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It is said that the Vedas took an avatara as Valmiki’s Ramayana. Vedanta Desika says that Ramayana is superior to the Vedas. This is because it highlights the Lord’s qualities much better than the Vedas do. In fact, the purpose of the Ramayana itself is to throw light on His qualities.

Vashnava Acharyas have looked at the Ramayana from a Vedantic angle, said Navalpakkam Vasudevachariar in a discourse. We understand saranagati, Para Tattva, Parama purushartha etc by reading the Ramayana. The Ramayana can also be looked at from other angles. It tells us the dharma to be followed by each one of us. It is of use to us as we carry out our day-to-day activities. It is like reading the purva bhaga of the Vedas. And of course, it can be looked at as literature, and enjoyed by everyone. It is a pleasing kavya, and we can admire the choice of words, and Valmiki’s presentation.

Vedanta Desika says that no poet was born to equal Valmiki. As a story too, the Ramayana has something for everyone, from child to adult. Valmiki gives us nothing but the truth. That is because every conversation in the Ramayana is an accurate reporting by Valmiki. Brahma gave him the boon of being able to see and hear all that happened during the Rama avatara. So his work is a truthful account of what happened. Not all literature has survived. But Valmiki’s work continues to be studied even now. And the entire work of 24,000 slokas has come down to us intact. It is seldom that a work is handed down from generation to generation, without even a small portion being lost.

The Ramyana is an ocean, which contains many gems. In the case of an ocean, one must get to the depths to obtain the gems. In the same way, one must study the Ramayana deeply to get to the gems it holds inside it.

Good deeds are the means to reach a higher plane and likewise bad deeds lead to destruction and doom — is the ultimate message that the Ramayana teaches, said Sri R. Krishnamurthy Sastrigal in a discourse. The truth that each one is responsible for his acts, good and bad and will have to face the consequences is strongly stressed. It is shown that even birds and animals will be of assistance to one who treads the right path; but to him who chooses the wrong path, even one’s kith and kin cannot be of any help. Ravana’s glories are innumerable and even Rama and Hanuman heap spontaneous praises on his attainments and achievements. But he commits the sin of coveting another man’s wife and scripts his own self destruction. Rama and Sita in their role as mortals show that human sorrow is inevitable and affects all, whatever may be one’s temperament, scholarship, lineage, etc. Lakshmana on many occasions ponders on the unfairness of the happenings in Rama’s life.

Rama too breaks out in despair when Virata carries away Sita in a trice. He tells Lakshmana, “This is unbearable. Kaikeyi must have known all this when she sent us to the forest.” Rama’s reaction only reflects the psychological reality of an individual in trying circumstances. Rama’s qualities of compassion and kindness, his readiness to lend a helping hand to all, his nature to pardon the faults in people, and his adherence to truth stand as the very basis of this grand epic. The Lord’s vow to protect those in distress is another straight message of hope to humanity. When Rama accepts Vibhishana against much opposition from Sugriva, Lakshmana and others, he quells their doubts about any possible foul play on the part of the rakshasas and states that even if it is Ravana in Vibhishana’s form, He would protect him.