The medieval period contains a remarkably rich assortment of ways to deal with morals. Morals is an investigation of good issues in the fields of individual and aggregate collaboration. The term is additionally at times utilized all the more by and large to depict issues in expressions and sciences, strict convictions and social needs. The expert fields that manages moral issues and incorporate prescription, exchanging, business, law and so forth. Morals and qualities indicate something’s level of significance with the point of figuring out what activity is the best to live or to do or if nothing else endeavour to depict the estimation of various activities.
The essentials of living are being educated on none other than through the securing of language, and the generally evolved writing all around. The contemplation of oneself and the retrospection just consistently make space for additional improvement in any measurement by and large and in moral perspective specifically. The social structure of medieval India was, overall, administered by the law of Vedic sacred writings that has changed its lessons through auxiliary sources like Dharmasastras, Puranas, Itihasas, and other minor writing.
The days of yore characterization of social strata dependent on varna (class) and ashrama (phases of life) was broadly predominant and releasing one’s obligation dependent on such a grouping was viewed as dharma (honourable living). Dharma, as he word shows, is said to be the sustainers of the universe in a symphonic amicability. An agreeable living was set as a presupposition for the capacity of a worth framework in the general public. In our look into the writing of medieval India, we will discover the premise of ethical quality as the striking harmony for internal development and all inclusive harmony. At an alternate plane, there was an accentuation on the recognition of the samanya dharma (general morals) regardless of any cultural order and an emphasis of visesa dharma (explicit obligations) to take into account the responsibility in the serene conjunction of each being.
ETHICS IN EPICS
The two great epics or the historical record, as it were, are the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Both these immortal works, time and again, remind the humanity of the moral order in a social structure. Here, the social condition encompasses the political, economical, cultural, and the natural order. Ramayana, through its immortal characters, reveal the sense of dharma in various shades. Of the many dialogues in Valmiki’s Ramayana, one striking dialogue between Rama and Sita estimates the concept of dharma without compromise. Sita speaks when Rama resolves to vanquish the demons in the forest on the request of the sages. She says, desire produces three qualities – untruth, abduction of another woman and anger towards an alien.
Of the three, Rama cannot entertain the first two qualities, but in this case, Rama seems to fall a prey to the third quality, which Sita considers as adharma. She defines dharma as the essence of the universe and feels that Rama’s resolve to vanquish the demons who are not enemies of Rama is unfair. Here, we see the rights exercised by Sita in voicing out her view-point on Rama’s action and condemning it as adharma, requesting him for an explanation for such a move. Rama answers that he has promised to help the sages who have taken shelter in him and hence resolved to demolish the demons. He goes to the extent of saying, that he is ready to abandon Sita and Lakshmana in order to keep up his promise. Here, Rama evokes his sense of duty as a ksatriya (warrior class), that is to protect those who have taken refuge in him.
This episode reveals the right exercised by Sita and Rama’s binding duty, thereby drawing our attention to not only rights but also duty as the two sides of the same coin. The freedom of expression of one’s opinion is again revealed through the episode where Dasaratha calls for an open-house discussion declaring the next heir-apparent. When the ministers, well-wishers and people assembled expressed happiness on Dasaratha retiring to coronate Rama. But Dasaratha questioned the assembly if it has exercised its will in favouring such a decision. The Mahabharata pictorially depicts a telling tale of each of its characters, which is worth reflecting upon by every individual. Vyasa shows that dharma and adharma cannot be categorically compartmentalised in white and black.
The characters in Mahabharata portray ‘grey’ areas of dharma and adharma, in varying heights in different stages of life. This epic through its narration of the story of over six generations, unfolds the changing value system of the society. Each character symbolises an evolved understanding of dharma and the consequence of every character gives an insight into the assimilation of the code of ethics. One of the highlights in Mahabharata is the episode where a Yaksha questions Yudhishthira as, ‘what is the greatest wonder in this world?’, Yudhishthira replies, ‘Seeing death everyday one continues to think one is immortal, is the greatest wonder in this world?’.
The perception of mortality of the body serves as the key to inculcate morality. Mahabharata declares, dharma as the code of life that will sustain and maintain a harmonious living. It presents a simple dictum “whatever is not conducive to social welfare, and what you are likely to be ashamed of doing, never do it”. Thus, the two epics is a living tradition that on and off reminds the value of a moral living to obtain peace.
Aishwarya Says:
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