Kecak

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Reincarnation

Reincarnation of Vedavati: Some versions of the Ramayana suggest that Sita was a reincarnation of Vedavati. Ravana tried to molest Vedavati and her chastity was sullied beyond Ravana's redemption when she was performing penance to become consort of Vishnu. Vedavati immolated herself on a pyre to escape Ravan'a lust, vowing to return in another age and be the cause of Ravana's destruction. She was duly reborn as Sita.

Reincarnation of Manivati: According to Gunabhadra's Uttara Purana of the ninth century BCE, Ravana disturbs asceticism of Manivati, daughter of Amitavega of Alkapuri, and she pledges to take revenge on Ravana. Manivati is later reborn as the daughter of Ravana and Mandodari. But, astrologers predict ruin of Ravana because of this child. So, Ravana orders to kill the child. Manivati is placed in a casket and buried in the ground of Mithila where she is discovered by some of the farmers of the kingdom. Then Janka, king of that state adopts her.

Ravana's daughter: In Sanghadasa's Jaina version of Ramayana of the 5th century BCE, Sita, entitled Vasudevahindi, is born as daughter of Ravana. According to this version, astrologers predict that first child of Vidyadhara Maya (Ravana's wife) will destroy his lineage. That's why Ravana abandons her and orders the infant to be buried in a distant land where she is later discovered and adopted by Janka.

Kavacham

agastiruvaacha-
samyak pR^iShTaM tvayaa vatsa saavadhaanamanaaH shruNu |
aadau vaxyaamyahaM ramyaM siitaayaaH kavachaM shubham.h || 1||
yaa siitaavani saMbhavaathamithilaapaalena saMvardhitaa
padmaaxanR^ipateH sutaa nalagataa yaa maatuli~Ngotbhavaa|
yaa ratne layamaagataa jalanidhau yaa veda vaaraM gataa
la~NkaaM saa mR^igalochanaa shashimukhii maaMpaatu raamapriyaa || 2||

atha nyaasaH ||

asya shrii siitaakavacha mantrasya agasti R^iShiH |
shrii siitaa devataa |
anuShTup ChandaH |
rameti biijam.h |
janakajeti shaktiH |avanijeti kiilakam.h |
padmaaxa sutetyastram.h |
maatuli~Ngiiti kavacham.h |
muulakaasura ghaatiniiti mantraH |
shriisiitaaraamachandra priityarthaM sakala
kaamanaa siddhyarthaM jape viniyogaH ||

atha a~NguLii nyaasaH ||
OM hraaM siitaayai a~NguShThaabhyaaM namaH |
OM hriiM ramaayai tarjaniibhyaaM namaH |
OM hruuM janakajaayai madhyamaabhyaaM namaH |
OM hraiM avanijaayai anaamikaabhyaaM namaH |
OM hrauM padmaaxasutaayai kaniShThikaabhyaaM namaH |
OM hraH maatuli~Ngyai karatala karapR^iShThaabhyaaM namaH ||

hR^idayaadinyaasaH ||
OM hraaM siitaayai hR^idayaaya namaH |
OM hriiM ramaayai shirase svaahaa |
OM hruuM janakajaayai shikaayai vaShaT |
OM hraiM avanijaayai kavachaaya hum.h |
OM hrauM padmaaxasutaayai netratrayaaya vauShaT |
OM hraH maatuli~Ngyai astraaya phaT |
bhuurbhuvaHsuvaromiti digbandhaH ||

atha dhyaanam ||
siitaaM kamalapatraaxiiM vidyutpu~ncha samaprabhaam.h |
dvibhujaaM sukumaaraa~NgiiM piitakauseya vaasiniim.h || 1||
siMhaasane raamachandra vaamabhaaga sthitaaM varaam.h |
naanaala~Nkaara samyuktaaM kuNDaladvaya dhaariNiim.h || 2||
chuuDaaka~NkaNa keyuura rashanaa nuupuraanvitaam.h |
siimante ravichandraabhyaaM niTile tilakena cha || 3||
mayuuraa bharaNenaapi ghraaNeti shobhitaaMshubhaam.h |
haridraaM kajjalaM divyaM ku~NkumaM kusumaani cha || 4||
bibhrantiiM surabhidravyaM sagandha sneha muttamam.h |
smitaananaaM gauravarNaaM mandaara kusumaM kare || 5||
bibhrantii mapare haste maatuli~Nga manuttamam.h |
ramyavaasaaM cha bimboShThiiM chandra vaahana lochanaam.h || 6||
kalaanaatha samaanaasyaaM kalakaNTha manoramaam.h |
maatuli~NgotbhavaaM deviiM padmaaxaduhitaaM shubhaam.h || 7||
maithiliiM raamadayitaaM daasiibhiH pariviijitaam.h |
evaM dhyaatvaa janakajaaM hemakuMbha payodharaaM || 8||
siitaayaaH kavachaM divyaM paThaniiyaM subhaavahaM || 9||
OM | shrii siitaa puurvataH paatu daxiNevatu jaanakii |
pratiichyaaM paatu vaidehii paatuudiichyaaM cha maithilii || 1||
adhaH paatu maatuli~Ngii uurdhvaM padmaaxajaavatu |
madhyevanisutaa paatu sarvataH paatu maaM ramaa || 2||
smitaananaa shiraH paatu paatu bhaalaM nR^ipaatmajaa |
padmaavatu bhR^ivormadhye mR^igaaxii nayanevatu || 3||
kapole karNamuule cha paatu shriiraama vallabhaa |
naasaagraM saatvikii paatu paatu vaktraM tu raajasii || 4||
taamasii paatu madvaaNiiM paatu jihvaaM pativrataa |
dantaan paatu mahaamaayaa chibukaM kanakaprabhaa || 5||
paatu kaNThaM saumyaruupaa skandhau paatu suraarchitaa |
bhujau paatu varaarohaa karau ka~NkaNa maNDitaa || 6||
nakhaan raktanakhaa paatu kuxau paatu laghuudaraa |
vaxaH paatu raamapatnii paarshve raavaNamohinii || 7||
pR^iShThadeshe vahniguptaa vatu maaM sarvadaiva hi |
divyapradaa paatu naabhiM kaTiM raaxasa mohinii || 8||
guhyaM paatu ratnaguptaa li~NgaM paatu haripriyaa |
uuruu raxatu raMbhoruuH jaanunii priya bhaaShiNii || 9||
ja~Nghe paatu sadaa subhruuH gulphau chaamaraviijitaa |
paadau lavasutaa paatu paatva~Ngaani kushaambikaa || 10||
paadaa~NguLiiH sadaa paatu mama nuupura nisvanaa |
romaaNyavatu me nityaM piitakausheyavaasinii || 11||
raatrau paatu kaalaruupaa dine daanaika tatparaa |
sarvakaaleShu maaM paatu muulakaasuraghaatinii || 12||
evaM sutiixNa siitaayaaH kavachaM te mayeritam.h |
idaM praataH samutthaaya snaatvaa nityaM paThettuyaH || 13||
jaanakiiM puujayitvaa sa sarvaan kaamaanavaapnuyaat |
dhanaarthii praapnuyaaddravyaM putraarthii putramaapnuyaat || 14||
striikaamaarthii shubhaaM naariiM sukhaarthi saukhya maapnuyaat |
aShTavaaraM japaniiyaM siitaayaaH kavachaM sadaa || 15||
aShTabhuusura siitaayai narai priityaarpayet sadaa |
phalapuShpaadi kaadiini yaani yaani pR^ithak pR^ithak || 16||
siitaayaaH kavachaM chedaM puNyaM paataka naashanam.h |
ye paThanti naraa bhaktyaa te dhanyaa maanavaa bhuvi || 17||
paThanti raamakavachaM siitaayaaH kavachaM vinaa |
tathaa vinaa laxmaNasya kavachena vR^ithaa smR^itam.h || 18||
tasmaat.h sadaa narair jaapyaM kavachaanaaM chatuShTayam.h |
aadau tu vaayuputrasya laxmaNasya tataH param.h || 19||
tataH paTechcha siitaayaaH shriiraamasya tataH param.h |
evaM sadaa japaniiyaM kavachaanaaM chatuShTayam.h || 20||

iti shrii shatakoTiraamaayaNaaMtargata shriimadaanandaraamaayaNe
vaalmikiiye manoharakaaNDe shrii siitaakavachaM saMpuurNam.h ||

Summary Translation
Auspicious Sita, come thou near; 
We venerate and worship thee
That thou mayst bless and prosper us
And bring us fruits abundantly.

Serving Food to Rama and Lakshmana

Lakshmana Tirtha

The Lakshmana Tirtha (Lakshmantīrtha River) is a river of Karnataka, India. It rises in Kodagu district and flows eastward. It joins the Kaveri in the Krishna Raja Sagara lake.

One day when Rama with his followers was living in Irpu, his younger brother Lakshmana, in a fit of madness as sita was sent to forest, insulted him by returning the bow and arrows which he had received from Rama.

But soon repenting of his rashness, Lakshmana asked forgiveness, offering at the same time to throw himself into a large fire as an atonement for his crime. He accordingly shot an arrow against the foot of the rocks at Irpu, when a large fire flared up, into which he threw himself. In order to save his brother, Rama immediately created a river to put out the fire, but it was too late.

Rama afterwards desired to consecrate the spot, and ordered the dwarf Hanuman to bring a linga from Kashi (Varanasi) within an hour and a half. During his absence, Rama, fearing that Hanuman would not be back in time, made a linga himself of river-sand, in which operation he was surprised by Hanuman, who flew into a rage for having troubled himself in vain.

He twisted his enormous tail round one of the neighbouring hills, Hanuman betta, and attempted to upset it. Rama, to comfort the furious Hanuman, assured him that Hanuman's linga should become even as more famous than his own. So the new linga was set up at Herumalu, and the festive day of its worship precedes that of the linga at Irpu. Thus the river is called Lakshmanathirtha.