THE CONCEPT OF
GREATNESS
IN THE RAMAYANA*
First
lecture:
IN
RELATION TO MAIN CHARACTERS
Dr.
R. S. MUGALI, M.A, D. Litt.
The
Ramayana has been a perennial source of inspiration and instruction to all
those in
It
is obvious that the first four Sargas of this epic
which are prefatory in character were composed by one or two other persons, who
were probably the disciples of Valmiki belonging to a later period. It is
presumed that the actual composition of Valmiki begins with the fifth Sarga,
though it strikes sudden, and unconventional as an
opening canto without any salutation or prayer to the divine as in the
Mahabharata. Though the query in the first Sarga of the Ramayana is seemingly
innocent and anticipatory, based on a full knowledge of the entire story, it is
significant as a proper introduction to the great qualities of Rama, who is the
main character of the story and who is intended to be held up as a model of
virtue, a paragon, along with some other
characters, who vie with each other in emulating him and play their roles in
different capacities or relations, caring more for their devotion to duty than
for profit or position in life.
The
above-mentioned query and the answer to it clearly indicate the poet’s concept
of greatness and of the qualities, which distinguish an ideal person, a person
of true character and culture beyond time and clime. The Ramayana is the
earliest epic in Indian literature, produced a few thousand years ago,
containing an old story of the hoary past, mostly built creatively on the basis
of some real history and yet its appeal is universal in more senses than one,
mainly because of the great characters, who adorn its gallery and who stand as beaconlights on the rough waters of the sea of life. In the
said query made to Narada by Valmiki, and the reply that follows, the reference
is to the qualities of a hero like Rama of that particular time and yet some of
these qualities typify an Ideal Person of all time. Valmiki starts by asking
who is at present a man of virtue and a man of strength or heroism?” 
but in the course of
this dialogue we get the picture of an ideal person, who is not merely a man in
the present, that is 
but beyond it,
belonging to all time–past, present and future. A true epic or a great work is characterised by both its temporal and universal character
and that is why it takes its honoured place among
world classics. A man of great character or an ideal person is he, who is
virtuous, heroic, pious, grateful, truthful and firm in resolution. He is
possessed of good conduct and he is intent on doing good to all creatures. He
can control himself and conquer anger and prejudice. He is intelligent,
discerning and moral. He is eloquent in speech. He is accessible to all good
men as an ocean is to all rivers. He is noble and cultured and looks upon all
as equals. On the whole, the concept of greatness as indicated in the very
first opening canto of the Ramayana is fairly comprehensive, combining strength
with goodness, truthfulness with firmness, gratitude with the spirit of service
to all and self-control with self-confidence. Now it remains to be seen how far
this concept is exemplified in the life and conduct of Rama and other important
characters of this epic.
It
is not possible to make a detailed study of the character and conduct of these characters
within the brief scope of these two lectures on the subject. Besides, we have
already before us very detailed and penetrating character studies by some
scholars, particularly the lectures on the Ramayana, delivered by the late Rt.
Hon. V. S. Srinivasa Sastri under the auspices of the Madras Sanskrit Academy
and published some thirty years ago. I shall confine myself to highlighting
some of the crucial situations, which illustrate the poet’s concept of
greatness. In the course of my study I was struck by the use of the word ‘Mahatma’
with reference to Rama and some of the other characters in numerous contexts
which made me think that Valmiki was very fond of that term as a yardstick of
greatness. I intend to find out what exactly is the meaning
of the word according to him and whether it means the same thing in all
contexts. I shall keep in mind the characters of Rama, Sita and others
belonging to the Kshatriya category in my first lecture and in my second
lecture I shall allude to the characters like Hanuman and Sugriva,
Ravana and Vibhishana belonging respectively to the Vanara and Rakshasa categories.
The
first question with which we are confronted in dealing with the character of
Rama is whether he was a character at all with human virtues and human
limitations. Not only that he is looked upon as God incarnate in popular
tradition, he is explicitly described as God in human form by the poet himself
in the very story of the manner of his birth and in other contexts. It is not easy
to ignore all that as interpolation. All the same, the total impression
that he makes on our mind is that of a great human being, who stood the test of
time, went through sorrow and suffering and rose above it, never swerving from
his cherished ideals of truth and duty. Even if he was an Avatar, which
literally means coming down, he descended to the human level in order to show
to what height a human can go and ascend peaks of divine perfection in the
midst of human imperfection. In brief, he appeals to us as a godly
man rather than a manly god.
The great qualities of head and
heart, which Rama was endowed with, have been praised in the first four Sargas along with the epithet of ‘Dharmatma’
and ‘Mahatma’, presumably on the basis of Valmiki’s
assessment in his original work, beginning with the fifth Sarga. It is natural
because Rama was born in the family of Ikshwaku
kings, who were Mahatmas all 
and continued the
noble tradition, thus giving rise to the great story of Rama. In the next
stanza, it is said that this Ramayana is a work, in which Dharma, Artha and 
thus hinting that the greatness of that family
and of its
scion, Rama, lay in the integration of these three Purusharthas
in actual life. The concept of greatness in the Ramayana is, therefore, not one
of neglect of worldly life, consisting of Artha and Kama but of building and developing it on the firm
foundation of Dharma.
The
first crucial situation in which Rama’s greatness was
tested after proper initiation and training by Vishwamitra
was that of coronation, nullified by Kaikeyi’s
overweening ambition and insistence. This has been worked out with masterly art
in all its complex light and shade in the first 20 to 25 Sargas
of the Ayodhyakanda. What is most important in this
tragic turn of events is how Rama, the hero of the epic, faced it with calm and
courage and upheld the noble traditions of truthfulness and self-denial for
which the family was known. When his father Dasaratha
told him that he would be crowned as heir-apparent, that is Yuvaraja, his friends
rejoiced and conveyed the news to his mother, Kausalya. She was overjoyed and
gave many presents to them. But Rama himself bowed to his father and quietly
made for his residence without expressing any of his feelings, almost like a Sthitaprajna. Probably he had some premonition of what was
ultimately going to happen. Or it may be that even at that young age his mind
was mature enough to realise that one should control
one’s feelings of joy lest it result in extreme sorrow and depression on
account of a possible reverse, which is inherent in any situation, particularly
where other claims can be made.
Dasaratha sent for him
again and asked him to be ready for the ceremony, which would take place the
very next day, as he was having bad dreams and untoward events might occur in
case of delay. Even here, Rama took leave of him and went to his mother’s
residence to announce the news without any display of sentiment. She was
extremely happy and said “all your opponents are finished.” 
.
This cryptic sentence is so meaningful not only because it
suggests that she was aware of his opponents but also because it hints at the
tragic irony of the situation. As it happened later, his opponents had not been
finished, her joy was short-lived and her misery was doubled by the reverse.
Rama asked Lakshmana, standing near him, to rule over
the earth along with him as he was like another soul of his and went home.
The elaborate preparations for the
coronation, the enthusiasm of the people, Manthara’s
successful strategy of poisoning the mind of Kaikeyi,
Kaikeyi’s stubborn insistence on the coronation of
her son, Bharata, and sending Rama to exile, despite
desperate appeal by Dasaratha–all these are too
well-known to bear repetition. We have only to note here how Rama reacted to it
in a very graceful and dignified manner without expressing any sorrow. 
.
He positively told her that he would go to the forest as
desired and asked her to send for Bharata as quickly
as possible. In the course of his conversation with her, he told her with an
unperturbed mind that he was not hankering after money or power and that he
cared only for practising Dharma, which consisted in
serving his father and keeping the promise given by him. It may appear too
stoic and unnatural for Rama to react in this cool and collected manner.
Lakshmana in fact expressed his violent indignation
about it. But the poet wanted to show the greatness of Rama as an Ideal Person,
who valued moral and spiritual values as higher than worldly riches, power and
position. Rama is depicted as a Mahatma who was equal in joy and sorrow. He did
not rejoice when the glad news was conveyed to him nor did he feel depressed
when the news of the shocking reverse was communicated to him.
In the series of happenings that
took place consequent on Rama’s
resolve to go to the forest like the lamentation of his parents and the people,
the determination of Sita and Lakshmana to accompany
him, his speech and conduct were exemplary, befitting a great hero of noble
stature. The poet often refers to him as a Mahatma quite deservedly. But
this Mahatma had his moments of agitation and agony too. Sleeping on bare
ground on the first night after sending away Sumantra,
the charioteer, Rama said to Lakshmana in an agitated
state of mind “My father must surely be restless in sleep now. Kaikeyi must have been pleased that her wish is fulfilled.
Considering this suffering caused to us and the derangement
that has overtaken my father, I think 
.
Here is a strange irony of circumstance, in which a great hero, upheld Dharma
as superior to everything else, was impelled to regard
.
But
this was but a momentary outburst for he composed himself and appeared like
fire without a flame and sea without the surging wave. We find that in the
latter part of Ayodhyakanda commencing with the death
of Dasaratha, the return of Bharata
to the capital, condemnation of his mother’s act and his journey to the forest
to persuade Rama to come back and rule, Rama maintains dignity of demeanour in his refusal to return without fulfilling his
promise. He tells Bharata that neither he nor his
mother Kaikeyi is to blame
.
This may be contrasted with his earlier rebuke of Kaikeyi.
The
next situation, which put the trio of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana
to a severe test, was that of kidnapping of Sita by Ravana, affirming the
supremacy of 
in Kishkindhakand. Lakshmana had to console him when Rama wished to end his
life, though a Mahatma:
The
sorrow of Rama welled up again when Hanuman returned from Lanka after meeting
Sita and gave to Rama the memento of Chudamani, sent
by her. He pressed it to his bosom and wept bitterly, tears gushing from his
eyes. He wanted to know all about her and said, “What is more agonising than this that I see the gem without seeing my
beloved, who wore it? You say that she can sustain herself only for a month in
my separation. But I cannot live without her even for a moment”, (V, 66, 9, 10).
Even when preparations for war with Ravana are going on, Rama pines for Sita’s company in an
uninhibited manner. Strangely enough, he is more open in expressing to his
brother Lakshmana the pangs of his separation from
Sita and his longing for her physical contact. He says to him with an air of
selfishness, “I am not sorry that my sweetheart is away from me or that she was
carried away by the demon. I am only sorry that her youth is passing away! My
body burns day and night in the fire of sexual passion.” (VI, 5, 5, 8)
One can see how perfectly human Rama was in such situations, in spite of his
being a high-souled person, or Mahatma. In the course
of the war, when a faked Sita’s dead body was shown
to him, Rama lamented awfully and fell down fainted. (VI 83, 10) Lakshmana had to console him, asking him not to behave like
a commoner, being a Mahatma. The strangest part of the whole story is that on
the death of Ravana in a prolonged battle, Rama accosted Sita, who came to meet
him, with mixed feelings of joy, pity and anger. He told her “You are standing
before me with your suspected character and causing pain to me like a lamp
facing a person with eye-sore. You can, therefore, go where you like. I have
nothing to do with you.” (VI, 118, 17-18) Sita had to proclaim her chastity
with a lump in her throat and tears in her eyes. In order to prove it, she fell
into fire and came out unscathed. It was only then that Rama accepted her as
his devoted wife, being reminded by gods that he was not an ordinary human
being but the Supreme God. Thus the image of Rama as a great character with
human weaknesses is conveyed to us, though it is not entirely self-consistent.
The
character next in importance is that of Sita, who has been called “Mahabhaga” on more than one occasion just as Rama is
called “Mahatma.” Her father Janaka, while offering
her in marriage to Rama, describes her as a devoted and large-minded wife, who
will always follow him like a shadow. 
.
This description was fully justified when she refused to stay back and
accompanied Rama to the forest, braving all the rigours
and dangers of a rough life. The four or five Sargas
of Ayodhyakanda, in which Rama vainly tried to
dissuade Sita from following him to the woods and Sita persisted on
accompanying him are some of the most noble and edifying portions of the
Ramayana. In this context, Sita argues powerfully in the highest traditional
manner how she must follow him, saying that all the defects pointed out by him
will be turned into merits by his love for her. (II, 29, 2) This has been
beautifully amplified later. (II, 30) But this very Sita, attracted by the
delusive golden deer, fell into the trap set by Ravana and became herself
responsible for all the misery that overtook her. In this tragic episode, it is
most unfortunate that she took Lakshmana to task in
the manner, most unbecoming of her when he hesitated to leave her alone in the
forest residence. She rebuked him with anger: “You are an enemy of your
brother, posing as a friend. It seems to be your desire
that your brother should die so that you can have me. You are not pursuing him,
because you covet me.” (III, 45, 5, 7) This may be explained as a very human
reaction in a trying situation. But the great Sita should not have attributed
motives in this abject manner, whatever her anger against him. Her intense
suffering during her kidnapping and captivity in Ashokavana
which enhance her steadfast loyalty to Rama evoke our admiration for
her. It is, however, a pity that Rama should have suspected her character and
ill-treated her at the time of their reunion. On the whole, the character of
Sita has been depicted as an ideal wife though she had her failings when she
was caught in a difficult situation.
Among
the other characters, who are regarded as great, Lakshmana and Bharata require
special consideration. Rama praises Lakshmana a3 his
inseparable counterpart but he appears to us to be an irascible and violent
counterpart on certain occasions. One can understand his resentment at his
father’s submission to Kaikeyi’s demands but he goes
to the length of exclaiming furiously that he should be imprisoned and killed.
(II, 21-12, 19) The poet still calls him a “Mahatma”. (II, 21-20) Probably the
word “Mahatma” in this and similar contexts means a heroic and eminent
person like the word “Mahanubhava” in a
restricted sense. But his real greatness or magnanimity manifests in his
sincere desire to accompany Rama and render all manner of service to him,
though there was no such compulsion, although he avers in a fit of anger that
he would kill Bharata if he ill-treated their
mothers. (II. 31, 20,21) He flares up again on seeing Bharata coming with his army under the wrong impression
that he was coming to attack them and shouted that he would fight and kill him.
(II, 96) One may ask whether these outbursts, though caused by righteous
indignation, are consistent with his magnanimity. Bharata,
on the other hand, is fraternal devotion and humility incarnate. He also has
been called a “Mahatma” in the true sense of the term. (II, 73, 28) His refusal
to abide by his mother’s demand, proceeding to the forest to persuade Rama to
return and rule, his acceptance of authority as a delegate of Rama and finally
handing it over to him on his return–all these acts and utterances hold him up
as a model of wisdom par excellence, though of course his censure of his mother
Kaikeyi is rather harsh (II, 73, 74) and lacks
restraint, whatever the provocation……Rama, Sita, Lakshmana
and
Bharata–these are the four great characters that the
author of Ramayana has delineated with superb skill. It must, however, be
remembered that their greatness is set off against their weaknesses and that
they are not mere, airy embodiments of one virtue or the other. All of them
represent the virility and magnanimity of the Kshatriya tradition along with
their limitations and weaknesses. They are depicted as ideal as well as human
even at the risk of a certain degree of incoherence.
Second
Lecture:
IN
RELATION TO OTHER CHARACTERS
In this lecture, we shall deal with some of the characters, who were friendly or hostile to Rama and his kith and kin. They are found both among Vanaras and Rakshasas. Unlike the Kshatriyas, the Vanaras and Rakshasas are non-human and therefore appear to be unreal and imaginary. It is a question how far they can be treated as human characters if they are creatures of the poet’s imagination without any basis of reality. If the Ramayana story is based on some substratum of history, is the latter part, in which characters belonging to these categories play a notable role, mere myth or a mixture of myth and reality? It is possible to argue that they were neither monkeys nor demons actually but human beings, resembling them, like the Dravidians and other tribal people, who lived in the hoary past. But their speech and behaviour show a strange combination of human and non-human characteristics. Some of them are endowed with rare qualities of loyalty, service and sacrifice. Their speech and action on certain occasions elicit our admiration so much so that we are inclined to ignore their unrealistic presentation. Their refinement and culture are no less than that of human characters, who have been held up as ideal. For the present purpose, we shall treat them as characters belonging to different categories and yet rubbing shoulders with human beings and helping or hindering them in their task.
Sugriva was among the
first of Vanaras, whom Rama met in his search for
Sita. When he came across Rama and Lakshmana for the
first time, he took fright of them because he feared that they were sent by his
brother Vali to put him to rout. Being, however,
assured by Hanuman one of his followers that they could not do any harm to him, he became friends with Rama and reposed complete
confidence in him. Being a co-sufferer, he showed great sympathy for Rama and
promised him that he would try his level best to search for Sita with the help
of his followers and sought his help in his own predicament.
This
occasion for mutual help was caused by a common grievance, viz., the kidnapping
of Rama’s wife by Ravana and the capture of Sugriva’s wife by Vali, though
the nature of the conflict was different in each
case. As promised, Rama joined hands with Sugriva in
the prolonged battle with Vali and helped to kill
him. Sugriva was then crowned as the king and
reunited with his wife, Ruma. He did not pay
sufficient attention to the task of searching for Sita in his absorption in
royal revelry. This saddened Rama and enraged Lakshmana.
He, however, realised his responsibility more keenly
than before and sent his armies in all directions with a specific assignment to
his minister, Hanuman. It was Hanuman, who found Sita in the Ashokavana of Ravana’s capital
after a good deal of adventure. In the events that followed, including a war
between the Vanaras and Rakshasas,
Sugriva played a major part and brought victory to Rama.
We
notice that he has also been called a Mahatma in more than one context.
In the first Sarga of Kishkindhakanda, it is said
that he, being a Mahatma, was frightened by the sight of Rama and Lakshmana. (IV, 1, 130) How can a frightened person be a Mahatma
in the true sense of the term? It is clear that the word means here a great or
eminent hero rather than a high-souled person. Even
in other contexts in this Kanda (3-21, 12-28 and 36-12) the meaning seems to be
the same rather than the original or the accepted one. He calls his brother Vali also as Mahatma, saying that he honoured
and bowed to his brother when he returned after killing Mayavi.
(9, 23) Vali’s wife, Tara, also calls him a Mahatma
Both
these Vanara brothers were heroic and generally
well-meaning. Sugriva was extremely helpful to Rama
though his help was reciprocal. ValI behaved almost
like Ravana in his capture of Sugriva’s wife. By no
stretch of imagination either of them can be commented with the epithet
of “Mahatma”, though Sugriva is a little more worthy
than Vali in receiving that kind of approbation. But
it must be said that the author of the Ramayana has used this term very often
without always conveying the sense, which it originally has and which strikes a
common reader.
Hanuman is
depicted in the Ramayana as the most ideal character in the Vanara
category, possessing lovable qualities of learning and culture, loyalty and
devotion, service and prowess. He occupies pride of place in more than half of
the epic, beginning with Kishkindhakanda. The Sundarakanda is almost exclusively devoted to him. The part
he has played in cementing the bond of friendship between Rama and Sugriva, in discovering Sita and instilling hope in her
heart and that of Rama as a brave and clever messenger, in his wonderful
exploits, of which he alone was capable, leading to the victory of Rama in the
war with Ravana and the reunion of Rama and Sita. All his achievements are
actuated by altruistic motives as he has nothing to gain for himself except a sense
of satisfaction on having helped a great hero like Rama out of his distress and
brought about a reunion of the ideal man and wife. If any one, among the
helpers of Rama, deserves richly the title of a Mahatma, in the true
sense of the word, it is Hanuman, beyond any doubt. In fact, he has been called
so on more than one occasion. When he crossed over to Lanka by his miraculous
flight, he was described as “Mahatma”, (IV, 1-208) implying both his great
prowess and his great devotion to duty, perhaps the former more than the
latter. Rama praises him profusely in the very first Sarga of Yuddhakanda on his return from Lanka after meeting Sita and
completing his mission. A “Purushottama” according
to Rama is one who achieves success as a loyal servant in carrying out a
difficult task with faith and devotion. By implication, Hanuman was such a
servant par excellence. Rama regrets that he cannot do any act of joy in return
for his service. So, he says, “the only thing I have with me is embrace and I
shall give it to this Mahatma.” 
Thus he hugged him
with great joy
It
has been pointed out that Hanuman was not free from weaknesses and shortcomings
in spite of his being great in every respect.1 One
of his weaknesses was failure of memory at the proper time under the curse of
the Rishis, whom he troubled during their Yagas while yet a boy. Among the examples given to
substantiate this is the one, in which he forgot that Sugriva
had already given orders to him early enough to send search parties for Sita
and placed the blame on his shoulders when Lakshmana
came to Sugriva complaining with indignation that he
had neglected his duty to Rama in his orgy of enjoyment as a king. Actually,
however, it was Hanuman, who first reminded Sugriva
of his obligation to Rama (vide IV Sarga 29) when Sugriva
ordered his army chief Neela to do the needful (IV,
29, 28-30). But he did not care to see whether his orders were carried out and
Hanuman had to awaken his sense of duty once again. (IV, 32) Though as a
minister of Sugriva, Hanuman had to share a part of
the blame, it is not correct to say that Sugriva on
his own had ordered Hanuman early enough. Some other examples of his amnesia or
forgetfulness are noteworthy. Notwithstanding all this, all the encomiums
showered on him such as: “He was great nearly in every sense of the word. And
if we take the deeds performed by him and put them in a heap, I doubt whether
the heap that stands to the credit of any other character would come up to it
in mere bulk. He performed great deeds of valour of
physical strength which no other living creature of the time could have
performed. Wise, moderate in council, always ready to see things while yet they
are only coming, few can approach Hanuman in sheer greatness, in weight of
achievement” are quite justifiable. There are, of course, exaggerations in the
treatment of his character 2 but the concept of greatness has taken
a very concrete shape in Valmiki’s conception and
delineation of Hanuman as an absolutely selfless, sincere, loyal, devoted and
discreet helper, ready to face any hazard and achieve wonders for the sake of a
great and venerable hero in difficulty and distress.
The
Ramayana, which would have been a grand saga of Rama’s
promise-keeping and self-denying greatness of character as a result of Kaikeyi’s greed, goaded by Manthara,
developed into a vaster and more tragic epic, worthy of being called a “Kamayana” as a consequence of Ravana’s
“
(V,
6-13) There are contexts in which the appellation
“Mahatma” appears to have been applied to him in the sense of a really great
man. (V. 9-73, 52-29, 59-34)
There
are other contexts in which the epithet “Mahatma” appears to have been applied
to Ravana in the sense of a great or famous hero. (V, 10-12, 59-24, 69-17)
Considering that the term has been employed in describing other demons like Narantaka (V, 69-71), other Vanaras
also, (V, 43-1, 49-2) it may be safely assorted that it is used in the sense of
though the derivative and prevalent meaning of
the word does not justify such an extension. One of the most ideal and adorable
characters among the demons is Vibhishana, the
brother of Ravana, like Hanuman among the Vanaras
and Bharata among the Kshatriyas. The
greatness of the Ramayana is very much enhanced by the poet’s creation of these
characters, who shine like the Dhruva star, always
showing the path and direction of real character and culture, unsullied by
selfish desire and ego.
It
is well nigh impossible to be comprehensive in our treatment of this subject in
the course of only two lectures, which are a modest attempt to understand the
concept of greatness in this great epic. It may be said in brief that the
concept consists in suggesting that greatness is not perfectness
and that greatness shines all the more because of weakness or imperfection. It
is this deep understanding and depiction that has made Ramayana a great epic, a
magnificent human document, whose appeal is universal. It is wrong to look upon
this epic as a mere symbolic story of character-moulds or models. It is
certainly a picture of great men and women, whose greatness, however, is humanised by their limitations, weaknesses and failings. As
has been well said, “That is a great man, who, going through the mill,
undergoing my experiences, suffering my sufferings, enjoying my joys, still
comes out top, overcoming all those handicaps and limitations, showing in his
fullest development the grandeur of human character, approaching the divinity
from which he came and I came and you came, too”. 4
(It
may be noted that the references in these lectures are from Srimad
Valmiki Ramayanam, edited by Sri N. Ranganatha Sarma in Kannada
script.)
* Lectures delivered
under the auspices of the
1
V. S. Srinivasa Sastry: “Lectures on the Ramayana”,
Pp. 253-268
2 Ibid,
p. 253
3
Ibid, pp. 306, 307.
4 Ibid,
p. 13.