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Some doubts

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Kalyani Krishnamachari • January 30, 1997 


Namaskarams!  Thanks to everyone who responded to my question on what a 
Sri Vaishnavite woman should do.  My knowledge is very limited; I request 
forgiveness if I misquote scriptures.

Here are a few more questions on which I would appreciate clarification 
from any of you:

1. I have been told that there are some differences in the description of the
instances between the the major Ramayanas - the ones by Sri Valmiki, Sri Tulsi
Das, and Sri Kambar (may be there are others of which I am not aware of).
One example of this is the time that Sita Devi first looked at Sri Rama.  
In Valmiki's Ramayana, she sees Rama only during the bow incidence, and in
Kamba Ramayana (Annalum nokkinan, Avalum nokinnal) it happened prior to the 
breaking of the bow itself (is that true?).  

Given that Sri Valmiki, Sri Tulsi Das, and Sri Kambar were all sincere
devotees of the Lord, and were representing the events of Ramayana, how do we
account for the differences?

Is it possible that there are different versions of Ramayana because of the
different kalpas during which slightly different incidents took place? (Please
see item 3 below).

2. The birthday of Lord Hanuman is celebrated once around December and once 
around May.  What is the basis for this difference?  Which one is correct 
according to the Srivaishanavaite customs?

One story I have heard to account for the difference, which I picked up from
an article in some magazine (like Gnanabhumi), is that Garuda snatched 
away the payasam vessel that was being held by Dasaratha's wife Sumitra 
before she finished it, and gave it to Anjana Devi (Hanuman's mother) and 
that was why Hanuman was born around May (close to the birth date of Sri Rama 
and others).   (Another kalpa difference?)

3. Are there different versions of Ramayana because of the different kalpas?

Another story that I have heard to support the above is the encounter between 
Lord Hanuman and a rishi.  The rishi appeared in Hanuman's way one time and 
said that he has to pay a toll of some kind to pass that way.  Lord Hanuman 
found the rishi's vessel filled up to the brim, and inquired as to how the 
vessel was so full of toll coins.  The Rishi replied that they were all 
collected from the Hanumans of different kalpas.

Is there any basis for the above stories in the authentic literature?

Thank you,
Kalyani Krishnamachari