The Ramayana is an epic filled with Gods, humans, and creatures, their stories intertwining with tales of love, tragedy, honesty, lies, evil, and righteousness. In The Ramayana, righteousness is defined as commitment to duty, something that is shown by Rama and Sita in their undying loyalty and faith to their family members, people, and the commands of the Gods. Their righteousness is determined in different ways and is judged by different people, but in the end their family members, the Gods, and people of the kingdom agree that Sita and Rama are righteous people, shown through the respect that Rama and Sita receive from these people and Gods. 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 …show more content…
In the culture and time of The Ramayana, righteousness is defined by one’s commitment to their duties. This definition is proven by the people, family, and Gods approving and being supportive of what Rama and Sita do, and looking to them as examples of what is good and right. For Rama and Sita specifically, duty is their commitment to their family and each other. It is also shown in their dedication to pleasing the people they rule over, as well as their obedience to the God’s every command. The Gods are the ones that have given them life, and they live to return the favor by abiding by their words, such as Vasishtha does and says, presiding over Dasaratha’s funeral, “The most painful duty that the gods have left me to perform.” (Narayan 1972: 59). Righteousness, although not directly defined in The Ramayana, is shown through the actions of Rama and Sita. The responses of the people, their family, and the Gods, explain the definition of righteousness and prove why Rama and Sita are precise examples of