An epic and its appeal

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Swami Tejomayananda [1]

Last time(The inner Ramayan, November 2) we considered some of the characters of the Ramayan in their symbolic dimension. We saw what the symbolism was behind Ram and Sita. Let us here look at some other characters and their significance.

In the story of the Ramayan, we know that Ram had to cross the ocean to kill Ravan and Kumbhakarn. This ocean represents ignorance and delusion; it is this that we must cross.
Ram is also sometimes said to be gyaan (knowledge) and Sita is likened to bhakti (devotion). Ravan, who is the embodiment of ignorance, delusion, ego and pride, can only be destroyed by Ram, who is Pure Knowledge.
Lakshman is the incarnation of vairagya (dispassion). Bharat is the embodiment of love for the divine (Ram prem). And Shatrughn is the embodiment of selfless service. Hanuman is one of the most important characters in the Ramayan. He is the embodiment of all the divine qualities put together — devotion, dedication, service, dispassion, strength, humility, knowledge and almost every other virtue!
The other monkeys in Ram’s army represent our numerous thoughts, some of which are not directed towards the Lord alone. They also represent different kinds of spiritual disciplines, such as japa (repetition of mantra or Lord’s name), austerity or charity, in which we engage for purposes other than purely spiritual. This should not be the case. All our spiritual endeavours should be dedicated to the Lord alone and not to acquiring fame, wealth or power.
This is why it is said in a prayer: “Whatever I do, I dedicate to the Lord.”
If you can do this you gain the real Ram Rajya — the kingdom of happiness, peace and prosperity. The Ramayan is an epic poem, and it tells a story. But, more importantly, it is a dharma shastra, an exemplum of right living. Knowledge of almost every kind is found in the Ramayana.
The Ramayan is an offshoot of the Vedas and contains the highest spiritual knowledge. This epic is, therefore, also called adhyatma shastra, a scripture that reveals the knowledge of the Self. Thus, we can never say that the Ramayan is old. As we have seen from the way people were glued to their television screens when the Ramayan serial was aired in the Eighties, the appeal of the Ramayan will never cease. It is ever fresh and new.