THE RĀMĀYAṆA CAPTURES every aspect of Sanātana-dharma that is in practice today. In fact, the word ‘Sanātana-dharma’ itself occurs quite a few times in the epic. The word ‘saṃskṛtam’ also occurs a couple of times.
The emphasis on the catur-varga-puruṣārthas – dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa is evident throughout the epic as mentioned earlier. The values connected with dharma, artha, and kāma are clearly delineated throughout the epic, and mokṣa is naturally suggested through the three worldly puruṣārthas.
The Rāmāyaṇa, unlike the Mahābhārata hardly contains didactic segments; in fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that almost half of the Mahābhārata is filled with sections that are preachy in nature. The puruṣārthas are suggested through characters and episodes in the Rāmāyaṇa, and in this sense, it is more poetic than the Mahābhārata; it is also more poetic in terms of the figures of sound and figures of sense. The only didactic segments of the Rāmāyaṇa are the kaccit-sarga[1], the advice provided by Vibhīṣaṇa and the other senior ministers to Rāvaṇa, and the discussions connected with war strategy among the rākṣasas. The duties of the people belonging to the four varṇas and adhering to different āśramas come out clearly through different instances; the Rāmāyaṇa emphasizes the responsibilities at the social and personal levels.
The triad of yajña-dāna-tapas and rituals in the individual and societal sphere is captured in various instances in the epic.
Rāma’s birth was a phenomenon. It was an outcome of the Aśva-medha and the putra-kāmeṣṭi performed by Daśaratha and his wives. His birth, was thus, in a sense, the result of a yajna; great spiritual efforts must be put for material outcomes. The Rāmāyāna mentions nāmakaraṇa performed for the princes and their training under the purohitas.
Guru-bhakti comes out through the episode connected with Viśvāmitra. In fact, Rāma’s ‘outing’ with Viśvāmitra can be considered an internship of sorts, where he learnt several lessons of warfare and values for life; it is in this instance that we find the verse which has inspired several later-day suprabhātas.
The wedding ritual is captured in some detail in the epic.
The epic also portrays the respect that Rāma and Sītā displayed towards rivers, trees, mountains, and animals; they assiduously followed rituals and prayers associated with mounting a boat – naukārohaṇa-mantra, entering a newly built cottage – gṛha-praveśa, saluting a tree (called ‘Śyāmā’), and formally paying respects to rivers. Rāma also goes in a pradakṣiṇa around the chariot gifted to him by Indra in the battlefield; only after he reverentially salutes it does he mount it.
Rāma performs śrāddha to his father and antyeṣṭi to Jaṭāyu. He advises Vibhīṣaṇa to perform antyeṣṭi to Rāvaṇa.
The coronation ceremony performed to Sugrīva, Vibhīṣaṇa, and Rāma is also described in some amount of detail in the epic.
In the Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa, we see Kausalyā performing agnihotra and Rāma and Sītā praying to Nārāyaṇa before the scheduled coronation ceremony. We also learn that the streets were decked and strewn with flowers for the celebration. In the Sundara-kāṇḍa, Hanūmān hopes that he will spot Sītā when she appears for her sandhyāvandana. Rāma performing sandhyāvandana is mentioned in the Yuddha-kāṇḍa. The Uttara-kāṇḍa mentions that Rāvaṇa tried to attack Vālī, a vānara, when he was performing the sandhyāvandana. It is thus clear that people belonging to all strata of the society, irrespective of their gender worshipped the Sun. Hanūmān also observes that brahma-rākṣasas were reciting the Vedas and special rituals were observed in Laṅkā on the days of parva.
In the kaccit-sarga, we see the words devasthāna and caitya mentioned; Rāma asks Bharata if he is caring well for devasthānas and caityas. It is hard to say what these terms meant in the times of Rāmāyaṇa; but it wouldn’t be too farfetched to assume that these were the precursors of temples we see today. They might not have had the same structure as those of today’s temples; nevertheless, the concept of temples was quite prevalent in the times of Rāma. A caitya refers to a place of conglomeration or a place where the mortal remains of a revered person are buried. The word was used by the Buddhists in a similar sense, millennia after it first occurred in the vedic literature.
The Yuddha-kāṇḍa mentions Indrajit performing homa to Nikumbhilā Devī. To welcome Rāma back to Ayodhyā, Bharata instructs Śatrughna to get all daivatas and caityas decked with fragrant garlands and to get people to worship to the accompaniment of musical instruments.
In the description of Agastya’s āśrama, we see that there were specific places dedicated to the worship of various deities including Brahmā, Agni, Viṣṇu, Mahendra, Vivasvān (Sūrya), Soma, and Vāyu.
It is thus clear that during the times of Rāmāyaṇa, different modes of worship existed – worship of various forces of nature, sacred objects and groves. The Rāmāyaṇa also mentions the worship of specific deities.
Although the epic does not mention specific festivals that we celebrate in the country today, their precursors can be found. For instance, the Indra-dhvajotsava or the Indra-maha which is referred to in a few instances in the epic, is in a sense, the ancestor of Dīpāvalī. There are references to various seasonal iṣṭis, especially those connected with Vasanta (Spring), Varṣā (Monsoon), Śarat (Autumn), and Hemanta (Winter) seasons. In many instances, we find references to carrying out of rituals according to the alignment of different stars.
The various dānas performed by Daśaratha during the Aśvamedha and the offers that Rāma makes before he heads to the forest reflect the selflessness of ideal kings. We encounter various ṛṣis who perform different kinds of tapas throughout the epic.
1. See for instance, sa hi dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ, Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa, sarga 21, verse 10
2. Rāma tells Vālī that he has transgressed the eternal dharma by having an affair with his brother's wife
bhrāturvartasi bhāryāyāṃ tyaktvā dharmaṃ sanātanam, Kiṣkindhā-kāṇḍa, sarga 18, verse 18
3. For instance, Hanūmān wonders what language he should employ to speak to Sītā in the Sundara-kāṇḍa:
vācaṃ codāhariṣyāmi mānuṣīm-iha saṃskṛtām|
yadi vācaṃ pradāsyāmi dvijātiriva saṃskṛtām|
rāvaṇaṃ manyamānā māṃ sītā bhītā bhaviṣyati|| Sundara-kāṇḍa, sarga 28, verses 17-18
If I speak in the ‘cultured’ language of the dvijas (brāhmaṇas), Sītā may get scared thinking that I am Rāvaṇa in disguise.
The word Saṃskṛta occurs here not quite as the name of the language, but rather as its quality and character.
It is also ironic to note that even the cultured language could cause fear to Sītā; it was used by Rāvaṇa, who was wicked at heart.
4. mokṣa can be called tri-varga-sāra, i.e., the sublimating and transcending dharma, artha, and kāma. While there are no segments in the Rāmāyaṇa explicitly talking about mokṣa, it gets suggested through characters and situations. Adherence to the tri-varga makes a person eligible for the fourth, i.e., mokṣa.
In his Rāghava-pāṇḍavīyam, Kavi-rāja of Banavāsi declares,
niśreṇyau brahma-lokasya vāg-devyāḥ karṇa-kuṇḍale |
dharma-druma-mahā-mūle vālmīki-vyāsayoḥ kṛtī|| (1.10)
The works of Vālmīki and Vyāsa are like the two beautiful earrings of Vāgdevī – Sarasvatī; they are staircases to Brahma-loka and are the strong roots of the dharma tree.
Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata are embellishments to language; through Rasānanda, they lead us to Brahmānanda. They also help us in our worldly lives by teaching us dharma.
5. Corresponds to the 94th sarga of the Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa in the critically constituted text; the sarga consists of fifty-nine verses and most begin with the phrase kaccit. In the edition prepared by Kuppuswami Sastri et al., this corresponds to the 100th sarga of the Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa and consists of seventy-six verses. As soon as Rāma sees Bharata at Citrakūṭa, he first asks about his people and the kingdom. He does even pause for Bharata to tell about their father’s demise; the concern Rāma had for his kingdom comes out clearly through the segment and captures the qualities of an ideal king.
To be continued
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