Research Proposal

Interested in Hindu ethics, I intend to base my research in Valmiki’s ancient Sanskrit epic, Ramayana. The essential plot has endured innumerable interpolations, variations, redactions, vernacular translations, and local retellings since its composition over two thousand years ago. The themes enshrined in Valmiki’s exquisite Sanskrit verse remain quintessential aspects of Hindu imagination and culture, influencing art, politics, narrative, and moral instruction on all levels of society. Throughout the Hindu world, Rama, the epic’s protagonist, is regarded as the exemplar of social and moral conduct, one whose story continues to inculcate social and moral paradigms throughout the “Hindu world”. His actions as son, husband, brother, friend, king, warrior, et cetera effectively outline current Hindu values. The work’s major characterizations indeed all persist as moral and social archetypes despite the drastic shifts in regime, social condition, and cultural ethos that have occurred since their conception centuries ago. Thus, Valmiki’s Ramayana is uniquely poised to speak to lasting ethical values within the Hindu religious tradition.

Intriguingly, the perseverance of Rama’s role as an ethical ideal sharply contrasts with the tradition’s displacement of the cultural ethos pervading Rama’s society. Throughout the work, the warrior-prince restores and defends social order, exhibiting unflinching optimism about the word’s ability to provide happiness for humankind. Valmiki’s emphasis on world-enjoyment is undeniable: the work culminates in the seventh book where Rama’s ascent to kingship inaugurates an utopian regime on earth. However, the poet’s idyllic humanistic vision ideologically opposes the world-denying philosophy that currently pervades Hinduism. The tradition has evolved drastically over the centuries, becoming far less optimistic about the material world’s ability to provide enduring happiness for humankind. The overall consensus appears to be that nothing of this universe ultimately endures, not even the universe itself. Most Hindu school of thought regard the terrestrial plane a domain of incessant suffering, one which humankind must ultimately reject and transcend in order to escape samsara – the painful cycle of birth, death, and rebirth perpetuated by karma, i.e. human action. Material (earthly) enjoyment is considered illusory: worldly attachment obstructs the pursuit of liberation from samsara. The tradition’s esteem for Rama as a moral exemplar persists in tandem with its overall subscription to an utterly world-denying philosophy. How can this be?

I propose a critical analysis of the Ramayana framed by this particular tension. I shall subject the original Sanskrit work to close reading and literary analysis, scrutinizing Rama’s ethical decisions in the hopes of clearly identifying the ideological values advanced by Valmiki. One some such decision is when Rama graciously accepts exile at the behest of his scheming step-mother, thereby forgoing all social ties and responsibilities, a decision occurring on the very day of his would-be ascent to kingship. I will consider the extent to which Rama’s actions align with one seeking liberation from the world as opposed to one pursuing an earthly utopia. The mutual exclusivity of these pursuits must also be addressed. This inquiry is rendered all the more pressing in light of recent developments in Indian politics (particularly surrounding the Ramjanmabhumi Conflict in1992) where Hindu leaders have succeeded in militarizing the Rama archetype, invoking it to incite and justify mass communal violence and destruction. This sharply contrast Rama’s primary role throughout the tradition as an embodiment of compassion and object of intense devotion. Valmiki’s ancient hero continues to dwells in the hearts of countless Hindus, inspiring both love and war, depending on the interpretations and interests informing their actions. This study aims to distil an academic position on these questions concerning "Rama's example".