Dear Kumar,
Thank you for your valuable incites on my posting wherein I quoted Ramayana, Mahabharata etc. There may be many Ramayanas like Valmiki Ramayanam, Kamba Ramayanam, Molla Ramayanam, Nirvachanottara Ramayanam etc. The common goal of all the presenters of all these Ramayanas is only one - propagating Good (by thought, word and deed) and eliminating Evil (by thought, word and deed) in the society and establish Dharma (righteousness) in the society. I need not tell you what dharma is. Dharma is acting with conscience in how you think, what you speak and what you do. My view is today's society is not following this. I tried to present my views as to what good we can achieve by understanding and following the subtler meanings of the positive characters depicted in these epics. They are not fiction. They are called "Itihasas"- meaning "they happened as such". I don't know what made you think that these epics are not relevant for today's society. If you listen to the discourses given by renowned scholars like Sri Chaganti Koteswara Rao, you may understand the whole scheme of the birth of various characters presented in Ramayana by Valmiki Maharshi. He was a contemporary of Sri Rama. He was a close witness to the happenings in the Ayodhya kingdom and Sri Rama's rule. Take each character in Ramayana and try to understand how they behaved and presented themselves to the society. There is good and there is bad and finally good won over evil.
Suppose, if somebody does a good thing to you, you thank the person as a token of gratitude and if someone does harm to you, you retaliate. The logic is simple, whatever you give / do to others returns to you. Whatever was depicted in Ramayana and Mahabharata is reflecting in today's society. Did you ever read Ramayana and Mahabharata fully? My submission is you first read these epics fully and try to understand the inner and subtler meaning of the roles played by the characters in these epics. There are doctors and engineers in Sri Rama's army who could save the lives of Sri Rama and Lakshmana and who could construct a bridge that still lasts in Indian Ocean between India and Sri Lanka. Is this not the strength of Gurukul education? Dasaradha may have 356 wives and three queens, but Sri Rama had only one wife, Sitadevi. Is it wrong to get back one's wife if someone abducts? Is it not the duty of Law to punish the wicked and crooked when lawlessness prevails in the society? Sometimes, to get a good implemented in society we may have to apply some force.
What about the great scientists Kanaada who invented Trasarenu, a small particle smaller than atom? What about Aryabhatta and Varahamihira? What about the war strategies applied in the great war of Mahabharata by the great warriors like Bhishma, Drona, Arjuna, Drushtadyumna and Pandavas? Were all these not taught education in gurukuls? What about the great surgeons of India the Charaka and the Susruta? Were they not taught education in gurukuls? If you visit some of South India temples you may be astonished to know the architectural feats performed by our ancient civil engineers. All these great personalities were taught education in gurukuls. You may observe one great thing in all those ancient teachers that they had no selfish motive in imparting value based education and wisdom. Due to this unselfish attitude of our teachers, that, we still stand apart from others and compete with others. Why European countries and US are earning so much wealth, I need not tell you. It is because of our knowledge and hard working nature, they are earning. What I mean to say is this - Roots of the present lie in the Past.
I apologize, if there is anything harsher in this that hurts your feelings.
With regards,
Madhusudan