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Vol. 6(2), pp. 41-43, April 2018 DOI: 10.14662/IJELC2018.011 International Journal of English Copy© right 2018 Literature and Culture Author(s) retain the copyright of this article ISSN: 2360-7831 http://www.academicresearchjournals.org/IJELC/Index.htm

Research Paper

A New Perspective on Adikavya

Ananya K P

Sree Sankaracharya University of , Kalady, Regional Centre, Panmana.

Accepted 16 April 2018

This research paper studied the story of through a different perspective; that is, based on Monistic doctrines. I tried to analyse the characters and events in the story of Ramayana, and attempted to discover the different implications and dimensions of the story and its characters, in a transcendental, monistic perspective. The characters in Ramayana signify the different elements of monistic philosophy.

Key words: , mind, body, liberation.

Cite This Article As: Ananya KP, MA(2018).A New Perspective on Adikavya. Inter. J. Eng. Lit. Cult. 6(2): 41-43

INTRODUCTION

Literature, at its finest sense, is the articulation of human fortunate that we uniquely have this treasure, from where feelings, ideas and concepts in ornate language. we can find the solution for whatever problem we Contemplating on various realms of life, man has encounter. Ramayana consists of the essence of compiled literary treatises on various subjects. Some of the Vedic wisdom especially, the Advaitic thought. This such texts influenced their contemporary and later paper is an interpretation of Valmiki Ramayana on the readers since they either carried novelty in their basis of its connection with Monism. expression of ideas or novelty in the idea presented. Valmiki Ramayana is the story of the wanderings of Sri Sometimes the idea presented may be ordinary, and from to , during the Threthayuga, sometimes ethereal. , the most ancient texts of about two million years ago. Sri Rama is believed to be spiritual instruction, was written in ancient Sanskrit the embodiment of God, or an incarnation of Lord , verses, later sages expressed the Vedic doctrines in for the purpose of subduing , who through his simple way; which form a series of works known as penance got very high powers, and misused them for , , and Jnana Shastras . fulfilling his wicked and lustful desires, in connection with In every aeon, the sages composed Itihasas , of God's the smrithi that; supervision of human affairs. The two prominent Itihasas in ’s possession, The Ramayana and the "God will himself assume human form and labour Mahabharatha have been composed with Vedantic for the destruction of the wicked thoughts as its core. Valmiki Ramayana is said to be the (dushtanigraham ) and the protection of the good first adorned poetry written by a single author. The work (Sishtaparipalanam )"[ Bhagavad Gita4-7,8 ] consists of twenty four thousand verses. The date of Ramayana is believed to be before 500 B.C. Valmiki In the Advaitic point of view, in Ramayana, The absolute Ramayana belongs to the greatest of all literature that Brahman (God) is appearing as a human being, Sri has ever been written. Millions of people down the Rama. It is clear that Rama is not presented just as a centuries have crossed the ocean of sorrowful life with human hero in the story; the light spread out by Ramayana. We, Indians are really

42 Inter. J. Eng. Lit. Cult.

ोयमानेजगनाथंसवलोकनमकृ तम।कौसयाजनयामंदयल् That is whenever one misconceives the Supreme spirit in the mortal human body, there arises the doubt of duality, णसंयुतम।।् which is the cause of fear, the root of all problems in the [रा . बा . 18-10] worldly life, which is depicted in Ramayana in the form of The story of Sri Rama, exemplifies the truest monistic a forest. concepts on the evolution of the universe, the momentary nature of life, the unity between the Ultimate Brahman Rama is really embodied as Brahman, which is evident in and every human soul. The story of Ramayana is truly a the words: telling of the secret of life. Rama is one among the four sons of Dasaradha . Here बभूवभूयोभूतानांवयंभूरवसंमतः। [रा . बा . 18-25] we can see the concept of the “Chathurvidhya of ”, which is explained well with the example The following verses in Valmiki Ramayana, which of “ Chitrapata ” in which Paramatman is seen in four ways expresses the fear arose in the mind of Sita when she that is; “sudha ”, the one without any connection with was in Lanka, is note worthy: , “ Isvara ”, one which is related with maya , The , The ruler of subconscious mind, and the उवनाशकताचािमनवथंचमनोमम। Viratpurusha , the ruler of conscious mind [Siddh. 118- 119]). तयाचाहमुवनाअशोकवनकांगता ।। [रा . यु.34-10 ] These can be connected with the four brothers. Rama, who is not connected with maya or ignorance symbolizes The ogre king Ravana stands as a symbol of mind or Paramatman , , who is related with ignorance senses. (maya ), Satrughna can be placed as Hiranyagarbha , and Bharatha (“bharanadbharathonama” [ Adh.Ram1,3,40-41] सहमायाबलःू रोरावणःशुरावणः। who was the ruler of Ayodhya , can be called as the Viradpurusha. It is said in the story itself that they were मांमोहयतदटामापीतमाेववाणी।।ु [ रा . यु. 34- 8 ] four bodies and one soul, which underlines the concept that they are different forms of the same spirit, Paramatman . When the body is caught in the hands of mind or senses, Rama, the absolute spirit interferes, and with the help of , the embodiment of true intellect, vanquishes वणोरधमहाभागंपुमैवाकु नदनम। ् .. कौसयाशुशुभेतेनपुेणाम the Dasanana. ततेजसा।भरतोनामकैकेयांजेसयपरा The ten heads of Ravan are minds us the ten levels of मः।साावणोचतुभागःसवःसमुदतोगुणैः।। mind, which is referred to in Brihadaranyakopanishad;

कामःसकपोवचकसााअाधतरधृ तधभरयेतसवृ अथलमणशुनौसुमाजनयसुतौ।वीरौसवाकु शलौवणोरधस मनएव [ब. 1/5/3 ] मिवतौ।। ृ

[ रा . बा .18:11-14 ] Rama’s army of monkeys crosses the sea through the long bridge named Sethu, this bridge represents the path Sita , the daughter of Earth, signifies “Prakriti ” itself. The of true knowledge ( Jnanamarga ), the only way through absolute Brahman when appears as a human being, it which one can cross the sea of this life of struggle needs a body to reside. Here Rama, the Absolute (samsara sagara). There arises a question how would Brahman is first seen in Ayodhya (The land were there is have Hanuman crossed the big ocean?, Yes, there must no yuddha or struggle) in the starting of the story. The have another way, it is nothing but the path of time when Rama marries Sita, that is when Brahman (bhakti marga), Hanuman opens his heart and shows appear to be in a body or Prakriti , he had to go to the Rama and Sita dwelling over there. says that; forest which shows the major concept of monism;

ईवरःसवभूतानांेशेजुनतटत ” [ 18-61] “यहवैतमवभवततदतरइतरंपयत ..” [ब. 4-5-15 ] ृ At last defeating Ravana, Rama returns to Ayodhya, the “ यदायेवैषएतिमनुदरमतरंकु ते।अथतयभयंभवत ” [तै.2-7 ] land of peace.

According to Advaita philosophy, in the quest of truth, for

Ananya 43

attaining liberation (), first one should make his सकृ देवपनायतवामीतचयाचते। mind or senses under control, second at a peaceful mind one should hear, see and contemplate on the absolute अभयंसवभूतेयोदायामीततंमम। [ रा . यु. 18-33 ] Brahman यागतयशीलानांआहतानेचयागतः।अपरावतनांयाचयाचभूम - [ .4/5/6] आमावाअरेटयःोतयोमतयोनदयासतयः बृ दायनाम।।्

One must know the difference between the eternal and मयावंसमनुातोगछलोकाननुतमान।ग् राजमहासवसंकृ ृ त the temporal (नयानयवतुववेकः ). चमयाज।। [ रा . अर . 68-29-30 ] For in the story, afterwards Rama loses Sita, here the question of purity arises. The ignorant intellect of men Philosophy has always been the guiding force of doubts that, body or prakriti being material, how can be literature. Ramayana, the first literary composition on an abode of the supreme spirit, which is pure, earth, itself proves the statement, which is eminently omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. Then the depicting the essence of simply through answer is that the Brahman, is not at all affected by the the story of Rama. The characters in Ramayana signify material body which appears to be impure the different elements of monistic philosophy. It illustrates (असगोययंपुषः [ब.4/3/15]),ृ thus, for showing the the cycle of birth and death. Sita symbolises earth or ignorant people the difference between the material world body, since she originates and dissipates to earth. Rama and the absolute Brahman, Rama loses Sita. stands for the Supreme Soul, the independent and unaffected. But really Sita is always there in the mind of Rama even when he loses her and Sita also respects Rama, this exemplifies the sruti; REFERENCES

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