Introduction

Despite being the eldest and much loved son of his father King Dasharatha, Rama was forced into a 14 year exile by his father’s jealous wife. As the embodiment of virtuous behavior, Rama humbly accepts his banishment, and his beloved wife Sita and loyal brother Lakshmana choose to join him in the wilderness. As the avatar of Vishnu, Rama’s dharma (or sacred destiny) was to kill the mighty demon king Ravana, who cannot be killed by gods, demons, or spirits. Ravana is definitely the villain in the epic; not only has he angered the gods to the point that Vishnu incarnates as Rama to kill him, but also Ravana challenges Rama on a deeply personal level when the demon king kidnaps Sita. With his brother Lakshmana as his faithful companion and a cohort of animal and demon allies, Rama embarks on a quest to rescue his beloved.

Overview of Hinduism

As the third largest of the major world religions, behind Christianity and Islam, Hinduism dates back to at least the 5th c. BCE in India. Since Hinduism has no identifiable founder and is an amalgamation of a variety of cultural practices and religious rituals, we are limited here to the barest introduction to its theology (religious beliefs) and mythology (religious stories about gods and heroes). Some Hindus acknowledge and worship many gods (polytheism); some acknowledge the existence of other gods, but worship only one (henotheism); and some believe in the existence of only one god (usually Vishnu or Krishna) (monotheism). Hindus believe in Purusartha (the four aspects of human life), samsara (the cycle of reincarnation), and the spiritual “goal” of finding nirvana (the cessation of samsara).

Key Terms

• Purusartha (The Four Aspects of Human Life):
  • dharma: righteous path or sacred destiny; dharma can mean both the path itself or the virtuous behaviors that keep one on the path.
  • kama: desire and pleasure.
  • artha: career, activities, and material resources.
  • nirvana: the end of samsara; union with Brahman; freedom from the material world; enlightenment.
• karma: moral cause and effect; karma is the punishment or reward one has earned for every action or choice one makes, and it attaches itself to the atman (soul), so that it is carried throughout samsara.
• atman: individual spirit or soul; the self.
• Brahman: the Ultimate Reality; the cause of all that exists.
• avatar: manifestation or incarnation of a god or goddess.
• samsara: the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.
   

The Pantheon of Hindu Gods
 

• The Three Gods of the Cosmic Functions:
  • Brahma: the creator
  • Vishnu: the preserver and protector of life
  • Shiva: the destroyer and transformer
• The Trinity of Hindu Goddesses
  • Lakshmi: goddess of wealth and fortune; consort of Vishnu
  • Parvati: goddess of love and fertility; mother goddess
  • Saraswati: goddess of knowledge and learning
• Other gods (devas) and goddesses (devis)
  • Devi: wife of Shiva, goddess who takes many forms (Shakti, Kali, Durga); both kind and fierce
  • Ganesha: elephant-headed god who removes obstacles, aids intellectual pursuits, and patronizes the arts and sciences
  • Indra: god of storms
  • Kartikeya: the god of war; the son of Shiva and Parvati
  • Krishna: either an incarnation of Vishnu or the Supreme God, depending on the denomination of Hinduism

Themes and Motifs

• Dharma
• Virtue and Righteousness
• Gender roles
• Good and Evil
• Love -- Romantic and Brotherly
• Exile
• War
• Sacrifice

Character Index

• Rama: eldest son of Dasharatha, king of Ayodhya; avatar of Vishnu and the embodiment of masculine virtues.
• Sita: Rama's wife; avatar of the goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu, and the embodiment of feminine virtues.
• Lakshmana: Rama’s half-brother; married to Sita's sister Urmila.
• Hanuman: Vanara (monkey-human hybrid) belonging to the kingdom of Kishkindha; a valuable ally to Rama.
• Ravana: rakshasa (demon) king of Lanka; cannot be killed by gods, demons, or spirits.
• Dasharatha: King of Ayodhya; father of Rama, Bharata, and Lakshmana.
• Jatayus: demi-god in the form of a vulture.
• Bharata: son of Dasharatha; regent of Ayodhya during Ráma’s exile.
• Kaikeyi: one of the three wives of Dasharatha; she demands of her husband the fulfillment of two requests or boons and is responsible for Ráma's exile.

Discussion Questions

• How is Rama the exemplum (morally upright model) of dharma?
• Consider the gender dynamics or balance of power in the Ramayana. What powers do men and women possess? How do men and women wield their powers?
• How does the story of the battle between the forces of good and forces of evil play out? Aside from the hero and villain, who is obviously good and who is obviously evil? Are there any neutral characters? Does one's species (animal, demon, human, god) have any effect of one's moral alignment?
• Consider the villainous Ravana. How does the villain affect the narrative? Could the story address the concepts of good and evil without a specific villain?