Discuss the two epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata.
The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are two of India's greatest epics that have influenced the Hindu way of thinking and belief system. The two epics are believed to be partially based on historical events and are considered to be "itihasa" in Sanskrit, which means historical texts.
1. The Ramayana
The word Ramayana literally means the journey of Rama. It is a story of the triumph of good over evil that is shown through the victory of Rama who defeated the demon Ravana who had abducted his wife. Rama is perceived as the ideal man in Hindu culture. He is portrayed as loyal, dutiful, righteous, courageous, wise, strong, and even handsome.
Rama was born as the eldest of the sons of the King of the Kosala Kingdom. However, due to turmoil in family relationships, he was exiled for fourteen years. As a dutiful son, he willingly went on exile with his wife, Sita, and his younger brother, Lakshmana. During the exile, Sita was abducted by Ravana, the demon king of Lanka (present-day Sri Lanka). In his search for Sita, Rama befriended Hanuman, a monkey-human god, who was a great help to the prince.
Finally, they were able to defeat Ravana through a fierce battle and save Sita. However, this was not the end of the story as Sita had to prove her chastity by walking through fire before Rama was willing to take her back. Fortunately, with the help of the gods, she was able to do so and remained unharmed.
2. The Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is essentially the story of the rivalry between two bands of brothers in the Hastinapura Kingdom, which culminates in a great battle.
The Pandavas are the five sons of Pandu, the rightful king of the Hastinapura Kingdom. His eldest two sons were Yudhistira and Arjuna. On the other hand, the Kauravas are the one hundred sons of Dhritarashtra, who is Pandu's blind elder brother. The eldest of the Kauravas is Duryodhana, who is the main antagonist in the story. Duryodhana lives against dharma (moral order) and is portrayed as greedy, jealous, and evil.
In the story, Duryodhana invited the Pandavas to a game of dice where the Yudhistira staked everything and lost. Consequently, the Pandavas then had to go on exile for a total of thirteen years, during which they prepared themselves for war. At the end of their exile, the Pandavas and the Kauravas gathered their allies and went to war against each other.
The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are two of India's greatest epics that have influenced the Hindu way of thinking and belief system. The two epics are believed to be partially based on historical events and are considered to be "itihasa" in Sanskrit, which means historical texts.
1. The Ramayana
The word Ramayana literally means the journey of Rama. It is a story of the triumph of good over evil that is shown through the victory of Rama who defeated the demon Ravana who had abducted his wife. Rama is perceived as the ideal man in Hindu culture. He is portrayed as loyal, dutiful, righteous, courageous, wise, strong, and even handsome.
Rama was born as the eldest of the sons of the King of the Kosala Kingdom. However, due to turmoil in family relationships, he was exiled for fourteen years. As a dutiful son, he willingly went on exile with his wife, Sita, and his younger brother, Lakshmana. During the exile, Sita was abducted by Ravana, the demon king of Lanka (present-day Sri Lanka). In his search for Sita, Rama befriended Hanuman, a monkey-human god, who was a great help to the prince.
Finally, they were able to defeat Ravana through a fierce battle and save Sita. However, this was not the end of the story as Sita had to prove her chastity by walking through fire before Rama was willing to take her back. Fortunately, with the help of the gods, she was able to do so and remained unharmed.
2. The Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is essentially the story of the rivalry between two bands of brothers in the Hastinapura Kingdom, which culminates in a great battle.
The Pandavas are the five sons of Pandu, the rightful king of the Hastinapura Kingdom. His eldest two sons were Yudhistira and Arjuna. On the other hand, the Kauravas are the one hundred sons of Dhritarashtra, who is Pandu's blind elder brother. The eldest of the Kauravas is Duryodhana, who is the main antagonist in the story. Duryodhana lives against dharma (moral order) and is portrayed as greedy, jealous, and evil.
In the story, Duryodhana invited the Pandavas to a game of dice where the Yudhistira staked everything and lost. Consequently, the Pandavas then had to go on exile for a total of thirteen years, during which they prepared themselves for war. At the end of their exile, the Pandavas and the Kauravas gathered their allies and went to war against each other.
