ENGL 2200: Ramayana

Do Rama or Sita ever have periods of failure in Dharma?

Yes, several times through out The Ramayana both Rama and Sita do not adhere to Dharma; although here I'd like to address one situation. Sita is to some extent caught in limbo of Dharma when Rama was banished from Ayodhya. At first she seems to be disregarding Dharma in that she refuses to follow her husband's orders. Rama is talking to his mother when he says: "To a woman her husband is verily god himself. ... Even a pious woman who is otherwise righteous, if she does not serve her husband, is deemed to be sinner. On the other hand, she who serves her husband attains blessedness even if she does not worship the gods, perform the rituals or honour the holy men." Knowing this aspect of Dharma we see that Sita is breaking Dharma when she says she will not stay in the city, which is Rama's wish, but instead she will stay with her husband and go live in the forest. Now this is breaking Dharma in that she is disobeying her husband but at the same time she is following Dharma in that she is staying loyal to Rama by not wavering away from him, she wants to be with him. In this same instance Rama fails to adhere to Dharma by his suggesting that Sita not adhere to Dharma and stay in the city, thus jeopardizing her being in good standing with the gods, so to speek. Although it is all equaled out in the end by Sita going into the forest with Rama regardless of their arguments about the matter.