{"id":317,"date":"2014-12-19T16:10:59","date_gmt":"2014-12-19T20:10:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/religion\/?p=317"},"modified":"2014-12-19T16:12:19","modified_gmt":"2014-12-19T20:12:19","slug":"student-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/religion\/2014\/12\/19\/student-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Research: Rama and Ravana’s Divine Antagonism"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post originally appeared on the\u00a0REL131: Studies in Hindu Traditions<\/a>\u00a0blog. An explanation, introduction, and justification for my class’ final research project can be found\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0(and also\u00a0here<\/a>).
\n________________________________<\/em><\/p>\n

Rama and Ravana’s Divine Antagonism<\/em><\/span><\/a>
\n<\/strong>by Celia DeLago<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Standard<\/a>

Standard depiction of Rama and Ravana’s divinely antagonistic relationship.<\/p><\/div>\n

Through this post, I will be exploring both the mystical relationship of\u00a0Ravana<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Rama<\/a>; as well as how their characters were viewed moralistically at the time through the use of\u00a0Tulsi\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0views on society; to explore how Ravana and Rama\u2019s relationship affects how we view the deeper messages that\u00a0Valmiki gave us within the\u00a0Ramayana.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

The symbolism of Rama and Ravana\u2019s relationship within Buck\u2019s\u00a0Ramayana<\/em>, as well as through the lens of Tulsidas\u2019\u00a0Ramacaritmanas<\/em><\/a>, conveys complex philosophical concepts, such as the\u00a0nirguna<\/em>\u00a0(supreme formless reality) and\u00a0saguna<\/em>\u00a0(manifestation of god in form) aspects of reality through their, at times, antagonistic guru-disciple relationship. The multifaceted relationship of Rama and Ravana is not covered in every version of the\u00a0Ramayana.\u00a0<\/em>However, William Buck\u2019s retelling of this epic allows us to explore their deeper relationship through poetic language.<\/p>\n

The potential\u00a0guru-disciple relationship<\/a>\u00a0between Rama and Ravana shapes our perception of the philosophical concepts presented within the\u00a0Ramayana<\/em>. The narrative of the nuanced relationship between \u201cgood\u201d and \u201cevil,\u201d encapsulated in Rama and Ravana\u2019s feud, attempts to shape our views of reality. The acknowledgment of the ambiguity of \u201cgood\u201d and \u201cevil,\u201d accentuated and played with by an eternal, infinite timeline, encourages and, at times, forces the reader to open their minds to a deeper understanding of reality. The infinite change that occurs as a result of the infinite timelines of the various deities leaves much room for the changing and developing of characters. The use of themes like\u00a0telepathic communication<\/a>, divine powers and mystical experience among the deities gives the readers a glimpse into the deeper, \u201ctrue\u201d reality beyond the epic of these characters. Ultimately, Ravana is defeated by Rama. Suka delivers a stone from Ravana to Rama, and we learn that Ravana is actually Rama\u2019s devotee. Ravana lauds Rama as Lord Narayana, as the Supreme, and reveals that even while Rama is unaware that he is secretly a deity, Ravana has been aware all along, because\u00a0his\u00a0bhakti<\/em>\u00a0towards Rama<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0his desire to attain moksha<\/a>\u00a0through devotion to Rama has allowed him to always see Rama\u2019s true form. Rama dismisses this revelation out-of-hand; and through this seemingly simple gesture, the\u00a0dharma<\/a>\u00a0of Ravana is perfected and completed, as Rama lives on as king of Ayodhya (Buck).<\/p>\n

\"As<\/a>

As a cultural observation: I decided to Google phrases such as “Rama’s negative qualities” while doing research for this paper. Many people posted questions previously such as, “Why is Ravana considered evil?,” “What are some of Rama’s negative traits?,” etc. Here were some interesting responses that I found.<\/p><\/div>\n

We can acknowledge the goodness within Ravana, and the lack of moral integrity and humanity within Rama; And ultimately, we must acknowledge their deeper relationship. Ravana\u2019s goodness is highlighted and emphasized at important times (often before he is beaten down by humility once again). Ravana earned his boon through engaging in austerities for almost 10,000 years to Lord Shiva; was released from Lord Vishnu\u2019s mountain-cage for his beautiful songs; and, ultimately, confessed his sincere guru-devotion to Rama (12, 35, 350-351 Buck). On the other hand, Rama engages in mutual deformation of\u00a0Surpanakha<\/a>\u00a0and disrespect to Ravana; and continually treated Sita in reprehensible ways, requiring her to undergo Agni Pariksha (trial by fire), and ultimately banishing her while she is pregnant with two children (Buck).<\/p>\n

The morality (and amorality) of both Rama and Ravana shapes the applicability of these concepts to our own lives: we may be intrigued by Ravana\u2019s asceticism or beautiful singing, but his actions, such as killing the virtuous, saintly Vulture King Jatayu, may make us question the efficacy of, say, certain rituals, or moralistic beliefs and alliances. These multifaceted characters exist as animate representations of important archetypes and symbols found, for example, within various religious traditions: the duality of the\u00a0yin-yang<\/a>, as well as the\u00a0tomoe<\/a>; the boisterous behavior of the\u00a0Greek<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Roman<\/a>\u00a0gods, etc. Humans can relate to characters that have many facets, who fail and act in evil ways but also strive for goodness.<\/p>\n

It is also important to investigate the ethics and morality of Ravana and Rama, informed by Tulsidas\u2019 approach to society and his views on ethical, spiritual and social qualities found within Savitra Chandra\u2019s article on Hindu social life (49, Chandra). Evaluating the characters of the\u00a0Ramayana<\/em>\u00a0through the lens of the cultural attitudes of the time, we can gain a better understanding of how norms shaped the epic and thus informed cultural attitudes. It is easy to display some of the strange cognitive dissonance that seemingly comprises most of the characters in the\u00a0Ramayana:\u00a0<\/em>Rama is held as the ultimate, the Supreme, but still performs actions that are deplorable. Ravana is a rapist, a misogynist and a murderer, as well as being a previously-devout ascetic for almost 10,000 years. The complexity of these characters affects how we interpret the philosophical concepts of Buck\u2019s\u00a0Ramayana<\/em>\u00a0by giving us these messages through questionable characters.<\/p>\n

In Chandra\u2019s \u201cTwo Aspects of Hindu Social Life and Thought,\u201d we learned that, although Tulsidas was a\u00a0bhakti devotee<\/a>\u00a0of Rama, a man considered a saint, he also held worrisome views about his basis of qualifying members of society (49, Chandra). Through Chandra\u2019s description of\u00a0uttam,<\/em>\u00a0we can conclude Rama falls within the high first category, and had obviously lorded over\u00a0Ram-Rajya<\/em>\u00a0(the kingdom of Ram; the greatest kingdom in history before the fall into\u00a0Kali Yuga<\/a>): \u201cThe ethical and spiritual qualities\u2026include humility, absence of arrogance, straightforwardness, equanimity, lack of attachment to worldly things, and above all, a sense of discrimination or understanding of good and bad\u201d (49, Chandra). Chandra goes on to say that \u201cTulsi includes good rulers and their agents in the category of\u00a0uttam<\/em>\u201d (Chandra, 50). Rama also committed negative deeds, towards Ravana and his sister Surpanakha, in a way that was lacking in humility. To summarize: \u201cHe seems utterly unaware of having done Ravana any harm\u201d (97, Goldman).<\/p>\n

It is also hard to decipher where Ravana belongs within Tulsi\u2019s view of society. Chandra\u00a0\""Depiction<\/a>discusses\u00a0nich,\u00a0<\/em>a person of low quality or status who needs to be kept firmly under control (Chandra, 52). We may very easily draw this parallel to Ravana, who is portrayed as the lowest of the low throughout the epic. We, as the readers, are encouraged to hate Ravana from the beginning solely based on the title of the epic. But Ravana is not evil through and through;\u00a0Ravana is more akin to Satan, a fallen angel<\/a>\u00a0capable of goodness but prescribed by the fates to committing negative deeds until his death. At the same time, however, Ravana, like Rama, ruled over a kingdom (Lanka), and had devoted servants. He was born a Brahmin, and was an ascetic devotee of Lord Shiva.<\/p>\n

Interestingly enough, those who would be considered\u00a0nich\u00a0<\/em>by Tulsi have come to express sympathy for Ravana, often as a political gesture against oppression:<\/p>\n

\u201cGlorification of Ravana is not unknown. According to a minor tradition, the demons of Vishnu are successive reincarnations of his attendants, who take this form in order to be near him\u2026In modern times, Tamil groups who oppose what they believe to be the political domination of southern India by the north view the story of Rama as an example of the Sanskritization and cultural repression of the south and express their sympathies for Ravana and against Rama.\u201d (Encyclopedia Britannica)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ravana has been utilized as a cultural, political symbol that extends beyond his original intended purpose within the myth, and for good reason. If we cannot clearly decipher the moral integrity of the designated antagonist, it is fair to say that we cannot trust that the appointed protagonist is worthy of our admiration.<\/p>\n

\n

Bibliography<\/strong>:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1.Eck, Diana.\u00a0Dar\u015ban.<\/em>\u00a0New York: Columbia University Press. 1998.<\/p>\n

2. Buck, William, and V\u0101lm\u012bki.\u00a0Ramayana<\/em>. Berkeley: University of California, 1976.<\/p>\n

3. Velchuru Narayana Rao,\u201cR\u0101m\u0101ya\u1e47a,\u201d in\u00a0Encyclopedia of Religion, 2nd Edition<\/em>, ed. Lindsay Jones (Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005), 7616-7618.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0R<\/em>ama and Lakshmana Fighting Ravana (India, Pahari, Bilaspur School)<\/em>. 1750. Painting. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Edward L. Whittemore Fund, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.<\/p>\n

5. Savitri Chandra, \u201cTwo Aspects of Hindu Social Life and Thought, as Reflected in the Works of Tulsidas,\u201d\u00a0Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient<\/em>, Vol. 19, No. 1 (Feb., 1976), pp. 48-60.<\/p>\n

6. Goldman, R., and J. Masson. “Who Knows Ravana?–A Narrative Difficulty in the Valmiki Ramayana.”\u00a0Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute<\/em>\u00a050.1\/4 (1969): 95-100.\u00a0JSTOR<\/em>. Web.\u00a0http:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/416942<\/a><\/p>\n

7. McCrea, Lawrence. 2010. “Poetry beyond good and evil: Bilha\u1e47a and the tradition of patron-centered court epic.”\u00a0Journal Of Indian Philosophy\u00a038, no. 5: 503-518.\u00a0ATLA Religion Database, EBSCOhost\u00a0(accessed October 24, 2014).<\/p>\n

Hyperlink Bibliography:<\/p>\n

8. The Editors of Encyclop\u00e6dia Britannica. “Ravana.”\u00a0Encyclopedia Britannica Online<\/em>. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014. .<\/p>\n

9. The Editors of Encyclop\u00e6dia Britannica. “Rama (Hindu Deity).”\u00a0Encyclopedia Britannica Online<\/em>. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014. .<\/p>\n

10. The Editors of Encyclop\u00e6dia Britannica. “Tulsidas.”\u00a0Encyclopedia Britannica Online<\/em>. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014. .<\/p>\n

11. The Editors of Encyclop\u00e6dia Britannica. “Ramayana (Indian Epic).”\u00a0Encyclopedia Britannica Online<\/em>. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014. .<\/p>\n

12. “Ramcharitmanas.”\u00a0Encyclopedia Britannica Online<\/em>. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014. .<\/p>\n

13. http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Guru-shishya_tradition<\/p>\n

14.\u00a0http:\/\/www.britannica.com\/EBchecked\/topic\/653297\/yinyang<\/a><\/p>\n

15.\u00a0http:\/\/www.britannica.com\/EBchecked\/topic\/585989\/telepathy<\/a><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. http:\/\/symboldictionary.net\/?p=1660<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    17.\u00a0http:\/\/www.britannica.com\/EBchecked\/topic\/244670\/Greek-mythology<\/a><\/p>\n

    18.\u00a0http:\/\/www.britannica.com\/EBchecked\/topic\/507866\/Roman-religion<\/a><\/p>\n

    19. http:\/\/www.britannica.com\/EBchecked\/topic\/63933\/bhakti<\/p>\n

    20.\u00a0http:\/\/www.britannica.com\/EBchecked\/topic\/387852\/moksha<\/a><\/p>\n

    21.\u00a0http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Surpanakha<\/a><\/p>\n

    22. http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lanka<\/p>\n

    23.http:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/9\/90\/GustaveDoreParadiseLostSatanProfile.jpg<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    This post originally appeared on the\u00a0REL131: Studies in Hindu Traditions\u00a0blog. An explanation, introduction, and justification for my class’ final research project can be found\u00a0here\u00a0(and also\u00a0here). ________________________________ Rama and Ravana’s Divine Antagonism by Celia DeLago Through this post, I will be … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1096,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[110219],"tags":[110963,165554,165828,579,118],"class_list":["post-317","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-student-blog","tag-india","tag-ramayana","tag-rel131","tag-research","tag-student"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4woDM-57","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/religion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/religion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/religion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/religion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1096"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/religion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=317"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/religion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":320,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/religion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317\/revisions\/320"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/religion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/religion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/religion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}