Ramayana and Mahabharata stand as two of India's most revered and ancient texts, second only to the Bhagavad Gita.
Within these epics, Rama, the central figure of Ramayana, and Krishna, the protagonist of Mahabharata, emerge as the most cherished incarnations of Vishnu, holding an esteemed place in Hindu mythology.
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-In the Ramayana, Rama had three other brothers, but none claimed his stake in the throne. Even Rama was unwilling to take up the kingdom and instead wanted his younger brother Bharat to be the king.
-Ramayana is the story of Rama, which belongs to the illustrious Suryavansham, or the solar dynasty. These are scions of Surya Dev or the Sun god. Powerful kings such as Ikshavaku, Bharat, Harishchandra, Dilip, Sagara, Bhagirath, Aja, Raghu, and Dasharatha were born in this dynasty.
-The storyline of the Ramayana goes from north to south, descending to Kashi, Chitrakoot, Dandakaranya, and Kishkindha before reaching the Indian Ocean, where Rama worshipped Lord Shiva before proceeding to Lanka to fight Ravana.
-While the Ramayana is a long poem containing 24,000 verses, the Mahabharata is a very long poem containing 100,000 verses.
-The Ramayana is an idealistic story where the distinction between good and bad is clear, whereas the Mahabharata is a less black-and-white story with less-than-ideal characters.
-The Ramayana described the battles at their earliest phase when sophisticated weapons were not used, whereas the Mahabharata described battles in which sophisticated weapons were used.
-The Ramayana is written in a more poetic style than the Mahabharata.
-The Ramayana is more focused on the individual, while the Mahabharata is more focused on society as a whole.
-The Ramayana envisages an epoch prior to the chaos and disruption of the order and moral values, while the Mahabharata sees the collapse of the moral world.
-Monogamy was considered to be an ideal form of marriage where one man is married to only one woman for the rest of his life, which can be seen in the Ramayana where Lord Rama married Devi Sita for his entire life. But, on the other hand, the Mahabharata followed the concept of polygamy in which a man has many wives. This form of marriage was common among the Kings (Pandu had two wives, Dashratha had three wives, Arjuna married Draupadi and the sister of Lord Krishna (Subhadra), and Bhanumathi (wife of Duryodhana after his death), Bhima married Draupadi and his other wife was Hidimbi, Yudhishthira married Draupadi and Devika, Nakul married Karenzmati, the princess of Chedi besides marrying Draupadi, Sahadeva married Vijaya, the princess of Madra besides marrying Draupadi, Duryodhana who married two girls, one is the Kalinga princess Bhanumathi and the other one is a Kashi princess, Vyasa married Ambika and Ambalika. It also followed the concept of polyandry where a woman has many husbands (Draupadi and the Pandavas, Bhanumathi with Duryodhana and later on Arjuna etc).
-In the epic Ramayana, Lord Rama did his best to save his wife from the demon Ravana. On the other hand, the Pandavas were silent when their wife was being publicly humiliated and insulted by the Kauravas.
-In the Ramayana, the four brothers Ram, Laxman, Bharat, and Shatrughan obeyed their gurus throughout their lives. But in the Mahabharata, the five brothers killed their guru Dronacharya.
-In the Ramayana, the guru never showed bias towards his students. In the Mahabharata, guru Dronacharya was biased.
-In the Ramayana, God is seen blessing even the faintest of his devotees. Whereas, in the Mahabharata, God is seen eliminating all, including his devotees.
-In the Ramayana, God takes an army of strangers to fight his war. Whereas, in the Mahabharata, God gives away his army to let the war happen.
-In the Ramayana, God took all the pains and punishments onto himself. While, in the Mahabharata, God stayed unarmed and only guided the routines of the war.
-Protagonists: In the Ramayana, Rama is depicted as an avatar of the god Vishnu, while in the Mahabharata, the Pandavas and Kauravas are portrayed as mortal beings with divine ancestry.
-Motivation for Conflict: The primary conflict in the Ramayana revolves around the abduction of Sita by Ravana, whereas Mahabharata's conflict arises from familial disputes over inheritance and power.
-Character Complexity: Ramayana presents characters with relatively simpler motivations and moral attributes, whereas Mahabharata delves into complex human psychology, ethics, and moral dilemmas.
-Use of Divine Intervention: Ramayana relies more on divine intervention to resolve conflicts and guide characters, while Mahabharata explores human agency and the consequences of actions.
-Themes: Ramayana emphasizes ideals such as duty, righteousness, and honour, while Mahabharata delves into themes of dharma (duty/righteousness), karma (action/consequences), and the complexities of human relationships.
-Role of Women: Ramayana portrays women such as Sita and Kaikeyi with significant roles but within traditional gender roles, while Mahabharata includes strong female characters like Draupadi and Gandhari who challenge societal norms and play pivotal roles in the narrative.
Ending: Ramayana concludes with Rama's return to Ayodhya and his coronation as king, symbolising the triumph of good over evil and the restoration of dharma. Mahabharata ends with the Kurukshetra War and the eventual decline of the Kuru dynasty, highlighting the cyclical nature of history and the transient nature of power.
These points further highlight the distinct characteristics and narratives of the two epic texts, enriching our understanding of their cultural and philosophical significance.
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(The views and thoughts expressed are the author’s own.)
