Epics and various holy texts should be pursued daily. They not only educate but also elevate mental and spiritual well-being. A reading of the Ramayana, a treatise on so many aspects, is recommended at any stage in life. It showcases devotion and highlights how to pursue dharma in everyday life. It is also a commentary on the ideal family, said Damodara Deekshithar.The Ramayana is a commentary on family structure, and nothing much has changed since the time Perumal manifested as Rama. The structure remains the same and many challenges in life are similar — how parents interact with one another, the conduct of a spouse, the way siblings respond to a situation, and the reactions of children to various challenges. In the material world, one always struggles to balance the family with right conduct (dharma). What the Ramayana imparts is unique.When Kaikeyi tells Rama, “Your father told me to tell you to go to the forest”, Rama politely interjects, saying, “You do not have to say my father said so… even someone on the road can tell me.” He immediately starts preparing to honour the banishment orchestrated by Kaikeyi in order to gain the kingdom for her own son, Bharata. When Sita learns, Rama was to be banished to a forest for 14 years instead of being anointed, she insists on accompanying her husband with tremendous composure.When Lakshmana hears about the impending vanvaas, he is roused into a hot temper and bursts out, “Go, tell him (Dasaratha) he is not a father at all. Just because a son listens to him, he should not fool that son! What he has done is incorrect. Tell him I said so.” When Dasaratha bemoans the turn of events, Kausalya says, “Why are you becoming agitated now? You wanted to keep Kaikeyi happy, therefore you banished Rama.” Dasaratha then says he has sinned and brought about this unbearable parting from his son upon himself. He then narrates the incident in which he had mistaken a young man fetching water for his blind parents for an elephant, and shot a fatal arrow into him.In the Mahabharata, Vyasa says one should not let go of dharma under any circumstances. Published - July 27, 2026 05:08 am IST