Symbology is the means by which the human mind ascends from the finite to the infinite. For some mystics in the East, symbols are living forces that awaken higher consciousness. They see them as the meeting point of sacred art and metaphysics—where the symbol is both a mirror of and a doorway to the transcendent.* In this third article of this brief series on symbology, we consider the Ramayana, one of the great epic tales of the East. This magnificent story unfolds as a grand allegory of the soul’s journey through the threefold realms of reality. Like the tales of Homer in the West, it encodes profound spiritual truths within its narrative structure, revealing the interplay of divine forces in the temporal world. At its heart lies the struggle between Rama, the avatar of Vishnu, and Ravana, the demon-king of Lanka—a conflict that transcends mere heroism and villainy. Rather it illustrates the subtlety of the challenges facing those seeking to free themselves from the time-bound cleverness of the lower human mind.
A brief review of the Story of the Ramayana
Rama is born as the prince of Ayodhya, the son of the virtuous King Dasharatha, though he is in truth an incarnation of the god Vishnu, come to earth to restore cosmic order. His life takes a dramatic turn when he wins the hand of Sita, princess of Mithila, by bending the mighty bow of Shiva—a feat no other suitor can accomplish. Their union is one of deep love and dharma (duty).
However, Rama’s path is soon marred by exile. Due to palace intrigue, he is banished for fourteen years, accompanied by Sita and his loyal brother Lakshmana. During their exile, the demon-king Ravana—a fearsome being who once earned Shiva’s favor through extreme penance and was granted near-invincibility—sets his sights on Sita. Disguised as a holy man, he lures Rama and Lakshmana away, then abducts Sita, carrying her off to his island fortress of Lanka. There, he imprisons her in the Ashoka grove, demanding she marry him. Yet Sita, unwavering in her devotion to Rama, refuses all his advances.
To rescue her, Rama enlists the help of Hanuman, the mighty monkey-warrior and devotee of Rama, gifted with divine strength and the ability to fly. Hanuman locates Sita in Lanka and reassures her of Rama’s coming. With an army of vanaras (monkey-people), Hanuman helps build a bridge of stones across the ocean to Lanka. A great battle ensues, culminating in Rama’s victory over Ravana.
Upon her rescue, Sita undergoes a trial by fire to prove her purity, emerging unscathed. Yet their trials are not over—Rama, bound by kingly duty, later asks Sita to prove her virtue again, leading to further exile. Ultimately, after many hardships, she is vindicated, and their divine bond is reaffirmed. The epic concludes with Rama’s triumphant return to Ayodhya, where he rules as a just and righteous king, establishing the ideal of dharma for all time. The threefold architecture of the tale is unmistakable. Rama begins in the celestial kingdom of Ayodhya (the Above—a realm of dharma and divine order), only to be cast into exile, where his beloved Sita (the soul, eternally pure) is abducted and taken to Lanka (the Below—a glittering golden fortress of ego and material illusion). Between them lies the vast sea (the Intermediate—the realm of transition, trials, and mediation), which Rama crosses with the aid of Hanuman, the devoted monkey-god whose unwavering faith bridges the worlds.
The Symbolism of Colour: Divine Powers in Mortal Form
The deeper meaning of this struggle is vividly expressed in the traditional art of Thailand, particularly the murals of Bangkok’s Royal Palace. Here, Rama and Ravana are both depicted with striking teal-green faces, while the other characters—human soldiers, even Hanuman—generally appear in natural flesh tones. This is no artistic accident but a deliberate symbolic choice.
- Rama, though an incarnation of Vishnu, walks the earth unaware of his divinity, embodying selfless duty (dharma). His green hue signifies his transcendent nature—a being who acts in the world but is not bound by it.
- Ravana, though a scholar and devotee of Shiva, has twisted his knowledge into selfish tyranny. His matching teal skin reveals that he, too, operates from a supraphysical plane—but one corrupted by power.
- Sita, often rendered in gold or radiant hues, remains untouched by either realm, symbolising the eternal purity of the soul, whether in captivity or liberation.
The visual language here is exquisite. By rendering both Rama and Ravana in the same otherworldly colour, the artist underscores that their conflict is not merely physical but a cosmic battle between higher and lower spiritual forces. Ravana is not a mere brute; he is a fallen intellect, a being of great knowledge misapplied. Rama, though divine, must confront him not through raw power but through righteous action, patience, and surrender to divine will.
Conclusion: Symbols as the Path to Wisdom
If we review the symbols touched on in these three articles on symbology, we see that from the humble key to the towering beanstalk, from Rapunzel’s golden hair to Rama’s emerald visage, symbols serve as living bridges between the seen and the unseen. They teach us that reality is layered—that behind every material form lies a higher truth, and every earthly struggle to some degree, mirrors a spiritual one.
Fairy tales and sacred myths are not mere stories but are subtle maps of consciousness, informing the seeker about the trials of incarnation. To read them in terms of their symbology is to awaken the illative power—the mind’s ability to discern the hidden ideal patterns within existence. Just as Jack must sever the beanstalk to fully claim his treasures, just as Rama must cross the sea to reclaim Sita, so too must we learn to navigate the bridge of this threefold world—avoiding the glitter of the realm of Lanka and the extraordinary powers of all the apparent infallibility of the material realm, so artfully represented by Ravana.
In the end, symbology is the sacred art of seeing through the veil, where every image, every hue, and every mythic journey whispers of the timeless lesson: the Above is reflected in the Below, and the key to understanding lies in learning to read the symbols aright.
(*The Indian mystics who have commented on this great epic, like Sri Aurobindo and Ananda Coomaraswamy, the symbolism is both sacred and potent; the story acts as a guide as relevant now as in the timeless era in which it takes place.)
All the imagery here from photos taken by the writer in the Royal Palace in Thailand, and used here for educational purposes only. A fuller exploration of symbology in mythology is available in our course about Theseus, which you can find here.
