The ramayana: the great epic of india

The Ramayana: The Great Epic of India

The Ramayana is a major epic of ancient India and one of the most important texts of the Hindu faith. This narrative tells the story of the hero Rama andcenters around his marriage to Sita and her later abduction by the demon king Ravana. Rama’s quest to rescue his wife results in a tale filled with adventure and an abundance of side stories that explorefundamental themes and central Hindu subjects such as dharma. In his abridged version R.K. Narayan provides a detailed translation of the Indian epic that has allowed audiences to view key subjectmatter that was crucial in molding Hindu culture. The primary teachings and actions of characters found in this ancient epic reflect different conceptions of social duty, religious piety, and cosmicdestiny. This tale is filled with deeper symbolism and, through close analysis, is a fountain of religious outlook.
In The Ramayana the central figure of the tale is Rama, said to be an avatara ofVisnu, the supreme god and preserver of the created world. Rama helps introduce conceptions of social duty and religious piety through his actions. Foremost is dharma and ones bind to it. The charactersall behave and act accordingly to the laws of dharma. For example, after Rama’s father Dasaratha is forced to exile his son, being bound to fulfill promises made to his wife Kaikeyi, Rama dutifullyaccepts his request saying, “I am thrice blessed, to make my brother the King, to carry out my father’s command, and to live in the forest,” (Narayan, 46). Here, Rama follows the laws of dharma and stayscompletely devoted to his father, despite being exiled and denied the crown. Furthermore, on the quest to rescue his abducted wife, Rama touches on key Hindu subject matter when he encounters thegiant monkey Sugreeva. After recalling how his brother Vali exiled him from the kingdom of Kiskinda, Rama agrees to help Sugreeva. During battle, Rama shoots Vali in the back, and his judgment is...