Jagamohana Ramayana. The Epic of Balarama Dasa

Text Sample:
Chapter 3. THE DESCANT:
Balarama Dasa started his Ramayana by invoking Lord Jagannath. As a practice found in ancient scriptures, Balarama Dasa presented the Ramayana in the trend of speaker and listener tradition where he made Siva as the speaker and Parvati as listener. Not only at the inception of his work but throughout it he presented all events in a catechismal manner i.e. instruction drawn up by question and answer between Siva and Parvati. The Jagamohana Ramayana started with the worship of Ramanama. In the introduction he concisely discussed the tale of Satidaha (burning of Sati i.e. Parvati), destruction of Dakhya Yajna (the sacrificial ceremony of Daksha) etc. He discussed how Siva was etiolated by committing the sin of the destruction of that yajna and obstruction of the religious duty and he could not get his power until the wearing off the sins he committed. For that Brahma advised him to worship the name of Rama (Ramanama) among the thousand names of Vishnu (Vishnu Sahasranama) and Siva was relieved from his sins and got his earlier power and health. And it is at the request of Parvati to know about Rama in detail, Siva narrated the whole Ramayana to her.
In Jagamohana Ramayana there is mention of the tale of Rusyasrunga. In the royal court, Dasaratha has expressed his despair and sorrow due to the absence of any male offspring. Sage Vashistha consoled him. He got the news from Sumantra that Rusyasrunga has come to his friend King Lomapada of Champavati kingdom. From hearing about Rusyasrunga and to bringing him to Ayodhya and performing Putresthi Yajna, Balarama Dasa has described the events sequentially regarding the birth of Rusyasrunga, sending of a group of prostitutes under the young and beautiful Jaratkrusa, their voyage, the natural scene of the jungle besides the river valley, the mollification of Rusyasrunga by the young girls, taking him to Champavati in a boat, the welcoming of Rusyasrunga by Lomapada, Rusyasrunga's

Dr. Priyadarshi Bahinipati is an Assistant Professor and Head at the Department of History, Govt. Degree College, Longtharai Valley, Dhalai, Tripura. In his long career in academics he has obtained his M.A. and Ph.D. in History from Utkal University,Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India, M.A. in Mass Communication from Berhampur University, Bhanja Vihar, Berhampur, Odisha, India, LLB from Utkal University, Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. He was also awarded a JRF by the ICHR, New Delhi for pursuing his research in Utkal University. He was a Research Associate in the Centre for Ambedkar Studies, Utkal University and taught History in the Post Graduate Department of History, Utkal University as a Lecturer.
The author has participated and delivered lectures in different educational institutions on several occasions. He has participated and presented a number of research papers and articles in various National and International Seminars and Conferences and also published a number of articles in National and International Journals and Books. So far, he has two published books to his credit, titled "B.R. Ambedkar: An Enlightened Iconoclast" and "The Mahima Dharma: Interpreting History, Trends and Traditions".