The following two e mails were sent by self to TOI, HT & DNA yesterday.DNA has published an abridged version.

Dear Sirs,

Karunanidhi challenged Advani to debate on Valmiki Ramayana but the later did not follow it up.Letters of rage from readers also did not take the matter further. I don't think that Karunanidhi called Rama a drunkard in English. He must have said kudiyan in Tamil which is translated by the English media as drunkard. Whatever it might be; most of the readeres have not gone thru the text in Valmiki Ramayana. I give the sankrit text from

SRIMAT VALMIKI RAMAYANAM

In Sanskrit original.

Printed and Published by Gita Press, Gorakhpur.

Vikram Samvad 2020 equal to AD 1963.

Uthara Kandam: Sarga 42: Verses 16 to 23 Page 686 .

Thadhabhootam hi Ramasya Kaananam Sannivesanam

Brahmasana Grihopetaam Latagriha Samavritaam 16

Asokavanikaam Speethaam Pravisya Raghunandanah

Aasane cha Subhakaare Pushpa prakara bhooshite 17

Kudhastharana Samsteerne Ramah San nishasada ha

Seetamaadaaya Hasthena Madhu Maireyakam Suchi 18

Paayayaamasa Kakutsah Sacheemiva Purandarah

Mamsadi cha Sumrishtani Phalani Vividhani cha 19

Ramasyadyavaharaardham Kinkarasthoornamaharan

Upanrityascha Rajanam Nritha Geeta Visaradaah 20

Apsaroraga Sanghascha Kinnaree Parivaritah

Dakshinah Roopavatyascha Striyah Paanavasam Gataah 21

Upanrityanda Kakutsam Nritya Geeta Visaradaah

Monobhiramaah Ramaasta Rame Ramayataam Varaah 22

Ramayaamaasa Dharmatma Nityam Paramabhooshitaah

Sa thaya Seetaya saardham Aaseeno Viraraaja h 23

This show that at that time kings his spouses and the girls entertraining them do drink.

I would like you to make use of these verses after varifying with your own texts.

Yours,

K.N.Krishnan.

Dear Sirs,

There are innumerable number of study material on the story of Ramayana. There are summaries from a few pages to hundreds; of the story in almost all laguages in India. My acquentances are very few. However, I have not come across answers for many questions raised by many. One of them is as follows. The first verse in Ramayana is about sage Valmiki raising a question about who is the perfect person in this world. Narada answers that such a person is Rama who rules Ayodhya at that time. Valmiki is living in the kingdom of Rama but does not know of his virtues and qualities. There is no answer for his ignorance. If the explanation is that the sage is not interested in worldly affairs: then the question to Narada has no standing. Should the other worldly sage; concern himself about the perfect person in this world in his time?

Another question concerns us is that why Rama and Lakdhman are together and Bharata and Shatrughna. There is no reason for such bonding. When Viswamitra comes to Dasaratha and ask him to sent Rama; Lakshman also was sent along and not Bharata or Shatrughna

The next question. Why Rama's coronation was decided when Bharata and Shatrughna were not in town but at Bharata's uncle's place far away

Was not coronation day fixed after scholars in astrology were consulted for the auspicious day and time? With all precautions taken; the coronation did not take place and king had to die?

There are so many questions that were not asked nor answered. Any questioning is taken as ·invading the sacred· and denounced as anti-hindu if not anti-indian. Those who claim to be the repositaries of the ·sacred· are in fact aping their counterparts in the Semitic religions. The later has their sacred books but in India no book is accepted as common to all. Shaivates do not agree with Vaishnavates. Similary others do not accept the one other than their own. In the past there were reports of conflicts between sects to dominate society. But that kind of conflict almost disappeared from social life since the 19 ^th century social reforms and the national liberation movements.These gentlemen who cry about ·invasion of the sacred· by secularists and leftists seem unaware of the tradition of Shad Darsanas i.e six kinds of views in Indian philosophy. Some of them do not propagate any sacred texts and Lokayata is completely negetived any. Both Budha and Mahavira did not advocate or impose any sacred texts. The Nasadiya Suktam in Rig Veda is a pointer to the earliest sceptical thoughts that is said to have intrigued Swami Vivekananda. But todays hindutva enthusiasts find a need to harmonise its meaning to their ·accepted· understandings that is again borrowed from Semitic ones. The latest is the explanations propounded to the published letters of Mother Theresa. The Indian tradition never considered about any limitation to the thoughts. Such need for limitations are imported from abroad and absorbed by the commons during the rule of Semitic believers.I include communists in this group. However, except for the countries ruled by religious tenets even those Semitic nations has outgrown such restrictions and are on the way to democracy and freedom. Freedom of thought is central to them.

Yours,

K.N.Krishnan