Is what we hear and what we believe true? Do we know the reason why certain things are the way they are? Or do we believe in what 'they' want us to believe!!! There's some serious research going on to find out whether Ramayana 'actually' happened before Mahabharata. A few characters of Ramayana (Rama, Sita, Hanuman, ...) have been cited in the texts of the Mahabharata. That's the only defense for people believing that Ramayana happened before Mahabharata. Well, the texts are not hard to manipulate either. Some linguists say that it's not that hard to identify the portions of texts which have been modified. The version of Mahabharata that we have now is an object of many interpolations through the ages. Also, the archaeologists and linguists have an interesting point on this subject. The analysis of the lipi and the quality of the language used in both the texts suggested that Mahabharata might've been composing before Ramayana. Even if you even observe the court manners and general behaviour of the characters, they seem to be more barbaric in Mahabharata. The description of the behaviour and administration in the court of Dasaratha (Rama's dad) is much more organised and civilised in contrast to the court of Dhritarastra or Duryodhan or even the Pandavas.
Come to think of it, it makes perfect sense (atleast to me) to think that Ramayana has been composed after Mahabharata. The Mahabharata has definitely failed to show us what is right and what is wrong. After the chaos (Kurukshetra yuddha), there is a 'strong' need for the society to be shown clearly, the path of the righteous and the path of the evil. Hence, there is a concept of ideality (ideal son, ideal brother, ideal wife - sadly, NOT an ideal husband, ideal follower, ...) in Ramayana which, was absent earlier, in the Mahabharata.
I've realised (on my trip to coorg) that it's not at all difficult to create a myth. All it needs, is a good story, a popular character and more importantly, Time. I've been to a tibetan settlement on the way to coorg. The monks there, believe that Dalai Lama brought (when he came around the late 60s) all the greenary and rains to the settlement which, was barren and dry before. What Crappp !!! I've never heard from anyone else that the place was barren before. Probably, the people around the settlement will also begin to believe that Dalai Lama brought all the rain to the place. It'll take two more generations, that's all. I agree that Dalai Lama is a great intellectual. But, he's just a person.
One thing fascinates me. How are these created? Who creates them? How come they are induced so easily into our minds and thought processes?
Come to think of it, it makes perfect sense (atleast to me) to think that Ramayana has been composed after Mahabharata. The Mahabharata has definitely failed to show us what is right and what is wrong. After the chaos (Kurukshetra yuddha), there is a 'strong' need for the society to be shown clearly, the path of the righteous and the path of the evil. Hence, there is a concept of ideality (ideal son, ideal brother, ideal wife - sadly, NOT an ideal husband, ideal follower, ...) in Ramayana which, was absent earlier, in the Mahabharata.
I've realised (on my trip to coorg) that it's not at all difficult to create a myth. All it needs, is a good story, a popular character and more importantly, Time. I've been to a tibetan settlement on the way to coorg. The monks there, believe that Dalai Lama brought (when he came around the late 60s) all the greenary and rains to the settlement which, was barren and dry before. What Crappp !!! I've never heard from anyone else that the place was barren before. Probably, the people around the settlement will also begin to believe that Dalai Lama brought all the rain to the place. It'll take two more generations, that's all. I agree that Dalai Lama is a great intellectual. But, he's just a person.
One thing fascinates me. How are these created? Who creates them? How come they are induced so easily into our minds and thought processes?
I didn't understand wht point u were trying to make in the first 2 paragraphs...sry abt tht
ReplyDeleteabt ppl beleif in dalai lama bringing the greenery...whts so crappy abt tht??? its not like he brought it in a flick or anything...may be he and his followers had actually planted trees in tht settlement or encouraged the ppl in tht settlement to do so(which actually can bring rains also)...
i did not actually come to coorg so i dont know wht u heard thr:P...it wud be better if u are more clr
I asked Tridip the same question abt 2 years back....why myths? how myths?
ReplyDeleteHe gave me a book called 'The Myth of a myth'.....Read just 50 pages, but was an awesome read. Most of such doubts, if not all are answered in it.