Marriage And Marriage In Rama's Ramayana Of Valmiki

Superior Essays
Marriage is when a man and a woman are bonded by the sacred act of matrimony to begin a family. The bible has conditioned many to believe that woman were made for man and men were made for women. At the top of one 's head, an ideal couple 's relationship should be built on trust, respect, and commitment. The epic Ramayana of Valmiki describes Rama to be the ideal man since he has a strong faith in dharma and is an incarnation of Vishnu, thus making Sita the ideal women. Rama is loved by his people and the next in line for the crown, making him and Sita the power couple of Ayodhya. One of Rama 's mothers, however, asks for Rama to comply with his father 's boon which will leave him exiled for fourteen years in the forest. As Rama and his wife …show more content…
The epic begins with Rama being called to his father 's palace and as he travels in his chariot he is receiving flowers and praise by his people. As the people rejoice as the future king passes by they tell one another that, "Rama 's coronation is truly a blessing to all the people. While he rules, and he will rule for a long time, no one will even have an unpleasant experience, or even suffer," which shows the reader that he is favored by all of his future subjects (1176). The fact that his people said that they will never suffer while he reigns must mean they have given Rama their full trust to take care of them for many years. These praises are the first signs that let the reader infer that Rama is an ideal man. As he arrives at his father 's palace and is told of the bombshell that will change his life for fourteen years, Rama replies calmly and accepts his destiny. A humble Rama tells his mother Kaikeyi "I am not fond of wealth and pleasure: but even as the sages are, I am devoted to truth. Even if father had not commanded me, and you had asked me to go to the forest I would have done so!" which is such understanding reaction that probably surprised the reader …show more content…
Surpanakha is obviously rejected because Rama is already married so she proposes to Laksmana who then teases the demon by telling her to get rid of Sita. But right away Rama goes and defends his wife before Surpanakha hurts her and tells Laksmana, "It is not right to jest with cruel and unworthy people. Look at the plight of Sita. She barely escaped with her life," which shows how overprotective Rama is of his wife (1186). They cast away the demon, but then another demon comes to them in a form of a deer in attempt to kidnap Sita. The demon Marica is the distraction in Ravana 's plan and he succeeds in captivating Sita 's attention, she wants the men to capture it and with no question "Rama took his weapons and went after the strange deer," (1190). Rama just got up and left, the love he has for his wife makes him not question anything, the reader can infer that anything Sita wants Rama will give it to her because just how Sita mentioned she is his other half. While the men chase the "deer" Sita is visited by Ravana in a disguise that he takes off and reveals his true identity to her which makes Sita extremely upset and goes on to tell him, "O demon-king! I have firmly resolved to follow Rama who is equal to the god of gods, who is

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Comparison between Cultural Identity between two texts Every personin this world has the right to express their cultural identity and religion such as Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and many others.. Some prime examples include The Hero’s Walk,”written by Anita Rau Badami and Mira Nair’s film, The Namesake. The cultural identity of an individual can change ultimate their views about marriage, family and customs.. As shown in both texts, culture can alter everything in a person’s life however it is important to follow the cultural traditions. To add on, the distinctive cultures can help individuals through times of despair and lost hope.…

    • 989 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Medieval Marriage Summary

    • 1114 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Rewriting Contractual Ideas of Marriage: Abelard and Heloise, Pioneers of Courtly Love The union of people in marriage has slowly evolved into the institution we recognize today. Many modern ideas of marriage derive from religious traditions that reinforce patriarchal views through their practices. Author Ruth Mazo Karras's book, Sexuality in Medieval Europe, analyses literature to decipher societies in the Middle Ages. She portrays discriminatory attitudes surrounding marriage in medieval society, in which women "were subordinated by legal enactments as well as by church teaching" (86), and "the man was the head of the household and the woman should obey him" (85). Christianity's power over its communities solidified as "church succeeded…

    • 1114 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, presents many different perspectives regarding marriage. Austen portrays this through a variety of characters such as, Charlotte Lucas, Elizabeth Bennett and George Wickham. During this time period, males and females held different stances on the value of marriage and why or why not people should marry. At this time in history, women were highly encouraged to marry young, and if they did not, this was often looked down upon. As for males, it was highly encouraged, but not as crucial as it was for women.…

    • 1142 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Pride and Prejudice Views of Marriage in Comparison to the Bible Marriage is a big deal in the Bible and in the novel, Pride and Prejudice. Marriage is viewed differently in these two books, but also has some comparisons. There are many quotes throughout the novel, Pride and Prejudice, that show what was expected of marriage and what it consisted of in that time period that can be compared to what the Bible has to say about marriage. Three examples of marriage that can be related to what the Bible defines marriage to be are Mr. Collins’s proposal to Lizzy, the news of Mr. Collins getting married to Charlotte, and the marriage between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet.…

    • 1113 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    We are all like clay pots composed of clay (the infinite) declares a Sruti text defining the overall principle of understanding atman or self (Rambachan 101). “In the image of God He created them; male and female” Genesis [1:27]. Whether in Hinduism or Christianity scripture clearly implies males and females are created from identical matter and that liberation emanates through equivalent means. Advaita teacher, Ramana Maharshi summarized the Bhagavadagita 5:18-19 teaching by stating “knowledge and deliverance do not differ between sexes” (Rambachan 103). While Christians believe salvation comes to everyone who accepts Jesus as their savior.…

    • 1084 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Throughout Indian culture, the Ramayana epic has taught the women 's dharmic duty is to "worship her husband as a god, devoting herself completely to his needs." As can be seen, the Indian culture values family more than glory. Rama could have ignored his father 's commands and tried taking the throne away from his brother. Sita did not have to leave the city and eventually get captured in the forest as later seen in the story. They see family as an important element in their…

    • 1014 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Near the end of the battle, Ravana shoots “off his deadliest weapon-a trident endowed with extraordinary destructive power, once gifted to Ravana by the gods... It came on flaming toward Rama, its speed or course unaffected by the arrows he flung at it... When it came quite near, he uttered a certain mantra from the depth of his being and while he was breathing out that incantation, an esoteric syllable in perfect timing, the trident collapsed” (The Ramayana 144). Rama shows courage quite obviously by “uttering a certain mantra from the depth of his being” instead of retreating or taking cover as the powerful trident speeds towards him. Rama also re-exemplifies his valor and fearlessness of death battling against Ravana.…

    • 1005 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In Ramayana, Good and evil have many contradictions. The wars are shown between human/gods and demons. Demons are the kind of creatures, that don’t follow dharma and perform evil actions like violence, women’s abduction and disrespecting other creatures. In this story, Ravana, who was a very powerful demon king, followed the dharma of being a righteous ruler. But, his poor decision of abducting someone else’s wife not only doomed his life, but also his kingdom and his people.…

    • 1639 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    It stresses a society where marriage is a very important and…

    • 2261 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    (Ramayana Book 6, Page 1229) The woman brings to light how Rama is more concerned with his honor than with her wellbeing even when she had no choice in being kidnapped. In this predicament, Rama is satisfied with the return of Sita but is ashamed that Sita carries baggage that could tarnish his perfect image. The struggle that both Rama and Sita faced throughout Rama’s exile and the kidnapping reveals their true characters and highlights how society exalts…

    • 1670 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Rama is the human embodiment of Vishnu, one branch of the trinity that makes up one “Supreme God.” The purpose of this character in the Ramayana is to vanquish the evil that has bombarded the world; this book characterizes Rama as “a savior” (Narayan 13). When deciding who to appoint as his successor, King Dasaratha concludes that Rama is the best choice because he surpasses all, being “the embodiment of perfection” (Narayan 14). Evidently, Rama cares deeply for all people, displaying no signs of partiality, but rather “has the same consideration for everyone” (Narayan 14). As a result, his subjects cared deeply for Rama, declaring that they “lack nothing” under his and Dasaratha’s rule (Narayan 6).…

    • 1047 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It focuses on a love triangle between Goddess Sita, Rama and the evil King Ravana. Ravana lusts after beautiful Sita and kidnapped her, but with the help of Sugriva the money king of Kishkindha, Rama recaptured Sita. The animation film “Sita sing the blues” gave a twist to the story. The animation film portrays a modern day couple Nina and Dave living in a seemly happy relationship in San Francisco with their cat. Dave accepts a job for six month job in Trivandrum, India, when he gets there his contract is extended for one year.…

    • 835 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Covenantal Marriage Essay

    • 704 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Covenantal Marriage: The Implications on Marriage, Sex and Sexual Ethics Marriage. What is it? Most of society would say it is a union of love between two persons that can be dissolved at any time. This modern sentiment of marriage lacks a sound foundation, meaning and purpose. One can enter into a marriage based on feelings and end it just once the butterflies are nowhere to be found in the realities of daily life.…

    • 704 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In this essay I will prove that the Gods judge Rama and Sita to be righteous because they approve of their decisions as leaders, people, and for Rama, as a God, by not interfering…

    • 1562 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Marriage Essay Conclusion

    • 1222 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Marriage is a sacred union between two individuals; that represents the utmost respect, love, trust, friendship, value, and lifelong commitment…

    • 1222 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays

Related Topics