Rama: The God Among Men

From a young age it was known that Rama was a special human being. This was apparent to Viswamithra who saw something special in Rama and eventually became his spiritual guide. In Ramayana, Rama’s quest to fulfill his Dharma is an ongoing process that is continually changing. Even though being ‘perfect’ is subjective based each persons views, in my eyes Rama captures all the traits that exemplify a perfect man.

Many of Rama’s qualities and philosophies come from his initial quest with Viswamithra and the stories he was told. One of his first experiences came after he was hesitant about killing Thataka because she is a woman, but is reminded to look at her inner being because that is where the truth lies in a person. This is seen with Rama’s relation to animals. When he meets Jatayu, Jambavan, and Hanuman in animal form, he sees past their physical bodies and recognizes them for their true being or their soul. His behavior here is the perfect example of the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” These sayings that we hear as children to teach us how we should act are all reflected in Rama’s actions. In The Birth of Jesus and Rama in Christian and Hindu Sacred Texts, Freek Baker states “Rama is first and foremost the upholder of the dharma, an example and a hero, but who looks deeper discovers that he is really an avatara of Vishnu.” Rama is the person who every person tries to emulate because he has god-like characteristics.

Rama’s journey towards achieve his Dharma is first seen after Rama completely accepts his banishment and does not doubt the decision he believes his father has made. This action shows a characteristic that is essential to Rama’s journey, which is acceptance. He is not thinking about how long he will b...

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...on your own personal views. In my opinion Rama embodies all of the traits that every person desires to have in one-way or another. Even when he makes mistakes, he learns from them and uses those lessons for future use, isn’t that another trait that everyone desires. The thing that makes Rama a perfect man is that he does not believe he is perfect.

Works Cited

Bakker, Freek L. "The Birth Of Jesus And Rama In Christian And Hindu Sacred Texts: An Exercise In New Comparative Theology." Exchange 39.2 (2010): 121-146. Academic Search Premier. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. de Bruijn, Thomas. "Many Roads Lead To Lanka: The Intercultural Semantics Of Rama's Quest." Contemporary South Asia 14.1 (2005): 39-53. Academic Search Premier. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.

Narayan, R.K. The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic. New York, NY: Penguin, 1977. Print.