Mahabharat vs. Ramayan

The Mahabharat and Ramyan are two well-known epics that have shaped Hinduism. Both epics are distinct in their differences and similarities, and have contributed to the way Hinduism is practiced today.  In the Mahabharat vs. Ramayan meeting, we first scratched the surface of both epics by looking at the major/minor characters and their plotlines, and then we went into depth by looking at the similarities and differences in both of the epics.

                The Ramayan is a story about when Rama is sent to exile for fourteen years because of King Dasaratha’s second wife Kaikeyi (Rama’s second mom). Kaikeyi used her two boons given by the king to make her own son, Bharath, the king and send Rama, the next heir to the throne, away to exile. When Rama was in exile, his wife Sita and Laxaman accompanied him as well. Ravan who was seeking vengeance for a long time, found Sita’s need for a golden deer as a perfect time to kidnap her to Sri Lanka. After Rama and Laxman discovered that Sita was kidnapped by Ravan, they teamed up with Hanuman and his monkey army to attack Sri Lanka. In the end Ravan was killed, and Sita was rescued. But before Sita returned safely to Rama, she had to pass the test of purity. In Sita’s second test of purity, she exclaimed Mother Earth to take her if she is pure and within moments a crevice opens and Sita is engulfed into the earth. Sita’s engulfing marked the end of the Ramayan. (*It is important to note that this is a brief overview of the Ramayan, which means important details may have been left out for the purpose of trying to discuss the similarities and differences between both epics.)

                The Mahabharat is a story that is based around what happens after Bhishma declares his celibacy in order for his brother to be king. Somewhere down the lineage, Pandu and Dhirtarastra were the next in heirs. Pandu had five sons; the eldest was to be the next heir to throne after his uncle (Dhitarastra) who had taken over because Pandu’s health was not doing so well. King Dhirtarstra also had sons of his own, and the eldest Duryodhan believed he deserved the throne after his brother rather than his eldest cousin. This led to a conflict between the five brothers and Duryodhan. During a gamble, the Pandu’s five sons gambled away their kingdom and go for thirteen years of exile. Upon the end of the exile, Duryodhan did not want to give them the kingdom which resulted in a major war known as the Kurkshetra. (*It is important to note that this is a brief overview of the Mahabharat, which means important details may have been left out for the purpose of trying to discuss the similarities and differences between both epics.)

Ø  Discussion Question: Is this information worth knowing and why?

Ø  Discussion Question: Upon looking at both storylines, what are some similarities and differences found in both of these epics?

Some of the similarities we found in the Mahabharat and Ramayan are:

Ø  Battle between good and evil

Ø  Major war and exile in both

Ø  The avatar is a major character in both

Ø  Strong brotherly love

Ø  Both Dhritarastra and Dasaratha were weak in will

Some of the differences we found in the Ramayan are:

Ø  Rama was the protagonist

Ø  War is strictly good versus evil

Ø  Sita’s kidnapping was the direct cause of the war

Ø  Manthara causes discord

Ø  Ramayan ends when Sita commits suicide

Ø  Tells how man should live

Some of the differences we found in the Mahabharat are:

Ø  Krishna was not the protagonist

Ø  War is within the family

Ø  Bhishma’s celibacy was the direct cause of the war

Ø  Shakuni causes discord

Ø  Mahabharat ends with Krishna’s death

Ø  Tells how man should not live

In conclusion, the Maharabharat and the Ramayan are well known epics that are referred to from time to time as a way to live our everyday lives and how not to live them as well. These two major texts are just some of the texts in Hinduism that shape the way Hinduism is practiced and interpreted today. There are so many other texts that have also played a vital role in in how Hinduism is perceived, and we encourage you to come next week to discover some of these other texts and their roles in Hinduism.