The Ramayana Characters from LitCharts| The creators of SparkNotes. Sign In Sign Up. Though in this story Rama is a human, he's actually an avatar of the god Vishnu, who decided to take a. Kamban was a medieval poet who composed a Tamil translation of the Ramayana. The Ramayana is one of the longest epic poems in Hinduism, with more than 24,000 verses. Although its precise origins are unclear, the poet Valmiki is generally credited with writing the Ramayana in the 5th century B.C. The text is considered one of India's two major ancient epics, the other being the Mahabharata.
INTRODUCTION
The Ramayana is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the Mahabaratha. Composed by the great sage Valmiki in Sanskrit, this is the most popular and timeless Indian epic read and loved by all and is referred to as the Adi Kavya or original epic. The term 'Ramayana', literally means 'the march (ayana) of Rama' in search of human values. As a literary work, it combines 'the inner bliss of Vedic literature with the outer richness of delightfully profound story telling.' In the words of Swami Vivekananda about the Valmiki Ramayana: 'No language can be purer, none chaster, none more beautiful, and at the same time simpler, than the language in which the great poet has depicted the life of Rama.'TIME OF COMPOSITION
Like many other classical poems written in ancient times, the exact date and time of the genesis of Ramayana is yet to be determined accurately. There was a long period of oral tradition before the Ramayana was actually written, and the original content of the story is based on various pre-existing folk tales about Rama. The reference to the Greeks, Parthians, and Sakas shows that the time of composition of Ramayana cannot be earlier than the second century B.C. But the consensus is that Ramayana was written between the 4th and the 2nd centuries B.C. with augmentations up to about 300 C.E. Linguistically and philosophically, a period just after the Vedic age, would most suit the content of the epic.STORY OF RAMAYANA
Rama was the virtuous eldest son of Dasharatha, king of Ayodhya. Dasharatha was born in the line of Ikshvaku ('the first king of the Ikshvaku dynasty and founder of the Solar Dynasty of Kshatriyas in Vedic civilization in ancient India'). Born to Kaushalya, the chief queen of Dasharatha, he automatically became the crown prince. He deeply loved his half brothers, the twins Laxmana and Shatrughana, born to queen Sumitra, and Bharatha, born to queen, Kaikeyi. The family guru, Vashistha taught them all the art of arms. When Rama was sixteen, on the request of the great Vishwamitra, Dasharatha sent Rama and Lakshmana to the forest to defend Vishwamitra's rituals from vicious demons which they devotedly performed.At the swayamvara of Sita the princes of Mithila, Rama won the hands of her by breaking the bow of Lord Shiva with the blessings of Vishwamitra. The aging King Dasaradha decided to crown Rama as king. Queen Kaikeyi grew envious and by virtue of the old promises that Dasharatha had made, made Rama go to the forest in exile for fourteen years. Both Sita and Laxmana accompanied Rama to the forest.
In the meantime the grieved Dasharatha died. Rama lived in a small hut with Sita and Lakshmana in Panchavati in the Dandakavana. Ravana, the mighty king of Lanka, under the ill- gotton advices of his sister Surpanaga, kidnapped Sita to Lanka. Rama and Laxmana in their attempt to rescue her, met with so many hardships and with the help of their friends like monkey- king Sugriva, Hanuman and along with Sugriva's army invaded Lanka. After Ravana lost all his men including his brothers and son he himself came to battlefield. Insppite of the deadly weapons he used against Rama and Laxmana but none of them could hurt them because they had truth and justice on their side. At last Ravana was killed and Rama and Sita were reunited. After the expiry of 14 years of exile Rama along with Sita and Laxman returned to Ayodhya. The whole of Ayodhya became jubilant. On an auspicious day Rama was crowned the king of Ayodhya.
The story starts with the childhood of Rama and describes his entire life history. Through the character of Rama, an elaborate emphasis and significance is bestowed on moral, ethical and humanitarian values.
ABOUT THE COMPILATION
This great epic is composed of rhyming couplets called 'slokas', employing a complex meter called 'anustup'. These verses are grouped into individual chapters called 'sargas', wherein a specific event or intent is told. The 'sargas' are again grouped into books called 'kandas'. The seven 'kandas' of Ramayana are:Bal Kanda (the boyhood section)
Ayodhya Kanda (Rama's life in Ayodhya, until his banishment)
Aranya Kanda (Rama's life in the forest and Sita's abduction by Ravana)
Kishkindha Kanda (Rama's stay at Kishkindha, the capital of his monkey ally, Sugriva)
Sundara Kanda (Rama's passage to Sri Lanka)
Yuddha Kanda or Lanka Kanda: (Rama's battle with Ravana, the recovery of Sita, and return to Ayodhya)
Uttara Kanda (the section narrating Rama's life in Ayodhya as king, the birth of his two sons, Sita's test of innocence and return to her mother, and Rama's demise or 'jala samadhi' (water- tomb)).The Uttara Kanda is regarded to be a later addition to the original story by Valmiki.
VERSIONS AND TRANSLATIONS
The heroic deeds of Rama and his exciting adventures have inspired generations of people, and for centuries, the epic existed only orally in Sanskrit. Other famous versions of Ramayana include Shri Ramcharitmanas in Avadhi or old Hindi by Goswami Tulsidas, Kambaraamayanam by Kambar in Tamil, the Patala Ramayanam in Malayalam, and the Bengali Ramayana by Krittivas Ojha. This monumental work had a deep influence on almost all Indian poets and writers of all ages and languages. Valmiki's Ramayana was first introduced to the West in 1843 in Italian by Gaspare Gorresio with support of Charles Albert, the King of Sardinia.CONCLUSION
The Ramayana has been a perennial source of spiritual, cultural and artistic inspiration, not only to the people of India but also to the people all over the world. It has gone a long way in moulding the Hindu character and has inspired millions of people with the deepest of love and devotion. Rama's unquestioning obedience to his father's wishes, his moral uprightness in war, his deference to the wishes of his people, his generosity in the face of personal loss and his marital fidelity all have depicted the fundamental qualities that a human should possess. In the polygamous royal society of ancient time the Ekam patni vrata (following eternal faithfulness to a single wife) was an unthinkable heroism. Rama was the personification of Ekam patni vrata and lived as a symbol of formidable self-control. Even now ideal governess is referred as Rama Rajya.Background
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic which follows Prince Rama's quest to rescue his beloved wife Sita from the clutches of Ravana with the help of an army of monkeys. It is traditionally attributed to the authorship of the sage Valmiki and dated to around 500 BCE to 100 BCE.
Comprising 24,000 verses in seven cantos, the epic contains the teachings of the very ancient Hindu sages. One of the most important literary works of ancient India, it has greatly influenced art and culture in the Indian subcontinent and South East Asia, with versions of the story also appearing in the Buddhist canon from a very early date. The story of Rama has constantly been retold in poetic and dramatic versions by some of India's greatest writers and also in narrative sculptures on temple walls. It is one of the staples of later dramatic traditions, re-enacted in dance-dramas, village theatre, shadow-puppet theatre and the annual Ram-lila (Rama-play).
Origins
The original five books of an oral epic of local northern significance dealing with a hero and his exile, the abduction of his wife by a rival king and her rescue became conflated into seven books in which the hero Rama became an avatar of the god Vishnu, the scene shifted to encompass the whole of India, and the struggle to recover his wife became a metaphor for the final triumph of the righteous.
A brief summary of the Ramayana
Rama, prince of Ayodhya, won the hand of the beautiful princess Sita (seen here), but was exiled with her and his brother Laksmana for 14 years through the plotting of his stepmother. In the forest Sita was abducted by Ravana, and Rama gathered an army of monkeys and bears to search for her. The allies attacked Lanka, killed Ravana, and rescued Sita. In order to prove her chastity, Sita entered fire, but was vindicated by the gods and restored to her husband. After the couple's triumphant return to Ayodhya, Rama's righteous rule (Ram-raj) inaugurated a golden age for all mankind.
Characters of the Ramayana
Rama is the hero of the Ramayanaepic, an incarnation of the God Vishnu. The eldest and favourite son of Dasaratha, King of Ayodhya, he is a virtuous prince and is much loved by the people. He is exiled from Ayodhya due to the plotting of his stepmother, Kaikeyi.
Sita is Rama's wife and daughter of King Janaka of Mithila. Sita is the epitome of womanly purity and virtue.
Laksmana (seen here) is Rama's younger brother. Completely loyal to Rama, he chooses to go with Rama and Sita when they are exiled from Ayodhya.
Ravana is the king of Lanka and has 10 heads and 20 arms. He received a boon from the God Brahma that he cannot be killed by gods, demons or by spirits, after performing a severe penance for 10,000 years. After receiving his reward from Brahma, Ravana began to lay waste to the earth and disturbed the deeds of the good Hindu sages. Vishnu incarnates as the human Rama to defeat him, assisted by an army of monkeys and bears, thus circumventing the boon given by Brahma.
Dasaratha is the King of Ayodhya, Rama's father.
Kausalya is Rama's mother, Dasaratha's chief wife.
Kaikeyi is Dasaratha's wife and Rama's stepmother. She demands that Rama be banished to the forest and that her son Bharata be awarded the kingdom instead.
Bharata is the second son of Dasaratha. When he learns that his mother Kaikeyi had forced Rama into exile, causing Dasaratha to die broken hearted, he storms out of the palace and goes in search of Rama. When Rama refuses to return from his exile to assume the throne, Bharata obtains Rama's sandals and places them on the throne as a gesture that Rama is the true king.
Sumitra is Dasharatha's wife and mother of the twins Lakshmana and Satrughna.
Hanuman is the wise and resourceful monkey who helps Rama in his quest to defeat Ravana and rescue Sita.
Sugriva is the ruler of the monkey kingdom. His throne was taken by his brother Bali, but Rama helps him to defeat the usurper in return for his assistance in finding Sita.
The importance of the Ramayana in Indian culture
The epic's poetic stature and marvellous story means that the story of Rama has been constantly retold by some of India's greatest writers both in Sanskrit and regional languages. It is one of the staples of various dramatic traditions, in court drama, dance-dramas, and in shadow-puppet theatres. In northern India, the annual Ram-lila or 'Rama-play' is performed at the autumn festival of Dassehra to celebrate with Rama and Sita the eventual triumph of light over darkness.
A hugely popular television series, 'Ramayan', was aired in India 1987-1988, drawing over 100 million viewers to become 'the world's most viewed mythological serial'. Dubbed 'Ramayan' fever by India Today magazine, it was reported that India came to a virtual standstill as so many people who could gain access to a television stopped whatever they were doing to watch the small screen adventures of Rama. From January 2008, a new big-budget primetime series of the Ramayana has been appearing on television screens across India.
The Ramayana manuscripts of Jagat Singh of Mewar
Rama was of a royal race descended from the Sun, and Rajput clans of the Solar dynasty, among them the rulers of Mewar or Udaipur, claimed Rama as their ancestor, making the Ramayana something of a family history.
The Ramayana manuscripts commissioned by Rana Jagat Singh of Mewar (1628-52) are among the most important documents of 17th-century Indian painting. Unlike most other Ramayanamanuscripts, they have not been dispersed as individual paintings into various collections but remain largely intact. The huge scale of the project (with originally over 400 paintings) allowed the artists to focus on telling an epic story on the grandest scale.
The seven books of the Ramayanaare illustrated in three different styles of Mewar painting, including two books by Sahib Din, the greatest Mewar artist of the 17th century. Four of the seven books and part of a fifth are in the British Library. The two remaining books are still in India.
The British Library's four volumes were given by Rana Bhim Singh of Mewar to Col. James Tod, the historian of the Rajputs, who brought them back to London in 1823. Bhim Singh also gave Tod a separate manuscript of the first book of the Ramayanadated 1712. They were all acquired by the British Museum in 1844, and from there came to the British Library.
How to read a Rajput painting
The Ramayana manuscripts commissioned by Rana Jagat Singh of Mewar (1628-1652) were illustrated on the grandest scale so that no episode or detail of importance was omitted. This necessitated the revival of the ancient narrative method of simultaneous narration used in both sculpture and painting. In European or Islamic illustration, each picture usually concentrates on depicting a single episode of the story - but in the Indian method, each picture might capture several episodes in the story so that the characters appear more than once in the same picture.
In the example shown above, reading anti-clockwise, we can follow Rama, Bharata and Satrughna from the top of the hill, down to the river (in the lower right corner) and back up again to where they sit outside the hut.
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