Yuga Bheda

[Rishi_L 0]

Okay dudes, this is a topic that absolutely fascinates me. I vividly recall my beloved grandmother, while she was physically alive, basically telling me that history always repeats itself. There have been countless Ramayans during every treta yuga, countless Krishnas (or the same one just incarnating over and over again, perhaps?) bestowing the Bhagavad Gita to countless Arjunas during countless Kurukshetra Wars every dwapar yuga and countless Kalki avatars appearing during the end of every kali yuga and so on. This is basically the gist of what my grandmother once told me. I think this is fascinating and there might be some truth to it. Y'know how there's such a vast variety of versions of Ramayan in our world (particularly in south-east Asia)? Maybe they're all 'true' in their own way. In all honesty, I don't know much about the subject at all but I'd love to learn more about it because it's so fascinating and trippy as hell. So anyway, perhaps the Valmiki Ramayan just records what happened in the most recent treta yuga but not what happened in previous treta yugas? I've read many other versions of Ramayan besides just Valmiki Ramayan and there are so MANY variations in each of them (some of them minor and some quite major, such as a variation in who actually killed Ravana for example). One of the Ramayans states that Hanuman, on his way to Lanka, encountered a mermaid and produced offspring with her. Another Ramayan version states that it was actually Lakshman (not Rama!) who defeated and killed Ravana because Rama was observing a vow of ahimsa. I think this was the Jain version of Ramayan. In any case, there are just so many variations of certain details of Ramayan that I find it difficult to comprehend that NONE of these 'variations' did indeed once occur. Perhaps they did in an extremely distant past which has now become all but forgotten except in the so-called 'myths' of ancient cultures. I'm not just referring only to Ramayan here, my grandmother said that the whole dasavatar of Vishnu as well as the events of Ramayan and Mahabharat are re-enacted kalpa after kalpa. Do you think there is some truth to this notion? Perhaps, even with our supposed free-will, we still ultimately make the same kinds of decisions and forget the same kinds of things and this is why certain events unfold in an extremely similar manner. What do y'all think about this?

[Avinash 0]

Scriptures do say that same incarnations occur in all kalpas(of course, there may be exceptions that I am not aware of). Some incarnations may happen more than one in the same kalpa. Here, kalpa is one day of Brahma. If we take Rama incarnation, then many Rama incarnations have happened. The stories in all these incarnations are similar but not exactly the same. This can be one reason for variations in Ramayana versions. But this need not be the only reason. Cultural difference can also be one reason. I have found that cultural difference is more important reason for different versions of Ramayana. Let us take some examples:-

The version of Ramayana in Malaysia is called as "Hikayat Seri Rama". In that, Dashratha is the great grandson of Adam and Ravana receives boon from Allah instead of from Brahma. Why this deviation from Valmiki Ramayana? I believe the answer is because of culture of Malaysia. When Ramayana was introduced to Malaysia, then it was important to keep in mind Islamic culture of Malaysia. It was blasphemy to talk of any god other than Allah in that culture. Therefore, Brahma was not mentioned and Allah was mentioned. Likewise, Dashratha's lineage was also changed and his ancestor was mentioned as Adam because in Malaysia, Adam was well known. Moreover, Rama is shown as a human being and not as God because in Islamic culture, it is blashphemy to talk of any god other than Allah.

 

Thailand's Ramakien has many tales similar to Valmiki Ramayana but names have been changed to Thai names. Also clothes, weapons, topography, and elements of nature are described as being Thai in style.

[Rishi_L 0]

 

Scriptures do say that same incarnations occur in all kalpas(of course, there may be exceptions that I am not aware of).

 

So there are no different incarnations other than Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha and Kalki in each kalpa? Are these incarnations the same even in the lifetimes of other Brahmas in the distant past and distant future of our universe or brahmanda? Are there completely different incarnations in other brahmandas? Or are the answers to these questions unknown? Sorry for asking so many questions, it's just that this is still quite new to me and EXTREMELY fascinating. And yes, I know that Bhagavan Rama is revered even by the Muslims in Indonesia. He is so great that he captures everyone's hearts, no matter who they are!

[Avinash 0]

 

So there are no different incarnations other than Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha and Kalki in each kalpa?

I never said that. There are many more incarnations.

 

 

Are these incarnations the same even in the lifetimes of other Brahmas in the distant past and distant future of our universe or brahmanda? Are there completely different incarnations in other brahmandas? Or are the answers to these questions unknown?

If we take a particular incarnation in a given brahmanda, say Rama incarnation, then two Rama the stories of two incarnations are similar but not exactly the same. I mean there are many similarities but also some differences. This is true for different Rama incarnations (or any other incarnation) in the same brahmanda : two Rama incarnations are similar but not exactly the same; two Krishna incarnations are similar but not exactly the same.

 

As far I have read, scriptures do not talk about incarnations in different brahmandas. So, the incarnation in one brahmanda may be similar or may even be completely different from the incarnation in another brahmanda.

[Rishi_L 0]

 

If we take a particular incarnation in a given brahmanda, say Rama incarnation, then two Rama the stories of two incarnations are similar but not exactly the same.

 

Okay, so no two incarnations are exactly alike though they might be very similar. But are there still certain details in the pastimes of these incarnations that never change regardless of what time it is? For example, is it always Rama (and not Lakshman, for example) who kills Ravana in Ramayan no matter what kalpa it is?

[Avinash 0]

As per the stories I have read, it is always Rama who kills Ravana. But how he kills may be different. In some incarnation, he may kill very easily. In some, hemay kill after lots of bloodshed.

[Rishi_L 0]

 

As per the stories I have read, it is always Rama who kills Ravana. But how he kills may be different. In some incarnation, he may kill very easily. In some, hemay kill after lots of bloodshed.

 

Thanks for the answers!