Come July 17, all Hindu homes in Kerala would reverberate with the reciting of Ramayana and this would last till August 16. The next 30 days would see the aged and young alike reciting “Sree Rama Rama Rama, Sree Rama Chandra Jaya,” to take a break from mundane issues like political murders, price rise and natural disasters.
Kerala has been observing the Ramayana Month for ages. Why July 17? It marks the beginning of the Malayalam month of Karkkadaka (the equivalent of Sravana as per the Sanskrit almanac) and concludes on August 16, the last day of Sravana.
It is a subdued age old practice handed down from generations to generations which is continuing with fervour by young and old alike. The entire Karkkadaka month is known as Ramayana Month among Hindus in the State. The epic is recited either early morning or in the dusk hours. It is the prerogative of the oldest female member of the family to read the epic from Balakanda to Yudhakanda spread over the month.
A scheme has been prepared since time immemorial to read Ramayana. As the grandmother or the senior most woman in the family reads the epic, children and all other members of the family sit around them with rapt attention. In Kerala the most preferred Ramayana is the Adhyatma Ramayana authored by Thunchath Ezuthachan, the father figure of Malayalam. There are houses which follow the Valmiki Ramayana too.
The agitation for Ram Temple in Kerala is yet to catch up in the State dominated by Marxist ideology. That has not prevented the devotees from engaging themselves in the great epic. “People in Kerala follow Adhyatma Ramayana, which encompasses Bhaki and Vedantha (devotion and philosophy) while the Valmiki Ramayana has given focus to Dharma Sasthra,” Swamy Chidanandapuri, the spiritual guru of Hindus told The Pioneer.
Swamy Chidanandapuri is of the view that the Ramayana month has its origin in the age old Vedik traditions. “The month Karkkadaka marks the beginning of Dakshinayana and Chathurmasa Yagna. This is the period when people turn to God Almighty for spiritual cleaning ,” he explained.
According to this spiritual leader, Adhyatma Ramayana was authored by Vyasa. Lord Rama is in the form of God in Adhyatma Ramayana whereas in Valmiki Ramayana he represents the Dharmic science. Valmiki Ramayana is in Sanskrit and is a detailed account of the life and times of King Dasaratha and Lord Rama. While Valmiki has elaborated the story of the sage Vibhandaka, his son Rishyasringa , King Lomapada and his daughter Santha in Valmiki Ramayana, they make just guest appearances in Adhyatma Ramayana!
It may be an abridged version of Valmiki Ramayana but it does not lack in soul and spirit. Even as the grandmother reads each sloga of the epic, the readers feel that they are hearing their own life stories from this epic. Rathnakaran, who leads a loose life by robbing, looting and murdering the poor was asked by the sages why he was engaged in such heinous deeds and whether he knew that he alone has to bear the price for his crimes, the devil in him underwent a bug change and over a period of time he was transformed into Sage Valmiki.
Ramayana is the story of the victory of good over the evil. It is also a roadmap for the wayward to return to the path of the righteousness. Even campuses in the State may see Che Guevara posters giving way to Lord Rama, though only for a month.