Ramayana
Busting the Spurious Narrative of 300 Ramayanas
A.K. Ramanujan's infamous essay "300 Ramayanas," was a deliberate fabrication to rob Maharshi Valmiki's authorship of the Sanskrit original
Ramayana
A Voyage into Vijayanagara: The Violation of Sanctity
For centuries, Kishkinda was a sacred Kshetra, the abode of Hanuman. Its environs birthed the great Hindu Empire of Vijayanagara. Over the last three decades, its sanctity has been almost completely erased.
Maharshi Valmiki
Sri Ramachandra: The Sculptor of our National Character
An evocative essay that shows why Bhagavan Sri Rama is the sculptor of Bharatavarsha's national character
Ramayana
Popular Episodes not Found in Maharshi Valmiki's Ramayana
Some of the most popular episodes associated with the Ramayana do not actually appear in Maharshi Valmiki's original Ramayana at all
Ramayana
Sita-Parityaga – A Profound Analysis
Arjun Bharadwaj provides a rather profound and objective analysis of the much-debated episode of Sita Devi's abandonment by Sri Rama
Maharshi Valmiki
The Aesthetic Elements of the Ramayana
Adikavi, Maharshi Valmiki provided the first great model for composing poetry imbued with all the nine Rasas. He authored the Ramayana at a time when the formal academic discipline of aesthetics was nonexistent. This essay brings out a beautiful exposition of the aesthetic and artistic elements of t
Ramayana
The Cultural Aspects of the Rāmāyaṇa
The Ramayana captures every aspect of Sanātana-dharma that is in practice today. In fact, the word ‘Sanātana-dharma’ itself occurs quite a few times in the epic. The Ramayana is also a wonderfully artistic exposition of the Purusharthas that formed the bedrock of the Hindu society since time immemor
Maharshi Valmiki
Sri Rama: The True National Integrator
As long as our emotions remain relevant to us, the Rāmāyaṇa will remain in currency. Sri Rama was truly the national integrator. He belonged to the Sūrya-vaṃśa and just as the world cannot exist without the Sun, it cannot exist without Rāma and the Rama-Tattva.
Maharshi Valmiki
The Transformation of Valmiki Births the Universal Epic Ramayana
According to the Puranas, Valmiki was a robber initially. He was enlightened by the Rishis after which he sat in meditation chanting the sacred name of Rama with such intensity that an anthill grew around his body. As he emerged out of the anthill or Valmīka, he came to be called Vālmīki. Having thu
Maharshi Valmiki
The Essential Ramayana: An Introduction
This is the introductory episode of a series exploring the various nuances of Maharshi Valmiki's immortal epic, Srimad Ramayana. It is part of the Prologue written by scholar and researcher, Sri Arjun Bharadwaj's latest work titled "The Essential Ramayana."
Ramayana
Tracing Sri Ramachandra’s Footprint in Tamil Nadu
A brief survey of the ancient and eternal tradition of Sri Ramachandra in Tamil Nadu and how continues to inform and ennoble the Tamil people
Ramayana
Manthara and Richard III: The Contrast Between the Sanatana and the Mleccha Mind
The concluding episode of this series of comparative analysis of the Manthara episode and Richard III delves into a striking, fundamental contrast between the Sanatana mind and the Mleccha mind.