WELCOME!
Hello Reader! I hope you are ready for the amazing story you are about to read. The purpose of this time capsule is to introduce you to an Epic tale of love, leadership and tragedy. You may be wondering, “Why should I be interested in a Indian story about gods that do not have anything to do with me?” The answer is this. It not only fulfills every human’s natural desires for love,drama,and tragedy but also gives you an different perspective and insight into Indian Culture.
In this time capsule I will include several links to help you better grasp the Ramayana and everything it has to offer. While it is an enjoyable read, there are certain section that may need require more backstory or explanation. I hope that you will take the time to look at all of these links so that you get the full experience.
When it comes to reading the Ramayana I suggest selecting a specific character to focus on after the first few chapters. This is what I did and it changed the entire experience for me. It forced me to look more closely at each chapter that I read. It forced me to make more of an effort to connect all the characters and events to one another. My person of focus was Rama’s wife Sita. By paying attention to her I realized some things about the Indian female culture that I had not known before. While I am sure you are extremely curious as to what those are, you’ll have to wait and keep reading to find out! Enjoy!
Links
Below are some of the links I mentioned in my introduction. The first link is a retelling of the Ramayana that I found both entertaining and educational. The second is an article that shares a different perspective of Indian life, specifically in and out of Southall, that was shocking and eye opening.
Narayan’s retelling of The Ramayana.
http://dt.pepperdine.edu/courses/greatbooks_v/gbv-15/66697602-The-Ramayana-R-K-Narayan.pdf
Paula Richman’s A Diaspora Ramayana In Southall, Greater London
https://www.jstor.org/stable/1466032?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
The next link is to a popular Indian website that explains some of the influences the Ramayana has had on modern culture and art.
https://www.templepurohit.com/influence-of-ramayana-on-indian-art-culture/
The reason I chose this link is because it is not only reader friendly and easy to navigate but it offers religious information as well as three areas where the Ramayana has strongly influenced their culture. The areas discussed are; the theater and productions all over the world, Movies that depict the various stages of the epic, and Indian art and its significance to the people.
I understand the two of these focuses are more modern influences and may not seem all that important. Interestingly enough, they are. These two genres of entertainment are what help spread the message and morals behind the Ramayana. The plays and movies are things that people of every denomination, culture, or gender can enjoy and gain some knowledge from. This website helps describe in what ways these genres do this. The significance of the Ramayana’s influence on art is extremely important because art is heavily used in Indian religions and story telling. This website helps explain some of the religious influences in various pieces of art. These are the reasons I believed that this website would be of good use to you.
The last three links I will be sharing with you are three scholarly sources that I think will help you better understand the cultural significance of the Ramayana.
- http://www.jstor.org.vmiezproxy.vmi.edu/stable/pdf/23497156.pdf
- http://www.jstor.org.vmiezproxy.vmi.edu/stable/pdf/23497156.pdf
- http://www.jstor.org.vmiezproxy.vmi.edu/stable/pdf/41416229.pdf
The first and second articles have similar focuses. They both discuss the religious/cultural connections that the Ramayana has. The first one is about the Hindu ethics portrayed in the story. This gives you a perspective on what types of lifestyle choices the Ramayana would condone or expect. The second article discusses the concept of Dharma in the Ramayana. Like the first article this gives a different perspective on how the Ramayana connects to Indian culture’s everyday beliefs.
The last article is about Sita and a women’s belief that Sita should not be considered the ideal model for women in her culture. Instead the author discusses her belief that Sita was loyal to a fault and shamelessly worshipped her husband. I found this interesting because it is so different from what the Ramayana seems to want us to believe.Frankly I see exactly where the author of this article was coming from with her critics and enjoyed the fact it made me truly think and challenge was I was reading; as opposed to simply accepting what I was told.
My thoughts
Before you embark on your adventure that is the “Ramayana,” I would like to share with you why I believe it is one of the most interesting and culturally intuitive readings I have read in an extremely long time. This book takes you on the dramatic and life changing journey of one of Indian culture’s most prominent characters and icons. I particularly enjoyed how it started at the beginning of the main character Rama’s significant life and led us through his development as a leader, husband, and mortal man.
In the beginning Rama finds his one true love, Sita. After overcoming a series of obstacles it appears that he will have the fairy tale lifestyle all little girls read about. This could not be further from the truth. Rama is faced with one of the most challenging decisions he would have to make in his lifetime. That one decision will effect not only his life, but the life of his beautiful wife Sita. This decision is something that I am not sure myself or any other common person would have been able to make in the moment. He chooses to put his own personal gains aside to honor a demand that I initially found objectionable.
I think this speaks volumes to Indian culture’s relationships with their family, specifically the importance of fathers and other male figures. In India families’ father figures are considered to be the “kings of the household.” This means that they receive a level of respect that other members may not. Their opinions mean the world, but their approval is the most important. This is apparent when Rama makes his big decision and decides to honor what he believes to be his father’s dying wish even if it meant that his own life would be deterred. It is important to note that Sita does not leave her husband alone to make this decision. Regardless of whether or not it drastically changes her life as well, she supports her husband and vows to follow him wherever he may go. While this was intended to be honorable, later events made me questions Sita’s relationship with Rama. However, I did take this as a sign of how seriously Indian religions truly do take marriage.
After further research I found that the Indian culture views life as having 4 stages (or vedas)
- Studentship(Brahmacharya)
- Householder (grahstha ashram)
- Retirement (vanprastha ashram)
- Self-realization (sanyas ashram)
The first two (bolded), include marriage and are considered to be the foundations for a happy and successful life. This means that the second half of their lives revolve around having a successful marriage. Unlike western culture where divorces are seen everyday, the Indian culture takes holy matrimony serious on more extreme level. This helped me to somewhat understand where Sita was coming from with her determination and loyalty when it came to Rama and his decision.
During my reading of the Ramayana it also became very clear to me the role that females played in the Indian household. I make this statement in the past tense because the culture that the Ramayana portrays is of a different time and it has developed in our Modern World, while still holding true to its ancestral roots.
The woman is often viewed as the family prize. She is meant to represent the family and everything that they stand for. She is an physical example of purity and devotion. From the moment Rama laid eyes on Sita his reincarnated soul felt an instant connection to her. From that moment on he would do anything (and as you read the Ramayana you will learn he does do anything) in the world to protect his cherished perfect wife. This is why the topic I am about to discuss next was extremely shocking to me.
*Disclaimer: The next section does include a slight spoiler alert but I promise it is worth it.*
Sexual purity in any marriage is important; however in the time of the Ramayana it was the only way a woman was accepted or even loved by a man. When Sita was taken from Rama he went to great lengths to get her back safely with him. He waited for what seemed like an eternity and summoned forces of great power to get his wife back. Being the romantic that I am, I thought that this was finally going to be the happy ending I had been looking for. I was wrong. The instant Rama received his perfect wife back, he pushed her away from him! He claimed that because he was in a “house” with another man she may no longer be pure or innocent as she had been. His lack of faith in his “true love”threw her into such a despair that she would do anything to prove herself to him. This includes hurling herself into a fire to prove her purity. Thankfully the Gods intervened and helped her prove this point. Rama then welcomed her back with open arms, at least for a little while. That is an entirely different story however.
That’s right, it took Sita hurling herself into a fire for her husband to love and trust her. While I may not agree with this over dramatic gesture, it truly clarified how important a women’s purity is. This story paints a picture of a failed marriage and miserable life if a woman does not stay pure. It is the key to a happy and healthy life. I am not saying I either agree or disagree with this specific claim. But, if I were a young Indian girl reading this novel I would be fear stricken with the thought of making a mistake and finding myself in a position like Sita. This segment of the story not only showed us an important aspect of Indian culture, but served as a life lesson for young Indian girls everywhere.
It is important to remember that these are just a few of my personnel thoughts and analysis of certain segments of the Ramayana. The purpose was to show you some of the cultural connections and insights you may not realize you are receiving. The first time I read this book I simply saw it as a Indian drama. I did not see the cultural references or bits of knowledge that it offered until after I had discussed it with my class and taken time to really analyze and research Indian culture. This is most definitely not something I want you to have to do. I hope that you not only enjoy your reading of the Ramayana, but that you make your own observations and analysis and finish this book with a better understanding of Indian culture and values.