Whenever I faced a dilemma, my grandmother would advise me to open a random page of the Ramcharitmanas, pray to Shri Ram, close my eyes, and place my finger on a Chaupai. “Read it, decipher its meaning,” she’d say, “and there you’ll find your answer.” Sometimes I found answers; other times, it was hard to connect the Chaupai with my problem. Eventually, I dismissed it as superstition.
As debates about the Ramayana grew, dividing people between those who considered it a historical epic with geographical evidence and those who criticized it—calling it racist, patriarchal, or outdated—it compelled me to read the Valmiki Ramayana myself. I found a few answers, but I was left with more questions. What did change, was my understanding of the Ramayana; it became clear that it is far more than just a historical or mythical tale.
The way the story unfolds—Rama journeying through the forest, meeting various sages, and slaying ferocious demons as a repetitive pattern—seemed to reflect something deeper. This observation prompted me to explore psychological theories and search for parallels with our own inner struggles. It’s fascinating to consider how:
Shri Ram’s journey into the forest symbolizes a descent into the “unconscious mind,” a space filled with our fears, egos, greed, jealousy, and repressed desires. These forces manifest in subtle ways in our daily lives—at home, at work, or even in road rages we encounter. Yet, most of us ignore them until we’re pushed to the edge by some trigger. These triggers often come from our interactions with people around us—colleagues, family, bosses, or even strangers. For Ram, it was mata Kaikeyi who played that role, forcing him into exile and thereby into the depths of his inner journey.
To defeat the repressed demons within us, we need wisdom, guidance, and self-awareness, beautifully symbolized in the Ramayana by the sages Ram meets during his exile. Encounters with sages like Rishi Bharadwaj, Atri, Agastya, and Vishwamitra represent the guidance we need to face our internal challenges. Ram’s battles with demons like Kabandha, Subahu, Maricha, and Tadka symbolize the confrontation with the “shadow”—the darker, hidden sides of ourselves.
I found the episode with the demon Kabandha particularly intriguing and unraveling our inner journey. So, Kabandha is described as a headless monster, with his head sunken into his chest and stomach—a symbol of how higher base faculties like morality and virtue can be consumed by bodily desires (material). When Ram slays Kabandha (representing our dark shadow), the demon is transformed into a celestial being and expresses gratitude for liberating him, then Kabandha guides Ram to Sugreeva, a key figure in his journey. So, we can say when we confront our dark side and deal with it in a healthy way, we liberate ourselves from our hidden demons and, gain new insight and clarity, guiding us closer to our true purpose. This is just one episode,that I have taken from Ramayana that intrigued me the most, but numerous stories along Shri Ram’s journey provide profound wisdom.
The Ramayana, whether viewed as history, myth, or allegory, offers us a powerful tool for self-reflection and growth. It reminds us that life’s journey is as much about confronting the darkness within as it is about celebrating the light. Shri Ram’s journey is not just a tale of a prince; it’s an invitation for all of us to embark on our inner journey, face our shadows, and emerge whole.
Image credit: By Kabandha.jpg: Balaji Srinivasanderivative work: Redtigerxyz (talk) – Kabandha.jpg, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9914607
