Explorations in Religious Identity (RE 300 WR)

You have now completed a fairly detailed translation of Vālmīki's Rāmāyaṇa. Congratulations! This is a very important and visible textual tradition in south and southeast Asia. You should be proud of yourself for engaging thoughtfully with a difficult and unfamiliar text.

This week, let's take a critical look at the story, how it's told, and what the messages are. Who benefits from this story? What are (some of) the major messages that you see in it? There are multiple ways to think about and answer this question, so don't get too hung up on a "correct" answer. Please give references to the story (page numbers) when you can.

If you find yourself stuck, it may help to go back over the Into to Hinduism video. Also let me know if I need to clarify the question or explain what I mean further.