Rama (deity)

Country or Culture: Southeast Asia

Mother: Kaushalya

Father: Dasharatha

Siblings: Bharata; Lakshmana; Shatrughna; Shanta

Overview

Rama is a deity of the Hindu religion, worshiped most commonly by Hindus in India, Nepal, and various other nations in Southeast Asia. In Hindu mythology, Rama is the seventh avatar, or human incarnation, of the god Vishnu. The story of Rama’s life is related in the ancient Sanskrit epic poem the Ramayana, meaning "Rama’s career."

Rama is one of the most beloved gods in Hinduism. The Ramayana depicts him as being a man of honor and righteousness, a devoted son, brother, husband, and friend. Rama’s adventures as described in the poem feature the god engaging in battle with multiple evil beings. Rama always emerges victorious, demonstrating the Ramayana’s theme of good winning over evil.

Hindus in India and around the world still worshiped and celebrated Rama in the twenty-first century. They prayed to statues of him and remembered his exploits during numerous annual festivals that observe his triumphs in battle and the conquering of darkness by the light. Hindus display their respect and admiration for Rama by speaking his name when greeting friends and calling upon him at death.

In Mythology

Hinduism’s primary source of biographical information on Rama derives from the Ramayana. This epic poem containing about 24,000 verses was believed to have been composed by the Sanskrit poet Valmiki sometime between 500 BCE and 200 CE. Several other versions of the story exist, however, with each differing in length and narrative details and featuring regional biases by the authors. Valmiki’s Ramayana is considered to be a vital work of world literature.

Rama is sometimes called Maryada Purushottama, which means a perfect or an ideal person. His personal qualities earned him this name. The Ramayana depicts him as being a righteous and morally respectable man, as he dutifully serves his parents, siblings, and wife.

The tale of Rama in the Ramayana begins with his birth to King Dasharatha, ruler of northern India’s Ayodhya kingdom, and Kaushalya. Rama has three brothers—Bharata, Lakshmana, and Shatrughna—and a sister, Shanta.

As an adolescent, Rama is identified by the sage Vishwamitra as an avatar, or human representation, of the supreme god Vishnu. Recognizing the young man’s power, Vishwamitra requests that Rama help him kill some demons that have been upsetting his rituals. Dasharatha allows Rama to go with Vishwamitra, and the two are then accompanied by Rama’s brother Lakshmana.

Vishwamitra teaches Rama and Lakshmana various magical spells on their journey to his home. Before arriving there, Vishwamitra instructs Rama to slay a demoness. Rama does this, and for his effort, Vishwamitra rewards him with magical weapons. Rama eventually uses these weapons to defeat the demons that had been troubling Vishwamitra. His victory sets a precedent for his own life whereby he, as a force for good, always conquers evil.

After this, Rama, Vishwamitra, and Lakshmana travel to the city of Mithila. There, King Janaka is holding a contest to determine which man can prove himself worthy of marrying his daughter Sita by stringing a divine bow. Rama strings the bow and then breaks it, thereby winning the king’s contest. Rama and Sita marry.

Later in the Ramayana, Dasharatha grants his youngest wife two wishes. Her first wish is for her son to succeed Dasharatha as king, rather than Rama. She then wishes for Rama to be exiled from his father’s kingdom for fourteen years. Both Dasharatha and Rama are saddened by this, but Rama, in accordance with his moral character, obeys his father’s request for his exile.

With Sita and one of his brothers, Rama departs Ayodhya for a distant land. While in exile, Sita is abducted by the evil demon Ravana of Sri Lanka. Rama pursues Ravana to Sri Lanka with the assistance of his devoted companion Hanuman, a monkey god.

Supported by Hanuman’s monkey army, Rama defeats Ravana’s forces and slays Ravana himself. Rama and Sita are then welcomed back into Ayodhya, where Rama is crowned king. He proves to be a just and admirable ruler, and his loving relationship with Sita serves as an example to all.

Origins & Cults

Some Hindus believe Rama to have been a real historical figure whose life later became the subject of the Ramayana. Regardless of whether this is true, Rama has been a central holy figure of Hinduism since ancient times. Stories of his adventures existed as oral tradition for some time among Hindus before Valmiki recorded them in a cohesive narrative in the Ramayana.

Rama has been portrayed in Hindu art for many years. These portrayals usually show him in various scenarios from his life as described in the Ramayana. For instance, Rama is traditionally shown standing, holding a bow and arrow, and wearing a quiver on his back. He wears the wealthy robes of a prince and has a tilak, or red mark, on his forehead to indicate his high social status. Rama is usually shown as having a blue complexion; this is meant to associate him with Vishnu, who is also generally depicted as being blue. Statues of Rama are often joined by statues of Sita, Lakshmana, and Hanuman.

Hindus celebrate several annual festivals in honor of certain events of Rama’s life. The festival of Diwali, for instance, celebrates the victory of light over darkness, as when Rama defeated Ravana at Sri Lanka. During Diwali, Hindus illuminate their homes with numerous candles. The festival of Rama Navami observes Rama’s birth, while Dussehra marks Rama’s attack on Sri Lanka. Hindus sometimes invoke Rama’s name in greeting or when someone has died. This is meant to show their respect for Rama as an active being in people’s lives.

Bibliography

Bansal, Sunita Pant. Hindu Gods and Goddesses. New Delhi, India: Smriti, 2005, 32. Print.

Dallapiccola, Anna L. Hindu Myths. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2003, 31. Print.

Gupta, Manju. Hindu Gods and Goddesses. New Delhi, India: Star Publications, 2004, 14. Print.

Penney, Sue. Hinduism. Oxford: Heinemann Educational Publishers, 1988, 15. Print.