Ramayana

An Introduction

Before we begin, it is important to clarify one thing.
When you read this katha (story), do not concern yourself with whether it is imaginary, historical, or spiritual. That is not the point.
The real question we must ask is:
“What can I take from this story for my own life?”
That alone is what truly matters.

It does not matter which scripture we read or what its name is; what matters is what helps us rise higher in life.
And that rise always involves three things — action, knowledge, and devotion.

The Common Purpose of All Scriptures

The Valmiki Ramayana, which we are beginning to study, has the same purpose as the Vedas, Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita.
That purpose is to help us awaken to our true nature — our real Self, the Atman.

Over countless lifetimes, we have taken birth again and again, leaving one body and taking another. In that long process, we have forgotten our real identity and come to believe, “I am this body.”
This false identification with the body is called Dehabhimaan — pride or attachment to the body.

From Dehabhimaan arise all our inner impurities: desire, attachment, anger, greed, ego, and selfishness.
These are all the children of one root mistake — identifying with the body.

The Bhagavad Gita teaches that the only way to end this Dehabhimaan is through Atma Gyaan — realization of the true Self.
When we know ourselves as the soul, and the body as merely an instrument or servant, we can guide it rightly and remove its impurities: lust, anger, greed, attachment, and ego.

That is the message of the Vedas, Upanishads, and the Gita.
The Ramayana conveys the same truth, but through symbols and stories.

The Symbolism of the Ramayana

In the Ramayana, our body-consciousness (Dehabhimaan) is personified as Ravana,
and Self-awareness (Atma Gyaan) is personified as Rama.

When Rama — Self-knowledge — is born within us, we can gradually destroy Ravana — the body-ego.
Each story and each character in the Ramayana represents one step on this inner journey.
That is the real beauty of this scripture.

Why the Ramayana Is So Powerful

Knowledge alone can be easily forgotten. Someone may tell us the steps to overcome attachment, but we may soon forget them.
However, when those same truths are expressed through a story, they remain alive in our memory.

We remember stories — and when we remember the story, the wisdom within it stays with us.
That is what makes the Ramayana so powerful.
Through each episode, it quietly reveals the step-by-step process of spiritual practice.

Therefore, when we study it, our aim should not be to debate whether it is historical or mythical.
Even if it is historical, that aspect will always remain.
But if we read it spiritually, we receive knowledge that uplifts our life — and that benefit remains with us forever.

For now, let us study the Ramayana as a spiritual guide, because that approach gives lasting inner transformation.
Later, if one wishes to see it as history, that can still be done — nothing is lost.

Story and Knowledge — Two Sides of One Truth

The story of the Ramayana is like the outer shell of a capsule — sweet, pleasant, and easy to take.
Inside that capsule lies the medicine — the wisdom that heals and transforms us.

If we take only the shell, it is sweet but not effective.
If we take only the medicine, it is powerful but hard to swallow.
We need both together — story and knowledge.

That is how the Ramayana works: the story keeps us engaged, and the wisdom within it purifies our inner world.
When we take both together, we begin to heal completely.

Beginning the Journey

In the first chapter, Sage Valmiki asks Narad,
“Who is the greatest person alive today?”

Here, both Valmiki and Narad are more than historical figures — they are symbols.
Every Purana mentions Narad, so we must ask: what does Narad really represent?
And what is the meaning behind the name Valmiki?

When we understand these inner meanings, we begin to see the Ramayana not as an ancient story, but as a map of our inner journey —
the journey of the soul returning to its true nature.

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