Rama is the hero of the epic named after his exploits, the Ramayana. It is one of the most popular stories ever told in the world because there are over 35 versions of it available. All the major language groups of India have a version of his life and even Indonesia, Thailand and Java - Sumatra have their own versions. As may be expected, therefore, Rama is not any one personality but a composite of many authors' beliefs as to what a hero ought to be like. Like Proteus, God of a Thousand Faces, Rama is whatever you choose to make him.

Today, Rama is regarded as one of the major Avatars of Vishnu, second in importance only to the Krishna Avatar and even that is disputed. Originally however, he was a great Culture-Hero of the Aryan people, something implicit in the fact that even the Jains have a Ramayana, wherein he is absolutely non-violent as befits a Jain and the entire killing is done by Laxmana! In this version, which has proved to be controversial in the intolerant 20th century, he and Sita form a pair of Primodorial twins, siblings as well as spouses. This was a staple theme of ancient mythology, and not really so objectionable as it may seem, but the rest of India has too much emotional investment in Rama and his moral perfection to let such an alternative version breathe easy. In any case only very few scholars and determined controversialists are aware of this. It is included here merely to point out that Rama has always been interpreted, even used, according to the needs of the times. The ongoing controversy over his birthplace and the advent of a new, muscular and belligerent Rama in popular art is yet another example.

The Ur-text is the Valmiki Ramayana in Sanskrit and it is still the best account of Rama too. Valmiki is frank about his motives in writing the story. He wanted to convey an ideal of human perfection, a hero who is fearless, invincible, intelligent and compassionate, quick to forgive and slow to anger, but never compromising on what is right. Such a paragon he found in Rama. He was the son of Dasharatha, king of the Ikshavakus, a solar dynasty and born after many years of childlessness. Since his mother Kaushalya was the chief queen, he automatically became crown prince. That did not prevent him from deeply loving his half brothers, the twins Laxmana and Shatrughana, born to queen Sumitra, and Bharatha, born to his father's favorite queen, Kaikeyi. He had an especially powerful emotional bond with Laxmana and was responsible for keeping his irascible and dangerous wrath in check. All the young men proved to be great warriors, but Rama was always pre-eminent. The family guru, Vashistha, one of the most important rishis in mythical India, instructed him in statecraft which his keen intellect found easy to assimilate.

When he was sixteen, the great Vishwamitra came calling. The sage had been trying to perform some fire sacrifices for a long time, but vicious demons were perpetually putting out the fires with aerial attacks. They knew better than to come too close, as Vishwamitra was the undisputed master of weapons and he had something even better - a fiery temper that used to launch into earth shaking curses. Not willing to waste the power of his austerities on cursing such scum, he comes to ask for Rama and Laxmana to defend his sacrifice. The two boys are eager to go, as Vishwamitra was an unusually inspiring sort of personality. He teaches them the celestial weapons and makes them invincible. They massacre the demon hordes and send their chief Maricha flying a few leagues away with the impact of a blunt arrow. So great was the shock that he was defeated, that Maricha turns over a new leaf and begins a life of meditation!

It is a curious nature of Indian myth that the Hero's Journey aspect of any Hero always occupies only the first third of this life. Once he has completed that, he is essentially unchanging in his perfection. The hero does not grow in stature or personality after the first third of the narrative. Events no longer impact him, he transforms events but himself remains untouched and unchanged rather like a catalyst. This catalytic nature of the hero in Indian myth is a unique peculiarity in the structure of mythology, and represents the fundamental divergence between Indian myth and the rest of the world. Even Buddha's life, an archetypal Hero's Journey if there ever was one, follows this pattern. Where Rama is concerned, he goes forth from obscurity as just another royal prince, to becoming a genuine hero under the Mentor that is Vishwamitra. He then comes under the influence of the female energy of the Universe, Sita, daughter of Janka, king of Mithila. The wily Vishwamitra brings the young men to Mithila precisely to bring about this end. Rama and Sita fall in love at first sight, but there is a contest - old heroic chestnut - to be won first to marry her. This is a bow of Shiva, which is proving to be unliftable. Rama not only raises it, he breaks the divine bow while stringing it. He has now moved into authentic Great Hero status.

This results in a fight with the older avatar of Vishnu, Parashurama. (For details please look at Parashurama in our Gods section) Again, the heroic stature grows and his pre-eminent position amongst men is thus confirmed. He has been trotting out one miraculous feat of valor after another and there is no dispute in India that he is indeed Purushottama, "Best amongst men." However, that title is not an acknowledgement of his invincible fighting prowess and intellect alone. He does something even more dazzling in the social context of the time. So deeply does he love Sita that he swears never to have another wife. He never had sex with any other woman either. In the polygamous royal society of the time this was unthinkable heroism and formidable self-control. Thus arose the famous formulation, "Ekam patni vrata, Purushottama" or "He who is sworn to one wife alone is the best amongst men." Rama set a standard of monogamous fidelity that India has instinctively revered, even if not always followed. In all the unthinking criticism of him, let this be remembered. Almost all other heroes in all other cultures have failed miserably in this aspect of marital relationships.

By now he is the standard hero, the catalyst factor, and his aging father decides to crown him as king. It is a very popular decision, even amongst the queens. Kaikeyi's initial jubilation at the news is soon poisoned by a spiteful servant, and she resurrects old promises made by Dasharatha and demands the throne for her son and banishment into forest exile for Rama. This aspect has been well discussed in our article in the epics section, evil sex as the hidden villain of the Ramayana. Rama puts his father out of his misery by agreeing. Contrary to the popular perception of a diabetically sweet Rama, who just lives to obey insane commands from a senile father, he knows that injustice is being done. In a furious outburst in the forest, he calls his father a sex obsessed fool, for he chooses his young wife over his worthy son. However, a king's word is not a light thing and it cannot be shown to be disregarded. All order would unravel if people felt that a king's word was a trifle that could be adjusted according to convenient circumstances. Rama leaves for the larger social good, not because, as generations of timorous parents have told skeptical children, he was obedient. If obedience was the only reason, he was a fool and Rama was anything but that.