The Lessons from Ramayana Winner Essay Display

  In the month of September we got our winners of essay writing competition of Lessons they learnt from the epic Ramayana and they have beautifully displayed this through their essays and today we will display them in front of you. 

1st Place Winner - 

Writa Bhattacharjee 

My first encounter with the Ramayana was as a child listening to the audiocassette for Chhotoder Ramayan (Ramayana for Children), which tells the whole story of the Ramayana through songs. So many of the songs stayed with me as I grew up, though the songs were not the only elements of the epic that stuck. Over the last few decades, I have read several other versions of the Ramayana in more than one language—from a portion of Kalidasa’s Raghuvamsham in Sanskrit to Devdutt Patnaik’s Story of Ram in English. With every book and every read, I have found something new to admire and learn from this epic tale of dharma vs adharma. Here are a few of those lessons.

The first lesson, to put it in modern words, is the importance of walking the talk. Looking at it in a slightly more traditional way, we can call it honorable behavior or the importance of keeping one’s word. So much that is wrong in the Ramayana originates because people either give their word without truly intending to keep it or break their promises.

King Dasharatha gives Queen Kaikeyi two boons that give her the right to ask for anything at a time of her choosing. Yet, when she does ask for those boons, he is unwilling to keep his promise, which creates an imbalance between dharma and adharma. It then falls to Rama to restore that balance by fulfilling his father’s promise.

Then there is the example of Bali and Sugriva. Sugriva promises Bali he will wait outside the cave while Bali fights Mayavi. Yet, when he believes his brother is dead, he blocks the cave and departs. While he might be excused on grounds of misunderstanding, his actions still stand as a breach of a promise, becoming the catalyst for the prolonged conflict between the two brothers.

These two examples are in direct contrast to each other, but both highlight the importance of not going against one’s commitment. In the modern world, this is how we define integrity: a person fulfilling their commitments and agreements. While the complexity of the modern world shapes this in the guise of contracts or rituals, the underlying principle is the same. The edifice of society stands strong only on the foundation of promises kept and oaths fulfilled.

Another important lesson I have learnt from the Ramayana is that opposition does not equate disrespect. In fact, this is one of the biggest differentiators between Rama and Ravana—who are representatives of dharma and adharma—in the epic story.

Ravana repeatedly insults Rama, both directly and in his encounters with Rama’s followers like Angad. He calls Rama insignificant, weak, and many other derogatory names. He even insults those around him, like Vibhishana, who try to make him see reason and follow dharma. The biggest insult he offers is, of course, to Sita. He abducts her and keeps her imprisoned. Not only that, he constantly pushes his unwelcome advances on her. Because of these actions, the campaign that he purportedly starts to avenge the insult to his sister turns into a war of unrighteousness.

In contrast, Rama never rises to the bait offered by Ravana. He never responds with anger or attempts to humiliate. Even while fighting a war with Ravana, he is calm and respectful. He begins by offering an amicable solution despite the grievous injury caused to him by Sita’s abduction. When Ravana refuses, only then does he resort to violence. He follows the rules and norms of warfare unwaveringly. And at the end, when Ravana lies dying, he sends Lakshmana to learn from Ravana what he can, acknowledging his enemy’s great scholarship.

Today, we find people resorting to anger and insults at the smallest of disagreements. Friendships break, relationships crack, neighbours turn into enemies, employees rage quit or are rage fired, peaceful gatherings turn into violent mobs. It feels that we have forgotten the basic tenet of social coexistence—the need to respect others even if we don’t agree with them.

Every person’s beliefs and opinions are shaped by dozens of personal and environmental factors. The odds of two people disagreeing on a subject are invariably higher than those of agreeing. When we choose to leave respect out of the equation, unfortunately, we choose the Ravana within us instead of the Rama. The inability to disagree respectfully has pushed us to the brink of becoming a fragmented, intolerant, aggressive society where the worth of a person is determined only by the extent to which they agree with us.

A final lesson I wish to share with you is the need to put reason over impulse. Emotional Intelligence as we know it in modern parlance. The ability to understand and manage one’s emotions so that they don’t dictate all our actions while also recognizing and influencing the emotions of others in a constructive way.

There are many examples throughout the Ramayana that demonstrate the damage that impulsive behavior can do. King Dasharatha’s accidental killing of Shravan Kumar in his excitement to hunt by sound alone becomes the trigger for the tragedy he meets later in life. Queen Kaikeyi’s impulsive demand of the two boons, driven by insecurity, is the main precipitating action of the epic.

Shurpanakha’s surrender to her lust for Rama and Lakshmana despite their refusal drags Lanka into the war that devastates the kingdom. Ahalya becomes the victim of the impulsive actions of two men, paying the harshest of prices for a wrong that is done to her rather than by her.

In sharp contrast, we have Lakshmana counselling Rama to search for Sita instead of destroying the world in his grief after she is abducted. We have Hanuman, whose presence of mind and analytical thinking cause such tremendous devastation in Lanka. We have Queen Mandodari, who looks at the pragmatic challenges of the situation alongside the injustice of her husband’s actions, and advises him to withdraw from the war.

And we have Rama, who (after a brief submission to his intense emotions) chooses the path of reason and sensibility even during the war with Lanka. While not every level-headed approach is equally effective, choosing reason over impulsiveness often prevents situations from escalating, and in some cases, even becomes the key to success.

The Ramayana was originally composed over two and a half millennia ago. It continued to evolve until the 3rd century CE, while the oldest written manuscripts are from the 11th century. There are dozens of regional and even international versions and hundreds of variations from the “canonical” Valmiki Ramayan. One might even go so far as to say that as Indian culture and society has evolved, so has the Ramayana to reflect and incorporate the values of its time.

While we might debate about the extent to which it is “historical”, there is no denying the impact that the Ramayana has had on our identity as a civilization. What it tells us about human character, behavior, and choices might be couched in language that sometimes feels archaic, even obsolete. Yet, beyond the language, which is a vehicle rather than the journey, lie lessons in living a better life that are not only relevant even today but are truly eternal.

I am sure that throughout the rest of my life, I will encounter many other versions and variations of the Ramayana and its stories. As a lover of mythology, it is inevitable for me. I am equally sure that every reading will leave me more and more enriched as a person, teaching me something new and valuable.