Great Works at 10.20am Spring 2015

Over the great span of time that is our world’s history, we come across great authority figures that enact rules and laws for those who follow them. Whether the authority figure is a fictional character, a book, or even a spiritual being, the figure seems to have an overwhelming impact on the everyday life of those who follow them. However, to understand what it truly means to be an authority figure, one must understand what an authority figure really is. Primarily, the definition of an authority figure is a person, organization, or in this case, a set of laws that has a kind of right, whether divine or hereditary, to enforce obedience and give orders. The case I bring to you today includes the spiritual set of laws known as dharma, which is inherent in the narrative, Ramayana by Valmiki. The story, which describes dharma as a major, yet controversial authority figure, is about a powerful man named Rama who undergoes a series of disastrous events. Unfortunately for Rama, we begin the narrative starting with his banishment from a kingdom he was originally supposed to take over.
One might ask: how does a powerful man such as Rama become banished from, might I add, a kingdom whom loves and respects him? Well, we see that his mother-in-law has indefinitely favored her son for the throne, even though Rama is seen as much more capable of being king. On top of that, she wishes for his banishment from the kingdom as well. With that in mind, Rama does not even object to her or his father’s wishes, as he willingly accepts his undeserving punishment. One can conclude that Rama is generally a kind-hearted and easily influenced man of honor. While that may be the case, that is not the reason why he leaves the kingdom, nor is it the reason for him accepting his father’s punishment. Rather, we return to the ideals of dharma that seem to cause Rama dread throughout the story. To his own mother, it is said by Rama that you should “abandon your resolve based on the principle of might; resort to dharma.” This indicates that one should leave his/her personal wants and needs aside, and should resort to dharma in all cases. Here, we see dharma as a powerful figure that leads Rama to abandon his own mother. As previously explained, Rama is a gentle soul who would most definitely not get enjoyment or benefits out of this. Rather, it is his dharma that persuades Rama to follow such a path.
Next, we see dharma as an authority figure, but from a different angle. After venturing into the forest, Rama, his faithful brother Laksmana, and his lovely wife, Sita encounter a beautiful deer that Sita says she must have. After sending Rama to hunt after it, Sita and Laksmana hear a loud cry that sounds very similar to Rama’s voice. While Laksmana knows it his dharma to fulfill his brother’s wish of protecting Sita, he is persuaded into leaving her and seeing what happened. Here, we still see dharma as an influential figure, but we also see it as a path that can be strayed from. As Laksmana explains, “she (referring to sita) said: ‘either you are an agent of Bharata or you have unworthy intentions towards me.” In other words, Dharma is powerful, but in some extreme cases, one must stray to fulfill his/her obligations as a human with pride and responsibility. Another instance we see this is when Sita becomes captured by the evil being that is known as Ravana. Ravana explain that he was only following the will of his own dharma by capturing her. However, we see dharma as a controversial being yet again when he explains, “but I shall not violate you against your wishes.” Ravana here is explaining that it is his dharma to do such evil things; but what then, is stopping him from simply taking her love rather than winning it? Furthermore, what is stopping him from killing her as she has no intention of marrying him? As stated before, dharma is in fact a path can be strayed from, no matter how influential it is. Through the text, we learn that even demons have a natural sense of pride that conflicts with dharma.
In any case, dharma is a powerful authority figure that influences one who follows it, but to a certain extent. We learned that dharma can lead one to leave his own mother, yet can be strayed from in the right situations. However, the idea of dharma as a controversial authority figure only symbolizes the idea that authority figures, no matter how powerful, can be strayed from.

Jonathan Ahn