Reading Notes: PDE Ramayana, Part A



Figure 1: Illustration of the Ramayana Wikimedia

I have found that the Ramayana is very plot centered. As such, I will focus my notes on the general plot. Rama is an incarnation of Vishnu born to an ancient Indian king who had no sons prior to a horse sacrifice. The reason Vishnu chose to take a mortal form was to combat a demon who could only be killed by an earthly creature. Once he became a young man, Rama and his brother went on several adventures; they slew demons, found beautiful wives, and learned about the world. Rama is also chosen to be the next ruler. However, bitter and jealous forces conspire to oust him.

Because older stories are plot focused, I have selected my favorite story from this reading based on its plot. My favorite story from this section of the reading was "Rama is Banished". The basic plot of this story is as follows. A prince who is expecting to be become regent soon, is instead betrayed and told that he is going into exile, and he then accepts this unfairness and continues to live in an honorable manner despite it. 

Rama, his wife Sita, and his brother Lakshmana go into exile, and their father dies, while Bharata reluctantly assumes the throne at the urging of those who deposed Rama. 

I find Rama's betrayal to be the most interesting part of the tale, as it depicts the ideal reaction to the unfairness of life and so indirectly characterizes Rama as a good man. I like the metaphor that is used to describe his patience, where he is compared to an ocean, unmoved by the tragedy and unfairness of his misfortune. 

I find Manthara’s characterization to be rather unfair, with little consideration to her side. I find that most modern audiences will not accept jealous or evil characters easily and require either substantial justification for their behavior or a more lighthearted tone, such as that found in marvel movies. I think this is because modern people understand that people behave in poor ways for a reason; although, I find that modern people also demand a rational reason for poor behavior, rather than a psychological one.



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