Dr. Vijay Kumar Mehta
INTRODUCTION
In modern times, the old epics like The Mahabharata and The Ramayana have the unflinching relevance to transform the computerized life of the modern people. Our life is wrapped in the fulfillment of individual desires and our looks never go beyond our individual goals. Here we need the guidelines of the great people like Lord Ram or Lord Krishna. Lord Rama is the great role model for the present generation lost in the whirlwinds of materialism leading to chaos and confusions, illusions and delusions.
CONCEPT OF MARYADA PURUSHOTTAMA
“Sacrifice is the great note in the songs of the Rishis. And this sacrifice is the two-fold, (i) Sacrifice of the Manas, i. e., the restraint or the sacrifice of the lower mind – the faculty of calculation and prudence; (ii) Sacrifice of the psychic nature or the desire principle. This two-fold sacrifice means the sacrifice of the “egoism”, the sacrifice of “personality”. Behind all personality stands the Super Purusha. The Light of Lord Rama, the Krishna Light, the Christ light, shines in glory, when the veils of “ego” are withdrawn.” (1)
Lord Rama’s personality is circumscribed by the line of the Maryada Purushottama in propriety of His conduct, the peerless among men. His is the personality of elevated physical powers, great mental equilibrium, embedded with spiritual powers above the line of mankind to be the role model for every man in whirls of time and desires for the best in mankind.
Lord Rama made progress on all the three levels. His three-tier personality includes the circular, linear and spiral progress to stand as a colossus man in the tormented and suffering humanity. There is elevation on all the levels in lord Rama- elevation of physical prowess, mental elevation on ethical lines to serve the family norms with devotion and sincerity as a son, as a brother, as a husband, as a ruler to fight out evil in all its kind to make the society full of bliss and happiness. He is complete embodiment of circular, linear and spiral progress of the individual, the family and the society at large.
GEORGE KELLEY’S C-P-C CYCLE & THE RAMAYANA
When we see in depth, it is realized that George Kelly’s C-P-C cycle is somewhat similar to some concepts in The Ramayana. ‘George Kelley’s C-P-C cycle- circumspection, pre-emption and control- cycle’2 have decidedly a similarity with certain decisions taken in The Ramayana. In truth, the same theory has been prevalent in this holy epic. In the battle-field on the sands of the Indian Ocean , the Palk Straits, against the King Ravana, Lakshmana got defeated again and again in the face of the Prince Meghnad or Indrajit.
In Ramayana, Indrajit was able to hit Lakshmana by his special weapon named Shakti. Due to this Lakshmana went very near to death. Now Lord Hanuman went to the Himalaya & brought Sanjivani. This way Lakshmana was saved. Secondly, there is one occasion where Indrajit fatally wounded Lakshmana, but that’s an occasion where he fatally wounded both Rama and Lakshmana. As described in the Yuddha Kanda of the Ramayana, early on in the war, Sugriva’s nephew Angada defeated Indrajit in battle, so Indrajit turned invisible and then launched numerous Nagastras (Naagpash weapons) at Rama and Lakshmana, which put them in a state very close to death.
Here, Lord Rama advises his brother, Lakshmana how to win the battle and that was this formula- the latter should circumscribe in all directions, pre-empt what can happen and then control his mind to set the target of his enemy, the Prince Indrajit/Meghnad. Following this advice of Lord Rama, Lakshmana fought with Indrajiit.
Indrajit fired a Yamastra (weapon of Yama god of death), but Lakshmana destroyed it with a Kuberastra (weapon of Kubera god of wealth). Then Lakshmana launched a Varunastra (weapon of Varuna the ocean god), but Indrajit destroyed it with a Raudrastra (weapon of Shiva). Then Indrajit fired an Agneyastra (weapon of Agni the fire god), but Lakshmana destroyed it with a Saurenastra (weapon of Surya the sun god). Then Indrajit launched an Asurastra (weapon of the demons), but Lakshmana destroyed it with a Maheshwarastra (another weapon of Shiva). Finally, controlling his mind and looking at the target, Lakshmana realized that Indrajit is helpless and swiftly hit Indrajit with an Indrastra (weapon of Indra king of the gods), killed him. This was the result of Lord Rama’s advice -circumscribe, preempt and control the mind to defeat the enemy. Hence, Lakshmana finally established his victory over the Prince Indrajit.
THEORY OF DIALOGISM & THE RAMAYANA
The Theory of Dialogism by Bakhtin also finds its echo in The Ramayana. Mikhail Bakhtin is famous due to the concepts of dialogue and dialogism. ‘Dialogue is primarily the basic model of language as discursive communication. A sequence of utterances is a dialogue of speaking subjects or voices that respond to former utterances and anticipate the future ones. On the other hand the dialogue doesn’t determine the utterance only externally, but reaches also inside. There are three factors determining an utterance. First, there is the content with its objects and meaning (a theme being objective factor and an authorial concept a subjective factor). The second factor – constitutive for an utterance – is the expressiveness, the emotional-axiological relation of the speaker towards the content that could never be neutral – while, of course, always being appropriated form other socially specific utterances.’3 Bakhtin speaks mainly of the intonation and accent. On one hand, there is the expressiveness of an utterance as a function of an individual author that struggles with alien expressions on the same subject; therefore we could speak of a micro-dialogue within a single word (as an utterance). But on the other hand, we have to consider the typical expressions and intonations connected to particular types or groups of utterances (speech genres), which make them social, not individual. It is apparent that the utterance is dialogic, i.e. it is actually a dialogue of different voices confronting one another. It is not important whether an utterance is monologic or polyphonic – it is fundamentally dialogic. The third factor determining an utterance concerns the relationship of the speaker with the other and his utterances, the existing and the anticipated ones. An utterance transgresses its borders into past linguistic (semiotic, ideologic) formulations as their understanding, but also into the future ones by speaking to them; it tries to anticipate them – in a particular form and considering a particular addressee (who is not just an empty form of the structuralist ideal reader).
The Ramayana is the ancient Indian epic which echoes before us the Theory of Dialogism before when the two parties come into physical combat. When Lord Rama approached Ravana’s Kingdom Sri Lanka to bring back his wife, Sita from Ravana’s possession, the former made use of the Theory of Dialogism.
Lord Rama sent his messengers- Lord Hanuman, the embodiment of knowledge and discipline. He has quite control on his mind and language. He exhibits his acumen of speech when he comes into contact with King Ravana.
Secondly, the Prince Angada goes to Lanka to have a dialogue with the King Ravana. The Two messengers of Lord Rama had a proper dialogue to convince the King Ravana to return Lady Sita honorably. This sets an example in the world how to proceed with the enemy and so is Theory of Dialogism in the great Epic Ramayana.
POLITY OF LORD RAMA (Karma Theory, Strategy and Planning)
The colossus personality of Lord Rama overshadows all the characters in The Ramayana. Hanuman is the symbol of Evolution of Faith in The Ramayana. “When Lord Rama asks Hanuman, ‘how do you look upon me?’ The great monkey gives a three part answer, ‘When I believe I am the body, then I am your faithful servant. When I know I am the soul, I know to be a spark of your eternal Light. And when I have the vision of truth, you and I, my Lord, are one and the same’.
With this answer he shows us three states we flow through in our spiritual quest. Many times we identify with the person, the body-mind-ego we think we are. At those times we can realize that we are here to do God’s work, to serve that higher Self in us and in everything. This is the foundation of Karma Yoga, the yoga of the service.”
Above all when we realize we are not separate from divine intelligence as we thought, that there is a higher knowing and presence working through us. We sense we are not separate from other beings and that our existence is an expression of the indescribable presence of God in us. This is where Bhakti and Raja Yoga open us further.
The most dramatic shift in our perception occurs when all veils lift and we have the vision of truth. Then we know that we are all that exists. We are the source; we are One. The Gyana yoga aims at this direct perception. What allows Hanuman to have this complete vision? It is faith which is the origin of five essential levels of spiritual practice. Hanuman is therefore the manifestation of faith that grants us strength, which transforms our memory and leads us through Samadhi (meditation) to perfect wisdom. Hence, The Ramayana at all levels- discipline & devotion(Shrada Yoga), evolution of Faith (Bhakti Yoga), service of the higher self (Karma yoga), the Gyana Yoga, the vision of truth and through all personages related to Lord Rama presents us the right path in the dark world. This asserts the relevance of The Ramayana in the modern times.
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