[Advaita-l] "Dog story" in the Ramayana

sriram srirudra at md3.vsnl.net.in
Wed Jan 19 19:13:10 CST 2005


Dear Member
Namaskarams.To my best of knowledge and having attended pravachanams by
eminent scholars like Sengalipuram Anantharama Dikshithar there is no story
of a dog in the Ramayana.It is said that a referance is found in the Uttra
Kanda.When one goes through the account given one can easily cast it out.The
reason is in Rama rajya there was subiksham every where and nobody need go
in search of food to satisfy one`s hunger.So a dog coming in the way of a
brahmana in search of food does not appear to be befitting the narration.
Some time -fairly long-some one weanted to know what is the meaning of
*Vairochanim*occuring in the Durga suktham.While reciting Sri Vishnu
Sahasranamam I tarried at the name Virochana:.The meaning given is-this is
the 882 name-the One who shines in many ways.Sri Durga is praised as *Agni
varnam* so *Vairochanim* can be taken to mean shining in many ways.Pranams.
R.Krishnamoorthy
----- Original Message -----
From: Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>
To: A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta
<advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 12, 2004 10:58 PM
Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] "Dog story" in the Ramayana


> On Fri, 10 Dec 2004, S Jayanarayanan wrote:
>
> > I'm trying to locate the "Dog story" in the Ramayana,
>
> In my edition (from Nirnayasagara press) there is a note by the editor,
> Pt. V. L. Panshikar after the 59th sarga of the uttarakanda that "here
> some read the story of the dog and the vulture and the owl (grdhraulakau)
> however the author of the Tilaka [commentary, included in this edition]
> has not commented on it so it is to be regarded as interpolated
(prakshipta).
> There follow three sargas consisting of 150 shlokas. This story is in the
> second of them.
>
>
> > and came across a
> > reference to it online at
> > http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=53310 .
> >
> > If anyone has a ready reference of the Ramayana, please let me know if
> > the version of the story that follows below is accurate. Thanks.
> >
> > The reason I believe the translation to be incomplete is that it does
> > not explain why a person who serves others in a religious capacity (and
> > performs his dharma immaculately to boot), had to be reborn as a dog!
> >
>
> The story is rendered correctly with a few minor quibbles here and
> there...
>
>
> > The writer of the article then speculates, "The Ramayana doesn't
> > explain further. Perhaps, addiction to power and wealth corrupted the
> > kulapati system, so that becoming a kulapati became a curse rather than
> > a boon.
>
> ...but the conclusion (there is one) has been lost. The point is not that
> being a kulapati caused rebirth as a dog but that the kulapati had no
> control of his senses and was overly proud. When one lacks control over
> anger etc. then all the pious acts in the world will not cause good
> fortune. Similiarly Sarvarthasiddha (note the allegory in the name) is
> cruel and quick to anger. So despite being a learned Brahmana and a
> kulapati, he will not prosper but instead will be reborn as a dog.
>
>
> --
> Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>
> It's a boy! See the pictures - http://www.braincells.com/nilagriva/
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