ramayana essays

ramayana essays The poetic author, Valmiki, does not calls Rama the perfect man in his well known tale of Ramayana for no reason. For this story has been a legendary epic that many generations of the Hindu culture have been modeling their society after, for over two thousand years. It has been an influential teaching for children and scholars of all ages because of its simplicity and exemplary concepts and virtues of the Hindu people. From childhood most Indians learn the characters and incidents of this epic and they furnish the morals, ideals and wisdom of common life. This epic helps to bind together the many peoples of India, transcending caste, distance and language by showing all the perfect way to practice dharma throughout one's life. As will be explored in this essay, one can derive many of the virtues of the Hindu culture and religion such as perfectionism, honesty, order, obedience and respect, and active asceticism through warfare. All these characteristics make a human being perfect and are achieved through the practice of dharma, as explicitly shown by the main character of Ramayana - Rama. Warfare is used in the Ramayana to express the ideas of dharma which is associated with Hinduism. In the Ramayana, warfare plays the role of religion and society. Rama lived his entire life in an exemplary manner - by the rules of dharma. When Rama was a young boy, he was the perfect son. Later he was an ideal husband to his faithful wife, Sita, and finally a responsible ruler of Aydohya. The first example of obedience and respect displayed by Rama is vivid when the news of his banishment, enforced by his own parents, are brought to him. He handles the situation with remarkably patient and wise attitude and says to his stepmother, "I gladly obey father's command ...Why, I would go even if you ordered it." By doing this and not fighting, he shows characteristics of great piety to his parents and the lack of desire to be a powerful and...