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Ramayana
Human Narrative
I thought War and Peace was the ultimate epic about profound human struggle and drama until I listened to Mahabharata - the longest epic in the world about 2 related families who went to a bloody war over the control of a kingdom. It blew me away - the depth, the grinding agony, the tormented souls, and the tragic loss of loved ones. I would have started a blog on it, but I came upon its twin epic, an earlier story - Ramanaya which talks about righteousness, morality and duty. Somehow, I was drawn to start on Ramayana to begin 2025.
Hanuman, the monkey god and Rama's devoted follower
Overview
Ramayana is the first Hindu epic written by Valmiki (c. 500-200 BCE) featuring the travails of Rama an incarnation of the God, Vishnu,and his devoted wife, Sita. Both pursued dharma (righteousness), karma and the cosmic order. The epic, composed of 7 books (7 kanda), offered an idealized model for human behavior and social order in the backdrop of Hindu culture and spirituality.
Main Characters
The main characters are Rama (hero, son of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya), Sita (devoted wife of Rama), Lakshamana (Rama's loyal brother), Hanuman (the monkey god and Rama's devoted follower) and Ravana (villain, 10-headed demon king of Lanka)
Plot
King Dasharatha performed a sacrifice to obtain sons and he was blessed with four: Rama, Lakshaman, Bharata and Shatrughna. Rama shows valor by breaking Shiva's bow and marries Sita (incarnation of the Goddess Lakshmi and daughter of King Janaka). King Dasharatha wanted Rama to be heir to the throne but Queen Kaikeyi, influenced by her servant, Manthara, succeeded in giving the throne to Bharata, Queen Kaykeyi's son. Rama, Sita and Lakshamana voluntarily went into a 14-year exile. In the forest, the trio encountered sages and demons. Ravana abducts Sita through the help of another demon, Maricha who took the form of a golden dear. Rama befriends Hanuman and Sugriva, the exiled monkey king. Rama helps Sugriva regain his kingdom. Sugriva vows to help Rama in search of Sita. Hanuman leaps across the ocean to Lanka where Sita is held captive by Ravana. Hanuman met Sita and passed along Rama's message. He burned part of Lanka and returned to Rama with news about Sita's location. Rama leads an army of monkeys and bears to Lanka. A great battles ensues with Rama felling Ravana with a divine arrow. Sita is freed and proved her purity through fire. Rama and Sita return to Ayodhya where Rama is crowned king. Public doubt about Sita's purity led her to exile where she gave birth to twins, Lava and Kusha. Sita, weary of proving her virtue, returns to earth as Rama ascends to the divine to resume his identity as Vishnu.
Lessons
- Dharma - fulfillment of duty even if it means great personal hardship
- Devotion - Sita's unwavering devotion to Rama and Hanuman's selfless service to Rama
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Ending Thoughts
Ramayana can be appreciated on many levels. It can be an enjoyable read about a hero's journey, or it can be a cheatsheet for hacking life - it all depends on how deep you want to go down the rabbit hole with it.
--- Gigit (TheLoneRider)
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Ramayana Movies
- Ramayana - to be released 2026,
- Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama - 9.2/10 IMDB rating, 1993, PG, 2h 15m
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