From the treasure trove of epics: Ramayana and Mahabharata

Priyanka Rout

From the treasure trove of epics: Ramayana and Mahabharata

Tales that have been told and retold from time immemorial. Tales are big and rip-roaring with grand chariots, kidnappings, gods and demons, love, and war. Tales that are entrenched in the Indian culture. Tales that are called Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Ramayana and Mahabharata: The ageless epics of Bharatavarsha; Image Source: The Cambria International School

With astounding similarities, many differences make both these epics unique. It is said that Ramayana originated in the 5th century BCE and was written by Maharishi Valmiki, who gave shelter to Sita and her sons after she was banished from Ayodhya when Ram became the king. On the other hand, Mahabharata was written after Ramayana and was composed by Vyasa. He, too, was a central character of Mahabharata as he was the grandfather of the Kauravas and the Pandavas. It is said that Vyasa dictated the entire story to Lord Ganesha without stopping and completed the book in three years.

The lengths of both the epics also vary. While Ramayana has 24,000 verses, Mahabharata consists of 1,00,000 verses. The story of Ram is relatively less complicated and progresses without much hassle, and it begins with Rama's father and ends with Ram becoming the king of Ayodhya. But Mahabharata is quite complicated in that it starts from the story of Arjuna's great grandfather and covers four generations of the Kuru clan. It also has numerous stories on the side characters.

"Bhaiya, we have reached Laheriasarai.", the rickshaw puller said, bringing me back to the world where I belonged. "How much?" I asked while taking out the purse from my pocket. "Bhaiya, this is the land of Lord Ram, and I am a devotee of his. I give rides for free. I don't want money from you, bhaiya.", he said with a polite smile. Astounded at his reply, I watched him with an open mouth as he cycled his way through the narrow and dark lane of Darbhanga.

Indeed, people like him still exist who believe in these epics and practice their teachings in their everyday lives. The story and values of Ramayana and Mahabharata extend to all parts of India without any geographical blocks. People like Mahatma Gandhi used these epics and their messages to unite the Indian masses. He and Swami Vivekananda and his guru, Ramakrishna too united Indians by bringing all the religions together under one secular roof. These epics and the incorporation of its values made it easy for the freedom fighters to unite the Indian masses and gain their much-awaited freedom in 1947.

At the end of the stressful day, when I met that rickshaw puller, I realised that the grand epics of India had held the country together emotionally for ages. These epics not only help us to connect as Indians but also plays a huge role in strengthening our relationship with other countries like Nepal and Sri Lanka. I hope these fantastic epics keep us united forever and bring us closer.

India - a country where various types of culture, stories, proverbs, and people all mingle together. There is maths here, as well as myth. There is karma, as well as korma. There is fantasy, as well as fact. India is a living, breathing Bollywood film. And today, our film's heroes would be none other than the grand epics named Ramayana and Mahabharata. From the treasure trove of epics, we have brought stories that would fascinate you and make you think that these epics are the pivotal point around which the Indian subcontinent revolves.

It was the summer of the 1900s. The city was still wrapped with a blanket of stars, and the light breeze made the atmosphere even more mystical. I waited for the auto-rickshaw to arrive when a faint noise of horn caught my attention. A middle-aged man with a dhoti-kurta was operating the auto-rickshaw. I signaled him to stop. "Jai Shri Ram. Where should I drop you, bhaiya?" he asked with a polite smile. "I need to go to Laheriasarai.", I said. "No problem, bhaiya. Have a seat.", he said. As I took my seat, I could see the well-decorated rickshaw. With Jai Shri Ram printed near the roof of the rickshaw, there were photographs of Ram, Lakshman, Sita, and Hanuman at the back. To gauge his reaction on religious matters, I asked him, "Bhaiya, what do you think would happen now that L.K. Advani terminated his Rath Yatra upon CM Lalu Prasad's orders?"

"A Kurukshetra will follow for sure.", he said with a simple nod. His answer did not surprise me. Even after being a Madrasi, coming from nearly 3,000 km down south, I could understand his innuendo from the Indian Gotterdammerung, Mahabharata, where the Pandavas defeated the Kauravas to ascend the throne of Hastinapur.

Be it a vegetable seller or a businessman from any corner of India, everyone knows almost everything about the two greatest epics of India - Ramayana, and Mahabharata. From the main plots and sub-plots to characters and the moral implications of their actions, one can find mini versions of these epics almost everywhere.

Even the most ordinary people, including vegetable sellers, barbers, shopkeepers, and rickshaw pullers, can be seen discussing these epics to reinforce a particular point or justify the present generation's actions. Be it the battle of Kurukshetra where the Pandavas destroy the evil Kauravas or the battle of Lankapura where Lord Ram kills the devil Ravana, people, always choose this as an example to explain why a just fight is needed to overcome the evils of the society.

It is often seen that politics have a deep relationship with these epics. When the former prime minister Indira Gandhi imposed an Emergency in 1975, people often compared her with Shurpanakha, Ravana's evil sister. When PM P. V. Narasimha Rao was charged with bribing the members of parliament, people inferred that he was fulfilling his duty towards the country and was making it politically stable. Thus, people compared his duty with the central teaching in Bhagavad Gita, which says that one should always fulfil their duty without worrying about the consequences or expecting any rewards.

Though both the epics have different plotlines and characters, there are many similarities. Hindu gods appear in both epics. In Ramayana, Ram was the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu, and Hanuman, too, is said to be the god of strength. Coming on to Mahabharata, we see the presence of Krishna himself, a group of demigods called the Pandavas, and various other characters who are in some way or the other related to gods.

Dharma is the central theme of both epics. On the one hand, Ram left his kingdom and went on exile for fourteen years to fulfil his duty as a son. He also killed Ravana and fulfilled his duty as a husband by saving Sita. In Mahabharata, when Arjuna was conflicted in the middle of the Kurukshetra war, Lord Krishna made him understand that he must fulfil his Kshatriya dharma and kill the people who sided with wrong, even if they were his relatives.

The uncanny resemblance in the plotlines of both the epics is yet another similarity. The main characters of both the epics - Ram and Arjuna, are the royal princes of wealthy kingdoms, who had to leave all the luxuries and spend their lives in absolute poverty. Both Ram and Arjuna won the hands of Sita and Draupadi through swayamvara by showing their warrior skills. Sita and Draupadi, too, are famed for their unmatchable beauty and intelligence, and both had to fight to get back their lost dignity and honour. The battle of Kurukshetra and Lankapura signified the end of the exile of both the male protagonists and the victory of good over evil.

My train of thoughts suddenly came to a halt as the rickshaw puller stopped his rickshaw in front of a tea shop. Freshly grounded spices and the aromatic smell of the boiling tea in the kettle made my senses alive. It reminded me of Kerala in the 1980s when my driver would stop at Chadayamangalam for a hot cup of tea. This place was named after Jatayu, the bird king who tried to save Sita while Ravana abducted her. However, his rescue attempt was to no avail as Ravana cut one of Jatayu's feathers, and he died in the process.

"Bhaiya, do you want to have a cup of tea?" asked the rickshaw puller. "Sure. I would have a masala chai.", I replied with great enthusiasm in my voice.