One of the most striking relationships throughout the entire Rāmāyaṇa is that between India's epic hero Rāma and his half-brother Lakṣmaṇa. What is interesting about this affair is Lakṣmaṇa's pure fidelity toward his brother and all his goals. While Rāma is the king on leave throughout most of the Hindu epic, Lakṣmaṇa acts more or less as his royal servant and bodyguard of his most prized possession, that being Rāma's wife, Sītā. Interestingly enough, Lakṣmaṇa is very much an intelligent being himself, and one who revels in the longevity of his brother's interests and aims. This paper will deal with how these Lakṣmaṇa creates himself as the most loyal of companions within the first book of the Rāmāyaṇa. In the Bāla Kāṇḍa, Vālmīki sets forth the ideal relationship between the brothers, which only grows stronger and allows the story to finish at the termination of the Uttara Kāṇḍa.
In order to understand Lakṣmaṇa, we have to understand that he, like Rāma, is an avatar of Vishnu, and again, like Rāma, is sent forth into the forest with the sage Viśvāmitra in order to conquer the demons that inhabit the land. Therefore, Lakṣmaṇa is a royal and legitimate heir to the throne, although he is the youngest of all of the King of Ayodhyā's sons. Seemingly, his most striking characteristic is that of not only loyalty to Rāma, but to dhárma as well. Dhárma, aside from being the "right course of conduct in every dilemma," is a social contract for all human beings to follow. With the rise of the demon Rāvaṇa and his dispensation from Brahmā of a boon of invincibility, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa vow to help save the kingdom and the world from this evildoer and henceforth, to promote and uphold dhárma. This, although truly heroic indeed, is le...
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In this paper, I will be explaining how Siddhartha had arrived at the Four Noble Truths. The first paragraph contains how Siddhartha’s life was full of suffering, pain, and sorrow. The second paragraph will be the cause of suffering is the desire for things that are really illusions in Siddhartha’s life. Following, in the third paragraph I will be explaining how the only way to cure suffering is to overcome desire. Finally, I will be explaining that the only way to overcome desire is to follow the Eightfold Path.
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In the epic of Gilgamesh the friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu is very complex and necessary. Their friendship brings animal, human, and god together. Gilgamesh is changed by his friendship with Enkidu. He becomes a better person and a better ruler because of Enkidu. Enkidu’s life is enriched because of his friendship with Gilgamesh. Enkidu was created to balance out Gilgamesh, and he accomplishes this goal. The two men are very close, and love each other deeply. Both Gilgamesh and Enkidu benefit from their friendship.
Khan, Benjamin. The Concept of Dharma in Valmiki Ramayana . Delhi: Munshi Ram Manohar Lal, 1965. Print.
Rama’s journey towards achieve his Dharma is first seen after Rama completely accepts his banishment and does not doubt the decision he believes his father has made. This action shows a characteristic that is essential to Rama’s journey, which is acceptance. He is not thinking about how long he will b...
The epic hero’s journeys hold the hopes for future of ordinary people’s lives. The Epic of Gilgamesh was written in approximately 2000 B.C.E which is highly enriched with Ancient Mesopotamian religions, and The Ramayana was written by ancient Indians in around 1800 B.C.E. The stories were written in two different parts of the world. However, these two stories etched great evidence that show people from generation to generation that different cultures and religions are interconnected; they share ideas with each other. Both Gilgamesh and Rama traveled long journeys in these tales. These epic journeys played a role in the creation of different archetypes. We can clearly see that these two tales share similarities between these archetypes. Although
Sita is iconic as the ideal wife, her character is so fixed into the hearts of the people that she become a monument for the ages to come, mainly because woman are the main basis on which the various concepts of the society like the truth, compassion, tolerance, virtueous and many others. Valmiki in his text Ramayana does an amazing work by bringing in women characters from all sections of the society. There is on the one hand, the wifehood and the generous motherhood of Kausalya, on the other hand, the dominating wifehood of Kaikeyi who is proud of her beauty and motherhood. There’s a tender feeling of dedication of Sita and Kshatriya quality of Sumitra, Manthara who is motivated by selfishness and Sabari engaged in Self-upliftment, this diversity makes it easier for the people till today to connect and identify themselves with the test. Also, it’s important to note that all these characters posses unmoved faith, their own righteousness, their firmness and endurance and mark their way for individualism that makes the text of Ramayana more compelling than any other stories.
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In contemporary society, feminism is emerging as a theory of social construct. In literature it is often challenging to discover female characters that go beyond the limits of marginalized female stereotypes and roles as a means to transgress beyond societal norms. Women are characterized as subordinate objects, amid the dominant patriarchal nature entrenched amid the epic. In The Ramayana, women are portrayed as powerless objects that succumb to the manipulation of men as the text portrays a false empowerment of women, which ultimately succumb to common archetypes accustomed to women in literature; implementing a hierarchy of gender that institutionalizes male dominance amid female inferiority. The women of The Ramayana struggle to oppose the systemic patriarchy and pursue a pathway towards attaining dynamic elements of power, that enable their ability to embody autonomous authority. In Valmiki’s The Ramayana, while women appear to be empowered, ultimately they are feeble instruments utilized to fulfill the desires of men.
In everyday life, we must overcome the challenges that test our strength and will as well as to accept the ramifications that come in handling the situation. These events are known as moral and ethical dilemmas and in certain reading selections, the main characters are faced with fulfilling a parent’s desire, putting your life at risk, challenged to explore who you really are, and choosing to whether or not disclosing or doing something is the right thing to do.
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