The Mahabharata and the Ramayana are two books that stand out from the rest of Indian literature in a very marked way. The Vedas, the Institutes of Manu, are the great authorities for the learned and only through the learned for the mass of the people. But the Mahabharata and the Ramayana are wrought into the very life of every Indian…man, woman and child.
Despite the influence wielded by these two books; however, their moulding power on life is not so great as once it was.
If we could bring back their influence on character, we should indeed life our Indian upwards. They hold up to us ideals of conduct, virtues acted out on life's stage as practical examples for old and young alike, for husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers and sister, friends and enemies.
As we study character after character, the lessons each is meant to teach, and their value to us in modern India.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Annie Besant
Annie Besant (1847-1933) joined The Theosophical Society in May 1889 and became Madame Blavatsky's devoted pupil and helper. She became a prominent worker in the Society and after the death of Col. Olcott in 1907, was elected president of the Society, which position she held till her death on 21 September 1933. Annie Besant established the Central Hindu college at Benares, which later formed the nucleus of the Benaras Hindu University, founded a weekly newspaper, Commonweal, owned New India (formerly Madras Standard) which she used to propagate the Home Rule movement, and started the Women's Indian Association. A strong supporter of India's freedom struggle, she was made president of the Calcutta session of the Indian national Congress held in August 1917. she also established the Indian Boy Scouts' Association which was united with the international movement according to Sir Robert Baden Powell's request, when she was made Honorary Commissioner for India, and in 1932 was awarded the Order of the Silver Wolf - the greatest honour that the Scout Movement could offer.
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