The Ramayana: A Sacred Text

"Whoever reads or hears the Ramayana daily,

all his sins will be washed away. Whoever

recites the Ramayana will have rich gifts of

cows and gold. He will have a long life and

be honored in this world and the next."

-The Ramayana

Works Cited

Blooberries, "Vishnu Watcher of the Universe." Painting. Smite. 16 September

2016. Web. 5 October 2015.

Cartwright, Mark. "Vishnu." Ancient History Encyclopedia. 25 November 2012.

n.p. Web. 5 October 2015.

Ganeri, Anita. Sacred Texts: The Ramayana and Hinduism. North Mankato:

Smart Apple Media, 2003. Print.

Menon, Ramesh. The Ramayana: A Modern Retelling of the Great Indian Epic.

New York: North Point Press, 2001. Print.

Narayan, R. K. The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian

Epic. New York: Penguin, 1972. Print.

Patel, Sanjay. Ramayana: Divine Loophole. San Francisco: Chronicle Books,

2010. Print.

"Ramayan." IMDb. 1990-2015. n.p. Web. 5 October 2015.

"Ramayan 1986 TV Serial." TV series image. Online Watch Movies Free. 25 July

2010. Web. 5 October 2015.

"Regional Significance of Diwali." Diwali the Festival of Lights. n.d. Society for the

Confluence of Festivals in India. Web. 29 September 2015.

Vassil, "Linteau Ramayana Musée Guimet." Sculpture. Wikimedia Commons. 30

September 2007. Web. 5 October 2015.

The Ramayana: A Sacred Text

Teachings

LOYALTY

War between good and evil

Document prescribing a code of conduct

that is still widely regarded

- Lakshmana

- Hanuman

(Menon, ix)

Discussion Questions

LOVE

DUTY

Sarah Bozzay

Dr. Santirojprapai

ENGL 257

6 October 2015

- Rama's whole purpose to destroy evil

- Obedience to his father

- Duty to protect

ideal husband and wife

- Rama resists Soorpanaka's advances

- And Sita spurns Ravana

- Fiery trial to prove Sita's purity

(Narayan)

1. Compare and contrast the role of the gods in Ramyana with other epics we have read.

2. Does Rama fit the image of the "typical" epic hero? Why or why not?

3. Does Sita demonstrate a strong or weak role for women?

Hinduism

Sanatana Dharma or "eternal teaching"

(Ganeri, 6)

Sacred texts

VS.

Smriti "that which is remembered"

examples: Ramayana and Puranas

Shruti "that which is heard":

examples: the Vedas and Upanishads

(Ganeri, 6)

Life and Death

- atman

- samsara

- karma

- moksha

(Ganeri, 11)

Influence Today

(Ganeri, 17)

Important gods

Brahma, Vishnu, & Shiva

(Ganeri, 10-11)

(Cartwright, "Vishnu")

(Blooberries, "Vishnu Watcher of the Universe")

Diwali Festival

("Diwali.")

Ramleela

(Menon, xii)

Ramayan TV series 1986-1988

("Ramayan." IMDb)

Translations

MANY VARIATIONS!

Represented in numerous textual and oral forms

(Narayan, xi)

"Ramayan 1986 Hindi TV Serial"

Valmiki & "standard version"

Different endings

Reflection of social diversity

Capturing the spirit of the story

vs

line by line translation

(Vassil, "Linteau Ramayana Musee Guimet")

(Menon, xiii-xiv); (Narayan, xi-xiv); (Patel, introduction)