One of the most striking relationships throughout the entire Rāmāyaṇa is that between India's epic hero Rāma and his half-brother Lakṣmaṇa. What is interesting about this affair is Lakṣmaṇa's pure fidelity toward his brother and all his goals. While Rāma is the king on leave throughout most of the Hindu epic, Lakṣmaṇa acts more or less as his royal servant and bodyguard of his most prized possession, that being Rāma's wife, Sītā. Interestingly enough, Lakṣmaṇa is very much an intelligent being himself, and one who revels in the longevity of his brother's interests and aims. This paper will deal with how these Lakṣmaṇa creates himself as the most loyal of companions within the first book of the Rāmāyaṇa. In the Bāla Kāṇḍa, Vālmīki sets forth the ideal relationship between the brothers, which only grows stronger and allows the story to finish at the termination of the Uttara Kāṇḍa.
In order to understand Lakṣmaṇa, we have to understand that he, like Rāma, is an avatar of Vishnu, and again, like Rāma, is sent forth into the forest with the sage Viśvāmitra in order to conquer the demons that inhabit the land. Therefore, Lakṣmaṇa is a royal and legitimate heir to the throne, although he is the youngest of all of the King of Ayodhyā's sons. Seemingly, his most striking characteristic is that of not only loyalty to Rāma, but to dhárma as well. Dhárma, aside from being the "right course of conduct in every dilemma," is a social contract for all human beings to follow. With the rise of the demon Rāvaṇa and his dispensation from Brahmā of a boon of invincibility, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa vow to help save the kingdom and the world from this evildoer and henceforth, to promote and uphold dhárma. This, although truly heroic indeed, is le...
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Works Cited
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In this paper, I will be explaining how Siddhartha had arrived at the Four Noble Truths. The first paragraph contains how Siddhartha’s life was full of suffering, pain, and sorrow. The second paragraph will be the cause of suffering is the desire for things that are really illusions in Siddhartha’s life. Following, in the third paragraph I will be explaining how the only way to cure suffering is to overcome desire. Finally, I will be explaining that the only way to overcome desire is to follow the Eightfold Path.
Narayan, R. K., and Kampar. (2006). The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version Of The Indian Epic (suggested by the Tamil version of Kamban). New York: Penguin Books. PDF e-book.
Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand. Young India, Volume 9. N.p.: Navajivan Publishing House, 1927. Print. Vol. 9 of Young India.
The epic hero’s journeys hold the hopes for future of ordinary people’s lives. The Epic of Gilgamesh was written in approximately 2000 B.C.E which is highly enriched with Ancient Mesopotamian religions, and The Ramayana was written by ancient Indians in around 1800 B.C.E. The stories were written in two different parts of the world. However, these two stories etched great evidence that show people from generation to generation that different cultures and religions are interconnected; they share ideas with each other. Both Gilgamesh and Rama traveled long journeys in these tales. These epic journeys played a role in the creation of different archetypes. We can clearly see that these two tales share similarities between these archetypes. Although
The Ramayana is the most famous and well-known of all Indian epics, originally based on an epic poem it has taken many variations and forms over the centuries. Traditionally the story centers on the hero Prince Rama, who is the embodiment of virtue and perseverance, as he is wrongfully denied his birthright of being crowned king and instead is unjustly exiled into the forest where he encounters his fair share of dilemma. In R. K. Narayan’s condensed, modern version of The Ramayana the classic conflict of duality is a predominant theme, as Rama faces many instances of uncertainty and trivial chaos which are eventually balanced by order and goodness under the laws of karmic causation and dharma alike which he virtuously strives to uphold. Nina
Nina Paley 's version had a more modern and comical approach of the film while “Ramayana the Epic” was more serious and followed a constructed storyline. In “Ramayana the Epic,” Lakshmana was portrayed throughout the film as a center of strength to Rama but in “Sita Sings the Blues” he was not perceived as an important character. The way Sita was portrayed in “Sita Sings the Blues” acts as an eye opener to some who aren 't familiar with the entire story of the Ramanya. It shows that although Rama pushed Sita away because of other people 's words and his own disbelief of Sitas purity, Sita continues to love and respect Rama. She doesn 't speak ill of him to their kids that were born. She creates an image that Rama is a perfect human and that he does no wrong. This shows that Sita is an ideal wife because in many Hindu cultures the wifes are suppose to always take the husband 's side and be with him through everything. She does her best and doesn 't hurt his
Eliot, Sir Charles. HINDUISM AND BUDDHISM. 1921. Vol. 1. London: ROUTLEDGE & KEGAN PAUL LTD, 1954. 3 vols. wisdom library. Web. 9 Dec. 2013. .
In the epic of Gilgamesh the friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu is very complex and necessary. Their friendship brings animal, human, and god together. Gilgamesh is changed by his friendship with Enkidu. He becomes a better person and a better ruler because of Enkidu. Enkidu’s life is enriched because of his friendship with Gilgamesh. Enkidu was created to balance out Gilgamesh, and he accomplishes this goal. The two men are very close, and love each other deeply. Both Gilgamesh and Enkidu benefit from their friendship.
Khan, Benjamin. The Concept of Dharma in Valmiki Ramayana . Delhi: Munshi Ram Manohar Lal, 1965. Print.
In contemporary society, feminism is emerging as a theory of social construct. In literature it is often challenging to discover female characters that go beyond the limits of marginalized female stereotypes and roles as a means to transgress beyond societal norms. Women are characterized as subordinate objects, amid the dominant patriarchal nature entrenched amid the epic. In The Ramayana, women are portrayed as powerless objects that succumb to the manipulation of men as the text portrays a false empowerment of women, which ultimately succumb to common archetypes accustomed to women in literature; implementing a hierarchy of gender that institutionalizes male dominance amid female inferiority. The women of The Ramayana struggle to oppose the systemic patriarchy and pursue a pathway towards attaining dynamic elements of power, that enable their ability to embody autonomous authority. In Valmiki’s The Ramayana, while women appear to be empowered, ultimately they are feeble instruments utilized to fulfill the desires of men.
Sita is iconic as the ideal wife, her character is so fixed into the hearts of the people that she become a monument for the ages to come, mainly because woman are the main basis on which the various concepts of the society like the truth, compassion, tolerance, virtueous and many others. Valmiki in his text Ramayana does an amazing work by bringing in women characters from all sections of the society. There is on the one hand, the wifehood and the generous motherhood of Kausalya, on the other hand, the dominating wifehood of Kaikeyi who is proud of her beauty and motherhood. There’s a tender feeling of dedication of Sita and Kshatriya quality of Sumitra, Manthara who is motivated by selfishness and Sabari engaged in Self-upliftment, this diversity makes it easier for the people till today to connect and identify themselves with the test. Also, it’s important to note that all these characters posses unmoved faith, their own righteousness, their firmness and endurance and mark their way for individualism that makes the text of Ramayana more compelling than any other stories.
In R.K. Narayan’s version of The Ramayana, Rama used dharma to represent the ideal qualities of kingship by adhering to the social conventions of constructs like caste, class, gender, and race, and set an example for all as to how to form a cohesive society.
In everyday life, we must overcome the challenges that test our strength and will as well as to accept the ramifications that come in handling the situation. These events are known as moral and ethical dilemmas and in certain reading selections, the main characters are faced with fulfilling a parent’s desire, putting your life at risk, challenged to explore who you really are, and choosing to whether or not disclosing or doing something is the right thing to do.
As it can be seen from the characteristics of the two servants, they have some differences. These differences not only affect their characteristics but also their relationships with others too. In the book we can see two servants with different relationships with the same person who is Prosp...
This essay focuses on the theme of forbidden love, The God of Small Things written by Arundhati Roy. This novel explores love and how love can’t be ignored when confronted with social boundaries. The novel examines how conventional society seeks to destroy true love as this novel is constantly connected to loss, death and sadness. This essay will explore the theme of forbidden love, by discussing and analysing Ammu and Velutha's love that is forbidden because of the ‘Love Laws’ in relation to the caste system which results in Velutha’s death. It is evident that forbidden love negatively impacts and influences other characters, such as Estha and Rahel, which results in Estha and Rahel’s incestuous encounter.