Ramayana - Lecture notes 5 PDF

Preview

Summary

Summary of the reading required for lecture...

Description

1. The concept of dharma was fundamental to ancient Indian culture. What is dharma? How does the epic Ramayana illustrates this crucial ideal. Include specific examples of how various characters fulfill (or do not fulfill) their dharma. Do you think the Ramayana served an instructional function in ancient South Asian society? Dharma – in other words "right way of living", performing ones duties and upholding moral values. FOLLOW Sita example: "Is not the wife's dharma to be at her husband's side?” when rama was being sent to the forest in exile she fulfilled her dharma to be always with her husband and went with him Rama: g o e si ne x i l ewh o l e h e a r t e d l yt ok e e pt h ed h a r mao fas o n . Bh a r t a h a :not for a moment does he consider breaking the rules of dharma and becoming king in Rama's place. Break: Kayeki: broke dharma by forcing the king to make bhartaha kind insteas of rama Kayeki’s maid also broke it Yes It does, as it follows the following principles: 1. Treat all people equally (ram) 2. Follow your dharma (ram, sita, bharata) 3. Stand courageously in the

face of great adversity

(ram sita) 2. How would you begin to analyze the gender dynamics within the Ramayana? What qualities does Sita embody? Is she submissive and childlike and characterized mainly by her beauty and fidelity? What about other female characters, both human (e.g, Kaikeyi) and supernatural (e.g., Soorpanaka)? Gender dynamics: 1. men dominated over the Indian societies 2. Women had very little or no power at all in the political and public arena. 3. families were normally set up on a “Male authority” basis, with the husband and father determining fundamental conditions

4.

Women had the task of being loyal, faithful, loving and compassionate towards their husbands

Sita's forgiveness: After Ravana's death, Hanuman comes to Sita in the ashoka grove and, before taking her to Rama, offers to kill the female guards who have tormented her for so many months. Sita's gratitude: gives hanuman her necklace, as a token of gratitude Sita’s obiedience: firm in her rights of Dharma

Submissiveness: Sita was extremely submissive to her husband and went through the Agni Pariksha without even a shadow of protest. She acted childlike when rama came to see her and she was in a wedding hall, rama later told hanuman to tell sita this incident so belives him to me a messenger form him Kayeki: Although kind and generous at heart, she was encouraged by kooni To behave jealously. Altho being viewd by society as a villainous, domineering and

wicked. I think she was a powerfull and assertive woman Soorpanaka: ?? 3. Rama is the quintessential hero of India. What were his characteristics. Was he first and foremost a military hero? What were his other virtues and accomplishments? Was he a perfect man? Did he learn something in the course of his adventures?

Rama qualites: h e ' sa c t u a l l ya na v a t a ro ft h eg odVi s h nu,h u ma nf o r mi no r d e rt oki l lt hee v i lr a ks ha s a v a n a . ( d e mo n )Ra 1.

desire to rid the world of evil. strong and skilled in battle

2. 3. Intense loyal and honour v er sal Lov e 4. Uni

Military: Yes he was a military hero, but first he was a peoples hero. As he loved everyone and was loved by the people in return Rama accomplishments: He defeated 2 kings of 2 big kingdoms namely Kishkindha and Lanka. He didn’t take over any of these kingdoms nor did he collect tribute. Ideal? Rama personifies the characteristics of an ideal person (purushottama). In my opinion he is ideal, fulfills all obligations and upholds dharma 5. What are the major themes in this epic narration of the life and times of Rama. Heroism: the text seeks to discover what truly makes an ideal hero or person, and how readers or listeners can use Rama's example to create for themselves a more ideal life.

Duty, Honor, and Loyalty: Honor and loyalty control every character in the story, humans as well as the demons and the gods. Even though honoring one's promises and behaving loyally often has disastrous short-term consequences for the characters Good vs. Evil: Most importantly, the story suggests that good and evil exist on a spectrum, and one's choices in life can move one's life closer to one pole or the other. Storytelling, Teaching, and Morality: They then stress that the Ramayana, and the life story of Rama in general, are major guiding forces, if not the most important guiding forces, in Indian society. They state that every child is encouraged to be like Rama, and the Ramayana itself is recited during various holidays and festivals throughout the year. What characters do you find to be the most interesting? Why? Hanuman Visamithra What most surprised you about the Ramayana? Gods can also be helpless, extremely powerful gods

aren't able to get around their promises. (Vishnu and shiva in the case of giving powers to ravana) Though the gods are certainly more powerful than humans, there are things humans can do that allow them to truly meet the gods as equals. HORSE SACRFICE sacrifice makes the gods nervous suggests that it's not just good humans who can challenge Indra after this sacrifice; this sacrifice has the potential to truly upset the power balance between mortals and deities....