Gitaramayanam

Gītarāmāyaṇam (गीतरामायणम्) (2011), literally The Rāmāyaṇa in songs, is a Sanskrit epic poem (Mahākāvya) of the Gītakāvya (lyrical poetry) genre, composed by Jagadguru Rambhadracharya (1950–) in the years 2009 and 2010. It consists of 1008 songs in Sanskrit which are divided into seven Kāṇḍas (books), every Kāṇḍa being sub-divided into one or more Sargas (cantos). There are 28 cantos in all, and each canto consists of 36 songs. The songs of the epic are based on rhythms and tunes or Rāgas found in the folk music and classical music of India. In the epic, each song in sung by one or more characters of the Rāmāyaṇa or by the poet. The songs progressively narrate the Rāmāyaṇa via monologues, dialogues and multilogues. There are occasional Sanskrit verses between the songs, which take the narrative forward.

A copy of the epic with a Hindi commentary by the poet was published by the Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University, Chitrakuta, Uttar Pradesh. The book was released by the Sanskrit poet Abhirāja Rājendra Miśra at Chitarkuta on the Makara Saṅkrānti day of January 14, 2011.

Structure
The work begins with four verses in the Maṅgalācaraṇa. The poet invokes the blessings of Rāma in the first two verses, and Hanumān in the third verse. In the final verse, the work Gītarāmāyaṇam is introduced.

Bālakāṇḍam
Canto I. Stutasītārāmacandraḥ (Sanskrit: स्तुतसीतारामचन्द्रः), literally the canto with Sītā and Rāma eulogized. '''Canto II. Gītarāghavāvirbhāvaḥ' (Sanskrit: गीतराघवाविर्भावः), literally the canto with the songs of Rāma's manifestation''.

'''Canto III. Gītarāghavaśiśukeliḥ' (Sanskrit: गीतराघवशिशुकेलिः), literally the canto with the songs of infant Rāma's pastimes''.

'''Canto IV. Gītarāghavabālalīlaḥ' (Sanskrit: गीतराघवबाललीलः), literally the canto with the songs of child Rāma's play''. Canto V. Gītasītāvirbhāvaḥ (Sanskrit: गीतसीताविर्भावः), literally the canto with the songs of Sītā's manifestation. '''Canto VI. Gītayugalakaiśorakaḥ' (Sanskrit: गीतयुगलकैशोरकः), literally the canto with the songs of the youthful duo. '''Canto VII. Gītasītāsvayaṃvaropakramaḥ' (Sanskrit: गीतसीतास्वयंवरोपक्रमः), literally the canto with the songs of the commencement of Sītā's Svayaṃvara''. '''Canto VIII. Gītasītānīketakaḥ' (Sanskrit: गीतसीतानिकेतकः), literally the canto with the songs of Sītā's consort''.

'''Canto IX. Gītasītāsvayaṃvaraḥ' (Sanskrit: गीतसीतास्वयंवरः), literally the canto with the songs of Sītā's Svayaṃvara''.

Canto X. Gītasītārāmapariṇayaḥ (Sanskrit: गीतसीतारामपरिणयः), literally the canto with the songs of the Sītā's marriage with Rāma.

'''Canto XI. Gītasītārāmapratyudgamotsavaḥ' (Sanskrit: गीतसीतारामप्रत्युद्गमोत्सवः), literally the canto with the songs of the festivities at the return of Sītā and Rāma''.

Ayodhyākāṇḍam
'''Canto XII. Śrīsītārāmavanavihāraḥ'''

'''Canto XIII. Śrīsītārāmaholīvihāraḥ'''

'''Canto XIV. Śrīsītārāmadolotsavaḥ'''

'''Canto XV. Gītaṣaḍṛtuvarṇanaḥ'''

'''Canto XVI. Gītarāṣṭradaivataḥ'''

'''Canto XVII. Gītarāghavavanavāsaḥ'''

'''Canto XVIII. Gītapathikābhīṣṭhaḥ'''

'''Canto XIX. Gītāyodhyakavirahālambanaḥ'''

'''Canto XX. Gītacitrakūṭamaṇḍanaḥ'''

Araṇyakāṇḍam
'''Canto XXI. Gītalalitanaralīlaḥ'''

Kiṣkindhākāṇḍam
'''Canto XXII. Gītamārutijayaḥ'''

Sundarakāṇḍam
'''Canto XXIII. Gītahanumatparākramaḥ'''

'''Canto XXIV. Gītaśaraṇāgatavatsalaḥ'''

Yuddhakāṇḍam
'''Canto XXV. Gītaraṇakarkaśaḥ'''

'''Canto XXVI. Gītarāvaṇāriḥ'''

Uttarakāṇḍam
'''Canto XXVII. Gītapaṭṭābhiṣekaḥ'''

'''Canto XXVIII. Gītarājādhirājaḥ'''

Example song
In the following song (1.4.6), the child Rāma asks Kausalyā why the moon appears dark.

Devanāgarī शशाङ्के कुतः श्यामता जाता । पृच्छति जननीमतिकुतूहलाद्बालस्त्रिभुवनत्राता ॥ कृष्णमृगस्तव शरभयाद्विधुं यातो नैतन्मातः । कपटमृगं प्रणिहन्मि नापरं तस्य विमोहख्यातः ॥ दशमुखभयाद्भुवो याता या विधुं श्यामता दृष्टा । कथं राहुभीतोऽसौ पायान्मही मूढतास्पृष्टा ॥ त्वमथ वीक्ष्य चन्द्रमसं निजदयिताननरूपसमानम् । शशिनि गतो श्यामः किल दृष्टः कर्तुं तदधरपानम् ॥ नहि मातः पीये तव स्तनं श्रुत्वा मनुजेन्द्राणी । सस्मितमुखी विस्मिता जाता चकिता गिरिधरवाणी ॥

IAST śaśāṅke kutaḥ śyāmatā jātā । pṛcchati jananīmatikutūhalādbālastribhuvanatrātā ॥ kṛṣṇamṛgastava śarabhayādvidhuṃ yāto naitanmātaḥ । kapaṭamṛgaṃ praṇihanmi nāparaṃ tasya vimohakhyātaḥ ॥ daśamukhabhayādbhuvo yātā yā vidhuṃ śyāmatā dṛṣṭā । kathaṃ rāhubhītoऽsau pāyānmahī mūḍhatāspṛṣṭā ॥ tvamatha vīkṣya candramasaṃ nijadayitānanarūpasamānam । śaśini gato śyāmaḥ kila dṛṣṭaḥ kartuṃ tadadharapānam ॥ nahi mātaḥ pīye tava stanaṃ śrutvā manujendrāṇī । sasmitamukhī vismitā jātā cakitā giridharavāṇī ॥

The protector of the three worlds, the child Rāma asks Kausalyā with great inquisitiveness, “Whence the darkness in the moon?” The mother says, “A blackbuck has entered the moon, afraid of your arrows.” Rāma says, “Not thus, mother. I slay only the deer in the disguise (Mārīca) – whose delusion is renowned, and no other.” Kausalyā says, “Pṛthvī has gone into the moon out of the fear of Rāvaṇa, which is the darkness seen in the moon.” Rāma says, “How can the Candra, himself afraid of Rāhu protect someone, surely Pṛthvī is not naive.” Kausalyā then says “You saw the moon to be similar to the face of your bride, hence you have entered the moon to kiss your wife, and hence the moon appears dark.” Rāma says, “No mother, its only your milk that I drink, so how is the moon dark?” On hearing this, the queen smiled and the speech of Giridhara was amazed. ॥ 1.3.6 ॥