Overview
Gone are the days when there used to be a tv, and the only shows telecasted widely were Ramayana and Mahabharat. In the great internet era, today's generation has failed to learn the morals of living a healthy life and the values of relationships. But as parents, you always wish to teach them the core values of Indian culture and everything about our glorious past.
Worth Mentioning that in the treasured tales of Hindu Mythology, our epic Ramayana teaches us valuable life lessons that a child, an adult, and everyone of every age group must follow. The Ramayana was written by the well-known sage Valmiki. This illustrious Hindu scripture was composed in a lyrical form in Sanskrit. The Ramayana is a story of the victory of good over evil, where Lord Rama battled and killed the demon king Ravana to save his wife, Sita. The grand tale is jam-packed with teachings about Hindu culture and also helps us know the spot-on meaning of love, devotion, courage, and bravery.
The original tale is carved in Sanskrit, and it may be tough for your child to understand it. However, if you desire your little one to acquire a sneak peek into the mythological epic, here are few short stories for children from the epic Ramayana.
Short Stories from Ramayana for Children
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Why is Hanuman known as Bajrang Bali?
The ever-inquisitive Hanuman once saw Sita ornamenting her forehead with vermilion(sindoor). Hanuman asked, "Sita Mata, why are you putting vermillion on your forehead?" Sita was smiling at the snooping of Hanuman and responded, "I put on it to safeguard the long life of Lord Rama." Pinning to this, Hanuman coated his whole body with vermilion. Hereafter, Lord Rama was so amused that he gust into laughter. He called Hanuman close to him and said, "I am overwhelmed by your love and devotion for me, and from this day and age, people will also know you as Bajrangbali." "Bajrang" in the term Bajrangbali means orange.
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The Demon King Ravana and his Ten Heads
The demon king Ravana once underwent severe penance (Tapasya) for several years to please Lord Brahma(creator of the universe and all existences). One day in that period, he decided to appease Lord Brahma and cut off his head. Suddenly, the head grew back again. He kept cutting off his head till his strictness pleased Lord Brahma. Impressed by Ravana's devotion, Lord Brahma blessed him with ten heads, and Ravana since then turned out to be one of the greatest and the most powerful kings. Ravana's ten heads are the symbol of the six Shastras and four Vedas that he mastered.
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The Four Brothers Ram, Lakshaman, Bharat, Shatrughna
King Dashratha had four sons- Ram, Laksham, Bharat, and Shatrughan, where Ram is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu resides in Vaikunth with Goddess Lakshmi and Sheshnaag. It is said that his (Ram's) younger brother Laxman is the incarnation (avatar) of the Sheshnaag (the multi-headed serpent who was Lord Vishnu's seat in Vaikunth), Bharat, and Shatrughan are the incarnations of the Shankha (Lord Vishnu's conch), and the Sudarshan Chakra (Lord Vishnu's weapon) respectively.
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The Tale of Lord Rama's Death
When it was the stage for Rama to die, he deceived Hanuman. This was planned because Hanuman would not let Yama (Yamraj) claim Rama's soul,and as a consequence, Rama couldn't die. To divert Hanuman, Rama threw his ring in a crack and asked Hanuman to get the ring back. Hanuman shaped himself into the size of an insect and hopped inside the crack, which led him to reach Naag Lok (where serpents belong to). He requested King Vasuki of Naag Lok for the ring.(which Rama had intentionally thrown) King Vasuki directed him towards a heap of rings, all of which belonged to Rama. Hanuman was shocked seeing the pile of rings, and Vasuki informed that Rama had tricked him.
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The Story of Laxman's Sleep for 14 Years
As ordered by his mother(Kakeyi),Ram, accompanied by his wife Sita and younger brother Laxman, was heading towards their exile. Laxman wanted to guard Rama and Sita for the period of exile, and for that, he wanted to be devoid of sleep. To escape sleeping, Laxman approached Nidra (the Goddess of Sleep) and requested her to take back his sleep for fourteen years(the time period of exile). The Goddess agreed by saying that somebody else would have to sleep on his behalf for fourteen years. Laxman requested Nidra Devi to ask his wife Urmila if she would take his sleep, to which Urmila agreed. Urmila slept for fourteen years and thus gave a helping hand to Laxman in safeguarding Ram and Sita.
Take Home A Message
Values from these short moral stories of Ramayana are a treasure for children. Ramayana is the most precious pick of the bunch; however, our Hindu Mythology is packed with great stories and real-life experiences that teach us different things. We are sure that your kid will love listening to these stories and would engage in hearing more from you!
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