Ramayana is popularly known as ‘Adi Kaavya’ (the first literature). It consists of 24000 verses in 7 Chapters (called Kaandas). It is extremely popular among Hindus, Buddhists and Jains in India and other countries such as Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Burma and Malaysia.
The scripture begins as a dialogue between Sage Valmiki and the celestial saint Narada. Sage Valmiki asks Narada about the ideal being — Perfection Incarnate — the person with the noblest qualities ever seen. Narada proceeds to answer Valmiki with the divine story of Lord Rama — The Ramayana.Shata-Shloki Ramayana (Ramayana in 100 verses) is the first canto of this monumental epic written in the 32-syllable meter called the ‘Anushtup’. The Shata-Shloki is an abridged version of the whole tale describing the major events in the following sequence:
1. Baala Kaanda : The birth of Rama, his childhood and his marriage to Seeta.
2. Ayodhya Kaanda: Preparations for Rama’s coronation and his exile to the forest.
3. Aranya Kaanda: Rama in forest and the abduction of Seeta by Ravana, the demon king of Lanka
4. Kishkindha Kaanda: Rama’s meeting with Hanuman, the slaying of Vanara King Vaali and installation of Vaali’s younger brother Sugreeva as the ruler of Kishkindha
5. Sundara Kaanda: Hanuman’s heroics, his flight to Lanka and his discovery of Seeta
6. Yuddha Kaanda: The epic battle between Rama and Ravana.
7. Uttara Kaanda: Lord Rama’s coronation, his reign and the Lord’s return to Vaikuntha
Shata shloki Ramayana ends with a Phala Shruti narrating the benefits of chanting and listening to this hymn.His Holiness Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji of Avadhoota Datta Peetham has sonorously chanted these 100 verses in the audio album “Shata Shloki Ramayana” in the Ragas Mohana, Charukeshi, Shuddha Dhanyasi, Hamsadhwani, Sriraga, Purvikalyani, Peelu, Sallapam and Madhyamavati.
This slideshow video includes the audio of the album with appropriate visuals from Ramayana sketched by an artist per Sri Swamiji’s direction. Also included in the video are the brief inner meanings of each verse in English and its English transliteration for easy learning.