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8-Raam-Other Stories

1. Introduction and Reasons of Birth
2. Childhood and Marriage
3. Var to Kaikeyee and Exile to Raam
4. Viraadh Vadh and Meeting With Muni
5. Agastya Muni, Jataayu, Panchvatee, Khar-Dooshan Vadh, Seetaa's Abduction
6. Friendship With Sugreev, Baali Vadh, Raam-Raavan War
7. Life in Ayodhyaa
8. Other Stories

Here are some other stories about Raam, they are not given either in Maanas or in Raamaayan.

Story-1: Story of a Frog
When Raam and Lakshman were wandering around in search of Seetaa, they came to Pampaa Lake. They decided to take bath in it. So they thrust their bows into the earth near the lake and went into the lake to take bath. After their bath when Raam took out his bow he saw that his bow was smeared with blood. Seeing it, Raam said, "Look Brother, Some living being seems to have been injured by my bow." Lakshman dug in the earth and saw a big frog half dead. Full of compassion, Raam said - "O tiny frog, Why didn’t you make a noise? We would have tried to save you then. When a snake seizes you, you croak so loudly." The frog said - "Hey Raam, when I am seized by a snake, I croak loudly, "Raam save me, save me, Oh Raam, please save me.' But when I see that Raam Himself is killing me, to whom I should go?"

Story-2: Raam Tries to Throw a Stone
When Vaanar were building the bridge over the sea to cross it to go to Lankaa, Vaanar were bringing stones to Nal and Neel, they were writing "Raam" on it and Vaanar were throwing them in the sea water. Because those stones had the "Raam Naam" (Raam'a name) on them, they were floating on the water. Raam was also seeing all this. He thought, "If I also throw some stones in the water then the bridge will be built soon, so let me also throw some stones, but let me throw one stone first, just to check if it does not sink." He did not want to test His stone in front of all Vaanar, so He got up and walked away from the crowd. When He came to a lonely place, He looked around if anybody was around, but got satisfied to see that nobody was looking at Him, so He picked up a stone and threw it in the sea. It just sank. Raam got very sad to see this, but got happy that nobody saw Him, so He just said - "It is good that nobody has seen me throwing this stone otherwise Vaanar would lose their faith in me."

Now it so happened, that Hanumaan Jee had seen Raam going somewhere alone, so he thought, "Where my Prabhu is going alone?" and followed Him assuming a very tiny form. He saw everything what Raam did. So as Raam said the above sentence, he said - "But I have seen you Prabhu. And do not worry Vaanar will not lose faith in you, because only those stones float on which your name is written, and to whom you have thrown, it has to sink. Hey Prabhu, Your name, which can take even the lifeless things across the sea, is greater than you (then what of people?)"

Story-3: Story of a Squirrel
When the bridge building to cross the sea was in process, a tiny squirrel who was a great Bhakt of Raam thought how to help Raam in building this bridge. She continued to think and came to a conclusion. She got up, went to into sea water and came back after being wet out of the water. She turned her body into the sand and went back to the place where Vaanar were throwing stones in the sea. She shook her body there in the water on the stones and came back again to carry some more sand and went again to those stones to put that sand on those stones. Since the squirrel was too tiny for huge monkeys, they shouted at her to be away from their way, lest she is crushed under their feet. But The squirrel requested the not to shout as she also wanted to help Raam.

Monkeys laughed and said aloud - "Of what use are these tine grains of sand which can scarcely be seen through the huge rocks of stones. Get out of the way." But the squirrel continued her work with devotion. When the squirrel did not listen to the, one monkey lifted up and threw her far from the shore. Raam caught hold of it before she fell on the ground. and said to monkeys - "You are strong and huge that is why you are bringing these huge stones. You are doing a wonderful job, but even the small things are necessary with big things. The grains of sand are necessary to fill the gaps. Thus these sand grains are binding the whole structure and making it strong." Monkeys got ashamed and let her contribute to building the bridge.

She thought she was contributing her share in building the bridge, she was very satisfied. After a while she got tired, so she came to Raam and sat near His feet. Raam lifted her, kept her in His lap and caressed her back with His hand to comfort her. Since Raam's hand was bigger than her back only three fingers left their mark on her back. The squirrel got relieved and a new strength, in a few moments she ran from there and continued her work (however small it was).

Story-4: About Raameshwaram
Everybody knows that Raameshwaram (in Tamilnaadu) is one of the four Dhaam (Badareenaath in North, Jagannaath Puree in East, Dwaarakaa Puree in West and Raameshwaram in South). Very few people might be knowing that it is one of the 12 Jyotirling also. It has an interesting story attached --

The eleventh of the Jyotirling is named Raameshwar. When Raavan had kidnapped Seetaa, Raam looked for Her everywhere. He was aided  by monkeys in his search for Seetaa. The search brought the monkeys to the shores of the ocean and then to Lankaa. And thus Raam also came there to go to Lankaa. While Raam was trying to decide how to cross the ocean, he felt very thirsty. He therefore asked the monkeys to fetch Him some water. But when the water was brought, Raam realized that he should not drink the water without first praying to Shiv. So Raam constructed a Ling and worshipped it with many fragrant flowers. Such were the powers of Raam's prayers that Shiv, Paarvatee and their companions appeared before Raam. Shiv blessed Raam and Raam requested him to stay in that place forever. It is this Ling, on the shores of the ocean, that is known as Raameshwaram today.

Story-5: Another Story About Raameshwaram
The bridge had been built, all were ready to cross it to go to Lanka to invade Raavan. Raam desired to establish the Shiv Ling there before proceeding for war. So a Shiv Ling was established and Raam started worshipping it with 1,000 lotus flowers. Shiv was very pleased to see this, but he thought to test Raam's Bhakti towards him, so when He was offering flowers to Shiv Ling, he stole one lotus flower from those 1,000 flowers. When Raam started worshipping Shiv Ling, He found that there were only 999 flowers. He got worried, because He Himself kept the flowers there after counting them. They were 1,000, but now what? Where did one flower go? He searched everywhere but could not find it. At last He thought, "People say that my eyes are like lotus flowers (Kamal Nayan), so let me complete the number of flowers by giving my one eye." So as He got ready to take His eye out, Shiv appeared before Him and blessed Him for His victory over Raavan.

Story-6: Hanumaan and Arjun at Raameshwaram
Once Arjun went to Raameshwaram and saw the bridge built by Raam. He expressed his surprise - "What was the need of building this long bridge through the help of so many monkeys? Raam was such a good archer He could have built this bridge by His arrows only." Hanumaan Jee was wandering there, he said - "You consider yourself the best archer, don't you? This is a lots of distance, leave it for the time being. (then showing him a narrow stream there he said) Can you build a bridge over here, on this stream, with your arrows, so that I alone can cross it?"

This was a great challenge to Arjun like great archer. He said - "Why not" and he immediately built a bridge over that stream and showed it to Hanumaan. Hanumaan Jee asked - "Can I cross this stream by walking on this bridge?" Arjun said - "Sure, Why not, That is what it is for." As Hanumaan Jee stepped on that bridge, the bridge broke and Hanumaan Jee was able to save himself by jumping from it on the dry land with a great effort. He said to Arjun - "Even one small monkey could not walk on this bridge, you should know that Raam's bridge had to carry millions of monkeys up to so far place (100 Yojan), Lankaa, in sea where water is always agitating."

Greatness of Raam Naam
There are a few stories where the greatness of Raam Naam is reflected --

(1) Everybody knows that Hanumaan crossed The 100 Yojan ocean just by taking the name of Raam.

(2) This is also known that both Nal and Neel made even the big stones float on water just by writing the name of Raam.

(3) Everybody knows the story of Vaalmeeki as he became Brahmarshi just by chanting "Maraa, Maraa", not even Raam straightway.

(4) One day a farmer happened to kill one of his cows by mistake. Since Gau Hatyaa (murder of cow) is considered a great sin according to Hindu tradition, the farmer was grief stricken. He decided to approach the hermitage at the outskirts and ask the saint for a way to atone for his sins. The farmer took a basket of fruits with him while going to meet the saint. When the farmer reached the hermitage, the saint was in meditation. He saw his disciple outside preparing flowers for a Poojaa. The farmer presented the basket of fruits and explained his problem to the disciple. The disciple advised the farmer to go back home and chant ‘Hare Raam’ 4 times with devotion. He said that it will be enough to atone for the grave sin of killing a cow. The farmer thanked the disciple and went home.

When the saint returned from his meditation, he asked his disciple about the basket of fruits. The disciple explained the farmer’s problem and added that he has advised him to chant Raam’s name 4 times. On hearing this, the saint got enraged and cursed the disciple saying “may you be born as an animal for four lives”. The disciple was shocked and asked the saint why he was being cursed. The saint explained that the disciple was foolish enough to not realize that a single chanting of Raam’s name was more than enough to atone for any sin. The advice to chant it 4 times showed the disciple’s disbelief in the power of Rama’s name and hence he had to be cursed.

(5) Read another story of the greatness of Raam's name - Hanumaan Saves a King

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