Atmano mokshartham, Jagat hitaya cha For the emancipation of one's self and the good of the universe - was the favourite quote of Swami Vivekananda.
As men and women embark on the journey of life, they face many challenges which are also opportunities. How to go about not only to meet them but also emerge victorious - morally, materially and spiritually is the essence of the book penned so elegantly by Sri Prayaga Ramakrishna who needs no introduction to many readers in this line of thought - in the book Values and Virtues. The ship is as good as its captain. If the leader identifies the mission, assembles the right team and chalks out the strategy, the battle is won. The leader knows not only the strengths of the individual team members but also their weaknesses. He/she sets forth the goal in a clear and concise manner and assigns the tasks as per the members' potential. Having done it, he/she stands by the team and empowers them which ensures that the morale is high. The members go to great lengths in acquitting themselves well.
The book has its echo in Mahatma Gandhi's refutation of the concept 'ends justify the means. The method adopted to achieve a goal is as important as the goal itself and both should be noble.
Mr. Prayaga Ramakrishna has laid out in detail how a leader moulds himself with the Ramayana as the background.
To every one of us nostalgic about the All India Radio, it is impossible not to have been acquainted with Sri Prayaga Ramakrishna, the name synonymous with the sonorous presentation of news report. Furthermore, the name is also associated with numerous written works, of which the one I am much familiar with is the title Bharatham lo Chinna Katdhalu (anecdotes from The Mahabharatha), a singular collection of episodes incidental to the larger narrative. The present book is written on the same lines, drawing upon another sacred scripture, The Ramayana, which is pregnant with the definition of numerous virtues like righteousness, integrity, love and humanism, and their practice for vindication of our arrival and presence in this world. The presence is not only ephemeral, but downright insignificant on the cosmic scale of time and space. All the same, the dimensions of our being are so substantial on our own personal scale of living that we are beguiled into a sense of conceit about our tiny, chance occurrence in this world; in the name of material advancement, we are lost in the hustle and bustle of life, too busy for a casual reminder of our forgotten values of yore. It is with this view in mind - that is, to familiarise our younger generation with the values of living as prescribed and epitomised in our Great Epic - that Sri Prayaga Ramakrishna has brought out this book. A very thoughtful exercise, and a beneficial presentation. Each episode is expounded with emphasis on the relevant virtue - compassion, humility, honesty, commitment, etc for devout inculcation by all, especially our younger generation now starved of moral guidance; they will benefit much from the book. In all, there are forty episodes, and it would not be unreasonable if we looked forward to more from his expository pen. Let us wait.
It calls for a lot of temerity to try to take up the work of translating into English such beautiful assignment, and I could not but err occasionally on the side of arcane, unfamiliar terminology that is indispensable for explanation of abstract concepts as well as preservation of the idiomatic spirit and sensitivity of the original text. This is why a Glossary was thought to be in place. I would reckon myself fortunate for the kind appreciation of this aspect by the readers.
Finally, it is with grateful acknowledgement that I cherish the opportunity given me by Sri Prayaga Ramakrishna to be a part of the lofty assignment, and I hope I have not spoilt it.
Lord Rama, one of the avataras of Sree Maha vishnu is the hero of the epic Ramayanam. Rama is the symbol of Values, Virtues and Morals. Lord Rama in the words of Swami Vivekananda is 'the embodiment of truth, of morality, the ideal son and above all the ideal King'
Rama commanded respect as Maryada Purushottama who maintained dignity and decorum, who never crossed the boundaries of courtesy and code of conduct. As a king of Kosala Rama gave top prominence to performing his Dharma towards his country and people. He always thought of his people's well being and his country's prosperity and ruled keeping those goals in the forefront of his mind.
Maharishi Valmiki was not only a great poet but also a visionary par excellence. His insight into the working of human mind and how to go beyond its conflicting interests and functions was well documented in Srimad Ramayanam.
Ramayanam is one of the great Epics of India reflecting the Indian way of life. It gives glimpses of the then contemporary social structure and polity. Many learned poets and authors have been depicting this priceless treasure in their distinctive literary styles. I only made a sincere and humble effort to recall the principles of Ramarajya and the rules to be followed by the top brass for effective governance. Values, Virtues and Morals of Sreerama are highlighted in this book and hope the anecdotes of the text will generate interest among young people.
My special thanks to Sri YNV Trinatha Babu and Sri Suneel Regulla of Hansa Equity Partners who involved in the publication of this book. This book was originally written in Telugu. Mr. P. Sri Rama Murthy translated the same into English. My sincere thanks to him for having rendered a beautiful English version, while protecting the soul of the original text. Mr. Ghantasala Srinivas, who made a keen study of the text and aptly edited deserves many thanks. My compliments to Sri Gandham Durgaprasad for his pictorial illustrations and Sri Parrot communications for decking up the book with layout and colourful cover page.
May Lord Sriram bless all!
Vedas (1292)
Upanishads (480)
Puranas (609)
Ramayana (832)
Mahabharata (330)
Dharmasastras (163)
Goddess (471)
Bhakti (241)
Saints (1289)
Gods (1273)
Shiva (341)
Journal (143)
Fiction (48)
Vedanta (324)
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