Ramayana, Mythology, College Term Papers.com


		Data Bases
		• Custom Term Papers • Free Term Papers • Free Research Papers • Free Essays • Free Book Reports • Plagiarism?

		Links
		• Top 100 Term Paper Sites • Top 25 Essay Sites • Top 50 Essay Sites • Search 97,000 Papers @ DirectEssays.com • Search 101,000 Papers @ ExampleEssays.com • Search 90,000 Papers @ MegaEssays.com

		Free Essays
		• Term Paper Sites • Chuck III's Free Essays • Free College Essays • TermPaperSites.com • My Term Papers • Get Free Essays • Essay World • Planet Papers

Search Lots of Essays

Back to Subjects - Mythology

ramayana

ramayana The Ramayana by Valmiki has influenced and shaped all aspects of Indian society. The Ramayana was written at around 550 B.C. in Sanskrit. The story is composed of twenty-four thousand verses, divided into seven books. The books are called kanda (Mack 576). Every Indian person knows the story of Ramayana. The story is read to all young children in India. Children are told the ancient tale in Sanskrit and boys are told to act like Rama and girls are told to act like Sita (Nair). The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are regarded as the cornerstone of the classic Hindu religion we know today. These two ancient Sanskrit texts together compromise all Hinduism beliefs and teachings. The Hindu religion effects all aspects of the political and social norms that exist in India. The first appearances of Hinduism appeared with the introduction of Sanskrit. Sanskrit is a sacred language and the first recorded writings of this language appeared in the ancient Vedas (scriptures). These ancient scripture appeared between 1500-1200 B.C.(Pandian 62). These writings were the beginnings of the Hindu religion and had great influence on Valmiki when he was writing the Ramayana. Pre-Hindu religion before the writing of the Ramayana involved several similarities to the Hindu religion. The most influential similarity that Valmiki kept in his text was the focus on the individual. David R. Kinsley in his book Hinduism says this about the Vedic (pre-Hindu) beliefs "The realization of…truth wins the adept liberation…from the shifting world of constant flux and the endless cycle of rebirth, which is…determined by all one's action."(13) The Ramayana kept this central idea, but also focused on political aspects of the society at the time. Kinsley states that the Ramayana also introduced the idea of "tension between a religion aimed at supporting…the world order and one aimed at isolating a person from society in order to achieve individual liberation."(15) This makes the Ramayana unique because it deals with the political structure of India and the social structures of the Hindu religion. This central idea of the Ramayana focuses on the Hindu religion and how this can effect society and politics. The main theme is how the individual acts towards society and how their actions effect society, based on Hindu beliefs. Hindus can worship any deity that will fulfill the individual Hindus social, emotional, intellectual, and metaphysical needs. There are no heretics in Hinduism and individuals have the freedom to worship as they please (Pandian 51). Hinduism has thousands of gods. Some of the more popular gods are listed below. Brahma is known as the creator, but a curse was put on him because he lied to Shiva. Shiva cursed him and the curse is that no one will worship him. Shiva is known as the destroyer of evil. He is an ascetic god who is said to dwell in the Himalayas in meditation. He stores up his energy from his meditations and periodically releases them into the world. Shiva has three eyes and when he opens the third eye it will be known as the destruction of the universe. Vishnu is the god who keeps all things in balance. Vishnu is known as the preserver, too. Vishnu is the only god that appears in different forms. Vishnu appears in ten different incarnated forms to maintain stability and balance in the universe, through the accomplishment of different missions here on earth. Vishnu appears as Krishna in the Mahabharata, Rama in Ramayana, and at the end of the world he will appear as Kalki. Vishnu has appeared as a turtle and as a half-man half-lion. As mentioned before Hindus can worship any god they choose. Many of the gods that are worshipped are the incarnated forms of Vishnu, and some other popular gods that are worshipped are taken from the story of Ramayana (Nair). Rama and Krishna, both incarnated forms of Vishnu, are the most popular incarnated forms of Vishnu that are worshipped. Rama is one of the incarnated forms that Vishnu appears as, in Valmiki's Ramayana. Vishnu takes this form to restore order to the kingdom of Ayodhya. Rama is sent to kill the ten-headed monster known as Ravana. Ravana is the king of a group of demons called Ashuras and he has taken Sita to his kingdom on the island of Lanka (Yutang 138). Rama makes a bridge to the island with the help of Hanuman the monkey. Rama then kills Ravana and rescues his wife. The battle represents the ongoing struggle that Vishnu, the balancer of good and evil, stands for. Rama, in his quest for eternal truth and order, has to overcome several internal and external trials that face him. All through the novel, Rama is always the perfect example of Hindu belief. He always maintains the self-control and internal balance that is needed to maintain balance in the external affairs of the kingdom, with his family, and his wife. The idea of order in oneself reflects the kingdom and also extends to the universe. The Hindus understand that if the individual is in constant harmony with himself and his surroundings, then the world and universe at large will also be in harmony. The core of the Hindu religion is based on several ideologies. Hindus believe in the eternal truth of dharma. Dharma represents moral law and righteous order. In Valmiki's Ramayana his father, King Dasaratha against his will, banishes Rama to the forest for fourteen years. Rama goes willingly, maintaining righteous order in the kingdom and moral order between his father and himself. Rama later maintains this order again, despite great odds, with his wife Sita. The citizens of Ayodha question Sita's chastity. Rama must banish her from the kingdom, even though he knows that she is still chaste, in order to establish order. These are the two most enduring themes in Ramayana (Kinsley 27). When Rama leaves to the forest for fourteen years his trials in the wild, represents and ordering of chaos. Rama himself, when he is in the forest represents dharma itself and its effects that it has on dangerous and chaotic things. He tames the wildness that the forest represents and brings it under his control. Rama meets the monkey Hanuman while in the forest and befriends him. Hanuman swears loyalty to Rama and helps him build a bridge to Lanka and destroy Ravana. Hanuman is a popular god in India and represents the perfect friend loyal, courageous, and strong (Kinsley 26). The caste system that the kingdom of Ayodha stands for is due to the idea of karma. Karma is the core of Hindu belief and is intertwined with the idea of dharma. Hindus believe that karma represents all our actions and thoughts. These actions known as karma will be returned to the individual. The Hindus also believe in reincarnation. Samsara is the idea that when a person dies he will be reborn according to his karma. Samsara is the constant death and rebirth of the individual. This cycle will go on forever until and if the person achieves enlightenment (maksa). Maksa is the ultimate goal of all Hindu followers and is reached by keeping good dharma (Herman 114). Rama is the constant keeper of karma throughout the story. He treats everybody with fairness and constantly puts the welfare of the kingdom and social order before his own personal happiness. His father the King Dasharatha is tricked and must exile Rama from the kingdom. When Rama is banished from the kingdom, after he was promised the crown, does not get upset and in fact leaves happily because his father keeps his word. Truthfulness in Indian culture is the essence of enlightenment. All order and power flow from this virtue. Rama is the perfect son, never forsaking his father and is obedient till the very end. Rama also maintains his pose with Manthara and Kaikeyi, the ones who plotted Rama's fourteen-year exile. The idea of karma is also represented in Rama's fourteen-year exile to the woods. His entering the woods represents samsara and his return to the kingdom is the maksa or liberation of his life according to the idea of karma. Rama attained several levels of maksa (enlightenment). He attains it when he takes his pilgrimage into the forest. He also attains maksa when he inherits the kingdom and kills Ravana. In the forest he gained valuable attributes that make him a perfect ruler. Hindus celebrate the return of Rama from his exile in a celebration called Dawali. It is celebrated each year and lasts three days. The three days represent the return of Rama, the preparing of the kingship, and the final day represents the day that the kingdom is bestowed to Rama. The people of India light lanterns in the streets and in their houses. They share food with friends and neighbors (Nair). This idea of karma and samsara makes for a rigid caste system in the story of the Ramayana and India as well. There are five social classes. The Brahmins are at the height of the social ladder, then the Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras, and last are the Untouchables. The three highest social classes are called the twice-born class and only they can perform special ceremonies that will insure enlightenment (maksa). The representation of the kingdom and all its social stratification's in the story reinforces this idea (Pandian 68). Modern India has had many social upheavals and political problems in the country. Early in the 1990's Minister V. P. Singh initiated affirmative action against the backward castes. Subsequently, this led to widespread riots and social upheavals (Blank X). The writings of the Ramayana have such a powerful impact on the people in India today, and all throughout the history of India. The political structures that the Ramayana represent are at the core of Hindu philosophy. The Hindu religion believes that all things must be in "order". This relates back to the idea of obtaining enlightenment. Without order you have chaos and enlightenment can not be found in this disorder. Ayodha is the ideal kingdom; everybody knows their place in relation to their proper rebirth (samsara) in the order of the kingdom. Rama is the perfect ruler and son. This idea further reinforces the idea of dharma (social order). The highest social class, the king, is also the central figure in maintaining order in the kingdom. Reinforcing the need for a social class even more, and the need for order and proper duty among the different classes. Sita is the perfect wife and always does what is asked of her. The Ayodhyans believe that Sita, while under the control of the demon Ravana, did not keep her chastity. Chastity in the Indian culture not only represents the women, but also the man. It is considered a power that sustains the two of them. It is the husband's duty to protect this power and the citizens' question Rama's ability to rule them because of his lack of control over his wife (Kinsley 29). Rama for the sake of the kingdom must banish Sita. Rama represents the perfect ruler, giving up his own feelings and ambitions for the sake of the kingdom (Kinsley 31). This further shows the constant order that pervades all through the story. Political aspects at the time Valmiki wrote Ramayana have touched of political strife today. At the time Valmiki wrote Ramayana, Aryans from the north conquered Southern India. This invasion inspired Valmiki to write about Rama. The Aryans portray Rama and the island of Lanka and Ravana represent the indigenous people of Southern India. Several political parties in Southern India use the Ramayana as propaganda to support their campaign for independence from Northern India (Kinsley 25). The kingdom in the Ramayana is the center of righteousness and is the birthplace of dharmarajya. Dharmarajya stands for righteous kingdom. The story of the Ramayana has been so influential to the Indian society that Jacob Pandian in his book The making of India and Indian Traditions says "Mahatma Ghandi used Ramayana to convey the legitimacy of a free India, which he called Ramarajya (kingdom of Rama)."(125) Ghandi freed India from British rule through the practice of the Hindu religion. If ever there was a hero to the Indian people it would have to be Rama. He represents everything that the Hindu religion encompasses and Sita his wife is the female version of Rama. Sita also exemplifies Hindu thought. She goes to the forest with Rama and is later captured by the ten-headed monster Ravana. She is rescued by Rama, but must leave the kingdom because her chastity is in question by the citizens. She ignores her own desires and thinks about Rama's duty as a king and her own duties as a wife. She maintains dharma (balance) in the kingdom and is swallowed up by her mother, Earth at the end of the tale. In the Indian culture she is considered the loftiest and holiest of creatures that the Hindus have created. She represents, according to Lin Yutang in the book The Wisdom of China and India, "womanly love, womanly truth and womanly devotion."(140) Together they encompass the relationships that a man and a woman in the Indian culture should have. Each one of them understands their dharma and they both fulfill their individual roles as husband and wife. Sita represents the earth; she is the daughter of Earth. Rama, being an incarnated form of Vishnu, represents heaven. So together the two of them achieve balance in the universe and with each other (Kinsley 27). Rama stands for all good things, truthfulness, obedience, and courage to name a few. He continues to be a hero to the people of India. Sita is also a hero to the people of India. They both continue to shape the minds of India. As westerners we fail to realize the impact that this story has had on so many people. The characters in a story shape an entire people. The story of the Ramayana has helped the country of India establish independence. It has also caused political turmoil and social upheavals, but it continues to shape the culture of India and all Hindus everywhere. It is the cornerstone of the Hindu religion and shapes all aspects of the country, politically and socially. The heroes in this wonderful tale seem to be just as popular today as they were in 550 B.C. A quote from Jonah Blank in his book Arrow of the Blue-Skinned God describes the enduring theme that the Ramayana holds and why it has withstood the test of time: The Ramayana is not a fact but an idea. That is why it will continue to dominate India in a way no objectively verifiable chronicle ever could. It is beyond corroboration. It can never be confirmed, so it can never be denied. (11) The Ramayana will continue to influence Hindus and the world at large. Whether we believe it or not dharma exists in the form of the Ramayana. Bibliography:

Word Count: 2493