Rama
Rama, also known as Rama-chandra, is a noble, heroic figure in the mythology of India. It is written that “in almost every Indian tongue there is a vast epic, the Ramayana, which recounts his exploits, and any storyteller can make a crowd sob by saying or chanting his name.” (New Larousse Encyclopedia Of Mythology, 1968:217) The Ramayana is an epic poem also containing later additions, and most likely crystallized just before the birth of Christ.
In the Ramayana, Rama is another incarnation of Vishnu. He appears as a prince who is heir to the throne and is married to the lovely Sita, who is an incarnation of the wise and beautiful goddess Lakshmi, wife of Vishnu. Rama exemplifies “flowing with the dharma” by voluntarily exiling himself from the kingdom because of family politics. This occurred when his step-mother, the current queen, interfered with the succession to the throne by installing her own son, based on a boon once promised her by the king. The son assumes the title of regent only, for Rama’s sake, but Rama righteously withdraws to a forest hermitage with his beloved wife Sita and Rama’s brother.
In demonstrating the continuing struggle between good and evil, Rama must fight many demons in the forest. The King of Demons, Ravena, finally avenges himself and abducts Sita, the model Hindu wife, to live in his kingdom. Rama is horrified and searches everywhere, finally enlisting the aid of the great monkey king’s general, the god Hanuman, who is shown with a monkey head on a human body. Because of his brave help, Hanuman is considered a “much-loved deity in Hinduism and all monkeys are held sacred.” (Religions Of The World, 1969:410)
Together, Rama and Hanuman fight Ravena in his kingdom of Lanka, and when Rama shoots him with a poison arrow, Sita is released from the palace where she has been captive. While there, Ravena made advances to her but she loyally refused them, thus gaining his respect. However, because she lived in another man’s palace, Sita must now prove her innocence with a public trial. She builds a funeral pyre and steps into the flames declaring her love for Rama and imploring the protection of the fire god Agni. He does not burn her, but rather is seen to rise radiantly with her on his lap, to the delight of her husband, who believed in her virtue all along.
Interestingly, the last book of the Ramayana, which was probably added later, ends differently. Rama has to sorrowfully banish Sita in his duty to please the people, who do not believe in Sita’s purity. Ultimately, after many trials, she is redeemed when she asks her Mother, Earth, to consume her. Rama dies soon after to take up once again his form as the all-encompassing Vishnu.
The ultimate significance of the tale of Rama and Sita lies in the importance of right living, or karma-yoga. Rama is a model prince, and Sita is the model Hindu wife, loyally serving her husband to the point of surrendering her life. In the Ramayana, ”Dharma (moral duty, righteousness), as a major goal in life, overrides Artha (pursuit of wealth, honor and fame) and Kama (pursuit of pleasure)…Rama and Sita are divine exemplars of Dharma.” (Religions Of The World, p. 412)