In one of the discussions with Swami Tyagananda during the fall semester, we discussed whether the Ramayana & Mahabharata were historically accurate. Did Rama really kill a ten-headed demon Ravana? Did Draupadi really have an infinite sari? Or was it merely a figment of Vyasa’s imagination?
More importantly, are the answers to these questions even relevant spiritually? Sonali wrote an excellent post about different ways to interpret these epic texts. The three categories she posits are: history, literature, and scripture. There are certain aspects of these epics that may seem unrealistic, and cause us to doubt their historical veracity. But does that matter, if we primarily view these epics as scripture, or even solely as literature?
While there is plenty to discuss just considering the Ramayana & Mahabharata as literary works, I want to focus on the spiritual interpretation of these texts – this is, after all, Swadharma. To consider these texts as scriptures is to draw, or attempt to draw, moral lessons from them. Did Yudhisthira act appropriately when gambling with Shakuni and putting Draupadi’s honor at stake? Was Bharata’s decision to try to disobey his mother and put Rama on Ayodhya’s throne the right one? By answering these questions, one is creating, or perhaps simply applying, certain rules about the proper way to act. So if we consider that the true value of these scriptures is that they provide a source for a moral code, does it even matter whether these events are hypothetical or actual?
I don’t think so. Fables & exaggerations are used all the time for teaching moral lessons. So clearly, the historical inaccuracy of a set of events doesn’t preclude them from being used as a source of morality. What is essential is posing a question about what is “right”, and then answering it, or at least prompting the reader to answer it. For example, the events of the Mahabharata set the context for the discourse of the Bhagavad Gita, one of the most well-known sources of moral guidance in Hinduism. To connect this back to Sonali’s original post (and to disagree with my own comment on that article eight months ago!), I think that you can indeed consider the Ramayana & Mahabharata as scripture without considering them as history.
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Exactly…instead of getting lost in trying to ascertain the historical accuracy, these scriptures are meant for us to derive messages towards a life of fulfillment. Bhagvad Gita, for instance, is not connected to any religion. It is meant for the humanity and the principles therein are being applied by managers at workplaces. The grievances and the dichotomy that Arjuna reels under, is the turmoil that each of us undergoes every moment. This is the inner turmoil of every human being.
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