Why the Ramayana and Mahabharata are called Itihāsa
The Ramayana and Mahabharata are classified as Itihāsa. Today, many people regard them as mythology or simply as stories. However, they are much more than that.
A traditional definition of Itihāsa is:
पूर्ववृत्तकथायुक्तमितिहासं प्रचक्षते ॥
Transliteration
pūrvavṛtta-kathā-yuktam itihāsaṃ pracakṣate ||
Meaning
dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣāṇām upadeśa-samanvitam — containing instruction on the four puruṣārthas: Dharma (righteousness), Artha (wealth), Kāma (rightful desires), and Mokṣa (liberation).
pūrvavṛtta-kathā-yuktam — narrated in the form of stories about events that actually happened in the past.
itihāsaṃ pracakṣate — this is called Itihāsa.
In other words, Itihāsa is the narration of historical events in the form of stories, with the purpose of teaching the four goals of human life — Dharma, Artha, Kāma, and Mokṣa.
The history we study in school or college is usually presented as a sequence of dates, events, rulers, and wars. Most of us memorize it for examinations and forget much of it afterwards.
Itihāsa presents history differently. While it preserves historical events and chronology, its primary purpose is to teach us how to live. Through the lives of its characters, it shows us how to live a righteous life (Dharma), earn wealth ethically (Artha), fulfill legitimate desires responsibly (Kāma), and ultimately attain liberation (Mokṣa - The ultimate realization of the divine and freedom from worldly bondage).
The reason for Ramayana and Mahabharatha to be relevant nowadays is that all that history is described in story form (kathā-yuktam).
The historical events are presented in an engaging narrative (kathā-yuktam). The stories make the teachings memorable and relatable. Unfortunately, many of us become so absorbed in the narrative (or story form) that we stop at the story itself.
As a result, we spend our time asking questions such as:
How could Hanuman, a monkey, speak?
How could Hanuman know all the Vedas and Śāstras?
How could he fly to Lanka?
What exactly is a Rākṣasa?
These questions arise because we focus almost exclusively on the 'story form', instead of asking what the text is trying to teach us through those events and characters.
The real purpose of the narrative is to help us understand how great personalities such as Rama, Sita, Hanuman, Bharata, Bhishma, Yudhishthira, and others lived according to Dharma, faced difficult choices, and demonstrated the principles of the puruṣārthas in real life.
With much of today's literature and audio/video content, it is often difficult to move beyond the narrative and appreciate the deeper intention of these texts.
Recently, I came across a lecture series that, in my opinion, bridges this gap remarkably well. It is suitable for both children and adults.
21 Notes – Valmiki Ramayan
https://youtu.be/dvhDQVCJcX8?si=7KVk8Ac9weINC-04
The speaker stays very close to the original Valmiki Ramayana and discusses what the text actually says, rather than relying on later popular retellings. Listening to it has challenged many assumptions I had carried for years.
Among the fascinating topics discussed are:
Was Hanuman literally a monkey?
How is Hanuman's journey to Lanka described?
What was Ayodhya like—its society, governance, and level of civilization?
What was Bhagiratha's role in bringing the Ganga to Earth?
Does Valmiki describe concepts resembling the water cycle, such as evaporation and rainfall?
How extensive is the geographical knowledge reflected in the Ramayana?
Whether or not one agrees with every interpretation, the series offers a fresh perspective rooted in the original text rather than popular assumptions.
Personally, it has helped me clear away much of the clutter that prevented me from moving beyond the "story" and appreciating the deeper purpose of the Ramayana as an Itihāsa.
I hope it helps you as well.
[07262026]
No comments:
Post a Comment