Does the presence of Vanaras render the Ramayana a work of fiction? [closed]

Question

Suppose we believe that the Ramayana actually reported events that unfolded in that era. How do we explain the presence of Vanaras that could fly, that could communicate with human beings, that could help build bridges, etc? Like the Dwarka city found submerged, are there evidences of fossils that give evidence to the existence of such monkeys in those ages? Or do we have evidence for coexistence of two different species of men, of which Vanaras were a less evolved version?

More generally, if we believe in the occurrence of the events in Ramayana, how do we justify the Vanaras to a skeptic?

Answer 1

Ramayana and Mahabharata are called ithihasas, history as it happenned. Moreover Ramayana happened in tretaYuga which is millions of years in past.

Some critics call that vanaras are tribals. There is absolutely no proof for it.

VALMIKI RAMAYANA IS considered least interpolated even by modern historians and skeptics compared to Puranas and Mahabharata, except maybe certain sections like Aditya hridayam in Yuddha Khanda.

VANARAS are not just oridinary monkeys of today. They were born with amsas of demi gods and were having masssive strength and power.

If, skeptics dont want to believe,let them not believe.

Regarding non availability of archeological evidence, dont you think it is very difficult to get any meaningful evidence of events that happened in tretayuga which is millions of years in the past, unlike Dwaraka etc which are some 5000 yrs back.

Also, What is the proof of existence Jesus or for that matter the biblical events, and other such things which are only some thousand years from the current time.

Answer 2

Swami Vivekananda has said that these are actually the tribal peoples that lived in the forests at the time, over time they became to be referred to as monkeys. It is not important whether or not you accept the historicity of all the events in the Ramayana. It can be taken in an allegorical way. Swami Vivekananda says (Complete Works, V5 pp 207-208; also available here - http://cwsv.belurmath.org/volume_5/vol_5_frame.htm - under "Interviews" and then under "With the Swami Vivekananda at Madura")

Question. — Here and there attempts are made to import into the Purânas hidden ideas which are said to have been allegorically represented. Sometimes it is said that the Puranas need not contain any historical truth, but are mere representations of the highest ideals illustrated with fictitious characters. Take for instance, Vishnupurâna, Râmâyana, or Bhârata. Do they contain historical veracity or are they mere allegorical representations of metaphysical truths, or are they representations of the highest ideals for the conduct of humanity, or are they mere epic poems such as those of Homer?

Answer. — Some historical truth is the nucleus of every Purana. The object of the Puranas is to teach mankind the sublime truth in various forms; and even if they do not contain any historical truth, they form a great authority for us in respect of the highest truth which they inculcate. Take the Râmâyana, for illustration, and for viewing it as an authority on building character, it is not even necessary that one like Rama should have ever lived. The sublimity of the law propounded by Ramayana or Bharata does not depend upon the truth of any personality like Rama or Krishna, and one can even hold that such personages never lived, and at the same time take those writings as high authorities in respect of the grand ideas which they place before mankind. Our philosophy does not depend upon any personality for its truth. Thus Krishna did not teach anything new or original to the world, nor does Ramayana profess anything which is not contained in the Scriptures. It is to be noted that Christianity cannot stand without Christ, Mohammedanism without Mohammed, and Buddhism without Buddha, but Hinduism stands independent of any man, and for the purpose of estimating the philosophical truth contained in any Purana, we need not consider the question whether the personages treated of therein were really material men or were fictitious characters. The object of the Puranas was the education of mankind, and the sages who constructed them contrived to find some historical personages and to superimpose upon them all the best or worst qualities just as they wanted to, and laid down the rules of morals for the conduct of mankind. Is it necessary that a demon with ten heads (Dashamukha) should have actually lived as stated in the Ramayana? It is the representation of some truth which deserves to be studied, apart from the question whether Dashamukha was a real or fictitious character. You can now depict Krishna in a still more attractive manner, and the description depends upon the sublimity of your ideal, but there stands the grand philosophy contained in the Puranas.

Answer 3

This link will be helpful as this shows the Nuclear Bomb usage in Ancient India

• As this indicades that the mahabharatha and ramyana are not fiction

Answer 4

I am not as knowledgeable as others who are commenting, my answer is purely opinion based. Ramayana relies heavily on analogies and imagery to depict daily life, Asuras, Vanaras and normal humans were just ways of depicting lifestyles. Vanaras are the people who are guided by a great leader, or people around us who can be taken help of in the search of our own destiny; similarly Asuras are people who aren't although directly evil, but rather have deviated from their own path of destiny or might be hampering in your path of destiny. Life is a battle of Lord Ram (our inner goodness), taking help from the vanaras and defeating the asuras. I like to believe that history has been narrated by the epics, as there have been repeated mention of technologies which were discovered much later; such as the chariot that Raavan rode (which could fly), nuclear weapons; the descriptions were eerily accurate. Maybe vanaras, were an analogy for humans considered a little lesser at those time, such as wild tribals, or it was simply used as an analogy for people who assisted lord Ram in achieving his destiny or maybe, just maybe we had the technology to talk and work in tandem with monkeys (which we are developing in recent times).