ICSSR Sponso ed One Day Na ional Semina on
Li e a u e, Wa and Memo y: Na a i es o T auma and Healing in 20 h and 21s Cen u y English Li e a u e
124
ECHOES OF DHARMA: WAR, WISDOM AND ETHICAL DISSONANCE IN
THE EPICS
RAMAYANA AND MAHABHARATA
D . S. Sangee ha
M.A., B.Ed., M.Phil., Ph.D wi h SET
Assis an P o esso o English
S i Sa ada College o Women (Au onomous), Salem
swee [email protected]
h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17283450
Abs ac
The pape analyzes he idea o dha ma in he ea lies Indian epics — he Ramayana and he
Mahabha a a and c i icizes dha ma in he Ramayana and he Mahabha a a wi h a ocus on how wa is
u ilized as a c ucible o es ing deep e hical dissonance. The pape sees he desc ip ion o Wa no me ely
as a poli ical and human wa bu shows deepe e hical and mo al ace s. Whe eas he Ramayana idealizes
dha ma in Rama's unyielding du y, he Mahabha a a o e s a ac u ed and sel -conscious a gumen in
which igu es such as A juna and K ishna s uggle wi h he in eg i y o legi imizing ac ion. The eading
sugges s he e hical ension which occu s when indi idual obliga ions collide agains complemen ing ideals
o wisdom and jus ice. The essay con ends owa ds he imelessness o such epics o he na a i es o ou day
o du y, leade ship, and mo al obliga ion.
Keywo ds: Dha ma, Wa and mo ali y, Mo al obliga ion, Wisdom and jus ice.
"The Ramayana and he Mahabha a a, he ancien Indian epic poems, mo e beyond being
ales o be g and philosophical wo ks ha examine he na u e o man, mul i- ace edly h ough
wa and dha ma.". Bo h epics a e ounded upon s uggles o seminal impo ance—Rama's
s uggle wi h Ra ana in he Ramayana and he A mageddon-sized Ku ukshe a Wa be ween
he Panda as and Kau a as in he Mahabha a a. Bu hei p esen a ion and e hical amewo k
o wa a e undamen ally dissimila , o e ing al e na i e iews o igh eousness, jus ice, ideli y,
and a e ma h. These a e less he oic legends han ich sou ces o mo al a gumen , ques ions o
li e, and sociopoli ical philosophy, allego ies o mo al con empla ion in he mids o wa and
pe sonal du y.
Wa in he Ramayana: Idealism and Righ eous Wa a e
Asc ibed o Sage Valmiki, he Ramayana is ocused mainly on Rama's exiling and he ensuing
ba le wi h Ra ana o win back his wi e, Si a. The wa is depic ed as a dha ma yuddha—a
igh eous wa waged o he es o a ion o cosmic and social o de . The Ramayana "clea ly
depic s he ideal implemen a ion o dha ma h ough Rama's ac ions" (p. 399), con end Vassie
(2000).
E hical Cla i y and He oism
Rama, as he a a a o Vishnu, is po ayed o embody he highes s anda ds o e hical
conduc , he Ma yada Pu usho ama ( he man o exempla y conduc ). His choice o engage in a
wa is ou o du y— ega dless o ambi ion o conques — o eclaim Si a and achie e social
jus ice. The epic glo i ies such alues as loyal y, sel -sac i icing de o ion, and upholding du y,
an unimpeachable mo al ideal in he pe son o Rama. G ea he oes such as Lakshmana,
Hanuman, and Vibhishana exempli y loyal y, cou age, and dha ma a e e y momen , a i ming
his unequi ocal mo al code.
ICSSR Sponso ed One Day Na ional Semina on
Li e a u e, Wa and Memo y: Na a i es o T auma and Healing in 20 h and 21s Cen u y English Li e a u e
125
Symbolism and Di ine Will
Ramayana wa is highly symbolic, depic ing he ul ima e uni e sal s uggle be ween
dha ma (being pe soni ied by Rama) and adha ma (being pe soni ied by Ra ana). Di ine
in e en ions, indeed, by gods, sages, and di ine beings de e mine he cou se, upholding Rama's
conduc and con i ming he p inciple ha igh eousness, based on wisdom and sel -con ol, will
ul ima ely iumph. The ocus is on igh eous means o a ain igh eous ends, c ea ing an
unshakeable and absolu e mo al wo ld whe e good shall o e come e il. Richman (2008)
eminds us how many e- ellings o he Ramayana e e es ablish " he mo al pu i y o Rama's
cause" (p. 3).
Wa in he Mahabha a a: Complexi y, Con lic , and Consequence
In sha p con as o his is Sage Vyasa's Mahabha a a, which has a a mo e agic and sub le
unde s anding o wa . The Ku ukshe a Wa , a con lic be ween cousins, he Kau a as and
Panda as, p esen s a mul i-dimensional mo al pic u e in which each o hem has bo h mo al
goodness and ice. The complexi y o he s o y in he epic e lec s he inhe en p o ound mo al
nuances ypical o eal-wo ld con lic s (Sa ma, 2010).
A juna's Dilemma and he Bhaga ad Gi a
The mo al cen e o he Mahabha a a is he Bhaga ad Gi a, in which A juna is weighed down
by hopelessness and doub a he e y hough o igh ing agains his own kin. His eluc ance o
igh p ecipi a es Lo d K ishna's eaching abou du y, de achmen , and di ine ision. A juna
unleashes his w a h and lamen s, "My limbs a e sinking, and my mou h is pa ching, my body is
embling, and my hai is s anding on end" (Bhaga ad Gi a 1.29). K ishna's eply de lec s du y
om an emo ional choice o one's posi ion in he cosmic o de . His eachings o Nishkama
Ka ma (unsel ish ac ion) a e beau i ully laid ou : "You ha e a igh o pe o m you p esc ibed
du ies, bu you a e no en i led o he ui s o you ac ions" (Bhaga ad Gi a 2.47). This e hic is
u ned in o a doc ine o mo al ac ion in he con ex o wa , du y i s o e ou come (Hil ebei el,
1990).
E hical Ambigui y and T agic Ou comes
While he plain mo al ic o ies o he Ramayana glo y, he Mahabha a a does no e el in
iumph. Ra he , i linge s on he immense human p ice o wa —dea h, de as a ion, and
dissolu ion o amily. Cha ac e s like Ka na, Bhishma, and D ona illus a e he inne u moil
be ween indi idual obliga ion and mo al obliga ion, insis ing on he mo al ade-o in he wa .
No e en he winning Yudhish hi a escapes eg e and emo se. The s o y epea edly asks: Is
dha ma a ainable h ough adha ma? As Mandelbaum (1983) a gues, he Mahabha a a "does
no p o ide simplis ic answe s. he p ices o main aining dha ma a e cus oma ily
apocalyp ically high" (p. 140). The ending is in en ionally ambiguous, as i e lec s he agic and
qui e o en unce ain na u e o mo al decision du ing con lic . Sahgal (2021) goes on o explo e
he manne in which he Apaddha mapa a chap e "builds he dilemma on e hics and poli ics"
in he epic, as p o ound as i is (p. 224).
Dha ma and E hical Dissonance: A Compa a i e Reading
The wo epics hink abou dha ma in ways as dicho omous as hey a e—idealis ic in he
Ramayana and ela i is ic o con ex ual in he Mahabha a a. Bo h epics employ wa as a li e a y
ope o p obe cha ac e s' adhe ence o dha ma. In Ramayana, his es is s aigh o wa d: he
he o has o b ing o de by elimina ing o e e il. In Mahabha a a, he es is exis en ial and
ICSSR Sponso ed One Day Na ional Semina on
Li e a u e, Wa and Memo y: Na a i es o T auma and Healing in 20 h and 21s Cen u y English Li e a u e
126
subjec i e and compels cha ac e s o wonde whe he one can igh e en i he in en ion is good
bu he mo ali y is bad.
Theme
Ramayana
Mahabha a a
Na u e o Con lic
Good s. E il
Kin s. Kin (in e nal con lic , shades o
g ey)
E hical S uc u e
Clea , didac ic
Ambiguous, in e p e i e
Philosophical Voice
Obedience o du y and
di ine o de
Ques ioning du y and de achmen
om ou comes
End Resul
Vic o y a i ms di ine
jus ice
Vic o y esul s in so ow and
philosophical despai
Role o Di ine
Wisdom
Di ine aid a i ms dha ma
Di ine wisdom es s mo al bounda ies
The Ramayana eaches wha needs o be done and p esen s an example o good beha io .
The Mahabha a a, howe e , speaks o wha migh be done in hopeless si ua ions and ch onicled
he unce ain y and nego ia ion ha comes wi h ac ual li e mo al dilemmas (Bha acha ya,
2012).
The In e play o Wisdom and Wa
Amids he c uel y, bo h books unde sco e he impo ance o e hicali y and wisdom,
de ining wa no only as a med comba bu as an e hical and spi i ual es .In Mahabha a a,
K ishna is he g ea es philosophical men o , ans o ming wa om a desi e o engeance o
a du y in acco dance wi h one's ole in he cosmos.
His wo ds deeply in luence A juna's mo ali y and sweep he eade up in b oad mo al
ambigui y based on wo k unmo i a ed by sel ish desi e and de achmen . As K ishna ins uc s,
"The e o e, wi hou being a ached o he ui s o ac i i ies, one should ac as a ma e o du y;
o by wo king wi hou a achmen , one a ains he Sup eme" (Bhaga ad Gi a 3.19). In he
Ramayana, wisdom is ealized o pe ec ion in Rama's sel - es ain . His e usal o ac unde
ange o ego and his unshakeable commi men o u h and igh eousness e en in exile p o e
ha inne disc imina ion is as much a necessi y as ou e ac ion. His choices, al hough di ine, a e
o en aken a e hough ul weighing o he ac s.
Vidu a and Yudhish hi a in he Mahabha a a, and Hanuman and Bha a a in he Ramayana,
a e he chie e hical au ho i ies. They a e all wa ning oices aced wi h ash o suicidal decisions,
s essing ha e hical awa eness is eal ic o y, no jus muscle powe . Roy (2004) disco e s
ha "e hical cla i y, ensh ined in wise counsel, is o undamen al impo ance in bo h epics"
(p. 60).
Legacy and Mode n Rein e p e a ions
The endu ing ele ance o he Ramayana and Mahabha a a is e iden in hei coun less
e ellings, eimagina ions, and c i iques ac oss a ious o ms—o al adi ions, hea e, mode n
no els, eminis pe spec i es, and poli ical allego ies. Mode n adap a ions, such as Chi a
Bane jee Di aka uni’s The Palace o Illusions (2008), which o e s D aupadi’s inne oice, o
Anand Neelakan an’s Asu a (2012), eimagining Ra ana as a agic an i-he o, dis up he
adi ional bina y o good and e il.
O he mo ies such as Su yapu a Ka na o Ramayana: The Legend o P ince Rama include
hese con empo a y e ellings in isual and ansmedia o ms. These e ellings cap u e he
epics' endu ing appeal o mode n mo al conce ns such as cas e opp ession, gende
ICSSR Sponso ed One Day Na ional Semina on
Li e a u e, Wa and Memo y: Na a i es o T auma and Healing in 20 h and 21s Cen u y English Li e a u e
127
subo dina ion, poli ical machina ions, and he hea y esponsibili y o leade ship. Donige
(2009) belie es he epics a e s ill "being ein e p e ed o add ess con empo a y conce ns"
(p. 23).
E hical Au ho i ies and Voices o Wisdom
E hical e lec ion in bo h epics is media ed h ough igu es o wisdom who se e as he
mo al conscience o he na a i e. Vidu a and Yudhish hi a in he Mahabha a a, and Hanuman
and Bha a a in he Ramayana, se e as mo al ancho s. These cha ac e s ad ise es ain ,
e lec ion, and adhe ence o e hical p inciples e en in he mos challenging o ci cums ances.
K ishna’s eachings in he Gi a ele a e wisdom o a di ine p inciple, o e ing a philosophy o
de ached du y ha con inues o in luence Indian e hics. Simila ly, Rama's es ain , especially
in his e usal o ac ou o ange , e eals a o m o inne wisdom aligned wi h cosmic o de .
Roy (2004) poin s ou ha bo h epics p esen wisdom no as in ellec ual p owess bu as
e hical cla i y oo ed in compassion and jus ice. This wisdom o en con lic s wi h poli ical
p agma ism o ma ial success, ein o cing he idea ha mo al ic o y may no coincide wi h
physical iumph.
Mode n Rein e p e a ions and Con inuing Rele ance
Mode n li e a u e, ilm, and academic discou se ha e con inued o ein e p e he epics
h ough eminis , poli ical, and subal e n lenses. Chi a Bane jee Di aka uni’s The Palace o
Illusions eimagines he Mahabha a a om D aupadi’s pe spec i e, gi ing oice o he gende ed
auma o wa and pa ia chy. Anand Neelakan an’s Asu a e ells he Ramayana h ough
Ra ana’s eyes, complica ing he simplis ic bina y o good and e il.
These ein e p e a ions allow con empo a y audiences o e isi he e hical ques ions o he
epics in he con ex o cas e, gende , poli ical powe , and social injus ice. Donige (2009) no es
ha he mul iplici y o hese e ellings con i ms he epics' adap abili y and hei capaci y o
gene a e dialogue ac oss ime.
Wa as E hical Allego y
Bo h epics employ wa no as a jus i ica ion o iolence bu as an allego ical ehicle o es
o mo al ib e. In he Ramayana, wa is employed as a means o es o e o de . In he
Mahabha a a, i is a agic necessi y ha ollows om human ailu e. In bo h ins ances, he
ba le ield is, in a manne o speaking, he mi o held o he mind: i is no whe e dha ma is
ound bu enac ed and con i med. The epics illus a e ha ic o y ne e lies in ic o y bu in he
e hical decisions ha lead up o i . So wisdom becomes he mos po en ammuni ion wa
possesses, a lesson ha 's ei e a ed in K ishna's me aphysical lec u es and Rama's calm
judgmen .
The P ice o Dha ma: Sac i ice, Su e ing, and Loss
Dha ma, while highly p aised as a i ue, exac s emendous pe sonal p ices. Bhishma's
celibacy oa h, keeping his a he 's p omise, is an exis ence o ch onic agony and on ological
so ow. Ka na, in loyal y o Du yodhana ou o g a i ude, sac i ices hones y and kinship, dying
s ill hoping o accep ance. Rama, widely acclaimed as a pa agon o i ue, is banished o being
ue o his a he 's oa h and subsequen ly lea es Si a on g ounds o oyal p op ie y. These
ins ances show ha ideli y o dha ma is ne e a ic o —i hu s, is s oic, and soli a y. The way
o i ue, hough noble, is agonizingly pain ul, and i goes on o show ha mo al in eg i y is a
e y cos ly emo ional p ice, no only o he he o bu o o he s close o him as well.
ICSSR Sponso ed One Day Na ional Semina on
Li e a u e, Wa and Memo y: Na a i es o T auma and Healing in 20 h and 21s Cen u y English Li e a u e
128
C isis o Conscience: Mo al Dilemmas in He oes
The bes lo ed he oes o he epics a e hose wi h deeply ich mo al dilemmas. A juna's
pa alysis on he ba le ield is he peak o he Bhaga ad Gi a, whe e he is c ying a killing his own
ela i es. Yudhish hi a, highly espec ed as Dha ma aja, emains in a s a e o unce ain y o
decide whe he his wa esul ing in he demise o all his dea ones is jus . Rama's agony wi hin
when Si a is banished, wi h ull knowledge o he innocence, shows he ha sh demands dha ma
makes on he sel . These c ises illus a e ha dha ma is no a s a ic code bu a dynamic s uggle
wi hin he sel . They make he epics mo e human, enabling eade s o empa hize wi h he
in e io pain o mo al choice.
The Role o Fa e and F ee Will in E hical Ac ion
The age-old philosophical ques ion in bo h epics is whe he human beings ac acco ding o
ee will o as me e ins umen s o cosmic plan. Rama's ac ions a e a e-like, being di ine will,
whils he cha ac e s o he Mahabha a a s uggle wi h decisions, o n be ween a e and choice.
K ishna, howe e , ins uc s one on he Gi a o ac non-a achmen -ways o ou come, o a middle
pa h—accep ing a e bu binding onesel wi h mo al ac ion. Ye , he con lic lies: did Ka na ac
by loyal y, o by bi h? Did D aupadi launch he wa , o was she a piece in a di ine game? These
ques ions agmen mo al au onomy in o p edes ined oles and hus b ing o bi h he mo al
wo ld o bo h epics as ambi alen .
The Dialogic Na u e o Dha ma: Counsel and Deba e
Dha ma in he epics is always imagined in e ms o dialogue—"be ween a he and son, ule
and counsello , husband and wi e." These a e a gumen s ha a e philosophical a enas whe ein
one d i s and deba es e hical nice ies. The Bhaga ad Gi a i sel is a dialogue ex —"K ishna does
no each A juna bu guides him h ough ques ioning." Likewise, Vidu a's ad ice o
Dh i a ash a, Hanuman's con e sa ion wi h Rama, and Bha a a's polemical discussion wi h
Rama when he is banished a e all c i ical mo al encoun e s. Such con e sa ions illus a e ha
dha ma is no ixed; i de elops h ough lis ening, con empla ion, and p uden ial easoning,
illus a ing ha he kingdom o u h is no mally achie ed oge he a he han being imposed
om abo e.
Pos -Wa Re lec ions: Guil , So ow, and Recons uc ion
Whe eas Wes e n epics ha e hei p o agonis s eme ge ic o ious, he Ramayana and
Mahabha a a bo h linge o e wha happens a e wa . Rama eme ges ic o ious bu has his line
ain ed by Si a's exile and his own isola ion. Yudhish hi a g ie es mo e han he iumphs in he
Mahabha a a, wonde ing i so much bloodshed a such a cos was wo h he ic o y. The epics
close, no on ic o y, bu on e lec ion and a ques o moksha. These endings sugges wa , e en
i won, hu s land, indi iduals, and soul, and only ue dha ma may be possible, no in ic o y,
bu ying o make hings igh in humili y and jus ice.
Dha ma and Kingship: Leade ship as E hical Responsibili y
Leade ship in he epics is in eg ally linked wi h dha ma. Ma yada Pu usho ama Rama is
he e y pe soni ica ion o exempla y kingship based on sel -denial, compassion, and jus ice. He
gi es up his own happiness o he good o he masses, he e y spi i o he concep o
ajdha ma. In con as o Yudhish hi a's h one, which begins in shame, po aying he e hical
p ice o leade ship, his dha ma as a king is no o be a happy ule bu o be a wise ule ,
bu dened by he choice he has made. The con as p esen s wo models o leade ship: Rama's
ICSSR Sponso ed One Day Na ional Semina on
Li e a u e, Wa and Memo y: Na a i es o T auma and Healing in 20 h and 21s Cen u y English Li e a u e
129
modelled eign and Yudhish hi a's mo ally nuanced one. The lesson is e iden —leade ship
equi es no jus ou e jus ice bu inne hones y.
My h, Mo ali y, and Poli ical Commen a y
Bo h epics ha e been app op ia ed and ew i en in poli ical discou se o cen u ies. Rama's
igu e has been used o symbolize exempla y ule, while he Mahabha a a has been aided o
poli ical mo als on diplomacy, wa s a egy, and mo al nuance in poli ics. In mode n imes,
hinke s like Gandhi in e p e ed he Gi a as a call o sel less ac ion, while o he s ha e used
D aupadi’s humilia ion as a symbol o emale subjuga ion and social injus ice. The epics a e no
s a ic ex s—ins ead, hey a e li ing mo al esou ces s ill shaping and c i iquing socio-poli ical
eali ies, p o iding inspi a ion and wa ning.
Na a i e S uc u e as E hical De ice
Ramayana has a compa a i ely linea and didac ic s uc u e, a i ming mo al de ini ion and
di ine jus ice. S uc u ally, Mahabha a a is non-linea , ecu si e, and discon inuous, wi h many
embedded s o ies, coun e -s o ies, and philosophical dig essions. This is a e lec ion o hei
e hical posi ions: he o m o he Ramayana is idealis ic, bu he o m o he Mahabha a a is
complica ed and skep ical. The s o y wi hin s o ies, such as ha o Damayan i and Nala o he
Yaksha P ashna episode, makes dha ma complica ed h ough me apho and mul iplici y. Fo m
becomes an e hical esou ce in hese wo ks.
Spi i ual Dha ma s. Social Dha ma
The Bhaga ad Gi a is maybe he bes desc ip ion o he s uggle be ween inne spi i ual
dha ma and ou e social obliga ion. K ishna demands ha A juna ise abo e emo ion and iew
his ole as a wa io as pa o a di ine plan. This Nishkama Ka ma—ac ion wi hou
a achmen —is oday he pe ec ion o spi i ual dha ma. Bu his de achmen o dina ily wo ks
agains social dha ma, like loyal y o amily o sympa hy. In like manne , Rama's indi idual
a ec ion o Si a is second o his ole as king, and he banishes he . These pa adoxes e eal ha
dha ma is always a comp omise be ween he ques o he soul o ligh and socie y's need o
s abili y, a judgmen as pe inen o con empo a y e hics as o ancien ex .
Conclusion: Endu ing Mo al Resonance
The Ramayana and Mahabha a a a e no ixed wo ks bu dynamic, adap i e e hical models.
The Ramayana impa idealism, God's o de , and he ic o y o dha ma by din o uniqueness
and de o ion. The Mahabha a a, on he o he hand, equi es in ospec ion, c i ical hinking, and
ole ance o he mo al ambigui ies o li e. Nei he o he poems idealizes wa ; ins ead, hey show
i o be a means o las eso when dha ma is h ea ened. Mo e signi ican ly, hey iden i y
wisdom as he ool o su i ing he deep mo al sub le ies o exis ence. These epics emain
ele an oday because hey show wa no me ely as physical comba bu as mo al and spi i ual
es —one in which wisdom has o iumph o e me e powe o a ms.
And he wo poems oge he ha e a deep u h: igh is no always ic o ious, bu o he oad
a eled and wisdom gained. They a e imeless eminde s o acing he in e nal con lic o
conscience, ego, obliga ion, and he pu sui o unde s anding in a wo ld mul i ace ed in e e y
meaning o he wo d.
Wo ks Ci ed
Anand Neelakan an. Asu a: Tale o he Vanquished. Leads a Publishing, 2012.
Bane jee-Di aka uni, Chi a. The Palace o Illusions. Picado , 2008.
ICSSR Sponso ed One Day Na ional Semina on
Li e a u e, Wa and Memo y: Na a i es o T auma and Healing in 20 h and 21s Cen u y English Li e a u e
130
Bha acha ya, Nandini. Reading he Mahabha a a: Hones y and He oism. Rou ledge, 2012.
h ps://doi.o g/10.4324/9780203814366
Donige , Wendy. The Hindus: An Al e na i e His o y. Penguin, 2009.
Hil ebei el, Al . The Ri ual o Ba le: K ishna in he Mahabha a a. SUNY P ess, 1990.
Mandelbaum, Allen. “E hics and Wa a e in he Mahabha a a.” Compa a i e Li e a u e, ol. 35,
no. 2, 1983, pp. 130–145. h ps://doi.o g/10.2307/1770602
Richman, Paula, edi o . Ramayana S o ies in Mode n Sou h India: An An hology. Indiana UP, 2008.
Roy, Kaushik. “Hindu E hics and he Use o Fo ce: Theo y and P ac ice.” Jou nal o Mili a y E hics,
ol. 3, no. 1, 2004, pp. 55–71. h ps://doi.o g/10.1080/15027570310001646
Sahgal, Shubh a. “Apaddha mapa a: A icula ing he Dilemma on E hics and Poli ics wi hin he
Epic, he he Mahabha a a.” Ad ances in Social Sciences Resea ch Jou nal, ol. 8, no. 6, 2021,
pp. 224–239. h ps://doi.o g/10.14738/ass j.86.10376
Sa ma, Deepak. “The P oblem o Dha ma in he Mahabha a a.” Jou nal o Religious E hics, ol.
38, no. 3, 2010, pp. 455–471. h ps://doi.o g/10.1111/j.1467-9795.2010.00426.x
The Bhaga ad Gi a. T ansla ed by A. C. Bhak i edan a Swami P abhupada. Bhak i edan a Book
T us , 1983.
Vassie, R. “Dha ma and I s Applica ion in he Ramayana.” Jou nal o Indian Philosophy, ol. 28,
no. 4, 2000, pp. 399–420. h ps://doi.o g/10.1023/A:1004502310482
