Introduction
The Ramayana is a classic poem about bravery, humor and magic. The original composition of the poem was done by the Sanskrit poet known as Valmiki at around three hundred B.C., and remains to be an integral part of the religious and cultural expression of India. The story is set in India. The story revolves around Rama, together with his wife who has been expelled from Kosala, their kingdom, for a period of about fourteen years.
The reason for their banishment was as a result of the conspiracy by the mother of one of his four brothers to bar or block him from the leadership. In their journey out of the kingdom, they are accompanied by Laksmana, his brother. This is one of the most accepted and popular Indian legend, and is extensively recognized as being among the great literary masterpieces in the whole world. This is a timeless and enduring epic, inspired as well as inspiring; in addition, it raises above all bounds of tradition, time, religion and language. In the text, the characters of Rama and Sita represent the ideal man and woman in India.
Body
Rama’s epic of banishment, betrayal together with struggle for saving his beloved wife called Sita from the demon’s clutches as well as reclaiming and restoring his throne has substantially influenced the literature, culture and art of the Southeast and South Asia. The extend of this influence cannot be matched in the history of the literature of the world, except, maybe the Bible. All through the centuries, we find that there has been production of numerous versions of the epic.
India’s classic era was a period where the society’s value was exclusively on the basis of religious responsibility of a single man and the cleanliness of a woman. In this text, Rama and his wife are depicted as people with typical characteristics and moral behavior in the perception of the culture of India. Nevertheless, Rama is regarded as a re-embodiment of divinity and a person of solemn responsibility; his wife is the representation of chastity and submission.
The ethical elements of every one of them are depicted through several various challenges resting on both of them. The decisions together with actions of both of them through the story demonstrate how the culture of India described its view of a typical man. The culture of the west carries a conception stating that authority manifests via actions, while the culture of India is in disagreement with this notion by claiming that instead, authority manifests itself via pain and suffering; Rama’s wife, Sita is an individual with such powers.
As a central female, we find that she constitutes the dignity of a woman who is tolerant through her pain and suffering; she sacrifices a lot, and always very faithful as well as being respectful to her chastity. Sita perceives her pain and suffering as her individual responsibility. On the other hand, her husband is very faithful and devoted to his duty, wife and family.
A good example to the actions of the character is when she had to make a decision of whether to go to the forest with his husband or to stay back at home. She eventually made up her mind to accompany her husband as she is dedicated and committed to him by the substantial love when she asserted that it would not be the least suffering to her and without him, even heaven is not good place (Brockington p36).
Nonetheless, even when Rama makes attempts of persuading her so that she could change her mind and stay back, she says that his cordial kindness for her happiness only makes her love for him more passionate and stronger, and her determination for following him much stronger (Brockington p36). A significant point noted is that her love together with devotion to her husband form a very strong bond between a woman and a man to an extent that it becomes the definition of a typical wife being loyal and dedicated to her husband. She states that a good wife remains committed to her man even if he is dead.
Sita actually have a great commitment and affection to her husband such that she is not in a position of sustaining herself in his absence, and she asserts that committing suicide is the only other viable option to her if it means that she is supposed to live without her husband. She says that she is ready to give up her life if she cannot be with her husband (Brockington p36). Although the idea of taking away her life, according to the Indian philosophy is regarded or perceived as the biggest of all sins, we find that Sita is so gracious and committed to her servitude that she is not able to find a reason or purpose of living without the person that she loves and treasures most in her life.
Conclusion
However, when Hanuman makes an appearance and finds Rama’s wife, Sita, he is able to realize how she is very confident in the ability of her husband together with Laksmana to save her and thus she is calm even in the midst of this hardship (Brockington, p36).
Works Cited
Brockington, John. The Sanskrit Epics.In Flood, Gavin. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. 2006. Print.