One more thing ! ......

The Mantras from Ramayana!!

The Mantras from Ramayana!!

Ramayana Parayana is a tradition for many families .

In Ramayana also by tradition most people perform Sundarakanda Parayana. There are even ways for doing such Sundarakanda Parayana in a prescribed manner in prescribed number of days like 68 days or 40 days or 14 days !.

Doing a Parayana also requires a discipline and a determination to go through such Parayana. There is no doubt that the the mind which is ever free, roams all round the whole world even as you do the Parayana for a short stretch of ten minutes . But by a repeated process one acquires the concentration to still the mind ! If one were to understand the Sanskrit Slokas, the Parayana becomes a little more easy, but mind is not one to be ever easily subdued !

Probably " ऎकश्लॊकी / ఏకశ్లోకీ " the one Sloka versions are for people who cannot bring themselves to do the parayana in the prescribed manner . Concentrating on one Sloka probably means that one need not carry the book or make a place to sit down and read the same ! The one Sloka can be repeated any number of times more easily.

So the so called Mantras which are again essentially single Slokas are probably also of the same nature.

Whatever may be the reasons. "tradition" meant that there are several mantras depending on one's belief and depending on the one's circumstance . It could simply be a prayer to God to calm one's own mind and face the real world or it may be a prayer to achieve some down to earth objective !!

The best Mantra from Ramayana is the word "Rama" itself. This is universal. More about it later

The following are some of other mantras we gather from the tradition.

These are Slokas from Ramayana !

The most well known one is "Jayamantram"

जयत्यति बलोरामो लक्ष्मणश्च महाबलः।
राजा जयति सुग्रीवो राघवेणाधि पालितः ॥
दासोहं कोसलेंद्रस्य रामस्य क्लिष्ट कर्मणः।
हनुमान् शत्रु सैन्यानां निहंतां मारुतात्मजः।
न रावण सहस्रं मे युद्धे प्रतिबलं भवेत् ।
शिलाभिस्तु प्रहरतः पादपैश्च सहस्रशः ॥
अर्थयित्वा पुरीं लंकां अभिवाद्य च मैथिलीम्।
समृद्दार्थो गमिष्यामि मिषतां सर्व रक्षसाम् ॥

జయత్యతి బలోరామో లక్ష్మణశ్చ మహాబలః|
రాజా జయతి సుగ్రీవో రాఘవేణాధి పాలితః ||
దాసోహం కోసలేంద్రస్య రామస్య క్లిష్ట కర్మణః|
హనుమాన్ శత్రు సైన్యానాం నిహంతాం మారుతాత్మజః|
న రావణ సహస్రం మే యుద్ధే ప్రతిబలం భవేత్ |
శిలాభిస్తు ప్రహరతః పాదపైశ్చ సహస్రశః ||
అర్థయిత్వా పురీం లంకాం అభివాద్య చ మైథిలీమ్|
సమృద్దార్థో గమిష్యామి మిషతాం సర్వ రక్షసామ్ ||

This is Hanuman's roar of victory in chapter 42 of Sundarakanda in Lanka
Like the Jayamantram there are other mantras !

Some of these are in the following !

A Mantra for "getting out of difficulties and obtaining prosperity" -

आपदामपहर्तारं
दातारं सर्वसंपदाम् ।
लोकाभिरामं श्रीरामं
भूयो भूयो नम्मयहम् ॥

ఆపదామపహర్తారం
దాతారం సర్వసంపదామ్ |
లోకాభిరామం శ్రీరామం
భూయో భూయో నమ్మయహమ్ ||

A Mantra to "achieve success in a work that is started" -
-

नमोस्तु रामाय सलक्ष्मणाय
देव्येच तस्यै जनकात्मजायै ।
नमोस्तु रुद्रेंद्रयमानिलेभ्यो
नमोस्तु चंद्रार्कमरुद्गणेभ्यः ॥

నమోస్తు రామాయ సలక్ష్మణాయ
దేవ్యేచ తస్యై జనకాత్మజాయై |
నమోస్తు రుద్రేంద్రయమానిలేభ్యో
నమోస్తు చంద్రార్కమరుద్గణేభ్యః ||

This Sloka actually comes in the 13th Chapter of Sundarakanda where in Hanuman says this prayer before entering Ashokavan in search of Sita . He succeeds in finding Sita in Ashokvan. Probably that is the reason for the primacy of this Sloka as a Mantra !!.

Similarly to "obtain a lost object as well as obtaining good"

तदुन्नसं पाडुरदंतमव्रणं
शुचिस्मितं पद्मपलाशलोचनम् ।
द्रक्ष्ये तदार्यावदनं कदान्वहम्
प्रसन्नताराधिपतुल्यदर्शनम्॥

తదున్నసం పాడురదంతమవ్రణం
శుచిస్మితం పద్మపలాశలోచనమ్ |
ద్రక్ష్యే తదార్యావదనం కదాన్వహమ్
ప్రసన్నతారాధిపతుల్యదర్శనమ్||

This Sloka also comes in the thirteenth chapter of Sundarakanda as part of Hanuman's thoughts before he enters Ashokavan . In this Sloka he is actually wondering when will he able to see "Sita" the "lost object" ! . He quickly succeeds as he enters Ashokvan. That probably is the background for the tradition !!

These are as stated those that came be known as part of Sundarakanda lore from ages ! This is by no means an exhaustive list of such mantras. We will update this page as and when we across more !!

Essentially a Sloka meant for repetitive recitation in our mind is a mantra. Mantra is meant for repeated recitation to calm the mind to enable it to concentrate . Once one is able to concentrate or focus on a problem the path will be clearer.

Thus Mantra is probably more a tool to be able to concentrate or focus on the problem on hand

Om tat sat

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