We
all heard stories about Rama’s exile to the forest. Fourteen long years, they
say, passed by in a quick kaleidoscope of events. While Rama should have spent
this time in peace with nature and soaked in the essence of life – he was
compelled to spend the time finding his abducted wife.
We
even hear jokes where people say that Rama was unable to protect his wife from
being abducted – how will he save his billion disciples. And I dare say there
is an element of truth in this. Perhaps this is the reason why we have more Krishna
temples than Rama … but that’s a story for some other blog. For now, we know
that Rama could neither refuse his wife’s craving to own a certain musk deer
and his inability to protect her from getting abducted once he started running
after the deer. But is that really all that the Ramayana is about?
The
truths/myths/stories of both Mahabharata and Ramayana are about teaching people
lessons. In today’s context it matters less where or whether Rama (or his
temple) existed. What matters is the lessons that we learnt and continue to
learn from the teachings of this epic saga. The true temple is always inside
the mind and it’s very personal. But I think I should stop digressing and
return to the topic.
I
try to analyse one aspect of the Ramayana – how immaturity leads to tragedy,
and the learning that comes forth. My villain, for this blog, is Lakshmana. It
is true that history is written by the winners – for in the versions of
Ramayana that we know, Lakshmana was this dutiful brother who was willing to lay
down his life for the sake of his elder brother. Well that is also true –
because in reality there are no villains and heroes. There is only choice. Small
choices of how we use our powers shapes the destinies that we are subjected to
endure. The choice of which bend of the road we take decides the destination
where the road takes us.
Ravana
was arguably as great or greater King than Rama himself. While Rama was in the forest,
he was just a king in exile and Ravana was still a king. Soorpanakha, the sister
of Ravana, was a princess in her own rights. While sauntering in the forest, her
gaze fell on Lakshmana – a handsome lad with a princely demeanour. Soorpanakha,
the princess, so used to getting what she demanded, now desired Lakshmana himself
– and went on to profess her feelings for him. As things turned out, our Lakshmana
was not impressed by her and he refused. Being sister of the greatest king of
the era – Soorpanakha was not used to hearing no, and she persisted in her
attempt to woo Lakshmana.
Lakshmana
has many choices then. To marry her and befriend a kingdom, or to politely but
firmly refuse her advances. Maybe that would have been that. Maybe Lakshmana
could even have run away. But no!! Our immature Lakshmana chooses to take out his
bow and arrow and cut off Soorpanakha’s nose and ears!! For a young lady of
marriageable age of that era, this meant she would never find a suitable groom.
In the entire Ramayana, after that incident, Soorpanakha is seldom mentioned or
seen. She must have ceased to even feel like a princess and therefore faded
away into obscurity. Lakshmana’s foolish and immature decision had laid the
foundation stone of the Ramayana as we know it today.
Which brother can hear of someone
chopping off his sister’s nose and ears, and remain unmoved - and Ravana was
king and one of the most learned names of that era. He had to make Lakshmana
repay. Whether he abducted Sita thinking that Sita was Lakshmana’s consort or
out of sheer rage is not known. But this is for sure that he would not have
bothered with Rama or Sita had Soorpanakha’s nose and ears not been chopped.
Love has been spurned many times in
history, and it is not necessary that every love professed must meet with an
equal positive response. There are cases of obsession and punishment – but probably
no reaction as violent as what Lakshmana had meted out to Soorpanakha.
- · That was an immature act showing total disdain for the fact that Soorpanakha was a lady
- · The act was foolish. Lakshmana chose to react without ever trying to find out who he was getting up against.
- · That was an impulsive action because Lakshmana had many other ways to prove his manhood and superiority.
History, and the popular version of
the Ramayana, may choose to bypass or ignore this key turning point of the
Ramayana – however, in the temple in our heads, many shall continue to think
and form their own conclusions … as I have made mine. Life has never been black
and white – there are many shades of grey – and then there is colour which
makes everything so beautiful. Lakshmana, immature as he was, chose black. Can
we credit (or discredit) much of the Ramayana saga to Lakshmana, just we can credit
(or discredit) Draupadi for igniting the Mahabharata? (The Kurukshetra Trigger)
