Ramayana quiz

Quiz is based on Valmiki Ramayana.

Grading policy.

1 correct answer ----------- D
2 correct answers ---------- C
3 correct answers ---------- B
4 correct answers ---------- A
5 or 6 correct answers----- A+

1.   Besides the hair ornament “choodamani” and the “crow story,” what third identification symbol/signal did Seeta offer Hanuman to take back to Rama? 

2.   Did Seeta utter a lie in Ramayana? If yes, when, and why?

3.   What was Seeta’s last question to Hanuman about her rescue? What was Hanuman's answer to her question?

4.   How did the choodamani (the hair ornament Seeta gave Hanuman as her identification) come into Seeta’s possession?

5.   What went on Hanuman’s mind before he picked a fight with the Rakshasas after finding Seeta in Lanka and conversing with her? 

6.   Why do we offer pujas to Hanuman (who is only a devotee of Rama) like we do for other Gods like Shiva, Vishnu, etc., but not to other great devotees like Prahlada, Shuka, Vyasa, Ambarisha, Narada, etc.?

I get an F:(.

Obnoxious wrote:I get an F:(.

Valmiki "Sundarakanda" okamaaru chadavandi, at your convenience. Need not be from a religious standpoint, but from the standpoint of - how to accomplish a task assigned to you, when to take initiative, how to prioritize, how to think through each step, cultural aspects, effective communication, redefining boundaries to the main task by extending it to ancillary tasks, self confidence, efficiency, etc., etc. You can get the whole Valmiki Ramayana along with Sri Desiraju Hanumantharao garu's translation and commentary at:

valmikiramayan.net 

These quiz questions are based on some interesting points covered in there, some said right up front, and some left unsaid.

1. fan
2.
3.
4. her dad gives it to her
5.
6. Because he is an incarnation of shiva

6. For protection from Shani.

Hellsangel wrote:6. For protection from Shani.

No. There is a verse in Ramayana (Sundara Kanda) that lets out the secret.

1. Sita removes her bangles at their intimate moment. She says she doesn't want them to become women referring to Ahalya's story.

ANSWERS
1.   Besides the hair ornament “choodamani” and the “crow story,” what third identification symbol/signal did Seeta offer Hanuman to take back to Rama? 



She tells Hanuman about an incident that happened in their bedroom. When her bottu/bindi/pottu was messed up, Rama wanted to put a fresh bottu on her forehead with some cosmetic powder, and Seeta, unaware of his intention moved her face at the last moment, and so Rama’s attempt at bottuing his wife sort of became clumsy and landed on her cheek. This is an incident only they would know about, and Rama will surely believe Hanuman if he tells him this story, that he had indeed found Seeta. (5-40-5)


2.   Did Seeta utter a lie in Ramayana? If yes, when, and why?


Yes. After Hanuman started destroying the Ashoka garden Seeta’s guards asked her if she knew who he was. Seeta replied – “how can I know, he must be one of your kind; only a snake knows snake’s ways.” That is obviously not true; she knew who he was because she just finished conversing with him. She appeared to have tried to save Hanuman from any possible harm by the Rakshasas by telling that lie.   (5-42-8 thru 10).


3.   What was Seeta’s last question to Hanuman about her rescue? What was Hanuman's answer to her question?

Seeta final question to Hanuman was – “You may be powerful enough to cross the ocean, but how can the other monkeys and bears cross it to come here, and then fight with Ravana’s army in order to rescue me?” (3-39-24 thru27)

Hanuman’s answer – “I am just an inferior guy compared to others in Sugriva’s army. You see, they always pick low level guys as messengers. If I could do it, all those others certainly can.” (5-39-38 thru 40)

4.   How did the choodamani (the hair ornament Seeta gave Hanuman as her identification) come into Seeta’s possession?

That rare jewel came from the ocean. It was her wedding gift from Dasaratha. (5-39-2 and 5-40-. 

There is some similarity with the story of how Lakshmi got “Koustubha-mani.” It was her father’s (Ocean) wedding gift to her. 


5.   What went on Hanuman’s mind before he picked a fight with the Rakshasas after finding Seeta in Lanka and conversing with her? 

Hanuman thought – “there are 4 ways for success in an enterprise – sama (talking nicely), dana (offering money), bedha (creating ill feelings between people), and danda (by beating them into submission). The first 3 ways would not work with these Rakshasas. So I should simply beat the daylights out of them.” (5-41-3).

6.   Why do we offer pujas to Hanuman (who is only a devotee of Rama) like we do for other Gods like Shiva, Vishnu, etc., but not to other great devotees like Prahlada, Shuka, Vyasa, Ambarisha, Narada, etc.?

Seeta’s blessing “duhkhasya haya karo bhava” (become the one who can remove the sadness (in me)). It is said that with that blessing from Seeta, Hanuman attained divinity. Being blessed with the capacity to remove the divine mother’s sadness by the divine mother herself, he himself became divine. The other famous devotees were not as lucky. (5-39-4). 

The blessing appears in Valmiki Ramayana, but the explanation doesn’t. I heard it in some pravachanams (commentaries) of well known people.

Thanks for the questions and answers Indo. Good research.