Hi, I'm Mike Rugnetta. This is Crash Course Mythology and today we continue our discussion of heroes and heroism. This time we are looking at a hero king. Rama, whose story is told in one of the core texts of the Hindu tradition. That's right we're discussing a living religious tradition, Thoth and I would like to remind you that we'll be focusing on the narrative and cultural aspects of Rama's story rather than its religious meaning or potential historical truth. Also, a quick note on pronunciation. There aren't any Sanskrit scholars around Crash Course HQ, so we're going to do our best but I can guarantee that I'm not going to be perfect. We've put the sources we used for pronunciations in the doobleedoo if you're curious how we arrived at any of what I'm attempting to say. Thank you in advance for all of your kind and helpful comments. So, who is this Rama anyway? Rama is an avatar of the God Vishnu. He's brave, philosophical, and really good at archery, and also blue which is very classy. OH! Very fashionable, Thoth The story of the hero King Rama comes from an epic poem known as the RAMAYANA. Like many other stories of antiquity, this one started as an oral tradition and was only written down later so there are a number of different versions. Today we're mostly referencing the version recorded by the Poet Valmiki between 400 and 200 B.C.E. when the story was already at least 300 years old. We'll talk about the significance of this myth to the Hindu tradition but not all versions of Rama's story are Hindu He shows up in Buddhist mythology too. It's also worth noting that there's some debate over how well this story represents Hindu culture, values, and principles generally We're not going to do the same hero's journey blow by blow as we did with Gilgamesh but you definitely find plenty of those archetypal seeds. SPOILER ALERT, there's at least 5 instances of supernatural aid, some of it from monkeys and we are going to come back to Campbell later to ask "Who really is the hero of the RAMAYANA?" Keep that question in mind . Our version of the RAMAYANA is a truncated version from thury and definies introduction to mythologies textbook. We start our story right at the beginning, from Rama's birth. His family is really important, and there are lots of them. So, it actually might not hurt to take notes. You got a pen? No? It's OK, I'll wait. Okay, ready? Let's do this. Rama is born the son of the Dasartha, the king of Kosala. He has an auspicious birth. The first of four sons, after a long period of kingly infertility. And the king has three principle wives: Kausalya, Rama's mama, Kaikeyi, who gives birth to Rama's brother Bharata, and Sumitra who has twins, Lakshmana and Satrughna. All four princes are very princely. Smart, polite, they look real sharp in fancy dress, but Rama is clearly the princeliest. One day day the sage of the Vishvamitra comes looking for help dealing with the Rakshasas a group of demons, who were just genuinely bad news. Rama, who was old enough to do something about it, pledges to help Vishvamitra. He and his brother Lakshmana, assist Vishvamitra in an important sacrifice first, though. Earning top marks for both piety and general heroic character. Afterwards, Vishvamitra takes Rama and Lakshmana to a neighboring kingdom, where they meet beautiful princess Sita. Her father, the king, had promised Sita's hand in marriage, to any man who can who can string Shiva's bow, and no! that is not a euphemism. Shiva has an incredible, divine, massive, bow, for arrows. So, here's where Rama really distinguishes himself. He not only strings the bow, he draws it with so much force, that it breaks apart in his hands. The king is satisfied, Rama and Sita are married. Twelve years later, Dasartha decides to give up his throne, and names Rama as successor. In a moment of familial, political intrigue, tho. Manthara, the maid servant to queen Kaikeyi, convinces her that her son Bharata, Rama's younger brother would be a better king. Kaikeyi goes to Dasartha, and begs him to fulfill the promise he made years before. Dasartha resists at first, but is stuck between his commitment. He makes Bharata king, and banishes Rama to the forest, for fourteen years. Rama, Sita and Lakshmana, the loyal brother, head out together in exile. The trio go to the Dandaka forest, where over the next ten years, they adventure like, woah! The defeat a demon named Viradha, they visit a hermitage, they receive a magical bow, and quiver with infinite arrows from the sage Agasthya Rama. They even make friends with a celestial eagle named Jatayu. who promises to watch over Sita, whenever the two brothers go out hunting. Sadly, the peace doesn't last. The Rashasa's learn of Rama's exile in the Dandaka and send a fourteen thousand-strong army after him. Rama, armed with his magic bow, defeats them all. In the face of such an upset, the demon Ravana, who has ten heads, resolves to get back at Rama. The weakness he can exploit? Sita. Ravana orders the demon Maricha to change into a beautiful golden deer, and prance through the forest. When Sita sees it she is entranced, so Rama and Lakshmana go out to catch it. With Sita alone, Ravana shows up disguised as a hermit. He proposes marriage to Sita, who refuses. Dadoy. Ravana then reveals his true form and swipes her, carrying her off in his flying chariot all Sita can do as she struggles is drop bits of her jewellery to a group of monkeys in the trees below Hoping that Rama will figure out what has happened. Back in the forest Rama kills the golden deer and returns to find Sita gone. He and Lakshmana discover the wounded Jatayu, who relates the whole story before... expiring. Swearing to rescue Sita, the two travel to seek out Ravana' lair. Their search brings them to The Monkey Kingdom, where they meet Sugriv, the Monkey King. At first Sugriv mistrusts the two humans, but after reassurance from his Chief councillor Hanuman, he decides to give them a chance. So Rama does what he does best. Boss archery feats and Sugriv is so impressed that they all become friends. The monkeys are happy to help Rama rescue Sita but there's one problem: it's monsoon season which makes travel very difficult. While he waits Rama pines away for his missing wife Finally, as the rains abate, Hanuman talks to Jatayu's brother, the vulture Sampati and learns that Sita is being held in Lanka, far across the sea guarded by a group of titans and it just so happens that Hanuman isn't any old monkey but the Son of the Wind. So he agrees to fly across the ocean and help locate Sita. Hanuman arrives in Lanka only to discover a grief stricken woman in ragged clothes sitting beneath a tree in the Ashoka garden It's Sita. He watches as Ravana enters the garden and tries to convince her to marry him. Sita rebuffs him yet again and he flies into a rage, saying she has two months to change her mind or he'll slice her up, cook her and eat her. This brings us to the Thought Bubble After Ravana makes his threat and leaves, Sita is stricken with grief Her thoughts turn to suicide but at this exact moment, Hanuman steps from his hiding place. He tells Sita he brings Rama's good wishes but Sita baulks. What If this is Ravana in yet another disguise trying to trick her Hanuman proves who he is by presenting Rama's signet ring and offers Sita escape but Sita refuses It's only proper that Rama be the one to rescue her Hanuman flies back to Rama with this news Rama is overjoyed to learn that his wife is safe So, he leads a monkey army across the sea to Lanka They battle Ravana's forces for several days The struggle is dire. In the end it all comes down to Rama's awesome archery expertise He finally slays Ravana ending the skirmish Sounds like a happy ending, right? Well, not exactly when Rama sees Sita, he says "I have defeated my enemy annd avenged the insult to me. This campaign was not undertaken wholly for your sake; It was to uphold the honor of my illustrious family. Your very sight is now painful to me. For no man of honor can take back a beautiful woman who lived for a year in the house of a titan. But Sita is undaunted. To prove her faithfulness to Rama during captivity, she says she will undergo a fire ordeal She has Lakshmana raise a pire and enters the flames She is immediately taken up by the fire god, unscathed, thus proving her purity beyond the fire cast shadow of Thank You! Thought Bubble.. Rama accepts Sita
Ramayana, originally titled as Kaavyam Ramayanam Kritsnam Sitaayaas Charitham Mahat, is an ancient Indian epic poem which narrates the struggle of the divine prince Rama to rescue his wife Sita from the demon king Ravana. - Wikipedia