Sunday, September 6, 2009

Valmiki's Ramayana: the inexplicable



After reading the Ramayana everybody asks how Rama could kill Vali hiding from him and how he could renounce his loving wife Sita after taking all the effort to save her. While I am trying to figure out the answer to these questions (I doubt if anyone can convince me that Rama was correct), I realized I had a couple of more questions besides these:

  1. Sugriva complained to Rama that his elder brother Vali had illegally taken Sugriva’s wife Ruma as his own. This was one of the main reasons Rama killed Vali (To correct the ‘adharma’ that Vali had done.) How then could Sugriva take Vali’s wife Tara as his own after his brother’s death? Isn’t that unrighteous too? After all, in Indian culture, your elder brother’s wife is equal to your mother…
  1. How can one justify Ravana’s brother Vibhishana betraying his brother to join Rama in battle. Clearly he had the selfish gain of obtaining Lanka. When Rama is close to death after Indrajit’s attack, Vibhishana laments that he may never be able to rule over Lanka, rather than worrying about Rama’s health. On the other hand, in the Mahabharatha, Karna stays with the Kauravas even though he knows that they have wronged and will be on the losing side. Isn’t he a truer brother?

5 comments:

  1. Haha! I have had long debates about this with grand mom! They always have dharma-tic reasons to explain their action which are seldom logical! I guess it is more about learning the lessons and imbibing those ethics which you think are gud and true! Well, Ram had dealt with Shurpanaka in a real bad away when she had tried to lay hands on him by cutting her nose off! But Ravana had not touched Sita even once, the entire time she was at Asoka Vatika!So there you go- The Maryada Purushottam title is debatable even with all the other qualities he possesses!

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  2. Just before you get on that plane to the land of tease clubs, you blog on "Rama". Raaaama!

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  3. Mams, wats wrong with you . Go to the playboy mansion. What rmamyana n all ??
    Neway call me

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  4. happy to know some facts! thanks
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  5. Hi Anand,

    your blog is insightful and thought provoking. I am a currently admitted to MS&E program at Columbia university and MEng program at Duke university. I read your blog and came to know that you were in the same dilemma. In your opinion, which program should I prefer?

    My mail id is: arjjun.garg@gmail.com

    I would really appreciate your help.

    Arjun
    +91 9555873523

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