Tomichan Matheikal's blog

Nala and Nila are architects of faith. They built a bridge between the mortal and the divine, a bridge that mortal creatures built for an immortal god, a bridge between human effort and divine purpose. Ram Setu, aka Adam’s Bridge today, connects India with Sri Lanka, from Rameswaram to Mannar Island. It is a 48-km-long chain of limestone shoals, sandbanks, and islets that run across the Palk Strait. The ocean is quite shallow in the region: 1 to 10 metres deep. Science tells us that the ‘bridge’ is a natural formation, resulting from a combination of coral reefs, sand and sediment deposition, tidal and wave actions, and rising sea levels over thousands of years. Some surveys also suggest that the top layer contains stones resting on a base of sand, which is unusual and could indicate human intervention. Moreover, the bridge was reportedly walkable until the 15 th century.  In the Ramayana, the bridge was built by the Vanaras under the guidance of Nala and Nila, sons of Vishw...

Mandodari and Ravana by Gemini AI To remain virtuous in a palace darkened by the ego of the king is a hard thing to do, especially if one is the queen there. Mandodari remained not only virtuous till the end of her life in that palace, but also wise and graceful. That’s what makes her a heroine, though an unsung one. Her battlefield was an inner one: a moral war that she had to wage constantly while being a wife of an individual who was driven by ego and lust. Probably her only fault was that she was the queen-wife of Ravana. Inside the golden towers of Ravana’s palace, pride reigned and adharma festered. Mandodari must have had tremendous inner goodness to be able to withstand the temptations offered by the opulence, arrogance, and desires that overflowed from the palace. She refused to be corrupted in spite of being the wife of an egotistic demon-king. Mandodari was born of Mayasura and Hema, an asura and an apsara, a demon and a nymph. She inherited the beauty and grace of her...

Image by Google Gemini "Wherever you dwell, O Rama, that alone is my heaven. I do not desire Ayodhya, or even the bliss of Swarga, if I am not with you." Many characters in the Ramayana could have said that. Sita, Lakshmana, Hanuman… I have quoted Lakshmana’s speech to Rama when he heard of the exile ordered by Dasharatha. Loyalty is a central moral and emotional pillar in the Ramayana. It appears in different dimensions – between brothers, spouses, subjects and rulers, even between humans and animals. Loyalty to a person does not mean blind following; it’s about love, trust, and shared destiny. Lakshmana’s loyalty to Rama is perhaps the most shining example. He could have lived in the comfort of the palace; but he chose to be by Rama’s side in the travails of the forest. His loyalty is more than a duty; it is love. Sita’s loyalty is tested in fire – literally as well as symbolically. But she never sways. Hanuman’s loyalty is devotion (which was discussed earlier ). Ra...

Book Review Title: The Journey of the Soul Author: Dhanya Ramachandran Publisher: Sahitya Publications, Kozhikode, 2025 Pages: 64 “I n the whispers of the wind, I hear a gentle voice.” Dhanya Ramachandran’s poems are generally gentle voices like the whispers of the wind. The above line is from the poem ‘Seek’. There is some quest in most of the poems. As the title of the anthology suggests, most of the poems are inward journeys of the poet, searching for something or offering consolations to the self. Darkness and shadows come and go, especially in the initial poems, like a motif. “In the darkness, shadows dance and play.” That’s how ‘Echoes of Agony’ begins. There are haunting memories, regrets, and sorrow in that poem. And a longing for solace. “Tears dry, but scars remain.” Shadows are genial too occasionally. “Shadows sway to the wind’s soft sigh / As we stroll hand in hand beneath the sky…” (‘Moonlit Serenade’) The serenity of love is rare, however, in the collecti...

By Google Gemini The concept of karma plays a vital role in the Ramayana. You will get the consequences of your actions – that’s what karma means in short. Dasharatha, a king who followed dharma quite meticulously, committed a mistake in his youth. While hunting, he killed a young boy mistaking him for a deer because of a sound. Dasharatha was genuinely repentant of what happened and he went to the blind parents of the boy to atone for his karma. But the understandably grief-stricken blind father of the boy cursed Dasharatha: “Just as we are dying in sorrow caused by the loss of our son, you too shall die grieving the separation from your son.” So, Dasharatha’s death during Rama’s exile was a consequence of his karma. It was predestined, in other words. Immutable fate. Ravana’s karma brings upon him the disastrous end he has. He has lived a life of adharma altogether. Interestingly, it was his fate too following him from another existence altogether. He was destined to live the l...

Image by Gemini AI Jatayu is a vulture in Valmiki Ramayana. The choice of a vulture for a very noble mission on behalf of Rama is powerful poetic and moral decision. Vultures are scavengers, associated with death and decay. Yet Valmiki assigns to it one of the noblest tasks of sacrificing itself in defence of Sita. Your true worth lies in what you do, in your character, and not in your caste or even species. [In some versions, Jatayu is an eagle.] Jatayu is given a noble funeral after his death. Rama treats Jatayu like a noble kshatriya who sacrificed his life fighting for dharma against an evil force like Ravana. “You are blessed, O Jatayu!” Rama tells the dying bird. “Even in your last moments, you upheld dharma. You fought to save a woman in distress. Your sacrifice will not go in vain.” Jatayu sacrificed himself to save Sita from Ravana. He flew up into the clouds to stop Ravana’s flight with Sita. Jatayu was a friend of Dasharatha, Rama’s father. Now Rama calls him equal to ...

By Copilot Designer How much of the Ramayana is historical, how much myth? This is a question that has befriended me for years. The years haven’t given me a definitive answer. When students ask me this question, my answer is: ‘There must have been a king like Rama in Ayodhya some time, possibly…’ The Ikshvaku dynasty or Suryavansha is more mythological than historical. There is no conclusive documented history on the dynasty. The name Ikshvaku does appear in some ancient literature. For example, the Shakyas – Gautama Buddha’s clan – trace their lineage to the same royal house, in ancient Buddhist literature. There was a historical Ikshvaku dynasty that ruled parts of South India (present-day Andhra regions) in the third century CE, but that is centuries after the period traditionally associated with Rama. My study so far on this informs me that the Ikshvaku dynasty functions less as a historical fact and more as a spiritual and cultural blueprint, reminding generations of the i...

Illustration by Google Gemini When you conquer certain heights, you won’t descend; you will spread your wings and fly. This is one of my favourite quotes from Richard Bach. I have used that quote again and again in my classes to underscore the importance of pursuing excellence. Hanuman of the Ramayana illustrates the quote best. He met divinity; nothing less would satisfy him ever. The divine is a personal experience, I think. It is an experience that transforms you. Once you have encountered the divine, nothing less will ever satisfy you. Hanuman’s devotion to Rama is because of this. Hanuman meets Rama in the forest. His heart senses that he is in the presence of the embodiment of dharma, love, and cosmic order. One of Hanuman’s first utterances after encountering Rama is: “You are Narayana Himself, Lord Vishnu, the refuge of all virtues. When You dwell in this world, what is left for the righteous to strive for?” Experiencing the divinity is conquering the highest peak from ...

Illustration by Copilot Designer Maricha is the demon who changed his appearance as the golden deer that attracted Sita’s attention. He doesn’t want to do it but is forced by Ravana to play the role. Maricha warns Ravana of calamitous consequences if he dares to do any harm to Sita. Rama is very powerful, in the first place. Secondly, he is very virtuous. Thirdly, he doesn’t do us any harm. Rama doesn’t even bother about us though we do immense harm to the sages in Dandakaranya where Rama too lives with Sita and Lakshmana. In spite of being an exceptionally learned and intellectually gifted person, Ravana fails to understand Maricha’s counsel. Ravana is a Brahmin by birth and was well-versed in the four Vedas and the six Vedangas. He has a deep understanding of scriptures and rituals. An ardent devotee of Lord Shiva, Ravana composed the Shiva Tandava Stotram, a complex and powerful hymn in praise of Shiva. He had won many boons from Lord Shiva through intense tapas (penance). Ye...

Tara and Rama as imagined by Copilot Designer Kishkindha is a liminal world, a world between humans and gods, a world of monkey-like creatures that think and behave like humans. The Vanaras are said to be born of gods to assist Rama in his mission. But I have come across many interpretations in which a Vanara like Hanuman serves an allegorical function to teach us how to channel our untamed, primal instincts towards righteousness and higher goals. The moment we bring supernatural intervention (like animals specially created by gods to play a major role in the plot), a plethora of interpretations flow in. We can find any number of symbolic and allegorical meanings in the Vanara kingdom. Friendship is a major theme in this section of the epic. There is a friendship of convenience, a friendship that is more of a political strategy, between Rama and Sugriva. There is deep devotion which goes far beyond friendship in the relation between Hanuman and Rama. We will discuss Hanuman later (...