What can we learn about the structure of the traditional indian Essay

What can we learn about the structure of the traditional indian society from the Ramayana story - Essay Example For instance, respect for teachers and elders are an important traditional value amongst the Indian families. A sage is about to arrive at the palace of King Dasharatha, and this incident reflects something profound about the Indian society. R. K. Narayan writes, â€Å"On a certain afternoon, messengers at the gate came running to announce â€Å"Sage Vishwamitra.† When the message was relayed to the King, he got up and hurried forward to receive the visitor.† (7) A King going all the way to receive a sage. Seems incredible, but that was the value system and even today sages command immense reverence. What it is to be an ideal human being and what is an ideal society? One will not be able to find a better work than Ramayana to find the treasure-house of values. Those are not mere ideals for practicing sitting on the ivory tower! Every value described and defended in the Ramayana stands the test of practicability. That which is not practical, can not be noble or spiritual either. An individual has to play different roles in different stages of one’s life. Donning the human body, Lord Ram has shown to the humanity how to live the divine life. His reign on this Planet Earth has been hailed as Ram Rajya, which means the ideal policy that the human beings can aspire for. The impressionable minds of the youngsters need to be given the correct values. The Sages are embodiments of truth and love. No extraneous considerations are taken into account, and the question of defending Dharma assumes supreme priority, and all other overriding factors are side-tracked. The slaying of demon Thataka illustrates the correct style of imparting the right values to Ram when SageViswamitra was on his way to his hermitage in the thick forest. The demon used to harass the sages performing sacred rituals and plunder the forest wealth. When Vishwamitra orders Rama to slay her, Rama hesitates for a while, whether it is proper to slay a woman! Women