Alvin: When and in what ERA did Valmiki write his Ramayan? Before or during the actual Ram’s birth? If before, how did he see the future? When and what ERA was it translated by Tulsidas? How come there are so many inaccuracies in what Tulsidas wrote e.g. birth of Luv and Kush?
Swami Ram Swarup: Valmiki Ramayan has been written one crore, eighty-one lakhs, forty-nine thousands and seventy years ago in treta yug. Valmikiji was contemporary to Ram i.e., Sri Ram and Valmikiji both were alive at the same time. So Valmikiji did not write it before Ram’s birth but wrote after Ram’s birth when both were alive. Tulsidas has not made hundered percent correct translation of Valmiki Ramayan. Tulsidasji has written in Ramayan about 300 years ago. Inaccuracies always occur when true knowledge of Vedas is over-sighted and self made stories- history is being spread.
Sagar: Swamiji pranam, I remember once you said that any Yajyen is not successful with out the presence of yogi/acharya. If this is the case then lets assume that the whole of INDIA decides to do Yajyen in the present time then will it be successful as we do not have enough yogis in present times? My question sounds silly but it just came to my mind..
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you. In the present times, no doubt that very few Yajyen, in according to Vedas, are performed. Yet, if a person starts doing agnihotra after gaining knowledge from a learned acharya, then his agnihotra will never go in vain. The pious result of doing agnihotra would help the devotee to meet with Brahma i.e., learned of four Vedas. So, one should never be demoralized but you should continue to perform agnihotra and should do practice of Yoga Philosophy.
Vishal: Namaste Guruji, I have query that some people say Ravan was Ten Headed. What is meaning of Ten Headed. Many scholar says he was scholar of 4 Veda & 6 Shastra that is why he is called ten Headed. But I think he had no knowledge of Veda & Shastra. Because if he was scholar of holy grantha he could not have done Looting, kidnapping, torturing innocent people and other immoral act in his life. Please put a light on the subject.
Swami Ram Swarup: Namasteji.
Nobody can bear ten heads because it is unnatural. Moreover, Valmiki Ramayan has been written by Rishi Valmikiji who was contemporary of Sri Ram and was learned of four Vedas and Yoga Philosophy. I mean to say, Rishi Valmikiji has not written ten heads of Ravanna. Instead Rishi Valmikiji has written that when Hanumanji entered palace of Ravanna to search for Sita at night, he (Hanumanji) saw that Ravanna was sleeping on best bed and Ravanna’s two arms were spread outwardly and from his mouth (only one) the smell of wine was being exhaled. In Rigveda mantra 1/164/39. it is stated that until a devotee, who listens to Vedas, realises Almighty God, his study/listening of Vedas will not be useful for him because the main motto of Vedas is to realise God where all senses, mind and intellect is controlled and the devotee never does sins. So, no doubt, Ravanna was not the follower of Vedas and even if he had listened Vedas he never followed the preach of Vedas. So, ultimately his act of listening Vedas, went in vain.
Aseem: Sadar Pranam Guruji, The more I read your words the more jigyasa arises within me. At the very beginning (start of creation) believe all souls would have got Human Body (no sanchit karm at that time)..Then woudn’t the human population be maximum at that time…atleast more than now (Quite a lot of Souls now would be in another yonis). Guruji, what how would vedas interpret this query? or are we missing some more knowledge not yet given to us by the Almighty God?
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you.
In the beginning of the universe when non-sexual creation starts and the souls are waiting to get bodies of living beings based on their previous lives’ deeds they still have stock of deeds called sanchit karmas, to be faced. From sanchit karmas only, the souls are allotted bodies.
You see, the stock of sanchit karmas never ends until the soul attains Salvation. The said detailed explanation exists in Rigveda mandal 10, sukta 129. Secondly, the God is Almighty and Has unlimited knowledge. In 31st chapter of Yajurveda, God is called Purush i.e., complete in all respects. So, God Has given knowledge in Vedas, complete in all respects. An aspirant is required to listen and to study Vedas, this is itself a Tapasya.
