Rama The Ideal Man: The Epic Adventure of a Hero

August 28, 2002

This article was put together by me.

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The air was rich with expectation. Though it was still early

morning, the entire city was up in joy. It was indeed a special

day. Today Rama, their beloved prince, was to be crowned. An

embodiment of virtue and righteousness, Rama was the eldest among

four princes. But fate had something else in store. Rama's father

Dasharatha, himself a generous and popular king, was forced under

oath by one of his three wives (Rama's stepmother), to banish

Rama to the forest for fourteen years, and to crown her own son

instead.

There is no doubt that the throne rightfully belonged to him. But

what was Rama's reaction to these happenings? Not a slightest

sign of disappointment or sorrow crossed his face. Smiling, he

said: "Surely the king's promise must be fulfilled. My hair shall

be twisted and I shall wear the bark and go to the forest this

very day." Dasharatha recognizing the injustice of the situation

requested Rama to disobey him, and seize the throne by force. But

Rama, insisting that there was no joy in getting a kingship

gained by the breaking of a promise or by the slaying of one's

own brothers, declined to do so.

Rama's adventures give ample opportunity to a willing poet

attempting to chronicle his exploits. All however point in the

direction which portrays him as the quintessential hero. This is

achieved by presenting him as spectacularly qualified to display

his prowess across a variety of situations requiring heroic

succor. These characteristics casting Rama in the complexion of

the 'archetypal hero' can be classified as follows:

1). Facing the Unknown

2). Hero and the Goddess: Love and Sublimation

3). Heroic Nobility

4). The Path of the Karmayogi

Facing the Unknown

The story of Rama is the story of the archetypal hero who lies

within the depths of our own psyche. His journey to the forest is

the unique voyage all of us must make. It is an adventure into

the mysterious and the unknown. The jungle or forest is an apt

and well recognized Jungian symbol for the unconscious self, and

entering the dark forest is a threshold symbol. It represents the

soul entering the perils of the unknown, a quest for the secrets

of nature, and the spiritual world which man must penetrate to

find the meaning. According to Joseph Campbell:

The heroic life is living the individual adventure.

There is no security

in following the call to adventure.

Nothing is exciting

If you know

What the outcome is going to be.

To refuse the call

Means stagnation.

You enter the forest

At the darkest point,

Where there is no path.

Where there is a way or path,

It is someone else's path.

You are not on your own path.

If you follow someone else's way,

You are not going to realize

your potential.

The goal of the hero trip

Down to the jewel point

Is to find those levels in the psyche

that open, open, open,

and finally open to the mystery

of your Self being

Buddha consciousness

Or the Christ.

That's the journey.

Thus Rama set off on this supreme adventure. He entered the realm

of uncertainty. Indeed it was a wise choice. Certainty implies

limitation, while uncertainty means stepping into the unknown,

which holds within it a million opportunities. The unknown is the

field where all possibilities might occur. It is ever fresh, ever

new, and a fertile ground for the germination of new ideas.

Creative imagination here is not stifled and limited by what is

known, but stimulated by the boundless possibilities open before

it. This means that in every moment of life, there will be

excitement, adventure, and mystery. Thus without uncertainty and

the unknown, life is but a stale repetition of earlier, outworn

memories. The path of Rama hence is a headlong journey into life'

s great adventures, a quest into the unknown. This is the true

path of the hero.

Illustration : http://www.exoticindia.com/artimages/ha90.jpg

Hero and the Goddess: Love and Sublimation

Having made themselves comfortable in the dense forest, Rama and

Sita continued to live as man and wife, enjoying all the

pleasures that attend to a married and devoted couple.

Illustration : http://www.exoticindia.com/artimages/bc96.jpg

Once after a particularly exhausting session of sport among the

perfumed jungles on the banks of the full and flowing Ganges,

Sita settled down on Rama's lap. Just then a mischievous crow

came and nibbled at Sita with his beak. Disturbed, Sita flung at

him a pebble, trying to scare him away. But the unscrupulous

scoundrel would have none of it and continued with his irritating

activity. Angered she got up, attempting to chase it away. In the

awkwardness of the situation, Sita's lower garment slipped off,

prompting a derisive laughter from her husband. Ashamed and

sullen, she hurried back to rest her head on Rama's chest, her

only refuge, and shed tears.

Finally she entered the realm of sleep, awakening only after some

time had elapsed. Now it was Rama's turn to rest in the lap of

his beloved. Suddenly the black and feathered creature returned.

This time his impudence crossed all bounds of decency and he

struck straight at the space between Sita's breasts. His repeated

actions caused her to cry out in pain, waking Rama from his

peaceful slumber in the most joyful of beds. Observing her plight

he asked enraged, to name the doomed creature who had marked the

place between her breasts. Looking around, his eyes rested on

the crow even then intently looking at Sita. Infuriated Rama, in

the spur of the moment, threw at the mere crow the mightiest

weapon in his arsenal the 'brahamastra.' This weapon mapped the

same trajectory as the crow and followed him, however hard he

tried to evade the missile. Finally he succumbed to the weapon

and fell to the ground. This sight re-ignited in Rama his

benevolence and mercy, qualities for which he was known far and

wide. Taking him into his refuge he forgave the wretched

creature.

The love of Rama and his lawfully wedded wife Sita is the theme

and substance of the Ramayana. True to the image of the mythic

hero, both the carnal and the sublime aspects are highlighted in

this epic, as in the majority of heroic lore across the world.

Celebrating another aspect of their affection is the appreciation

that theirs was a love in conformance with Dharma. Such a love is

but a manifestation of god. For those who interpret Ramayana in a

symbolic manner regard Sita as the individual soul and Rama as

the Supreme Being. God sees and pursues the human soul till He

secures it. Thus did Rama follow Sita's trail across astronomical

distances to unite himself with her. Verily is the Supreme Lord

eager to save us.

Present in Ramayana is the twin theme of love opposed to Dharma.

This is the love Ravana felt for Sita and which prompted him to

abduct this chaste lady. He coveted the wife of another, which

was deemed a sin. Here it must be noted that labeling Ravana's

intentions towards Sita as love is paradoxical to say the least.

Not once during her captivity (twelve months) did Ravana make a

physical advance towards Sita. Not that he couldn't have done so.

She was far away from any of her sympathizers, and was but a

prisoner in his kingdom on which he held an authoritative and

unquestionable sway. Ravana was obsessed with the idea of

generating in her heart an inkling of love for him. A fat chance

he had. With her commitment to her Lord as adamantine and devoted

as always, Sita, even during periods of extreme tribulations,

never for a moment let any other man enter her thoughts other

than Rama.

There are also other interpretations of the love story of Rama

and Sita. In one such insight Sita is believed to be the female

counterpart of the Highest Being, an embodiment of compassion and

grace. Compassion is the Supreme Mother who rests enthroned in

the heart of the Lord. When she casts her merciful glance on us,

we reach the feet of god. Parvati's function in relation to Shiva

and Lakshmi's in relation to Vishnu are both identical, and are

thought to point to the same truth namely that God as father and

God as mother are not distinct. Indeed if the Lord were to be

parted from his compassion, our plight would be like that of

Ravana, who separated Sita from her Lord Rama.

Heroic Nobility

Nobility is always a defining quality of the mythic hero. His

actions are severe and punishing, or gentle as per the demand of

the situation. Hence even as he faced the mighty Ravana in

battle, Rama did not lose sight of the highest ideals. Though

valiant and brave, Ravana couldn't match the prowess of Rama who

sorely wounded him in battle, breaking his golden crown and

chariot. Thus deprived of every weapon, he stood helpless before

Rama. Rama addressed him: "You may go now, You have fought well

today. Go away and rest and come back tomorrow, refreshed and

with weapons."

This was the perfect opportunity for the hero to slay Ravana. But

it also would have been a conduct against the Dharma of a true

warrior. Harming an unarmed opponent was not considered an act of

courage by the truly brave.

Illustration : http://www.exoticindia.com/artimages/zc81.jpg

In a second and decisive battle between these two titans the evil

one was slain.

Illustration : http://www.exoticindia.com/artimages/dc85.jpg

All his kin having been killed earlier, it fell on his surviving

brother Vibhishana to perform his last rites. Vibhishana had

crossed over to Rama's side before the war began, recognizing

correctly that his brother was in the wrong. Vibhishana was

reluctant to perform Ravana's funeral rites recalling his evil

deeds. It was at this moment that Rama made one of the most

profound statements to emanate from the Ramayana. He said:

"Ravana fought like a true warrior and fell fighting like a

hero! Death has washed his sins. Ravana has entered heaven. It is

for you now, his brother, to do the rites. I, his former foe,

even I can rightly perform his obsequies. Your brother is my

brother too, is he not?"

Ravana had carried away Sita, Rama's beloved wife, whom Rama

valued more than his own life. Now after having vanquished the

evil doer and having clinched victory, there remained in Rama's

heart no residual hard feelings. Ravana's death had relieved him

from the demerits of the heinous crime he had committed by

carrying away the wife of another. But even then, his mission

accomplished, Rama had nothing but tenderness in his heart for

the fallen villain. This civilized behavior is worthy of

emulation by parties engaged in modern warfare where not content

with the annihilation of the enemy a perverse pleasure is often

relished in the mutation and disfigurement of the foe. Rama's

enmity ended with Ravana's death. His enemy was Ravana's evil

deeds and not Ravana personally. He bore no personal animosity to

the dead warrior but only followed the path of just and righteous

karma by inflicting upon the erring individual the punishment due

to him. When doing so, Rama the humble man he was, didn't

proclaim a divine authority but only acknowledged that he was but

a tool in the hands of fate, an instrument of destiny.

The Path of the Karmayogi

Ancient Indian philosophy stresses the path of karma. An

interesting story from the Mundaka Upanishad illustrates the

nuances of this principle:

"Two birds sit on the same branch of the same tree. One eats, and

the other looks on."

This simple story has a profound underlying message, opening up

and laying bare an entire way of life, completely in harmony with

the rhythms of nature. The two birds which perch on the tree are

respectively the ego and the inner self. These two dwell in the

same body. While the ego eats both the sweet and sour fruits of

our existence, the inner self which realizes its true nature,

watches in complete detachment.

Rama sought out his wife with unmatched zeal and single-minded

purpose. He who loved her like life itself bore the agony of

separation for a year. Unable to reconcile himself to his loss he

wandered in the forest like a man possessed. Accompanied only by

his faithful brother Lakshmana, he managed to win the confidence

of Sugriva, the monkey king at whose bidding the prodigious army

of simians was made available to him. He fought a deadly battle

where were lost thousands of lives, all to regain his charming

and faithful Sita.

Illustration : http://www.exoticindia.com/artimages/hb44.jpg

Yet, finally having vanquished Ravana, did he rush out to embrace

Sita? Or make haste to utter sweet words of love into her ears.

No. Rather this is what he said to her: "It was not for mere

attachment to you that I waged this grim battle but only in the

discharge of the duty."

This supreme display of detached attachment was worthy of Rama,

idolized as the ideal man. Never losing sight of his eventual

purpose he nevertheless was not overtly attached to the result.

On a practical level too this is a sensible strategy, considering

that any decision we take during the course of our lives affects

not ourselves but also those in our immediate environment. A

healthy detachment is thus beneficial, nay essential for those

who wish to take a comprehensive view of a situation. Too much

obsession with the result of a particular undertaking sows the

seeds of selfishness in our minds, blinding us to the interest of

those near to us. It is hence not surprising that Rama was able

to win the friendship of the monkey king Sugriva . A sound

strategist, Rama secured Sugriva's friendship by helping him

regain his lost kingdom, which rightfully belonged to him and had

been unjustly appropriated. As a commander he was known to

inspire the confidence of each and every individual who made up

the army. If Rama, understandably tense at the loss of Sita, his

most valuable possession, had focused solely on the final

retrieval of his wife could he have applied the concentration

required of a war strategist? The answer is no. Burdened by the

import and weight of the result he wouldn't have been able to

take the risks necessary to win any war. This is true as much as

for the epic battle fought between Rama and Ravana, as it is for

achieving success in any venture in life.

Conclusion: Rama was a Man

Rama was a man. He was also a god. As each of us is. This

approach does not make him any less 'worshippable,' only more

so. Setting an example by action of valor tempered by sacrifice,

he inspires all of us 'ordinary' mortals to follow the path of a

just and upright existence, unswerving in our faith of the

correctness of it. This is the true inner journey of the hero,

leading to the divine spark that blazes inside each of us,

waiting to be discovered.

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References and Further Reading:

Chopra, Deepak. The Seven Spiritual laws of Success: New Delhi,

2000.

Cooper, J.C. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Traditional Symbols:

London, 1999.

Lash, John. The Hero (Manhood and Power): London, 1995.

Osbon, Diane K. A Joseph Campbell Companion: New York, 1991.

Rajagopalachari, C. Ramayana (Translated into English): Mumbai,

2000.

Satwalekar, Shripad Damodar. The Ramayana (Translated into Hindi

with commentary, 11 vols.): Surat 1960.

Tresidder, Jack. The Hutchinson Dictionary of Symbols: Oxford,

1997.

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This article was sent as a newsletter from the

website: http://www.exoticindia.com

Nitin G.

August 28, 2002

As always Nitin, an enjoyable article, and so well illustrated...

Wim

sanjulag [sanjulag]

Wednesday, August 28, 2002 3:28 AM

Rama The Ideal Man: The Epic Adventure of a

Hero