Gonzales, Jeira Ace J.

Literature 103
Rama, The Ideal Epic Hero
Ramayana is regarded as one of the greatest works in Indian literature.
Its story revolves around the life of Rama, hence the name. Rama is among the nu
merous notable figures of Hinduism, being the seventh avatar of the Hindu god, V
ishnu, and a king of Ayodhya in Hindu scriptures. He is considered as the ideal
epic hero. To quote Mahatma Gandhi (2009), "To me... Rama, described as the Lor
d of Sita, son of Dasharatha, is the all-powerful essence whose name, inscribed
in the heart, removes all suffering-mental, moral and physical." Who really is R
ama? Why was he the ideal epic hero?
Rama is the eldest and most favoured of the four sons of King Dasharatha
of Ayodhya. Despite him being the obvious heir to the throne, Rama's rights to
power were lost to his younger step-brother, Bharata, upon his stepmother's requ
est of his banishment. Bound by his promises, King Dasharatha submits to Queen K
aikeyi's orders. Rama willingly obeys his father's command, completely conformin
g to his dharma. After banishment, Rama ventures into an unknown forest together
with his wife, Sita, and younger brother, Lakshmana. During his exile, Rama fac
es situations testing his loyalty to dharma. One of which was being a good husba
nd by saving his Sita from the hands of Ravana. What exactly is dharma?
Dharma is the set of religious and moral codes that are strictly followe
d by Hindus. The essence of dharma is to shape the way a person lives his/her li
fe. This differs from one person to another entirely dependent on their place in
society. To avoid straying from one's fate set by dharma was very crucial in Hi
nduism.
This is why I think Rama is viewed as the ideal epic hero. All his life,
he committed himself to following his dharma, even if it meant giving up the op
portunity to gain power over Ayodhya or endangering his life. Just imagine havin
g no free will-- living life accordingly to a bunch of socially set rules. Rama
was able to do so without any hesitation; thus, he embodies the perfect image of
what a Hindu should be.
Reference(s) :
Ghandi, Mahatma K. "The Essence of Hinduism" Farlight Publishers and
Distributors. 2009. Reprint.
"Ramana and Ravana in Battle"
<http://ramaandravanainbattle.weebly.com/epic-hero.html>
"Who was Rama - Myth or Historical Hero". 21, September. 2010.
<http://agniveer.com/rama-myth-or-hero/>
"The story of Rama". National Gallery of Congress, Australia. 2015.
<http://nga.gov.au/Rama/>
"Rama The Ideal Man: The Epic Adventure of a Hero". Nitin Kumar. Aug. 2002.
<http://www.exoticindiaart.com/article/rama/>