The Significance of Ramayana
As India celebrates Ramnavami, one of the most popular religious festivals of the country to commemorate the birth anniversary of Lord Ram, it may also be a good time to talk about Ramayana, the most widely read epics of India that narrates the life and time of Lord Ram.
Ramcharitmanas popularly called as Ramayana is not merely a literary creation. It is a fountain of heartfelt faith for Hindus. Written some five centuries ago by Goswami Tulsidas, Ramayana is a grand tale of ‘Dharma’ that holds out very useful lessons for life and society. And not just in India but also beyond the borders. The detailed story of life of Shri Ram, Ramayana signifies many things to many people.
Goswami Tulsidas has rightly said in the Ramcharitmanas in a popularly quoted Hindi couplet that 'jaaki rahi bhavna jaisi, prabhu moorat dekhi tin taisee' (Everyone sees the Lord the way his mind makes him perceive). But Ram transcends all these. He is not just a Hindu God. Ram is a sustaining force, a means to connect with the supreme, and the path to self-realization. Ramayana epitomizes universal values, which are relevant not only for all generations but also to people from all ethnic, social and economic backgrounds. Every aspect of Lord Ram's life that is narrated in Ramayana demonstrates morality in practice-truth, compassion, sacrifice, love and commitment. Not only Lord Ram, the ruler designate of the kingdom of Ayodhya, who willingly agreed to go to the jungle to obey his father's command, but the other major characters also exhibit highly ethical conduct in their behavior. The sacrifice of Bharat, Ram's brother, who could be the king but chose not to. The commitment of Sita as a dutiful wife who preferred to accompany Ram to the thorny path of the jungle during the exile. The dedication of Lakshman, the younger brother who willingly joined Ram to the jungle though he could have stayed in the palace. The loyalty of Hanuman to serve his master Ram against all odds are all noteworthy examples of unquestionable righteous behavior. Protagonists of Ramayana exemplify values driven conduct worthy of emulation.
The impact of Ramayana can also be found outside the shores of India. The appeal of Ramayana was huge among the indentured laborers who were mostly taken to far off British colonies spread across different regions of the globe as slaves by the British masters. They were largely taken from Awadh, Bihar and other Awadhi/Bhojpuri speaking regions of central India. The influence of Ramayana can be found in the socio cultural history of countries like Fiji, Mauritius, and several Islands of West Indies where the Britishers took them. These indentured laborers had a practice of reciting the Ramayana in those hard days with the help of the pocket version of Ramayana popularly called Gutka to get sustenance. It was the unifying force for them, the cementing bond. Ramayana did not only play its role in giving them the spiritual strength but also became the instrument for their social and cultural upliftment whereby Ramayana mandalis (social groups) were formed to hold weekly devotional gatherings. Later on, these mandalis became the foundation of the socio-cultural life of those countries seen in the present times.
Ramayana occupies the place which probably no literary work can hope to attain anywhere in the world. Surviving the test of five centuries, this unique epic has grown in terms of respectability. There are millions who read it everyday as a matter of routine. Even the British orientalists of the colonial period, who served as India's administrators believed that Ramayana embodied the noblest aspects of Hindu culture. Many British writers rated Tulsidas as the greatest Indian authors of those times. Ramayana is not just a religious text, it is the elixir of life for many. From the spiritual to religious to scientific to the administrative the Ramayana has significance for all classes of people. The purity of its moral sentiments make it a singularly exceptional textbook carrying lessons to be read and imbibed.
Your writeups are always refreshful.
You have summed up in a short sentence that would have otherwise taken thousands to express- It is not a religious text but an elixir or life.
I have seen, during childhood days, my father reading this epic on certain ocassions. I could grasp much later in life - this epic is just not a story but holds magnificent powers to brave the pitfalls of life.
Thank you Sir for writing on such meaniful topics.