It took me back in time. I was much younger when initially this series was played on TV. My parents used to watch it religiously. I used to watch it like any other story , with skepticism, criticism and with logical mind. I preferred to watch Star Trek, Agatha Christie. and Spiderman those days over mythology (as I wrongly perceived Ramayana at that time.)
Ramayana was just a story for me with lots of needless melodrama.
Watching at this stage, while now I’m a student of Vedanta, I watched it with faith. I have been fortunate to be in ‘Vedanta in Ramayana’ class guided by Vivekji. Because of the guidance of guru, watching these two episodes took whole another meaning.
The primitive special effects, (compared to the awesome effects used in Bahubali), the faded colors, the inadequate cinematography, and sub par acting is what I’d have criticized and focused on, had I not been blessed to be Vedantic student.
Yet watching it now, brought this sacred history to Life. I felt such closeness to Lord Rama as if I knew Him. As I have been trying to learn more about our scriptures and their deeper meaning and symbolism of our sacred history, I had better understanding of the message delivered in these episodes.
The part that touched me the most was —
Ravana’s body lays on the battlefield-dead, his ego unites with Brahman embodied by Lord Rama, erasing the perceived duality of Jiva and Brahman. His soul merges with divine radiance of Lord Rama like drop merges with Ocean.
That was most heartwarming, most hopeful expression. Just like how Ravana was forgiven and merged with divine, if we pursue Rama, we all have hope to merge with ever compassionate Lord Rama too. We have to follow the path of Rama…… Ramayana.
