The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic

Amongst the characters of the Ramayana, whether they are paragons of good or representations of evil, strong family ties exist. These bonds suggest that filial duty and responsibility are a fundamental part of life to the audience of the epic, no matter the individual family’s potential to do good or to do evil. To readers from an individualistic culture, this emphasis on collectivism may seem unusual, as even evil creatures are presented as deserving of a supportive family and society.

In the Ramayana, the strongest family ties exist between fathers and sons and between brothers. Dasaratha’s closeness with his son Rama is clear in the distress Dasaratha feels when he knows that he must separate from Rama. Rama and Lakshmana must leave the king’s side to assist the sage Viswamithra and complete their initiation, and the thought of Rama leaving fills Dasaratha with regret. When Rama must be exiled for 14 years, the length of the separation overwhelms Dasaratha with grief, and he dies of a broken heart shortly after Rama makes his exit. Rama’s decision not to challenge Kaikeyi’s wishes reflects his sense of filial duty to his father; he does not resent Kaikeyi for her machinations and instead accepts and respects his fate as a part of the system in which his own father interacts.

The relationship of Rama and Lakshmana and Bharatha reflects great devotion as well; Lakshmana is unafraid to accompany Rama on his journeys, and while the brothers are together, they fight valiantly, defending each other from threats and seeking to right the wrongs of their world together. Rama’s brother Bharatha displays selfless loyalty to Rama, seeking to prevent his own usurpation of Rama’s rightful throne and placing Rama’s sandals on the throne as a symbolic rejection of the crown. In contrast to these idealized brotherly relationships, Vali and Sugreeva, the monkey rulers of Kiskinda, appear to have a damaged relationship characterized by mistrust and suspicion. They battle, and Vali dies at Rama’s hands for his inability to trust Sugreeva; however, at least in death, truth and hope take the place of anger and jealousy when Vali is able to appreciate Rama as the source of his salvation and Sugreeva takes the throne of Kiskinda with the blessing of his brother.

Other important familial relationships exist in the Ramayana, like the marital relationships between Dasaratha and his wives and between Rama and Sita. The poet Kamban and his translator Narayan both treat marriage differently than father/son dyads and brothers; marriage, which involves trusting women, has the potential to go wrong and to cause a husband to experience feelings of shame and disillusion. Dasaratha’s horror at Kaikeyi’s betrayal transforms his love and affection for her into fear and rage, and he frets more over the impact of her decision on his son Rama than on his marriage to her. As well, when Sita is finally free of Ravana, Rama must test Sita’s loyalty to him instead of accepting her word that she was not intimate with Ravana. Rama’s need to test Sita’s virtue is unique to their relationship; at no point in the epic does Rama feel the need to test Lakshmana’s loyalty, perhaps because the relationship between brothers is infallible.