The Ramayana
The , credited to the sage , is the second Hindu epic, and the story most Hindus know best. is worshipped as an of , so many Hindus compare him with Jesus. The comparison fails at every point that matters.
The story in short
- 1 is sent away
, prince of , is about to be crowned. Because of a promise his father made, he is sent into the forest for fourteen years instead. He obeys without complaint. His wife and his brother go with him.
- 2 is taken
, the ten-headed king of , kidnaps .
- 3The search and the war
gathers allies, among them the faithful monkey . They cross to , and defeats .
- 4Return and rule
returns to and is crowned. Hindus call his reign the ideal kingdom, "". Later versions tell of being tested or sent away, and these parts are still debated by Hindus today.
What it is about
Dharma lived out. is presented as the ideal son, husband, brother, king and servant, who keeps his word whatever it costs.
Evil and disorder, in the form of , threaten the world.
, an of , comes to earth, defeats evil and restores order.
A just world, and for the devoted, a life of loyal love like 's.
In the no one is fully good. In the the hero is held up as the model of , and he is worshipped as God. So the questions are simple: is the story true, is the hero really good, and can he save anyone?
Where it goes wrong
No evidence, and many versionsTradition places in the treta age, hundreds of thousands of years ago. There is no outside record of his kingdom, his war or . The story is told differently by , by , by the Tamil poet and across Southeast Asia, and the versions disagree even on how it ends.
Real people, real placesThe Gospels were written within living memory of Jesus and name the rulers of the day: Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate and Herod (). Jesus was seen alive after His death by more than five hundred people, most still living when Paul wrote ().
No is called the perfect man, yet he shoots the monkey king from hiding (). He makes prove her purity by walking into fire (), and later sends her away, pregnant, into the forest because of gossip in the city (). Hindus themselves still argue over these scenes.
One man without sin"He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth" (). When a woman was dragged before Him in shame, Jesus did not send her away. He sent her accusers away ().
A demon king, far awayEvil is in . Defeat him and order returns.
Sin, in every heartThe problem is not only out there. It is in us: "all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God" (). No war in a distant land can fix that.
An avatar is not an incarnation
Many Hindus say that Jesus is one more like and . The two ideas are very different.
Again and again is "born in every age" whenever right living declines (). and are two of many.
Once for allJesus "has been revealed at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself" (). It never needs to happen again.
To destroy the wicked says he comes "for the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked" ().
To die for the wicked"While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (). He came for the very people an comes to destroy.
Nothing is paid and fight evil people. Neither dies to take away anyone's sin.
He carries it"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree" ().
He leaves, and the cycle turns returns to 's heaven. The ages roll on, and another will be needed.
He rose, and He reigns"I am alive forever and ever. Amen. I have the keys of Death and of Hades" (). He will return once, to end evil for good.
What your friend may sayWhat Hindus often say
- "The is about ideals, not history." Many Hindus say it does not matter whether it happened, because it teaches how to live.
- "The hard scenes were added later, or have a deeper meaning." Some scholars do think the last book was added later.
Your strongest answerHow a Christian answers
Then the can show you what a good person ought to be, but it cannot rescue you. An ideal cannot forgive sin, and a hero who has to be defended is not the perfect man. shows how far short we fall. Jesus is the one who never fell short, and then took the place of those who did.
What it asks, and what the Bible announces
The Ramayana asks
What does the perfect king look like? It answers with a hero who wins a war, makes mistakes, and leaves.
The Bible announces
The true King came. He wore a crown of thorns, died for His enemies and rose again, and He is "King of Kings, and Lord of Lords" ().
Hindus honor for keeping his word. Jesus kept His word perfectly, all the way to the cross, and the cost was for us. He did not destroy His enemies. He died for them, and He lives to make them His friends ().
There is no evidence Rama lived, he falls short himself, and as an avatar he comes to destroy the wicked. Jesus is real, sinless, and came once to die for the wicked and rise again.
Why the next step followsNext, the Puranas, where the gods compete for the top place.The Puranas and the gods →Rama defeats his enemies, but Jesus died for His. What does it mean to you that Christ died for you while you were still His enemy (Romans 5:10)?