“THE HINDU TRADITION of inquiry makes three clear distinctions – adhibhūta (the physical plane), adhidaiva (the plane of the deity, God, etc), and adhyātma (the spiritual plane). It has well-defined logical rules for debating any topic. A primary rule is that one cannot mix these three planes in any debate. For example, if you are analysing the Ramayana on the adhibhūta plane, you cannot bring in the adhidhaiva elements into that analysis.

Thus, on the adhibhūta plane, the Ramayana’s characters become just normal human beings and they must be analysed as such. On the adhidhaiva plane, Rama becomes an Avatara of Mahavishnu, Sita, an Avatara of Lakshmi, etc. On the adhyātma plane, Rama symbolizes the Parabrahman. And so, you have to first state your premises – i.e., on which plane you are making your arguments about the Ramayana.

Over the last hundred years or so, these fundamental rules of debate have remained in valid only in their flagrant violation. Forget a literary work like the Ramayana, there has been a rampant tendency of force-fitting adhibhūta arguments in realms as abstract as the Vedanta….”