About the book "The Ramayana"

Rama , as depicted in the Ramayana , truly stands as the archetypal figure of how an individual of the Hindu faith should act throughout their lives . Although there are certainly instances in which Rama behaves in ways that could be considered morally questionable , they fail to utterly detract from his primary symbolism as a character . In the early portions of Rama 's life , he is a heroic warrior who vanquishes daunting enemies like Parasurama , Vali and Ravana . As the reincarnation of Vishnu , it is Rama 's purpose in life to stand as the model

to which all men should strive but additionally , he acts to restore moral and happiness to the people of his realm . This is why if is advantageous for him to become a great warrior : only through battle can the decadent be forced to change their ways . So , not only must Rama be the ideal being , but he must ensure adherence to the principles of Dharma by all under his reign . Thus , the Ramayana is intended to extend the spiritual setting created by Rama through the reading of his tale

Despite the obvious intent of the book in showing Rama in the most positive ethical light , there are a number of instances in which his moral character can be brought into question . First , this occurs when he asks Sita to undergo a test of her celibacy by jumping into a fire she passes the test and is unharmed , but it raises the question as to whether Rama was justified in ing such a dreadful test at all Naturally , if Sita had failed , then she would have been subject to a most horrible and gruesome death . Still , Rama seems willing to trade his own life for Sita 's : If Sita is alive I will return to the asrama , if she is dead I will relinquish my life (Valmiki , 51-2 . He seems to be torn over his individual emotions for Sita and some broader values regarding celibacy . It is unclear if ancient Hinduism truly justified such brutal practices as a punishment for female promiscuity but in modern times , Rama 's actions seem exceedingly unjust and immoral . It must be remembered , however , that although Rama represents the path of an ideal Hindu ruler , he is just a human - he is not omnipotent in any way . Consequently , we must concede that his actions towards Sita were probably in accordance with ancient Hindu practices so it is likely that Sita 's test is not meant to detract from Rama 's overall character

Other serious questions regarding Rama 's archetypal persona occur in Book VII , when he banishes Sita and beheads Shambuka for performing religious worship not appropriate to his Varna . The first situation his highly questionable because not only is Sita exceedingly simple and innocent , but Rama bases his banishment of her upon mere rumors and hearsay . Is this meant to suggest that an ideal ruler is supposed to place undue amounts of consideration to the gossiping of his followers If it...