Questions on the Opening of Valmiki Ramayana and the Secret Behind the “Nine Days” Reading
Question
Today you’ve presented a completely new perspective. We can say that, taking the Ramayana as the focus, this kind of philosophical interpretation has been brought before us for the first time. We understood some of it, and as we keep trying to understand more, the mind keeps racing in the background.
Answer
Yes, that’s bound to happen, because philosophical interpretation is a bit difficult. And since the Ramayana—the story of Rama—is a spiritual narrative, it’s actually the story of our own inner being. Normally, we don’t really know what the state of our consciousness is, or how it changes within us. But through the Ramayana, through the story of Rama, we’ll learn to understand our inner journey very simply.
The Ramayana is not imaginary or fictional—it’s a spiritual story, the story of what goes on inside us. So yes, understanding it might feel a little difficult at first. But I’ll keep explaining it again and again, so that whatever we tend to forget will get repeated and will settle deep in our minds.
And I’m very hopeful that through this narrative, you’ll gain a completely new way of seeing. To begin with, I’ll keep telling you the symbolic meanings of key words—if you can remember them, that’s great, but if not, I’ll keep reminding you. Because these terms—like who Brahma is, who Narada is, what the Tamasa river stands for, and what the krauñcha bird means—these will come up repeatedly. Once we remember them, we’ll truly begin to understand the story within ourselves, and it will benefit us greatly.
And since this is only the first day of the discussion, I’m sure you’ll really enjoy listening to it.
Question
Sister, a small question—since we’re reading the opening chapters, the ones before the Bāla Kāṇḍa of the Ramayana, do we consider those part of Valmiki’s Ramayana?
Answer
No, actually not. You see, it’s been thousands and thousands of years since the scriptures were written. Over time, things have been added and removed. The Skanda Purāṇa contains the Mahātmyā (the glorification) of the Ramayana, so that portion was attached here. But it isn’t truly a part of Valmiki’s Ramayana.
So yes, the actual Valmiki Ramayana begins from today—from the first section we’ve started now.
Question
Alright, one more question, Sister. In the Ramayana Mahatmya that’s added, two things are repeated several times: first, that the Ramayana should be recited completely in nine days; and second, that it should be read during three months—Kārtika, Māgha, and…?
Answer
Yes—sometimes five months are mentioned, but usually three—those three months.
Questioner:
Right, three months. So it says the Ramayana should be read in nine days, and in any one of those three months. Is there some deeper reason behind choosing those months and the number nine?
Answer:
Yes, there is. That’s exactly the point! The months we casually call Chaitra, Pausha, Māgha—these months actually have deep symbolic meaning.
Questioner:
Ah, interesting! And last time too you spoke of the number eighteen; so even this number nine—there must be some hidden meaning behind it?
Answer:
Exactly. The author wasn’t foolish! He obviously knew the Ramayana has around twenty-five thousand verses. It’s impossible for anyone to read all that in just nine days, even if one reads day and night. So there’s certainly a deeper significance behind the number nine, and also behind naming those months—Pausha, Māgha, Chaitra.
My brother actually knows more about the hidden meaning behind these Hindi months; I don’t know them all in detail. When we studied the tenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, there was one verse where the Lord says, “Among the months, I am Mārgaśīrṣa.” That part I had understood clearly from him, and I explained it to you at that time too. Beyond that, I haven’t explored much myself.
Questioner:
So here also, three months—Chaitra, Kārtika, and Mārgaśīrṣa—are mentioned.
Answer:
Yes, exactly—three. Since I had understood Mārgaśīrṣa well earlier, I have my notes on it, and I’ll repeat that explanation for you.
Questioner:
Please do, because I’d request that in your next session, if you can collect or recall that material, maybe shed some light on the hidden meaning behind these three months and the number nine.
Answer:
Brother, that’s quite a difficult topic—it won’t come so easily. (laughs) It actually took me a lot of time just to understand Mārgaśīrṣa properly, because there are stories within stories behind it. Still, I’ll definitely explain Mārgaśīrṣa again next time; I already have it written down.