Why should we teach Ramayana and Mahabharata to our kids

Few things have captured the imagination of the world like Ramayana and Mahabharata have. With hundreds of versions over the last 1000+ years and numerous translations in the last 200 years there is hardly a country today where a version of these books is not found. They continue to be a favorite in the East with countries like Indonesia continuing to live a deep tradition of Ramayana. India, of course, is the focal point of these works and they continue to be guiding lights for individuals and communities in spite of the onslaught of modernity and secularism. The intellectuals too want to engage with these two works with genuine intrigue or with an ulterior motive of appropriation. The society at large in any case has learnt more from Ramayana and Mahabharata than anything else that has emerged as an outcome of modern history - a fact that modern academicians can neither gulp nor refute.

Yet Ramayana and Mahabharata are taught informally to the children of India. It is not part of the formal education system as the secular establishment continues to wield a certain control and believes that they form the religious core of Hindu society and hence should be excluded from formal schooling. If you go back to the Education System that India had when the British came, education almost started with Ramayana and Mahabharata. One should read "The Beautiful Tree" written by Dharampal to understand the depth and breadth of formal education in India in 1810. The book is an analysis of British records in the early part of 19th century which is completely hidden from the modern history that is taught in India. Sir Thomas Munroe the British administrator par excellence clearly says that there was hardly a village in India where there was no school. Ramayana and Mahabharata were, of course, part of the school curriculum across the country.

Now this begs an explanation - why is this emphasis on Ramayana and Mahabharata being taught to our children? Why should they be exposed to these stories at an early age? There are obvious reasons. 1. These are fantastic stories and continue to capture the imagination of children whatever generation they belong to. 

2. There are obvious morals and values in the stories that play a role in shaping the personality of children in being good house holders and citizens.

But there are bigger reasons as well. These are related to the very core of our civilization. These stories provide access to certain thought processes that have shaped our civilization. The First step towards those civilizational thought processes can be taken through these epic stories. Civilization continuity (which in Sanskrit is called sAtatya) is extremely necessary even as we continue to change and modernize it must be in harmony with the architecture of civilization. And the epics introduce such complex thinking through a chain of simple stories that make an impression at a perceptory level and help you develop intellect around it. The stories are engaging and run deep into the psyche of listener of any age group. Youngsters cannot be and do not need to be dragged into complex intellectual narratives to acquire such critical thinking.

From this stand-point I highlight the following reasons.

1. The Concept of Dharma

  A critical concept that differentiates Indian subcontinent from rest of the world is the concept of Dharma. The colonial era successfully mistranslated this as religion. We continue to inherit and willfully live that confusion. Dharma, on the contrary, is defined at an abstract level - as all that which ensures in the beholding of life and universe in a sustainable manner. But our civilization has not stopped at defining this abstract. Beyond this conceptual indulgence, our civilization has converted this as a never ending endeavor - of a constant exploration of what is it that beholds life. Our epics elucidate this exploration at each step of life, covering its breadth, depth and complexity. The word sookShma is associated with Dharma in order to emphasize that this perfection is elusive and a great deal of penance is required to see this clearly. This penance covers both the material life and the spiritual. Further, our epics provide a framework to think about Dharma in all walks of life. It is important to note that it has not been reduced to a set of rules of right and wrong. Instead, a framework, principles, guidelines within which every individual can explore dharma in once's own context is what our epics depict. This approach empowers every individual and creates a sphere of independence.

  It is important to explose our children to this concept early on before they confuse this with religion. Our children should develop a dhaarmic exploration mindset early on so that they dont get into the easy trap of right and wrong. At the same time, our children should appreciate that dharma the beholder encompasses all aspects of life and hence there is a unity to all aspects of life that we must strive. Compartmentalized view of life does not help. Does that look familiar? Yes, the modern sustainability emerges from Dharma. All decision making comes under the ambit of Dharma. Hence, whether Bheeshma was right in taking an oath to not marry and relinquish the Simhasana comes under the ambit of Dharma. It is no more a mere personal choice.

  Our children have been denied this beautiful and meaningful way of life for decades which probably even the British did not deny. Its time to set this right. If schools cannot be fixed then an ecosystem outside of the schools has to be created.

2. The integration of Spirituality and the Material World

In the West, certain historic challenges created a need them to separate the material and the spiritual. This is the result of the role played by religion in yester-years that has led to a lot of bloodshed. Sadly, we have dragged this framework onto India and converting our children relentlessly into this framework - which is not only unnecessary but also detrimental. India has not been shaped by the religious thinking of Europe variety. It has essentially been shaped by the four concepts of Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha and a unique interrelationship between them. This framework is referred to as Purusharthas and has some elements of far reaching importance.

• Artha (Security) and Kama (Desire) that are mostly in the material world are dealt with seriousness and respect equal to the spiritual element of Moksha (Liberation). Dharma (The beholding balance) binds all of them and creates a balance in the overall life. Few other frameworks or philosophies look at all four of these in the same vein.
• Artha is not defined in the limited sense of wealth. It has a material and mental/psychological components. Wealth, Security, Meaning, Health etc., everything that is essential to the happiness of life comes under its ambit. Remember the 8 aishwarya-s of Goddess Lakshmi.
• Kama is the broad desire and fascination that is undeniable aspect of human life. It is not looked down upon. Man has a right to seek his desire and fascination even when there is no larger social essence for it but it has limitations and need to be governed by dharma. Without the desires and fascinations well addressed exploration of dharma and attainment of moksha becomes impossible and this reality is recognized. Few cultures have treated these elements without a sense of apology and at the same level as level as Spirituality.
• Without Dharma (The Balance) Artha and Kama get into slippery territory and Without Moksha sustaining Dharma is very difficult.

Thus the framework encompasses all aspects of life. Separating elements into purely material and purely spiritual is not only anathema to this framework but it clearly establishes that it is detrimental.

Our children need to appreciate this framework and realize that this is the framework that has sustained our civilization for thousands of years whereas other cultures frequently led themselves into extinction. This balanced framework is more than relevant in the 21st century as the material world is growing without the binding force of dharma and moksha. Our children should not be denied this heritage.

3. Women in our society

Today it has become common knowledge to describe submissive women as Sita or Sati Savitri. That Indian society is patriarchal and unequal has attained the status of an unquestionable truth. The reality is anything but that. The great Indian epics give a different picture. Lets look at three such examples.

• In the Ramayana, Sita hardly comes across as submissive. Throughout she emerges as knowledgeable, questioning, responsible, decisive and influential. Thus Janaka decides to give Sita to anybody who lifts "The Great Bow of Shiva" because as a child Sita lifted it effortlessly. She puts Rama through a hard time when he proposes to go the forest alone and prevails upon him. She questions Rama on matters of dharma/adharma when Rama chooses to indulge in warfare to kill the Rakshasas of Dandakaranya as Rama has taken the vow of Ahimsa in his forest life. Eventually Rama has to convince Sita of the need to make an exception once again according to dharma - so on so forth. The List of Sita's brilliance as an individual is endless.
• The case of Savitri is more intriguing. She is born out of a special penance from her father to get an heir to his kingdom. Savitri is taught every Shaastra, shastra and astra ie., scholarly knowledge and skills for warfare. So much for a submissive lady. When his father decides to get her married she rejects almost everybody. She puts such conditions that matching bridegrooms are never found. A distraught father gives up the search and asks her to indulge in the search by herself. The next thing you know Savitri starts a journey along with the minister and eventually falls in love with Satyavana. Who is Satyavana - he is the son of a King who has lost his kingdom, lives in a forest and blind. Whats worse is Satyavana is about to die. Savitri is aware but adamant  - she makes a choice much against the wishes of everybody including her father and marries him. And then when Yama comes to take away Satyavana she is brave enough to follow and entrap him into releasing Satyavana. Its a travesty of justice and irony of our times that Savitri has come to represent submissive and unconditionally faithful wife in adverse conditions to one's own good health.
• In Mahabharata, when King Shantanu stumbles upon Satyavati he goes to her settlement and seeks her hand from her father. An audacious fisherman, her father puts such strong conditions that pushes back the great King Shantanu. An exploitative and dictatorial King would have applied force but Shantanu does not. He returns to the Palace. His son Devavrata too visits her father but does not indulge in force. Instead he ends up sacrificing immense realities of his life and thats how Shantanu marries Satyavati.
• In Mahabharata, one sees Satyavati, Kunti and Draupadi playing great roles in the administration of the respective states. Satyavati and Kunti may have been dragged into it because of circumstances. But Draupadi plays a huge administrative role even as her 5 husbands are at the helm of kingly affairs.

Our children need to feel it in their psyche that the women of India were not pushed to the corner in our traditional culture and should not be in the present. The girls of India should derive inspiration from these stories. Its a push of circumstances that in the last 200 years Indian women were relegated to insignificance. The speed with which India is catching up in attaining an equality demonstrates that culturally women always played a key role.

As an aside, Mahabharata also demonstrates that Transgenders were never ill-treated and they had a safe place in the society.

4. Wealth of General Knowledge 

Our epics contain thought processes on a variety of aspects of general life. These thought processes are not just of academic importance but useful even today - because they are not articulated through a set of principles and not through hardcoded rules that can become outdated. More importantly, they have shaped our lives for millenia . A few examples

• When Bharata comes to meet Rama in in the forest - Rama asks him nearing 100 questions in order to check if Bharata is conducting himself as a good King.
• Bheeshma and Vidura indulge in very long passages in Mahabharata in their conversation with Yudhishtira enlisting the responsibilities of a good King.
• Yaksha asks some brilliant questions to Yudhishtira in the famous Yaksha Prashna. Those questions and answers are of universal importance.
• Mahabharata contains detailed descriptions of River Saraswati and the Yatra made by Balarama on its bed from Dwaraka to Himalayas. Through a modern study it has been found that the river indeed had the same path as described in Mahabharata. In a sense Mahabharata contributed to the discovery of its path which was considered mythical for years.

These conversations make a deep impact on children and youngsters. Critical Questioning and Thinking is an integral part of our epics. They need to be introduced this at an early stage for them to develop an appreciation towards all this.

In Summary, there is so much of a perspective wealth that denying children the same is not only gross injustice but also detrimental to the larger cause of the society for two reasons. We are weakening the force that bonded the society for centuries. We have nothing to replace this bond. We are creating a discontinuity in the society. All discontinuities result in great conflicts if we cannot manage them.

Whats heartening is the society feels an unbearable emptiness when we are driven out of our traditional framework. There is a larger awakening of late and the parents want their children to benefit from the past. We now need to channelize this sensitivity into effective engagement with our tradition.