters of Valmiki's Ramayan were written by the original author. Many experts are of the opinion that they are integral parts of the book in spite of the many differences in style and some contradictions in content between these two chapters and the rest of the book. These two chapters contain most of the interpolations found in the Ramayana, such as the miraculous birth of Rama and his divine nature as well as the numerous legends surrounding Ravana.It is also inferred that the story of Rama's beheading shudra Shambuka as well as the one relating to Shravana kumara were not written by Valmiki.

Characters in Ramayana

Rama is the hero of this epic tale. He is portrayed as an incarnation of the god Vishnu. He is the eldest and the favorite son of the King of Ayodhya,Dasharatha. He is a popular prince loved by one and all. He is the epitome of virtue. Dasaratha, forced by one of his wives Kaikeyi commands Rama to relinquish his right to the throne for fourteen years and go into exile by his father. While in exile, Rama kills the demon king Ravana using an arrow.
Sita is the beloved wife of Rama and the daughter of king Janaka. Sita is also known as Janaki. She is the incarnation of Goddess Laxmi (Lord Vishnu's wife). Sita is the epitome of womanly purity and virtue. She follows her husband into exile and there gets abducted by Ravana. She is imprisoned in the island of Lanka by Ravan. Rama rescues her by defeating the demon king Ravana.
Hanuman is a vanara belonging to the kingdom of Kishkindha. He is portrayed as an incarnation of Lord Shiva. He worships Rama and helps find Sita by going to the kingdom of Lanka crossing the great ocean.
Lakshmana, the younger brother of Rama, who chose to go into exile with him. He spends his time protecting Sita and Rama. He is deceived by the demon Marichi into believing that Rama was in trouble while Sita is abducted by Ravana.
Ravana, a rakshasa, is the king of Lanka. He received a boon from Brahma that he cannot be killed by either gods, demons or by spirits, after performing a severe penance for ten thousand years. He has ten heads and twenty arms, the former of which he began to cut off and throw into the sacrificial fire until Lord Brahma appeared to him. After getting his reward from Brahma, Ravana begins to lay waste the earth and disturbs the deeds of good Rishis. Vishnu incarnates as the human Rama to defeat him, thus circumventing the boon given by Brahma.
Dasharatha is the king of Ayodhya and the father of Rama. He has three queens, Kousalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi, and three other sons; Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrughna. Kaikeyi, Dasharatha's favourite queen forces him to make his son Bharata heir apparent and send Rama into exile. Dashratha dies heartbroken after Rama goes into exile.
Bharata is the second son of Dasharatha. When he learns that his mother Kaikeyi had forced Rama into exile and caused Dasharatha to die broken hearted, he storms out of the palace and goes in search of Rama. When Rama refuses to return from his exile to assume the throne, Bharata obtains Rama's sandals(Paduka) and places them on the throne as a gesture that Rama is the true king. Bharata then rules Ayodhya as a representative of Rama for the next fourteen years.
Vishvamitra is the sage who takes Rama into the forest in order to defeat the demons destroying his Yagna ceremonies. On the way back he takes Rama into Mithila where Rama and Sita meet each other for the first time and Rama participates in her swayamvara.

DHANYA HAI RAM AUR DHANYA HAI RAMAYAN

Prabhu Bhakti maay Leen Raahay aasa maan doo hai Ishwar,Desh Dharam ki sewa maay arpan hoo yaa mera taan maan

GYAN MARG

3 Paths to the Final Truth (Gyan, bhakti, Karma)

It is said the that there are 3 paths to the final truth and one can choose to pick any. The three paths are commonly defined as:

Gyan Marg (The highest level)
Bhakti (Devotion towards God)
Karma (Work)

Gyan Marg: The path of knowledge, in the Gyan marg a person realises his true self through knowledge and truth. This is said to be the most difficult of all as it is filled with hurdles and one needs the right Guru (The Enlightened one) who can guide him through this maze, from darkness to light.
Bhakti Marg: The path of Devotion, it is a path where one renounces everything and leaves everything to God. It is the easiest path and one needs to have faith in god to be able to walk this path. Faith is the driving factor, if one loses it his bhakti is over.
Karma Marg: The path of hard work, the journey in this path revolves around the work one does, his karma. A person is known by the kind of karma he does and with the right karma he attains the eternal bliss.

As per the common belief that one should choose any path, here to say that its only a mix of all these paths that can lead one to the final truth that is himself. As without Gyan you would never know the final truth, without devotion you will not be able to enjoy it, and with out karma you will not be able to achieve it.

Krishna Bal Leela

Lord Krishna is one of the most loved and adored Gods of Hindu religion. The foremost reason of the glorification and reverence of Bhagwan Krishna is his Bal Leela. Bal Leela depicts various episodes between the period of his birth till the age of ten. Lord Krishna right from the time of his birth displayed the signs of his divine being.

Episode of Killing of Demoness Putana

According to legend, King Kansa wanted to kill Krishna as it was predicted that he would grow up to kill the King. So Demoness Putana went about killing all the male infants in Mathura and other neighboring towns in the move to kill the new born Lord Krishna. She took the form of a beautiful woman and smeared her breast with poison. While roaming from one town to another, she reached Nand baba's house, and saw Bal Krishna lying in the cradle. She then fled with the child and fed Lord Krishna her milk in the vain hope of killing him. Lord Krishna kept smiling and drinking the milk and after a while Putana shrieked with pain. It is said that while sucking the milk, Lord Krishna sucked her life thus killing her.

Episode of Overturning the Cart by Lord Krishna

As per a folklore, during one of the birth ceremonies of Lord Krishna, Mata Yashoda kept fast asleep Krishna under a cart full of milk . Lord Krishna started crying for milk after getting up, but Mata Yashoda didn't hear his cries so Lord Krishna kicked the cart with his feet and overturned it. The pots were shattered and milk started flowing into his mouth. When the story of overturned cart was narrated to Mata Yashoda, she could not believe it.

Episode of Displaying the Cosmos to Mother Yashoda

Legend has it that one day Mata Yashoda was cuddling Lord Krishna and playing with him. The child lying on his mother's lap yawned and opened his mouth. Mata Yashoda saw the whole universe in his mouth, the sun, the moon and all the stars, the sky, mountains, rivers, islands, oceans, all the continents, all living as well as non living beings.

Episode of Killing of Demon Trinivarta

It is believed that King Kansa sent one of his loyal servant, Demon Trinivarta to kill Lord Krishna. The demon took the form of a whirlwind and carried the child away. As soon as the demon reached the sky, he found it difficult to proceed further on account of the heaviness of the child. Unable to bear his own weight as well as the weight of the child, demon Trinivarta fell on the ground and met his fate. His took his original form after the death and Mata Yashoda was astonished to see her child lying on the dead demon.

Episode with the Fruit Seller

According to another famous folklore, Lord Krishna went to a woman fruit seller and asked her to give him some fruits in exchange for a handful of grains. The woman took the handful of grains from Lord Krishna and put in her basket and left. On reaching home, the woman was astonished to see her basket full of precious stones and gems instead of grains.

Episode of Omnipresent Lord Krishna

Bal Gopal was very mischievous and found great pleasure in playing pranks on gopis. He would steal their milk, butter, break their earthen pots to get butter. One day Lord Krishna, broke all the earthen pots of a gopi in order to get butter. On being caught red handed, the gopi went to mother Yashoda to inform her of her son's mischievous deeds. She was shocked to see the Lord standing next to his mother; Feeling embarrassed she left the place.

There are many more popular Bal Leelas of God like the killing of demons Aghasura, Bakasura, brothers of demoness Putana . Mata Yashoda tying Lord Krishna with a rope but each time the rope would fall short by a few inches is another famous episode of Krishna Bal Leela.

BAL GOPAL MERO MAN MANDIR MAY BAS GAYO RAAY