The Epic Of The Ramayana

There was a time when gods and demons roamed the earth. A time when humanity lived at the mercy of divine beings, who executed their wills against the humans, following their own selfish desires and placing humans in a position of piety to these dominant beings. This time on earth is one of great men who fought against these demigods, giving them great fame passed on as stories in the oral tradition. Though it is unrealistic to believe that these men truly fought against divine beings, their stories played a role in the ancient world, which was the beginning of the formation of society and civilization. The epics of “Gilgamesh” and “The Ramayana of Valmiki” both served their societies as an outline of a moral code,

As opposed to Gilgamesh being a tyrant hero, Rama was by far more humanistic. In the beginning of the epic of Ramayana, Rama

Heroism and the concept of a hero have been subject to many changes, especially with respect to changes over time and in terms of how heroism is viewed by different cultures. The thing being explored in this chapter, primarily through the analysis of major heroic archetypes and characters, is how the ancient Indian heroic society takes the ideas of heroism, with specific focus on the epic poem ‘The Ramayana’. Along with the examining of the major characterstics of heroic archetypes, specifically the hero who works with a partner or companion, the hero who works alone and the figure of the hero who plays a background role in the context of the epic, there will also be a brief focus on the importance of the ability of

Both characters share qualities that qualifies them as the epic hero’s they are known to be. Gilgamesh is considered an epic hero because he’s two thirds god and Rama is thought of as the reincarnate of Vishnu, the god of preservation. Another similarity they share is their journeys that they each take, where they fight and defeat beasts, demons, and in Gilgamesh's case have journey within one’s self. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh goes on a journey/adventure to the forest with his best friend Enkidu to try and defeat Humbaba, the monster that guards the forest. Rama is banished to the forest when his father bypassed his right to be king, but he’s adventure comes when his wife Sita is kidnapped and he must rescue her from the demon king Ravana (“The Ramayana of Valmiki”). And the last reason why Rama and Gilgamesh are epic heroes is that the two represent the qualities of the time era. Gilgamesh is a strong man who treats women horribly, kills the innocent beast for glory, and is divine. Not only do these qualities of Gilgamesh represent the culture of his time period but also of a hero from this time. Rama also represents his time era as the ideal follower of dharma an important part of the Hindu religion. Even today he is worshiped by many in the Hindu religion as the reincarnate of Vishnu because of his devoted following in the way of the dharma (Hindery,

Rama and Achilles were seen as a Hindu and a Homeric hero respectively. The idea of heroism in Hindu culture is markedly different to Homeric ones. The stories of the Ramayana and the Iliad influence society a lot, as both characters are considered as heroes. Rama is heroic in Indian culture because he obeys his father and loyal to dharma. This is associated with the beliefs of the ancient Indian culture at that time. Hindu heroes must follow Dharma and have an ideal model behavior in

Dharmic traditions have been influenced greatly by the epics of the Ramayana and the Bhagavad Gita. Both epics involve open dialogue with an avatar of Vishnu and are greatly concerned with the ideals in fulfilling Dharma.

The themes of myths speak to concerns for every human being. This shows that different cultures are interconnected and share ideas. From reading the Epic of Gilgamesh we can begin to understand the values help by ancient Mesopotamian society. By reading the Ramayana we can analysis the religion and world view of Hinduism. Many ancient stories seem to parallel each other. Although stories are written in diverse cultures, there tend to be likenesses, especially between the protagonists. This is true with the stories of the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Ramayana when it comes to the depictions of their hero’s.

When wanting to learn about historic and cultural values of older history, the Iliad, Sundiata, and The Ramayana are the best epics to read. Each of these books shows honor in different ways as well as a hero. Reading these books allows us to get a better understanding of how life was during that time. Each author clearly emphasized his or her culture and daily life.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic poetry that originates from Mesopotamia. It is among the earliest known literature in Mesopotamia. Many scholars believe that it originated from a series of Sumerian poems, and legends about Gilgamesh who is the protagonist. It is known to be the oldest recorded story in the human history that is over 4000 years old.

Campbell 's Hero cycle has seventeen different steps. To inspect top to bottom the legend cycle ten stages will be connected to ten particular quotes identifying moments in The Ramayana. Likewise, the strides are recorded according to the pattern in which they show up in The Ramayana which is not necessarily the request that they are recorded in Campbell 's Hero Cycle.

The Indian Epics contrast very remarkably from that portrayed in Western lands, revealing majesty of the Lord when he manifested in to the world in human form. Mahakavya (epics) known as a genre of Indian epic poetry in classical Sanskrit and earliest form of Indian literature influences the religious and cultural life of the whole India and much of Asia. These two main epic poems of Hinduism include, the Ramayana (The Story of Rama) and the Mahabharata (The Great Epic of India). Beside the question of their value of being good or worthy literature, they are among the most important and earliest literature of the world. For India, the land of spiritualism, the composition of these two great epics have been the sources of inspiration to most Indians. Both these epics existed in oral form as chants before they were written down. During ancient India, the tradition of oral was cherished much more greatly than anything in written form.

Modern day books and movies are often variations of ancient stories. There is also a hero in these stories who has gone through the cycle known as the The Hero’s Journey. When looking at Epic of Gilgamesh it can be compared to the modern day children’s movie Toy Story (first movie). The two main characters in Epic of Gilgamesh, Enkidu and Gilgamesh can be compared to Toy Story’s two main characters Woody and Buzz. This comparison can be told by The Hero’s Journey. There are a few important steps in The Hero’s Journey which will be able to define their similarities, their similar situations and the lessons they have learned.

The Vindication of Sita is considered the culmination of the epic Ramayana, and had attracted numerous artists to choose it as the subject of their artistic creations. It is always illuminating to examine the differences of the paintings with the same subject matter. The Vindication of Sita from Singh’s Ramayana and the one that illustrates the Persian translation of the Ramayana show varied themes, iconography, composition, and narrative techniques that correspond to the nature of their patronages. The Mewar version is colorful and complex in layout with a full demonstration of the court’s political standing, financial power, and an attachment to what was truly Indian. The Sub-imperial Mughal version is much more modest and simple with an allusion to the Persians’ fascination of Indian classics yet a persistence of presenting it in an Islamic way.

Rama is upset to discover Sita's disappearance and he and Lakshmana head out to find her. On their travels through the forests they meet Sugreeva and Hanuman. Hanuman and Sugreeva promise to help Rama in his search for Sita. Sugreeva and Hanuman organizes a huge army of their own people. They cannot find her and Rama becomes so discouraged he thinks of suicide. Until Hanuman finds out he can be any size he wants so he travels to Lanka. There he talks to Sita but on his way out is caught by Ravana. Hanuman becomes big again and destroys Ravana's city.

The original The Ramayana is a great epic that has stood the test of time, and has been influential yet controversial throughout history. R.K Narayan’s version has been the same; his composition of stories adds another layer to the already plentiful themes, leaving the reader satisfied with his brilliant description and insight. Through Narayan’s constant comparison that parallels Rama to a perfect specimen, he is demonstrating a “Straw Man” argument. Its effect illuminates Rama’s flaws rather than his seemingly perfect composure. Narayan consciously chooses moments at Rama’s darkest hours to transform him into the relatable human figure he was meant to become.