The Ramayana- relationship of Ram and Sita PDF

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Summary

The assignment talked about relation of Ram and Sita, and also the problematic issues that might have in modern generation regarding the gender roles....

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The Ramayana’s main focus was on the relationship between Rama and Sita. As Rama and Sita were the incarnations of Vishnu and Lakshmi, they were meant to be together from the beginning. They fell for each other the first time they laid eyes on each other. It was love at first sight. Their love for each other was so pure and true that Sita was ready to leave the luxurious life behind and go with Rama out into exile in the forest for fourteen years. Rama was also miserable when Sita was abducted by Ravana. Their love story has been a role model for the modern generation but also has its problems in the modern view of gender relations. Rama was the oldest son of King Dasaratha of Kosala and the incarnation of the God Vishnu. Sita was the foster daughter of King Janaka of Janaka. Rama and Lakshmana were sent off with Viswamithra, their mentor, with a mission. After crossing Janaka’s palace, suddenly Rama’s attention goes to the balcony and meets the beautiful eyes of princess Sita who was playing with her companions. She also notices him and their eyes meet. Then there was love at first sight for both of them. Sita became restless after seeing Rama and started acting like how a love-struck person would do “Shoulders of emerald, eyes like lotus petals, who is he? He invaded my heart and has deprived me of all shame! A robber who could ensnare my heart and snatch away my peace of mind! Broad-shouldered, but walked off so swiftly. Why could he not have halted his steps, so that I might have gained just one more glimpse and quelled this riotous heart of mine? He was here, he was there the next second, and gone forever. He could not be a god—his eyelids flickered. . . . Or was he a sorcerer casting a spell on people?”. On the other side Rama was also crazy about her and thought about her the whole night. Not too long, Rama wins Sita over lifting a heavy and enormous bow that belonged to Shiva, family heirloom. They were happily married and left for Ayodhya. Things weren’t smooth when King Dasaratha decided to retire and crown Rama the next King. King Dasaratha’s second wife Kaikeyi wanted her son, Bharatha, to be crowned therefore she reminds King Dasaratha of her two boons he promised her to fulfill whenever she wanted, “Banish Rama to the forests for fourteen years; and crown Bharatha and celebrate his enthronement with the arrangements you have already made.” but the King didn’t want to banish his son. Kaikeyi knew this would happen and spoke on behalf of the King to Rama that his father made a promise to her which was to banish Rama for fourteen years in the forest and crown Bharatha King. Rama accepted this as a noble son would and was ready to go on a exile wearing “the

bark of trees, eat roots and leaves…”. Sita was also determined to be by Rama and go on a exile with him. She was ready to give up all the luxury and go out into exile with her husband Rama. Even Lakshmana didn’t want to leave Rama and left with them. On the way to Panchavati they meet Sage Athri and his wife Anusuya, who gave her jewellery to Sita. Rama was enchanted by Sita’s beauty even more with the ornaments given by Anusuya. During the stay in Panchavati, one night Rama encounters a lovely woman whose beauty made him nervous and he found out that she is the sister of Ravana, Sooparnaka. She requests Rama for help and Rama agrees to help but only if the request is proper. Rama finds out that Sooparnaka’s intention was to marry him therefore he politely turns down Sooparnaka and goes to Sita. Out of jealousy, Sooparnaka tried to hurt Sita when Rama was away but Lakshmana protected Sita and “pulled out his sword and chopped off….” Sooparnaka’s “nose, ears, and breasts”. After seeing her condition and hearing all the beauty descriptions of Sita, Ravana decided to abduct Sita. Ravana disguises as an old man and kidnaps her. On the day of the battle Rama threw his powerful weapon, Brahmasthra, at Ravana’s heart where he was vulnerable and Ravana died. Sita was happy as she was back to her beloved husband Rama but Rama acted strange around her. When she asked him, Rama mentioned that as Sita lived in Ravana’s palace he might manipulate her to be evil. Despite being loyal to her husband she was still questioned of her purity which shows Rama remembers Viswamithra’s warning by heart that women are easily manipulated and can behave in dishonorable ways. Sita still proves him by jumping on the fire and the God of fire came out with Sita without any burn which shows how pure and loyal she was. Rama’s character was an example of how a noble man should be, not only handsome but also loyal to his duties and responsibilities. Sita’s character shows how a woman should be in that generation, obeying her father and husband her whole life, considered to look beautiful, stay at home and were thought to be very easily manipulated. That’s what Rama thought when Sita came and confronted him why he was acting strange with her. He did say “My task is done. I have now freed you. I have fulfilled my mission……” he continued “......After all this, I must tell you that it is not customary to admit back to the normal married fold a woman who has resided all alone in a stranger’s house. There can be no question of our living together again. I leave you free to go where you please and to choose any place to live in. I do not

restrict you in any manner.” Sita breaks down and proves her loyalty and purity by the Agni test. And if she failed she didn’t have anywhere else to go either because in that time women after being abandoned by her husband weren’t accepted by any other men, not even by father. In modern view The girls are independent and they will never do any kind of test to prove their loyalty or purity. If this relationship was viewed in the modern generation it might be viewed as true love but most importantly the relationship would not work out in this generation....