Conservative minds in Ramayana

 Conservative minds in Ramayana 

Thousands of Rakshashas and Monkeys were killed in the battle of Lanka. Many families were destroyed. The Golden Lanka was devastated. The goal was to get back Sita. 

But when she was won, how could he said that the great adventure of invasion over Lanka by building a bridge over the 100 yojan long sea and killing powerful demons including Kumbhakarna, Indrajit and Ravana was not to get her योडयं रणपरिश्रम:.. न त्वदर्थं मया कृता but to remove the stigma over his dynasty (प्रख्यातस्यात्मवंशस्य न्यंड्गं च परिमार्जता।)

How could he said that there was a reason to doubt her character and therefore she was not dear to him. प्राप्ततारित्रसंदेहा मम प्रतिमुखे स्थिता, दीपों नेत्रातुरस्येव प्रतिकुलासि में दृढा।)

How could he said that he had nothing to do with her, she can go wherever she likes, all the ten directions are open for her. (तद् गच्छ त्वानुजानेडघ यथेष्टं जनकात्मदजे। एता दश दिशो भद्रे कार्यमस्ति न मे त्वया।)

How could he said that no noble man would accept the woman who have stayed in other’s house. क: पमांस्तु कुले जात: स्त्रियं परगृहोषिताम्। तेजस्वी पुनरादधात् सुह्रल्लोभेन चेतसा।)

How could he said that Ravana touched her while kidnapping and seen her with bad eyes. He the great man who was making his dynasty great couldn’t accept such lady. (रावणांकपरिक्लिष्टां द्रष्टां दुष्टेन चक्षुषा। कथं त्वां पुनरादधां कुलं व्यपदिशन्महत्।)

How could he said that the object of winning her was to remove stigma over his dynasty and that had been achieved, and she could go wherever she liked. (यदर्थं निर्जिता मे त्वं सोडयमासादितो मया। नास्ति मे त्वय्यभिष्वडंगो यथेष्टं गम्यतामिति। 

How could he said that she could go wherever she gets happiness. She could live with Lakshmana or Bharata or Shatrughna or Sugriva or Vibhishana. (लश्मणे वाथ भरते कुरु बुद्धिं यथासुखम्। शत्रुघ्ने वाथ सुग्रीवे राक्षसे वा विभीषणे। निवेशय मन: सीते यथा वा सुखमात्मना।) 

The lady didn’t surrendered for a year to the mighty Ravana though he surrendered to her by all means but what her husband tells her.. how could Ravan kept himself away from you, the divine beauty. (नहि त्वां रावणो दृष्टवा दिव्यरूपां मनोरमाम्। मर्षयेत चिरं सीते स्वगृहे पर्यवस्थिताम्। 

He mind was like a conservative man. He gave his ring to Hanuman to give it to Sita so that she could recognise him. Sita on other end gave her headdress (chudamani) and also told a secret story of a crow (Jayanta the son of Indra) which only she and her husband were knowing. In the forest of Chitrakuta where Lord Rama was sleeping in her lap, the crow pecks her twice, on her breast and between the breast. Rama wakes up, recognised the crow whose claws were dripping in blood, took a blade of grass and unleashes Brahmastra on the crow. The crow finally took shelter of Rama but the Brahmastra took his right eye away. If Rama couldn’t tolerate the touch of a crow to Sita, how could he tolerate Ravana who lifted her up by holding her hairs with left hand and placing the right hand into her thighs? (वामेनं सीतां पद्माक्षीं मूर्धजेषु करेण स:  ऊर्वोस्तु दक्षिणेनैव परिजग्राह पाणिना।)  

She was kidnapped in winter. Jatayu told that Ravana had kidnapped her but nobody knew who the Ravana was and where did he live? In search of Sita Rama moved to South direction, made Sugriva the king of Kishkindha after killing his elder brother Vali from his back. His justification was vague. He with Lakshmana spent monsoon season in Rishyamook mountain in waiting. Thereafter, in the season of Sharada, Sugriva sent hundreds of monkeys in all directions to search Sita. The south team headed by Angad came to know through Sampati (elder brother of Jatayu) that Ravana was a king of Lanka and took Sita to Lanka. Hanuman took then a big jump crossing the sea with two stops and met Sita in Ashoka Vatika of Pramada Forest of Ravana in the palace area, and the war of her independence began. She had spent ten months in the custody of Ravana and only two months time remained for her surrender, the time given by Ravana. Such a big task crossing 100 yojan long sea with the army of one billion monkeys and fighting a battle with mighty demons powered by boons. They did it. Built the bridge over the Sea in just five days. They killed all of the chiefs of the Rakshashas but none of their chiefs was killed. The monkeys killed were rejuvenated by the boon of Indra. But the happiness of victory and getting Sita back was not there on the face of Rama. Such a great man, why did he behave strangely and told her such bad things in the presence of many? He was born in Treta Yuga better than Dwapar (Krishna time) and Kaliyuga (present). But look at the conservative society it had, that reflects in the mind of Rama. 

Sita cried and defended. न तथास्मि महाबाहो यथा मामवगच्छसि। पत्ययं गच्छ में स्वेन चारित्रेणैव के शपे। I am not that what you think. Trust me. I pledge that I am not a lady to be doubted for character. Ravana touched me because of my constraints (यदहं गात्रसंस्पर्शं गतास्मि विवशा प्रभो। कामकारो न मे तत्र दैवं तत्रापराध्यति।). My heart is with you but the body was dependent when was kidnapped. (मदधीनं तु यत् तन्मे ह्रदयं त्वयि वर्तते। पराधीनेषु गात्रेषु किं करिष्याम्यनी़श्वरी। Why didn’t he tell the same when he sent Hanuman. She could’ve died that day. Why did he put his life and life of others in danger of war? Better to die than live a stigma (मिथ्यापवादोपहता नाहं जीवितुमुक्सहे।). She gave Fire Test and survived from the test.

Rama justified his action said that the test was necessary to prove her piousness as she lived in house of Ravana for long. (अवश्यं चापि लोकेषु सीता पावनमर्हति। दीर्घकालोषिता ह्रीयं रावणान्त:पुरे शुभा।). He knew that her heart was in him but to create trust amongst the people, he didn’t stop her from entering into fire.( प्रत्यार्थं तु लोकानां त्रयाणां सत्यसंश्रय:; उपेक्षे चापि वैदेहीं प्रविशन्तीं हुताशनम्।)

When the Lord of Fire returned her safely, she was accepted by Rama. She cleared the fire test. There was no choice but to accept her in the presence of the deities, Lakshmana, Sugriva, Hanuman, Vibhishana and many others. But later again following criticism of the people of Ayodhya, he banished her when she was pregnant and left her into the forest without any support. 

Was it a better age than the present in which Manthara, Kaikayi, Ravana, and conservative minds were living? 

Punamchand 

22 November 2020

1. Shrimadvalmiki Ramayana, Yuddhakamd, Sarg (115, 116, 118)