Sundara Kandam
What is the greatest ‘phala’ of Sundara kanda ‘parayana’? One receives the ‘phala’ of having performed the ‘parayana’ of the whole Ramayana.
How is this?
In Sundara Kanda (a section in Ramayana), when Hanuman arrives at Asoka vana where Sita has been placed, he finds her preparing to hang herself. Hanuman immediately sings the Ramayana – beginning with Dasarata performing yaga for the birth of a child till his own arrival at Asoka vana. Trijada (one of the demonesses guarding Sita but the only one who was sympathetic to Sita) describes the dream wherein she sees Rama coming there to kill Ravana and subsequently Rama Pattabhisheka taking place. So, a gist of the whole Ramayana is found in Sundara kanda ‘parayana’. The earlier part of Ramayana comes through Hanuman and the latter part through the dream of Trijada.
Thus, the whole Ramayana is contained in a nut shell in Sundarakanda; therefore, ‘parayana’ of Sundara kanda is akin to doing ‘Parayana’ of the whole Ramayana.