| Aesthetics and philosophy of characterization in a few chosen Bhakti works of Rāmāyaņa - Dancer’s Perspective |
| India has been a country which has been a home to diversity, yet constantly being guided by the universality of Sanātana Dharma - the eternal religion . Though the intensity of the spiritual fostering varies in individuals, the basic spiritual and cultural foundation laid in a Bhāratíya as a part of the system strengthens the cognitive and emotional aspects of a human mind. This has made India withstand many challenges and crises starting from Islamic invasion to the most recent covid crisis. Time and again, unity that has been developed and nourished in such a diversified country has transcended all religious barriers by acquiring its sustenance through“faith in the supreme power”. The ideology of Bhakti has been serving as a profound vehicle to experience the path of faith.
Rāmāyaņa and Mahabhārata are the two classics which have been a household name initially in India and now globally too. Prominent characters of Rāmāyaņa have a multi-dimensional identity in India. These identities are highly layered in nature. On one hand, these identities are often shaped by diverse philosophical doctrines, human idealistic aspirations take the form of attributions through these characters and on the other hand, each character serves as a medium to explore the complexity of human nature unveiled through the poetic eye.
While reflecting the above thought through Rāmāyaņa, it is an Indian work that is staunchly worshiped till date and it is also a work that is artistically celebrated as the first classic poetry of India (Ādikāvya).
One might prompted to wonder whether the poetic imagery of the protagonist in Vālmīki’s Rāmāyaṇa (the one embodying the 16 ideal guṇas of an ideal human) to be more a fictional character than realistic one? Can such a confluence of virtues truly manifest in a single individual? Wouldn’t it be appropriate to address this ideal Human of Vālmiki as the Daiva or the supreme being or, as is widely practiced, to revere him as God? What would be the purpose of crafting a narrative around such a figure who has continued to be venerated as the ideal human on till date?
Well one can possibly answer these ever existing questions is the conscious interweaving of aesthetics and philosophy throughout Rāmāyaņa as a poetic work. Rāma emerges as not merely the protagonist (nāyaka) but as an embodiment of aesthetic grace shaped by philosophical conviction . He is explored implicitly through his inner alignment with svadharma through the epical poem, while his noble attributes are celebrated more explicitly in the vast corpus of Bhakti literature that followed. In this dual portrayal, Rāma transcends the boundaries of narrative to become both a literary ideal and a spiritual archetype.
Nevertheless, an impersonalized artistic representation of various poetic expressions of Bhakti through the medium of dance simplified the process of establishing a personalized connect between a Bhakta and his deity due to its entertainment value (ranjakatva). A visual experience of Bhakti through the Bhakti narrative succeeded in transporting a bhakta into a momentary state of transcendence trance and thus providing the joy of experiencing temporary proximity to the divine.
In the Indian context, such an experiential mode of devotion became an integral part of the Bhakti movement wherein Indian classical arts became a potent medium for visually manifesting Rāma Bhakti. Rama Bhakti is embedded with a multi layered fabric revolving around the most powerful emotion of “sharanagti” or surrender to the ideal.
This paper seeks to explore the characterization in the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa through select Bhakti poetic traditions, examining how these expressions embody the philosophical and aesthetic dimensions of Rāma as both an ideal and a divine presence.
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| Author: Mrs Deepthi Radhakrishna
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Submitted on : 23-Jul-2025
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Arts : India/ Classical Dance/ Bharatanatyam |
| Journal ID : 0001-101-0113
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