In The Ramayana, duty and fulfilling one’s obligations is important. The story of Rama is the story of a man fighting evil as part of his natural mission as an incarnation of Vishnu. Dharma, the principle of cosmic order, plays a large part in this because the characters have their duties and roles in this world that must follow through with in order to assure the balance of the universe. As a method of teaching in the ancient Indian society, The Ramayana teaches its audience to accept their responsibilities and carry out their duties. Dharma, by definition, means law. The law each person must follow in regards to their natural obligations to society refers to their duty or their ultimate task in life. Rama’s duty is to rid the world of evil.
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He exhibits bravery, fairness, gratitude, goodness, and wisdom. These traits not only allow him to defeat his enemies, but inspire them to admit Rama’s greatness as the ideal man. When Rama defeated Vali, Vali witnessed Rama wisdom and power and admitted to his greatness. “In spite of my obstinacy you have helped me attain and profound understanding and opened my mind with magic” (Narayen, 104). Throughout The Ramayana, Rama repeatedly shows that he is dedicated to his sworn duty. He fights many evil demons and he accepts exile because he has a duty to his family and to his people to fulfill his …show more content…
He is tasked with ridding the world of evil. With this level of responsibility to not only his family, but to the world. He accepts his duty, regardless of the consequences. When he is told by his father that he must go into exile instead of being king, he accepts this command and does not complain. He also does not renege his promise to go into exile, no matter how much the king begged him not to. Rama is meant to be the embodiment of virtue. His actions in The Ramayana show that he has all of the qualities of a god-like hero. For the audience of The Ramayana, reading of Rama’s heroic deeds and his virtuous nature could inspire them to be more like Rama. Aspiring to be like a fictional character such as Rama does not mean that readers have to look for evil demons to slay. Aspiring to be like Rama means to have a strong sense of duty, honor, and respect for family, friends, and possibly even enemies. Rama definitely has respect for everyone in his life, even the demons he has sworn to defeat. During his fight with Ravana, he refuses to fire when Ravana is not active in battle. Matali tells Rama to finish Ravana while he is unconscious. Rama says “It is not fair warfare to attack a man who is in a faint. I will wait. Let him recover” (Narayen, 146). His fairness even while engaging in battle against his enemy, an enemy that he is supposed to defeat as his duty, is a trait that
He exhibits bravery, fairness, gratitude, goodness, and wisdom. These traits not only allow him to defeat his enemies, but inspire them to admit Rama’s greatness as the ideal man. When Rama defeated Vali, Vali witnessed Rama wisdom and power and admitted to his greatness. “In spite of my obstinacy you have helped me attain and profound understanding and opened my mind with magic” (Narayen, 104). Throughout The Ramayana, Rama repeatedly shows that he is dedicated to his sworn duty. He fights many evil demons and he accepts exile because he has a duty to his family and to his people to fulfill his …show more content…
He is tasked with ridding the world of evil. With this level of responsibility to not only his family, but to the world. He accepts his duty, regardless of the consequences. When he is told by his father that he must go into exile instead of being king, he accepts this command and does not complain. He also does not renege his promise to go into exile, no matter how much the king begged him not to. Rama is meant to be the embodiment of virtue. His actions in The Ramayana show that he has all of the qualities of a god-like hero. For the audience of The Ramayana, reading of Rama’s heroic deeds and his virtuous nature could inspire them to be more like Rama. Aspiring to be like a fictional character such as Rama does not mean that readers have to look for evil demons to slay. Aspiring to be like Rama means to have a strong sense of duty, honor, and respect for family, friends, and possibly even enemies. Rama definitely has respect for everyone in his life, even the demons he has sworn to defeat. During his fight with Ravana, he refuses to fire when Ravana is not active in battle. Matali tells Rama to finish Ravana while he is unconscious. Rama says “It is not fair warfare to attack a man who is in a faint. I will wait. Let him recover” (Narayen, 146). His fairness even while engaging in battle against his enemy, an enemy that he is supposed to defeat as his duty, is a trait that