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| 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 ideals a leader – and indeed any human being - should strive for.
Myths help humans discover order and
meaning in life. From time immemorial, humans have been fascinated with the
mystery that surrounds them. A sense of the numinous seems to be coeval with
the origin of the human species. That sense preceded even the desire to explain
the world rationally or find a basis for ethical behaviour.
Myths are not meant for providing
rational explanations for what lies beyond human understanding, but an attempt
to express the human wonder at the experience of those mysteries and also to
link the pervasive mystery with their own lives. Some of those experiences are
benign, some malign, and a few may not leave any deep impressions. The benign
forces become divine in the myths, the malign ones become evil spirits or
rakshasas or whatever. People adopt a particular conception of the supernatural
because it works for them, not because it is rationally sound or scientifically
provable.
Mythos is symbolic truth, in other
words. It provides spiritual consolation. Logos, on the other hand, is rational
or empirical knowledge. Science privileges logos over mythos. In spite of the
tremendous progress of science and technology, mythos has stayed with humans
stronger than ever because myths provide the narrative framework for cultures
to forge identity, moral framework, a sense of communal belonging, and so on.
As famous mythologist Joseph Campbell
put it, “Myth is the secret opening through which the inexhaustible energies of
the cosmos pour into human cultural manifestation.”
Rama of the Ramayana is a symbolic
channel through which the ideals of dharma, sacrifice, love, and duty find a
concrete form. His story is the story of a quest for righteousness in a chaotic
world. His dynasty, the Ikshvaku, may belong to the realms of the numinous; but
his struggles and anguishes are ours.
PS. I’m participating in #BlogchatterA2Z. This series looks at the Ramayana from
various angles.
Tomorrow: Jatayu: The Winged Warrior
Previous Posts in this series:
Chitrakoot: The Antithesis of Ayodhya
Some scholars have made careers out of trying to link various myths to historical record. It's interesting how the stories take on lives of their own.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, too many of them, especially in our times. I can never forget our own B B Lal, prominent archaeologist who altered his own genuine findings for the sake of politicians.
DeleteThe effort to reason with the existence of myth is something that barely formed in me at some point of time and continue to hover in my thoughts in my leisure hours. Happy to find it articulated very clearly in this blog. I resonate with all the hypotheses formed and the inferences made!
ReplyDeleteWriting this post was a little difficult. I once hinted about it to you on WA. I'm happy to say that I'm learning to manage my balance on that metaphorical plank in your response to my concern.
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteRe your response to Dawndandew, I can see that balancing taking place in you. In many ways, the Mahabharata, Ramayana, Srimad Bhagavatam and such are more in the tradition of fable - stories told for the purpose of learning. Like smoke from a fire, there is some firm basis from which they rise, but they twist and turn and affect everyone differently by how much reaches them.
I am reminded of Guruji Swami Chinmayananda's great response to a devotee who complained to him that, having been throught the Gita many times over, he felt no improvement. "Many times? Commendable practice. Tell me, how many times have you allowed the Gita to go through you?"
YAM xx
I understand, Yam. In fact, any good book can change us provided we let it do the job. People like me remain rigidly rational: the truth is I can't help it. Now I'm making an extra effort to rationally understand the necessary irrationality of certain wisdom.
Delete'Myths help humans discover order and meaning in life !' How profound ! This post has so much depth in it.
ReplyDeleteHumans will find life quite unbearable without myths!
DeleteYour last line says it all! Another brilliant post that is food for thought, Sir. Mayuri
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're with me in this journey.
DeleteMy kid and I used to discuss & debate on this. At this time, we may have to infer, which all of us are doing in our own way. Another meaningful post. Well done sir.
ReplyDeleteMay the new gen learn to appreciate both mythos and logos.
Delete