Ramayanam before Kamban 80 - Rama and Ravana - views of other religions
  • Rama is glorified and Ravana was
    condemned as an evil by Tamils. There are some attempts to project that Ravana was considered as a good person and some people even say that Jain and Buddhist versions have a positive approach towards Ravana. ( but no supporting proof is given by them )

    Now let us see what the other texts excluding Vaishnava literature say about Rama and Ravana.

    Let us first see Saivam -

    Sambandar.

    Sambandar refers the incident of Ravana singing Sama Veda to please Siva.

    சாம வேதமொர் கீத மோதியத் தசமுகன் பரவும் (2-92-8)

    But at that same time, he refers that though Ravana mastered the Vedas, he did not understand it's true
    meaning and his actions were actually against the teachings of Vedas.( Urai unaradhavan)

    மானன நோக்கியை, தேவிதன்னை, யொரு மாயையால்

    கானதில் வவ்விய காரரக் கன் ( 3-10-3)

    உரையுண ராதவன் ,காமமென் னும்முறு வேட்கையான்

    வரைபொரு தோளிறச் செற்றவில் லிமகிழ்ந் தேத்திய

    விரைமரு வுங்கடலோதமல் குமிரா மேச்சுரத்( 3-10-4)

    உரையுண ராதவன் - One who did not understand the meaning/teaching (of vedas)

    Buddhism

    How the Buddhists refer Rama and Ravana?

    Manimekalai
    சமயக் கணக்கர் தம் திறம் கேட்ட காதைWhile
    explaining various religions ( here religions are various sects like Meemamasga, Mayavad, Saivam, etc)

    While explaining various logic, there is a statement - " when some one say that Rama had won then it implies that the Ravana who did not have any charectar (மாட்சி இல்) had lost."

    மீட்சி என்பது "இராமன் வென்றான்" என

    மாட்சி இல் இராவணன் தோற்றமை மதித்தல்

    Bhuddhist texts refer Ravana as மாட்சி இல்இராவணன்

    Jainism - Pazhamozi Nanooru, a Jain text.

    போலந்தார் இராமன் துணையாகத்
    தான்போந்து
    இலங்கைக் கிழவற்(கு) இளையான் - இலங்கைக்கே
    போந்திறை யாயதூஉம் பெற்றான் 'பெரியாரைச்
    சார்ந்து கெழீஇயிலார் இல்'.

    The
    one who is with great people are always benefited. - Like the younger
    brother of the King of Lanka who became the king of Lanka by being with
    Rama.

    A Jain text calling இராமன் as பெரியோன் andindirectly referring இலங்கைக் கிழவன் as கீழோன்.

    All the religions of that period had glorified Rama and treat Ravana as a person of lower moral charector.
  • Religion, as we understand based on the Western constructs, is a wrong word for various Indic traditions and philosophies. Please read Prof. S.N.Balagangadhara's views on why Indian subcontinent did not have any religion.
  • I used that word because - Manimegalai uses that word throughout that section of சமயக் கணக்கர் தம் திறம் கேட்ட காதை.

    Intrestingly there are references of Advita as "Mayavadis" in that section

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