|
|
Ramayana
is the oldest and the most popular epic of the Hindus. It consists of
seven books with 24000 couplets, composed written by Valmiki. It is
said to represent the expansion of the Aryan culture over the Deccan
and South India. Orthodox Hindus believe that the Ramayana belongs to
the Treta Yuga. While the modern historians believe that it belongs
to the period same as that of the Sutras i.e. after the Vedic period.
The theme of Ramayana popularly known is the conflict between Rama and
Ravan. They are taken to be the representatives of the Aryans and the
non-Aryans. Obviously the conflict ends with the victory of the Aryans
over the non-Aryans. Another view is that Rama stands for Indra-god
of rain-who fought against Vritra.
In Indian context norms of epic are set by Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Many more topics were treated in great length by number of line verses
or chapters but none equals these two. Interestingly, these two epics
have provided canvas or theme for many forms of art, like paintings,
sculpture, poems, plays and stories.
Ramayana is written by Valmiki. It consists of seven 'Kanda's or volumes
and about twenty four thousand verses or Shlokas. It is claimed that
original Ramayana consisted of second to sixth volume and later on interpolated
and expanded to the state of today's. Ramayana. The poet Valmiki was
formerly a robber who was supposedly converted to the devotion of God
by Narada the messenger of God. Having undergone devotional worship
for many years he got a stature of sears. Once he saw a hunter killing
a mating pair of crane he was moved by the sufferings of the birds and
passed a couplet verse as a curse. This was supposedly beginning of
writing poem. He further composed verses in praise of a king Rama later
taken to the level of God in Hindu mind.
It is story of Rama, who is expected to have coronation in near future,
but suddenly one of his stepmother remembers to have a privileged right
to ask for anything from her husband. She asks for the throne in favor
of her true son and Rama the eldest son to be expatriated. Rama along
with his wife and brother leaves for forest to spend fourteen years.
In the forest wife of Rama , Sita is abducted by Ravana, a king of demons.
Rama with the help of monkeys such as Hanuman ,bears and other animals
and tribals fought victoriously with Ravana, killing many of Ravanas
kings, and came back to Ayodhya capital of his kingdom.
Apart from this brief storyline, there are many facets to the epic.
As it has given impetus to works such as Raghuvansh, the epic in itself
is enriched by folk forms of stories, myths. Outwardly it's a story
of abdication and a war for right principal and re-induction to the
throne. Ramayana is idealistic, in their respective handling of human
characters. It has personified idealised human values and ethical and
moral values in the form of Rama. He is an ideal son, brother and king
in Indian mind. And Sita to be an ideal wife personified. Rama, his
wife Sita and his brother Laxman are worshipped as Gods. Not only that,
his devotee Hanuman is also a deity in himself. Sufferings of Sita as
a woman are always symbolised as sufferings of common woman. In fact
in Indian view, even though these were Gods still they had to suffer
due to stroke of destiny.
Needless to say, for mortals like us sufferings are inevitable. Thus
it gives strength to face the sufferings in reality. Whether Rama was
a reality or just an imaginary character, if he was a reality then,
how much spread was his territory, what was the time span of the story
in real history. Which were the real places related to Ramayana is left
to the academicians for debate. But there is hardly any place in India,
which is not believed to have either inhabited by Rama, or chariot of
Rama has left a mark, or something like that. There are many interpretations
of the story, related to unification of different races, different cults
etc,. Similarly there are different versions of the story reaching up
to Java, Sumatra, Indonesia etc. There are different variations of the
story even in India in Jain Ramayana, Jatak Katha in Budhist literature.
Nevertheless it is inseparable part of Indian ethos.
It is undeniable that there is greatest spiritual beauty, greater softness
and tenderness of emotions in Ramayana.
©
2001Vandemataram.com All rights reserved.
|
 |