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Lord Rama
Part 1: Rama, The Ideal Avatar
Rama, the perfect avatar of the
Supreme Protector Vishnu, is an all-time favorite among Hindu deities. The most
popular symbol of chivalry and virtue, Rama - in the words of Swami Vivekananda
- is "the embodiment of truth, of morality, the ideal son, the ideal
husband, and above all, the ideal king."
A Real Historical Figure
The seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Rama is said to have taken birth on
earth to annihilate the evil forces of the age. He is widely believed to be an
actual historical figure - a "tribal hero of ancient India" - whose
exploits form the great Hindu epic of Ramayana or The Romance of Rama,
written by the ancient Sanskrit poet Valmiki. Hindus believe that Rama lived in
the Treta Yug. But according to
historians, Rama was not particularly deified until the 11th century AD.
Tulsidas' outstanding retelling of the Sanskrit epic into the vernaculars as the
Ramcharitmanas, greatly enhanced the popularity of Rama as a Hindu god,
and gave rise to various devotional groups.
How to Identify Rama
To many, Rama is hardly different in looks from Lord Vishnu or Krishna. He is
most often represented as a standing figure, with an arrow in his right hand, a
bow in his left and a quiver on his back. A Rama statue is also usually
accompanied by those of his wife Sita, brother Lakshmana, and the legendary
monkey attendant Hanuman. He is depicted in princely adornments with a "tilak"
or mark on the forehead, and as having a dark, almost bluish complexion, which
shows his affinity with Vishnu and Krishna.
Comparison with Krishna
Although Rama and Krishna, both incarnations of Vishnu, are almost equally
popular among Hindu devotees, Rama is seen as an archetype of righteousness and
the most sought-after virtues in life, in contrast to Krishna's dalliances and
shenanigans. The prefix "Shri" to Rama indicates that Rama is always
associated with "Shri" - the essence of four Vedas. Uttering his name
("Ram! Ram!") while greeting a friend, and invoking Rama at the
time of death by chanting "Ram Naam Satya Hai!", show his
popularity and admiration over Krishna. However, the shrines of Krishna in India
slightly outnumber the temples of Rama and his monkey devotee Hanuman.
Part
2: Ramayana, The Great Epic
Ramayana
is undoubtedly the most popular and timeless Indian epic read and loved by all.
The term "Ramayana", literally means "the march (ayana)
of Rama" in search of human values. As a literary work, it combines
"the inner bliss of Vedic literature with the outer richness of
delightfully profound story telling."
 This story of Shri Rama by the
great sage Valmiki is referred to as the "Adi Kavya" (Original
Epic). About the Valmiki Ramayana, Swami Vivekananda has said: "No
language can be purer, none chaster, none more beautiful, and at the same time
simpler, than the language in which the great poet has depicted the life of Rama."
About the Poet
Universally acclaimed and accepted as the first among Sanskrit poets, Valmiki
was the first to discover a metrical expression of epic dimension and vision to
match the emotional ecstasy of the story of Rama. According to a legend, Valmiki
was a robber who one day met a hermit who transformed him to a virtuous being.
Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom was believed to have assured the sage to stand
by his side and guide him to visualize the events of Ramayana, and
eulogize them with epic dignity and secular simplicity.
The Seven "Kandas" or Sections
The epic poem is composed of rhyming couplets called "slokas", in high
Sanskrit, employing a complex meter called "anustup". These verses are
grouped into individual chapters or cantos called "sargas", wherein a
specific event or intent is told. The "sargas" are again grouped into
books called "kandas".
The
seven "kandas" of Ramayana are: "Bal Kanda",
the boyhood section; "Ayodhya Kanda", Rama's life in Ayodhya,
until his banishment; "Aranya Kanda", Rama's life in the forest
and Sita's abduction by Ravana; "Kishkindha Kanda", Rama's stay
at Kishkindha, the capital of his monkey ally, Sugriva; "Sundara Kanda",
Rama's passage to Sri Lanka; "Yuddha Kanda" or "Lanka
Kanda", Rama's battle with Ravana, the recovery of Sita, and return to
Ayodhya; and "Uttara Kanda", the section narrating Rama's life
in Ayodhya as king, the birth of his two sons, Sita's test of innocence and
return to her mother, and Rama's demise or "jala samadhi".
Time of Composition
There was a long period of oral tradition before the Ramayana was
actually written, and the original strand of the story drew upon various
pre-existing folk tales about Rama. Like many other classical poems written in
ancient times, the exact date and time of the genesis of Ramayana is yet
to be determined accurately. The reference to the Greeks, Parthians, and Sakas
show that the time of composition of Ramayana cannot be earlier than the
second century BC. But the consensus is that Ramayana was written between
the 4th and the 2nd centuries BC with augmentations up to about 300 CE.
Linguistically and philosophically, a period just after the Vedic age, would
most suit the content of the epic.
Versions and Translations
The heroic deeds of Rama and his exciting adventures have inspired generations
of people, and for centuries, the epic existed only orally in Sanskrit. Other
famous versions of Ramayana include Shri Ramcharitmanas in
Avadhi or old Hindi by Goswami Tulsidas, Kamban's Kambaraamayanam in
Tamil, the Patala Ramayanam in Malayalam, and the Bengali Ramayana
by Krittivas Ojha. This monumental work had a deep influence on almost all
Indian poets and writers of all ages and languages: Ranganatha (15th century),
Balarama Das and Narahari (16th century), Premanand (17th century), Sridhara
(18th century), et al. Valmiki's Ramayana was first introduced to
the West in 1843 in Italian by Gaspare Gorresio with support of Charles Albert,
the King of Sardinia.
Part 3: The Universal Relevance of Ramayana
 Universally regarded as one of
the world's most important literary works, Ramayana has had a profound
impact on the art, culture, family relations, gender, politics, nationalism and
militancy in the Indian sub continent. The everlasting value of this epic tale
has been extolled through the centuries, and it has helped in molding the Hindu
character largely. However, it
would be wrong to say that Ramayana belongs only to the Hindus.
Long
ago the Ramayana became popular in Southeast Asia and manifested itself
in text, temple architecture and performance, particularly in Java, Sumatra,
Borneo, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia. Today, it belongs to the
whole humanity because it is capable of serving as a code of ethics for all
human beings, irrespective of caste, creed, color and religion.
The Popularity of Ramayana
The characters and incidents in Ramayana provide the ideals and wisdom of
common life, and help to bind the people of India, regardless of caste and
language. No wonder, two of India's greatest festive events - Dusshera and
Diwali are directly motivated by the Ramayana. The first
commemorates the siege of Lanka and Rama's victory over Ravana; the second, the
festival of lights, celebrates Rama and Sita's homecoming to their kingdom in
Ayodhya.
International Ramayana Conference
Every year scholars from different countries get together for the International Ramayana
Conference (IRC). This year the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at Northern
Illinois University, in cooperation with the International Ramayana
Institute of North America, is organizing the conference on September 21 and 22,
2001, at Northern Illinois University, USA. The conference will include
presentations on various themes and workshops based on Ramayana. This
year's theme is "Artistic, Cultural, and Literary Variations of Ramayana
Worldwide".
The
IRC was held in India three times, two times in Thailand and one time each in
Canada, Nepal, Mauritius, Surinam, Belgium, Indonesia, the Netherlands, China,
Trinidad & Tobago and the US. The year 2000 meeting discussed, among other
things, the supremacy of the Ramayana philosophy and its significance to
the whole humankind in the 21st century.
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