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 The two great epics of the land - Ramayana and Mahabaratha - have reached us from time immemorial. Thousands of years! Within a life span of 60 to 70 years, we listen to lectures, read articles on these two epics; on the characters; on the incidents and about the messages they convey, over and over again, hundreds of times. What is the magic wrought in these epics that sustains our interest? Just think of a movie- I mean the best of them - that is branded successful if it sustains interest for a mere 100 days, less than four months. The crowds dwindle after that. Do you think the same movie, screened after some 30 years will evoke the same kind of interest and response, especially from the next generation? It is so natural that they do not, since values keep changing. Analyse the values of your own generation in blocks of ten years and you will realise the difference. This is true in the case of individuals belonging to any age. The ones in their teens today are in the queue. They will see a 'deterioration of values' when they cross perhaps their thirties, as many of us do so today.
Given the context, is it not strange that these two epics sustain great public interest, transcending boundaries of time and space? Generations have shown keen interest in them. A few would mutter to themselves - it is because they are woven around Bhakti, devotion and the benefits that they are supposed to give in the other world. But that cannot be the sole point behind their longevity. There are thousands of other Puranas that centre round Bhakti and believed to free one of all sins. However these cannot be in any manner considered to be as popular as the two epics.
They continue to do so because the characters are more human like. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. Even the supreme Rama is portrayed with so many simple qualities of a man. There are moments in the epic when he is shown in his depressed state of mind, about to give up his task in hand, shedding bitter tears, and all other similar moods. Right Honourable Srinivasa Sastriyar, the silver-tongued orator of India says the following:
"We want a man who is not a superhuman; that has no value to us. We want a man essentially human in his feelings, in his outlook on life, in his struggles and triumphs. We want him to be human, and being human, to triumph over his human limitations, develop his divinity and in the end establish himself in the throne of human hearts as King, unsurpassed…You must read the story as a human story, lived among human beings, by a human being, and, then, Oh, what rich treasures there are of wisdom in it!"
The Ramayana, as the Mahabaratha, holds hundreds of character, each with distinct and separate qualities. We will study each and derive the message that they convey to our present day world, starting with Hanuman.
Hari Krishnan
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