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Reading Notes: Ramayana D

This week, I finished up the Ramayana. The stories in D are told slightly differently form the stories in A-C, with the main thing that stood out to me being the irrationality of the characters.

There is a large number of battles that occur within the final part of the Ramayana, often with Rama and others dying. However, for some odd reason, this is perfectly permissible because there's a root in a far off kingdom that Hanuman can get to really quickly and find, then he can race back and revive people. The root itself causes a lot of logical issues, but in addition, why not just pick the root and grow it somewhere else? Additionally, why do they keep going to battle after a loss? If Indrajit where to do his job optimally, he would kill Rama and capture the body instead of waiting for him to be revived. While the Ramayana often does not have logical consistencies, there is no clear reason that the battles occur this way.

Next, there is the proving of Sita's purity. The trial by flame occurs, at which point, the fire spirit proclaims her to be pure. However, much later, Rama banishes her again. This part makes no sense at all. First, why not just run the trial by flame again? Second, why banish someone you spent years risking yourself to save? Later, he asks her to come again and perform the trial by flame, but she is merely swallowed into the Earth. The main issue with this is something that I would attribute to different cultures. From my perspective, these last few stories makes Rama seem very irrational, and this contradicts the image we are supposed to have of him. But perhaps it is seen as noble in other cultures that he is willing to give up his wife to ensure social order.


The Trial by Fire proves purity. Source: Deviant Art


Bibliography: Ramayana Online: Public Domain Edition compiled from M. DuttR. DuttGouldGriffithHodgsonMackenzieNiveditaOmanRichardson, and Ryder.

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