The Ramayana

Today I want to discuss dharma and how it is followed in the text. Dharma is a cosmic order or law in the Hindu tradition that includes the natural and moral laws that apply to all beings and things. Basically it is the way that order is kept among all people. Respecting the dharma includes obeying those of higher authority without any question such as your father or husband. In the text I feel that many characters are going against dharma and doing things that will solely please themselves.
In the very beginning King Dasaratha states that it is time for him to step down from power and hand the kingdom over to his son Rama. As the result of this Manthara who is the maid-servant to Kaikeyi (Dasaratha's last wife) convinces Kaikeyi that she is being betrayed and that she should basically trick Dasaratha into making her own son Bharta king. This goes against the dharma because both Kaikeyi and Manthara are going against the wishes of someone higher in authority. Not only is Kaikeyi going against someone of high authority but she is also going against the wishes of her husband. To truly follow dharma both Manthara and Kaikeyi should have kept quiet and accepted the actions that were being taken by Dasaratha.
Another moment in the story where the dharma is not being followed is by Sita (Rama's wife) when Rama informs her that he is to go into the forest for fourteen years. He informs Sita that the forest is not a place for her and that she is to stay behind however she will not give in and eventually follows him to the forest. In order for her to have honored dharma she would have stayed behind and waited just as her husband had told her to do.
It is interesting to me that in a society where dharma is so important people are constantly going against it. I feel that if one believes in something strongly enough they will abide by and honor it no matter how much they may want to go against it. If the characters truly believe in dharma they would not be going against solely to gain what they wanted in order to be happy.