Class 06 History Chapter 3 Ramayana and Mahabharata Period Notes & Important Question Answer

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Chapter Notes 

Ramayana and Mahabharata are two such texts towards which a deep reverence is found in the Indian public. Both these books are included in the world's high quality creations. Both these texts are addressed as epics. Although many Western and Indian scholars call them Kapol Kalpana, but at present their historicity has been proved by many archaeological and other scientific researches.

Brief Ramayana story
Ramayana was composed by Maharishi Valmiki, hence he is considered the world's first poet. Suryavanshi king Dasaratha Kaushal ruled the kingdom. His capital was Ayodhya. He had three queens. Kaushalya, whose son was Shriram, second Sumitra, whose sons were Lakshmana and Shatrughna. Kaikeyi was the youngest. Whose son's name was Bharat. Shriram was popular because of being the eldest and full of all virtues. In those days, the demons used to harass the sages and sages living in the forest and obstructed their yagya-havans. Sage Vishwamitra took Shriram and Lakshmana with him for their safety. He took education under his supervision and provided protection to the sages. Shri Ram was married to Sita, the daughter of King Janak. King Dasaratha wanted to make Shriram his successor but Bharata's mother Kaikeyi asked King Dashrath for two boons – Bharata should be given the throne and Shriram should be sent to exile for 14 years. It was difficult for King Dasaratha to accept this, but Shri Ram happily accepted it and went with him along with his pious wife Sita and brother Lakshmana. King Dashrath could not bear the separation of his eldest son Shri Ram and in this sorrow he went to heaven. It was difficult for King Dasaratha to accept this, but Shri Ram happily accepted it and went with him along with his pious wife Sita and brother Lakshmana. King Dashrath could not bear the separation of his eldest son Shri Ram and in this sorrow he went to heaven. It was difficult for King Dasaratha to accept this, but Shri Ram happily accepted it and went with him along with his pious wife Sita and brother Lakshmana. King Dashrath could not bear the separation of his eldest son Shri Ram and in this sorrow he went to heaven.

Kaikeyi's son Bharata had gone to his maternal grandfather's house in those days. The messengers who went to call him had passed through Kurukshetra in Haryana. When he came to know about the whole incident on his return to Ayodhya, he criticized his mother a lot and also refused to become the king. He along with his ministers went to meet Shri Ram and requested him to take over the kingdom. But Shri Ram refused and Bharat also refused to take the throne. While going back, Shri Ram gave his sandals to Bharat and Bharat kept those sandals and started ruling in the name of Shri Ram. During the period of exile, Ravana, the king of Lanka, took away Sita by treachery. Shriram started searching for Sita. During this, Shri Ram met Hanuman and Sugriva. Hanuman found Sita in Ashok Vatika. When all the efforts of the treaty failed, Shri Ram prepared a bridge to go to Lanka with the help of King Sugriva of Kishkindha and his army and after killing Ravana, Vibhishana was killed. Declared the king of Lanka. Then he returned to Ayodhya along with Sita and Lakshmana in Ravana's 'Pushpak' plane and the people of Ayodhya welcomed him with great fanfare. The rules made by Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram are still considered as ideals. After defeating Bali, he handed over the kingdom to his brother Sugriva and Ravana, the ruler of Lanka, and handed over the kingdom to his brother Vibhishana and did not usurp any kingdom.

Interpolated excerpts from Valmiki Ramayana

In the original form of Valmiki Ramayana there were twenty four thousand verses which were written in 500 cantos and 6 kandas whereas now it has twenty five thousand verses, 658 cantos and 7 cantos. The Ramayana was written till Ravana was killed and there is no mention of the Uttar Kand in it.

Written evidence of the historicity of Ramayana

• Many incidents described in Ramayana are mentioned in Mahabharata, Puranas, Raghuvansh etc. Ikshvaku dynasty is mentioned in Rigveda. 
• In the Buddhist tradition, Dasaratha Jataka, Anamak Jataka stories are found which are related to Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram. 

Jain religious literature: 

• Padma Charitra (Prakrit) composed by Vimal Suri 
• Padma Purana (Sanskrit) by Ravishena Acharya 
• Self-styled godman (Apabhramsa language) 
• Shriram character proof etc. 

In the Jain tradition, the original name of Shri Ram is considered as Padma.
Ramkatha is also found in other languages ​​of India. 

• 11 in Hindi 
• 8 in Marathi 
• 25 in bangla 
• 12 in tamil 
• 5 in telugu 
• 6 in Oriya 

Apart from these, many scholars and saints have given their own compositions and interpretations.
Various forms of Ramayana abroad

• Cakbin Ramayana of Indonesia 
• Khotani Ramayana 
• Tibetan Ramayana 
• Sertram in java 
• Ramakirti in Indochina 

Ramayana is also found in different forms in Burma and Thailand.

• The most important proof was considered in Indonesia. In 1949 AD, when the Dutch government gave independence to Indonesia, it did not give Newgini Island, then the people of Indonesia agitated about Newgini and presented Kishkindha Kand 40.30/31 of Valmiki Ramayana for proof, according to which Sugriva discovered Sita. Addressing the group of monkeys that went in the east direction, he said - You should try to find the golden lamp (Java) decorated with seven states, in the golden lamp as well. On crossing Yavadweep, one finds a mountain called Shishir, on which gods and demons reside. That mountain touches the heavenly world from its high peak and this Shishir mountain is in New Guinea. Considering this evidence as true, the Dutch also gave New Guinea to Indonesia. 
• The coronation of Vibhishan has been shown in the Parliament of Sri Lanka. Ashok Vatika has been made a tourist spot. 
• In Thailand, the king is still called Rama, even though he is a follower of Buddhism. 

Archaeological evidence of the historicity of Ramayana –

• In India too, many places described in Ramayana have been identified. Innumerable clay sculptures related to Ramayana are found in places like Uttar Pradesh, Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Rajasthan etc. In Haryana also, many sculptures have been found from places like Jind, Sirsa, Hisar, Haat, Sudh, Yamunanagar etc. in which the stories of Ramayana have been shown. 
• Many festivals related to Shriram like Ramnavami, the symbol of victory over Ravana, Vijayadashami are celebrated with great enthusiasm. Ramlila has been shown in every state of India for centuries. 
• NASA, the American agency has proved that the bridge connecting India and Lanka is man-made which is believed to be built by Shriram and its time is around 7000 BC. 

Mahabharata -

• Ved Vyas is the author of Mahabharata. We also find other versions of this epic before the modern Mahabharata. The 'Jai Granth' has the basic story of the war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. It originally had only eight thousand eight hundred verses. After adding a part of the history of Bharat dynasty in Jai Granth, it became 'Bharat Granth', due to which the number of verses in it increased to twenty four thousand. This 'Mahabharata' book was made after adding many ethical parts and narratives to the Bharat Granth. It has about one lakh verses. In this way, the present form of Mahabharata preserves the development of many centuries in itself. The version of Mahabharata kept in Pune's Bhandarkar Oriental Institute is considered to be the most authentic. 
• It is said about the Mahabharata book that whatever is in this book is everywhere but what is not in it is nowhere. 
• It is also considered as the encyclopedia of Hinduism. It has also been called the fifth Veda. 
• It is also considered as Dharmashastra, Arthashastra, Kama Shastra, Niti Shastra and Moksha Shastra. 
• This is a unique book from the point of view of study. Important parts of Shrimadbhagwadgita, Anu Gita, Parashar Gita, Moksha Dharma etc. are compiled in this. It includes Sanjayneeti, Vidurneeti, Bhishmaneti etc related to policy and public education. There is also a description of Rajdharma, Apaddharma and Mokshadharma in Shanti Parva. 
• The basic plot is of the war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, but apart from this many historical stories are also mentioned. 

Period of Mahabharata

• Western historians date it from 900 BCE to 1500 BCE. 
• Indian Gupta era mathematician Varahamihira has considered its time as 2449 BC according to his calculations. 
• Gupta period mathematician Aryabhatta has considered its date as 18 February 3102 BC. The 'Aihole' inscription of the Chalukya king Pulakeshin II dates the Mahabharata to 3100 BC. 
• PV Hole has considered the date of Mahabharata as 13.11.3143 BC according to the calculation of planetary constellations. 
• N.S. Rajaram, K. Historians like Sadanand, Subhash Kak etc. have considered its time as 3067 BC. 
• According to the above description and the Kali Samvat written in the modern Panchangas, the date of Mahabharata is made around 3100 BC. 

Historicality of Mahabharata 

• The places mentioned in Mahabharata have almost been identified. This war took place in Kurukshetra, which is modern Kurukshetra because its distance has been told between Sutlej and Yamuna. 
• Remains related to Mahabharata have also been found in the old fort of Delhi. 
• Krishna's city of Dwarka has also been discovered in the Arabian Sea in Gujarat. 
• Remains of Lakshagriha have been found in Barnawa. 
• The excavation of Sanoli also helps in confirming the Mahabharata. 
• The identity of the heroes and other places of Mahabharata is also found in mythological and other literature. Thus there is no doubt about the Mahabharata. 

Civilization and culture described in the epics
The civilization described in the epics cannot be tied to any particular period because their present forms have been changed many times; Nevertheless, we can estimate the period when these events took place which are as follows:
Spread of the Aryans: In the Ramayana, the Aryans crossed the Vindhyachal mountain range and in the Mahabharata, the kings of the south participated in the war. The description of the geography of the world and India is found in the Bhishma Parva in the Mahabharata.

Origin of King: It is written in Shantiparva of Mahabharata that in the beginning there was neither state nor king, neither punishment nor punishment. Each other was protected only by religion. But after the moral decline, a situation of anarchy arose in the society and there was a need for a king. An agreement was reached in which the subjects agreed to pay taxes to the king and the king promised to protect the subjects and thus a powerful state was envisioned.

Main duties of the king
Despite being autocratic, the main duty of the king was to protect and protect the subjects. The king was expected to treat his subjects like a father treats his sons in the house. It is written in Shanti Parva that the king should not oppress the weak because the woe of the weak destroys the king. The king who violated religion has been condemned in harsh words. Bhishma also allows active rebellion against the tyrannical king who does not protect.

Political thought: In Ramayana, there is an attempt to establish idealism and high moral standards, whereas in Mahabharata, more emphasis was placed on reality and practicality of life. In the Mahabharata, Bhishma emphasized the role of Rajdharma for the sustenance of social life. According to him, Rajdharma is the ultimate goal of all the worlds. Rajdharma is the best of all religions, if it disappears then the religions of all varnas and ashrams will end.

Seven parts of the state: Seven integral parts of the king were considered: Raja, Amatya (minister), Janapada, Durg, Kosh, Danda (army) and Mitra. The states depended on the army. Without these, the state was considered chaotic. Therefore, it was considered very important for a nation to be strong because without them life, property, family, religion cannot be protected.

Power of public opinion: The position of the king was hereditary. But many times the power of public opinion is also mentioned in the matter of succession. As King Prateek wanted to make his son Devapi the king, the public protested and stopped him. It is known from Ramayana and Mahabharata that all sections of the society were invited at the time of coronation.

Status of Women: There was some decrease in the respect of women during the epic period, but still they were respected in the society. In the Adi Parva of the Mahabharata, the wife is considered as half of the human being. She is a friend, she is the root of religion-meaning-work. The dialogues of many female characters of Mahabharata give an idea of ​​the scholarship and brilliance of the women of that era. Marriage is also considered a sacred bond. Generally, there was only one husband's law for a woman. Chaste women have been praised a lot.

Social life : Like the Ramayana, the origin of the four varnas in the Mahabharata is believed to be from different parts of Brahman. There are many evidences of superiority of Brahmins, but now Kshatriyas have become dominant. In the Mahabharata, a Brahmin who is devoid of self-study and works against the caste has been considered more reprehensible than a Shudra. The basis of the caste system has been said to be karma instead of birth.
Uma-Maheshwar dialogue in Anusandhan Parv 143/46, 47 says that the one who is virtuous, kind, hospitable, selfless householder, even after being born in a low caste, gets the benefits of dualism and the one who is a Brahmin, characterless, omnivorous and One who does bad deeds, he attains Shudratva. These thoughts reveal the humane and benevolent attitude towards the Shudras. The born Shudras like Vidura, Kavya and Matanga enjoyed a respectable position because of their good conduct. Foreign castes of that period, Yavana, Kirat, Gandhar, Shabar, Shaka, Tushar, Palhav, Pulinda, Kamboj and other castes were included in the caste system.
Economic Life: 

• Apart from agriculture, craft and commerce, there is no better means of earning money. According to the Mahabharata's Sabha Parva, keeping the farmers satisfied, digging reservoirs for agriculture, donating seeds etc. to the poor farmers and giving grace to the farmers from the treasury were the main duties of the king. 
• Animal husbandry was the main occupation and there is a mention of veterinary medicine in the Mahabharata. 
• During that period the craft was also on a high growth. Craftsmen were organized into different categories and each had its own chief, such as silver, gold, iron, ivory, precious stones, architecture, etc. 
• Taxes were imposed by the state keeping in mind the income and expenditure of foreign traders. Trade was done by both water and land routes and traders used to earn more profit. 
• Due to increase in trade during this period, many new cities were established like Hastinapur, Mathura, Indraprastha etc. All these cities were connected by roads and canals and were becoming trading centers. 

Religious Life

• The purpose of epics is to establish the victory of religion over unrighteousness. Where there is righteousness there is victory. The establishment of religion can be called a basic sentence of the epics. 
• Many sects are mentioned in the Mahabharata. Bhagwat was an important sect in this period, in which Lord Krishna is considered an incarnation of Vishnu and Narayan. The second sect was Pashupat which considered Shiva as the supreme deity. There is mention of devotion to the sun god in the solar sect. The goddess was worshiped according to Shaktism. The ideas of Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh (Tridev) are also developed. Many such deities are mentioned in the Mahabharata. 
• The importance of Yagya rituals was increasing in this period, but in place of animal violence, emphasis was placed on sesame, barley etc. At many places, non-violence has been described as the ultimate religion. 
• Superstitions also increased during this period and people started taking shelter of witchcraft to destroy enemies and cure diseases. Snake worship also came into vogue during this period. 

Mind Map - Let's learn by comparison
Granth                 Ramayana                                                   Mahabharata
Creator                Maharishi Valmiki                                      Maharishi Vedvyas
Language            Sanskrit                                                       Sanskrit
Verse number     Twenty four thousand                                  Approximately one lakh
Part                     Six: Canto                                                    Eighteen Festivals
Major topics      Ethics, Philosophy, Administration,             Ethics, Theology, Economics,

                          Politics, Psychology, Geography etc.            Kama Shastra, Moksha Shastra 

 
Question Answer

let's know, how much learned

Select the correct answer :

1. Shri Ram ………. Prepared a bridge to go to Lanka with the help of King Sugriva and his army.
a) Kishkindha
b) Magadha
c) Indraprastha
d) Ayodhya
Answer – a) Kishkindha

2. ………. The text contains the basic plot of the war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas.
a) India
b) Jai
c) economics
d) Ramayana
Answer – b) Jai

3. The number of verses in the Mahabharata is ……………..
a) about five thousand
b) about one lakh
c) two lakh
d) four lakh
Answer – b) about one lakh

4. In the Mahabharata period, the basis of caste system has been told to be …… instead of birth.
a) caste
b) religion
c) Karma
d) behavior
Answer – c) Karma

5. The date of Mahabharata is 3100 BC from the inscription of Chalukya king Pulakeshin II.
a) Topra
b) Aihol
c) Yeragudi
d) Sanchi
Answer – B) Aihol

Fill in the blanks: 

1. Shriram received arms training from ________. 
2. Sugriva helped Shriram in fighting _______. 
3. Ramayana is called ________ in Indonesia. 
4. The war of Mahabharata took place at a place called _______. 
5. In the Mahabharata, _______ parts of the state were considered. 

Answer – 1. Sage Vishwamitra, 2. Ravana, 3. Kakbin, 4. Kurukshetra, 5. Seven

Match the correct :
Valmiki          Geeta 
Ravana           Hastinapur 
Dhritarashtra  Lanka 
Krishna          Mahabharata
Vyas               Ramayana 
Answer -
Valmiki          Ramayana
Ravana           Lanka 
Dhritarashtra  Hastinapur 
Krishna          Geeta 
Vyas               Mahabharata

Mark True (✓) or False (X) to the following statements : 

1. Sumitra had two sons Lakshmana and Bharata. (X) 
2. Remains of Lakshagriha are found in Barnawa. (✓)
3. The original form of Valmiki Ramayana had 24000 verses which were written in 500 cantos and 6 kandas (✓) 
4. In the Ramayana, the Aryans had crossed the Aravalli mountain. (X) 
5. There is no mention of the science of animal medicine in the Mahabharata. (X) 

Short Question:

Question 1. Which two boons did Kaikeyi ask for from King Dasaratha?
Answer – 

1. Bharat should be given the throne. 
2. Shriram should be sent to exile for 14 years. 

Question 2. What has the US agency NASA said about Ramsetu?
Answer – American agency NASA has said about Ramsetu that the bridge connecting India and Lanka is man-made, which is considered to be built by Shriram and its time is around seven thousand BC.

Question 3. What is told about the origin of the king in Shanti Parva of Mahabharata?
Answer – It is written in Mahabharata's Shanti Parva that in the beginning there was neither a state nor a king, neither punishment nor a punisher. Each other was protected only by religion. But after the moral decline, a situation of anarchy arose in the society and there was a need for a king. An agreement was reached in which the subjects agreed to pay taxes to the king and the king promised to protect the subjects and thus a powerful king was born.

Question 4. From where were the clay idols related to Ramayana found?
Answer – Clay idols related to Ramayana are found in places like Uttar Pradesh, Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Rajasthan etc. In Haryana also many idols have been found from places like Jind, Sirsa, Hisar, Haat, Sudh, Yamuna Nagar etc.

Question 5. List the places related to Ramayana by looking at the map.
Answer – Ramayana related site 

1. Ayodhya 
2. Prayag 
3. Chitrakoot 
4. Satna 
5. Ramtek 
6. Panchvati 
7. Bhandardas 
8. Tuljapur 
9. Surebhban 
10. Cardigud 
11. Humpy 
12. Tiruchirappalli 
13. Kodikkarai 
14. Ramanathapuram 
15. Rameshwaram 
16. wasgamoowa 
17. doonuvilla 
18. venthurumalai 

Let's consider:

Question 1. 'The present form of Mahabharata preserves the development of many centuries in itself' Explain.
Answer – Before the modern Mahabharata, we also find other forms of this epic. The 'Jai Granth' has the basic story of the war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. It originally had only eight thousand eight hundred verses. After adding a part of the history of Bharat dynasty in Jai Granth, it became 'Bharat Granth', due to which the number of verses in it increased to twenty four thousand. This 'Mahabharata' book was made after adding many ethical parts and narratives to the Bharat Granth. It has about one lakh verses. In this way, the present form of Mahabharata preserves the development of many centuries in itself.

Question 2. Explain the social life of the Ramayana period.
Answer – The origin of the four varnas of the Ramayana period is believed to be from different parts of Brahma. There are many evidences of superiority of Brahmins, but now the dominance of Kshatriyas has also increased. The basis of the caste system has been said to be karma instead of birth.

Question 3. Mention four features of economic life at the time of Mahabharata.
Answer – 

• Apart from agriculture, craft and commerce, there is no better means of earning money. 
• Animal husbandry was the main occupation and there is a mention of veterinary medicine in the Mahabharata. 
• During that period the craft was also on a high growth. The artisans were organized into different ranks and had their own head. 
• Taxes were imposed by the state keeping in mind the income and expenditure of foreign traders. Trade was done by both water and land routes and traders used to earn more profit. 

Question 4. According to the Mahabharata, what are the main duties of the king?
Answer – Despite being autocratic, the main duty of the king was to protect and protect the subjects. The king was expected to treat his subjects like a father treats his sons in the house. It is written in Shanti Parva that the king should not oppress the weak because the woe of the weak destroys the king. The king who violated religion has been condemned in harsh words.

Question 5. How was the pressure of public opinion on the state during the epic period?
Answer – The post of the king was hereditary. But many times the power of public opinion is also mentioned in the matter of succession. As King Prateek wanted to make his son Devapi the king, the public protested and stopped him. It is known from Ramayana and Mahabharata that all sections of the society were invited at the time of coronation.

Let's try

Question 1. Organize a quiz based on Ramayana and Mahabharata in the class.
Answer – Students should try themselves.

Question 2. Analytical study of the main characters of Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Answer – Students should try themselves.

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