Rama’s Yajna: Kamban Ramayan

The Ramayana has always been one of my favorite epics. I started by reading C Rajagopalachari’s Ramayan as a child. When I was a teenager, I read an article that raved about the Ramayan written by Ashok Banker. It took me years to find and buy the series, but those books introduced me to a much more detailed retelling of the Ramayana. He had researched many different Ramayanas written in India and other countries and finally created his version.

The Ramayana always left with a few questions, especially around how Ma Sita was asked to prove her chastity and then abandoned in the woods. I have never found a satisfactory answer to these questions, but recently they have stopped bothering me.

This year during Navdurga Sadhana, we celebrated Ram Navami with my guru Om Swami at Sri Bhadrika Ashram. The intimacy with which he talked about Lord Rama filled my heart with so much love that it did not leave space for questions. I don’t have any divine knowledge to help me answer questions, but if my Swami loves Rama so wholeheartedly, that’s enough for me.

Recently, I heard a heartwarming story narrated in Kamban Ramayana about how Ravana acted as an officiating priest for Lord Rama’s Yajna. As I researched the story, I found some fascinating nuggets about the Ramayana.

You can read this article on Three Hundred Ramayanas to learn about the different versions of the epic in our country. You can also read the following articles by the Art Of Living Foundation that focus on the incident I am sharing below and the Rameshwaram Jyothirlinga.

Rama’s Yajna in Rameshwaram

Lord Rama wanted to establish a Shiva Linga in Rameshwaram and was looking for a priest familiar with the Vaishnava and the Shivaite traditions. Jambavan, the mystical bear, highlighted they were literally at the country’s tip and surrounded by jungles and oceans. He added that the only person around who met these requirements was Ravana, the grandson of Pulastya Rishi. Lord Ram asked Jambavan to approach Ravana and ask him if we would act as an officiating priest (Acharya).

Jambavan was a friend of Pulastya Rishi, so Ravana asked the Rakshashs to line up in the streets with their hands folded. They could then point Jambavan towards the palace so that he did not have to stop and ask anyone for directions.

Ravana touched Jambavan’s feet and asked him the purpose of his visit. Jambavan smiled and said he was here to request Ravana to act as the Acharya for a Yajna.

Ravana asked him if Jambavan could give more information about the “Yajamana” and the purpose of the Yajna. Jambavan smilingly replied the Rama, prince of Ayodhya, was the Yajamana. He wanted to do a Yajna to consecrate a Shivlinga and seek blessings for completing a critical task.

Ravana smiled and asked if the task was the victory over Lanka. Jambavan confirmed Ravana’s guess and asked him if he would be willing to act as the Acharya.

Ravana said he did know much about Rama except that he was a virtuous man and confirmed his decision to act as the Acharya.

Jambavan then proceeded to ask Ravana to list all the essential items needed for the Yajna so that Rama could arrange for them. Acharya Ravana replied that since Rama, the Yajamana, is doing the Yajna in a forest, it would be Ravana’s responsibility, as the Acharya, to arrange for all the ingredients of the Yajna.

Ravana instructed Jambavan to ask Rama to take a bath and be ready at daybreak. Then, he went over to Mother Sita and told her that on the other side of the ocean, her husband and his Yajaman, Rama, was doing a Yajna for winning the war on Lanka. Since Rama was not at home, it was Ravana’s responsibility to arrange for all the essential items used in the Yajna. That also includes Ram’s wife since she must sit with him to complete the Yajna.

He told Ma Sita that the Pushpak Viman would take her to the other side, but she must remember that she was going there as a part of his offering to Rama. Sita Ma, heard Ravan and said “Jo Aagya Acharya” or “As You Command” Acharya.

Ravana, in turn, blessed her by saying, “Akhanda Sowbhgyawati Bhava,” which translated to “may you always be the one whose husband is alive, may you remain safe from the curse of widowhood.”

The next day Acharya Ravana reached the other side of the sea. Lord Rama greeted him and told him that he was doing his Yajna to win the favor of Lord Shiva so that he could conquer Lanka. Acharya Ravana smiled, and he would do the Yajna, and if Shiva wished, he would definitely fulfill Rama’s desire.

On being told that Hanuman had gone to Kailasha to bring a Shivalinga, Ravana explained that they could no longer delay the ritual and asked Rama to be seated with his wife.

Rama grimaced and said that his wife was currently not with him and requested Archarya Ravan to suggest an alternative recommended for such situations. Ravana responded the alternatives are provided only for scenarios where the Yajmana does not have a wife, has lost his wife, or has been abandoned by his wife.

Ravana then added that since Rama was in the jungle and did not have the means to do the Yajna, it was Ravana’s responsibility as an acharya to provide the means.

He then asked Rama to send Vibheeshan to the Pushpak Vimana and escort Sita Ma so that she could participate in the Yajna. She completed the Yajna and consecrated the Shivlinga, which is today known as the Lankeshwar Shivilinga, in Rameshwaram. When Hanuman returned from Kailash, the Shivlinga he brought was placed adjacent to this linga.

Ram and Sita bowed to Acharya Ravana and asked him for his Dakshina. Acharya Ravana told them they were in a jungle away from home. What can they offer the king of the golden city of Lanka? When Ram insisted, Ravana asked Rama to be present before his eyes at the time of his death.

When Ravana was dying, Rama sent Lakshmana to learn from him, and the teachings were codified in a text called Ravana Gita. I love this story because it does not paint a completely black and white picture of the Rama and Ravana. We don’t know exactly what happened in those times, but I would love to imagine that there existed this level of etiquette even between warring kings. You can watch this video by my Guru Om Swami about Ravana.