Rama Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==Etymology and nomenclature== Rama is also known as Ram, Raman, Ramar,{{Refn|Many Indian languages, such as Hindi, delete the terminal 'a' sound in Sanskrit words. Others, such as Tamil and Malayalam, have their own suffixes; -r and -n in this case. [[Schwa deletion in Indo-Aryan languages]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/questions/15617/why-we-put-a-after-each-hindu-name/15622|title=Why we put 'a' after each Hindu name|website=Hinduism.Stackexchange|access-date=8 March 2021|date=16 October 2016|archive-date=17 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417180922/https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/questions/15617/why-we-put-a-after-each-hindu-name/15622|url-status=live}}</ref>|group=lower-greek}} and Ramachandra ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|r|ɑː|m|ə|ˈ|tʃ|ae|n|d|r|ə}};<ref>{{cite LPD|3}}</ref> {{IAST3|Rāmacandra}}, {{Lang-sa|रामचन्द्र}}). ''Rāma'' is a Vedic Sanskrit word with two contextual meanings. In one context, as found in ''[[Atharva Veda]]'', as stated by [[Monier Monier-Williams]], it means "dark, dark-colored, black" and is related to the term ''ratri'', which means night. In another context in other Vedic texts, the word means "pleasing, delightful, charming, beautiful, lovely".<ref name="mmwrama">{{Cite web|title=Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary --र|url=https://sanskrit.inria.fr/MW/218.html#raama|access-date=6 March 2021|website=sanskrit.inria.fr|archive-date=8 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508003129/https://sanskrit.inria.fr/MW/218.html#raama|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=parpola264/> The word is sometimes used as a suffix in different Indian languages and religions, such as Pali in Buddhist texts, where ''-rama'' adds the sense of "pleasing to the mind, lovely" to the composite word.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Thomas William Rhys Davids|author2=William Stede|title=Pali-English Dictionary|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0Guw2CnxiucC&pg=PA521 |year=1921|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-1144-7|page=521}}</ref> ''Rama'' as a first name appears in the Vedic literature, associated with two patronymic names – Margaveya and Aupatasvini – representing different individuals. A third individual named ''Rama Jamadagnya'' is the purported author of hymn 10.110 of the ''[[Rigveda]]'' in the Hindu tradition.<ref name=mmwrama/> The word ''Rama'' appears in ancient literature in reverential terms for three individuals:<ref name=mmwrama/> # [[Parashurama|Parashu-rama]], as the sixth [[avatar]] of Vishnu. He is linked to the ''Rama Jamadagnya'' of the ''Rigveda'' fame. # '''Rama-chandra''', as the seventh avatar of Vishnu and of the ancient ''Ramayana'' fame. # [[Balarama|Bala-rama]], also called ''Halayudha'', as the elder brother of [[Krishna]] both of whom appear in the legends of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. The name Rama appears repeatedly in Hindu texts, for many different scholars and kings in mythical stories.<ref name=mmwrama/> The word also appears in ancient [[Upanishad]]s and [[Aranyaka]]s layer of Vedic literature, as well as music and other post-Vedic literature, but in qualifying context of something or someone who is "charming, beautiful, lovely" or "darkness, night".<ref name=mmwrama/> The Vishnu avatar named Rama is also known by other names. He is called ''Ramachandra'' (beautiful, lovely moon),<ref name=parpola264>{{cite book|author=Asko Parpola|title=Studia Orientalia, Volume 84|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jkBZAAAAMAAJ |year=1998|publisher=Finnish Oriental Society|isbn=978-951-9380-38-4|page=264}}</ref> or ''Dasarathi'' (son of Dasaratha), or ''Raghava'' (descendant of Raghu, solar dynasty in Hindu cosmology).<ref name=mmwrama/><ref>{{cite book|last1=Wagenaar|first1=Hank W.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_kWROaer5UsC&pg=PA528|title=Allied Chambers transliterated Hindi-Hindi-English dictionary|last2=Parikh|first2=S. S.|publisher=Allied Publishers|year=1993|isbn=978-81-86062-10-4|page=528}}</ref> He is also known as Ram Lalla ''(Infant form of Rama)''.<ref name="News18RamLalla19">{{Cite web|title=Ayodhya Case Verdict: Who is Ram Lalla Virajman, the 'Divine Infant' Given the Possession of Disputed Ayodhya Land|url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/ayodhya-case-verdict-who-is-ram-lalla-virajman-the-divine-infant-given-the-possession-of-disputed-ayodhya-land-2379679.html|date=9 November 2019|access-date=4 August 2020|website=News18|archive-date=28 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928112944/https://www.news18.com/news/india/ayodhya-case-verdict-who-is-ram-lalla-virajman-the-divine-infant-given-the-possession-of-disputed-ayodhya-land-2379679.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Additional names of Rama include ''Ramavijaya'' ([[Javanese language|Javanese]]), ''Phreah Ream'' ([[Khmer language|Khmer]]), ''Phra Ram'' ([[Lao language|Lao]] and [[Thai language|Thai]]), ''Megat Seri Rama'' ([[Malay language|Malay]]), ''Raja Bantugan'' ([[Maranao]]), ''Ramar'' or ''Raman'' ([[Tamil language|Tamil]]), and ''Ramudu'' ([[Telugu language|Telugu]]).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rajarajan |first1=R.K.K. |title=Sītāpaharaṇam: Changing thematic Idioms in Sanskrit and Tamil. In Dirk W. Lonne ed. Tofha-e-Dil: Festschrift Helmut Nespital, Reinbeck, 2 vols., pp. 783–97 |date=2001 |isbn=3-88587-033-9 |pages=783–797 |publisher=Dr. Inge Wezler, Verlag für Orientalistische Fachpublikationen |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263747582 |language=en}}</ref> In the ''[[Vishnu sahasranama]]'', Rama is the 394th name of [[Vishnu]]. In some Advaita Vedanta inspired texts, Rama connotes the metaphysical concept of Supreme [[Brahman]] who is the eternally blissful spiritual Self (Atman, soul) in whom [[yogi]]s delight nondualistically.{{Sfn|Ramdas Lamb|2012|p=31}} The root of the word ''Rama'' is ''ram-'' which means "stop, stand still, rest, rejoice, be pleased".<ref name=parpola264/> According to [[Douglas Q. Adams]], the Sanskrit word ''Rama'' is also found in other Indo-European languages such as [[Tocharian languages|Tocharian]] ''ram'', ''reme'', ''*romo-'' where it means "support, make still", "witness, make evident".<ref name=parpola264/><ref>{{cite book|author1=Adams|author2=Douglas Q. Adams|title=A Dictionary of Tocharian B: Revised and Greatly Enlarged |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EWziAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA587 |year=2013|publisher=Rodopi|isbn=978-90-420-3671-0|page=587}}</ref> The sense of "dark, black, soot" also appears in other Indo European languages, such as ''*remos'' or Old English ''romig''.{{Sfn|Maloory and en|1997|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=tzU3RIV2BWIC&pg=PA160 160]}}{{refn|group=lower-greek|The legends found about Rama, state Mallory and Adams, have "many of the elements found in the later Welsh tales such as ''Branwen Daughter of Llyr'' and ''Manawydan Son of Lyr''. This may be because the concept and legends have deeper ancient roots.{{Sfn|Maloory and en|1997|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=tzU3RIV2BWIC&pg=PA165 165]}}}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page