Sita: An Illustrated Retelling of the Ramayana Read online

  So Vishwamitra introduced the lineage of Ram. ‘In the beginning, Narayana slept a dreamless slumber and the world did not exist. When he awoke, a lotus rose from his navel and within it sat Brahma, who was so terrified of being alone in the world that from his mind he created sons. One of these sons was Daksha. Another was Manu. Shiva beheaded Daksha. Manu had a son called Ikshavaku and another called Ila. From Ikshavaku came the Suryavansis, the solar line of kings, and from Ila came the Chandravansis, the lunar line of kings. In the Ikshavaku line of kings was one Raghu, who performed many yagnas. From him comes the clan of Raghavas or the Raghu-kula. In this clan was one Sagara, whose sons dug a hole so deep, in search of their missing horse, that rainwater collected in it to create the ocean. In this clan was one Bhagiratha, who brought Ganga from the skies to flow on earth. In this clan was one Dilip, who to save a cow from a hungry lion offered his own flesh. In this clan there was one Harischandra who kept his word even if it meant losing all his fortune, his dignity, even his son. In this clan was one Aja, who loved his wife Indumati so much that he died the instant she passed away. From Aja came Dashratha and from Dashratha comes Ram.’

  ‘May I?’ Ram asked Janaka for his permission.

  Janaka nodded. He watched Ram invoke his ancestors, his parents, his teachers and seek their support. Only then did the eldest son of Dashratha reach out to hold the shaft of the bow. Slowly, he picked it up, looking surprised that it was not as heavy as everyone claimed it was. Janaka held his breath as Ram fixed the lower end of the shaft with his right toe and stretched the string with his right hand while bending the shaft with his left hand, determined to tie the loose end of the string to the free end of the shaft.

  Anticipation and anxiety filled the room. Sita was filled with dread. The rules were clear: she could only marry a man who could string Shiva’s bow. But her heart did not care for rules: it had given itself to him. In him she would find all satisfaction. But what if he did not succeed?

  Then something happened. Ram looked into Sita’s eyes; his concentration wavered, but for a moment. And in that moment, he put too much force on the shaft and it broke into two.

  The sound of the crack was like the clap of a thousand thunders. Everyone heard it: the devas in the sky and the nagas under the earth. Everyone was stunned. Had Ram succeeded or failed? All eyes turned to Janaka.

  And he said, ‘From today, Ram, you shall be known as Janaki-vallabha, the beloved of Janaka’s daughter Sita.’ The court erupted in cheer.

  In the ninth century (though some argue the twelfth century) Kamban, a temple musician and follower of the poet-saint Namalvar, wrote the Tamil Iramavataram. This was the first regional retelling of the Ramayana, ten thousand verses long, full of songs. It was first presented in the Srirangam temple and the tale goes that so pleased was the deity that Narasimha emerged from the pillar to growl in satisfaction. The king had commissioned two poets to write it, but by the time inspiration struck Kamban his deadline was only two weeks away. He wrote furiously, day and night, with the Goddess herself holding the light so he would put down the thoughts through the night, enabling him to present his work first. In his work, Kamban visualizes Ram and Sita meeting in a bower and falling in love long before the bow is broken. This idea of falling in love was a key motif in Sanskrit drama. Sita is not just the prize of a contest; she is in love before she is given in marriage.

  Shiva uses his bow Pinaka to shoot arrows that pin Brahma to the sky when he is about to chase his own daughter. It is also used to destroy three worlds, the Tripura, which is why Shiva is called Pinaki (bearer of the Pinaka) and Tripurantaka (destroyer of three worlds). The bow is a metaphor for a sharp mind that is able to shoot the arrow of yoga to align nature (prakriti), culture (sanskriti) and imagination (brahmanda).

  The lineage of Ram reveals his ancestors were known for their uprightness and integrity. Of significance is Aja, Dashratha’s father who died the moment his wife, Indumati, died. Such love of a husband for a wife is not common in the scriptures. Indumati dies when a sage’s garland falls around her neck from the sky. The flowers remind her that she was once an apsara, and is living on earth as a result of a curse. With that memory comes death. And her death breaks Aja’s heart. This story is described in Kalidasa’s Raghuvamsa.

  Ram is renowned as maryada purushottam, one who always follows the rules. That he breaks the bow he is meant to bend and string is not insignificant. It indicates a wavering of the mind, or perhaps a momentary loss of balance. That he breaks the bow of Shiva, who is associated with detachment, perhaps indicates a moment of attachment to Sita. This makes exile a necessity, for in the forest the prince shall learn about detachment before he is ready to be king.

  * Abbreviated family tree

  Parashurama’s Rage

  Hearing the sound of the bow breaking, Parashurama raised his axe and rushed into Mithila. His presence frightened everyone. ‘Who is this man who dares break the bow of Shiva when asked to bend it?’ Parashurama thundered.

  Janaka was about to get up and cajole the agitated warrior-priest but Vishwamitra grabbed his arm and stopped him. ‘Let the boy handle this,’ he whispered to the king.

  With not a trace of fear on his face, Ram said, ‘I did.’

  ‘And you are?’

  ‘Ram, son of Kaushalya, scion of the Raghu clan, prince of Ayodhya.’

  ‘He who liberated Ahilya, who was adulterous in deed. Do you know who I am?’

  ‘My namesake, Rama of the Bhrigu clan, also known as Rama of the axe, Parashurama, who beheaded his mother, Renuka, on his father’s instructions, for being adulterous in thought.’

  ‘When a warrior breaks a bow when asked to bend it, it indicates a mind that does not know when to stop, like my mother’s who could not control desire and like Kartavirya’s who could not control his greed,’ declared Parashurama.

  ‘What kind of a mind cannot overcome rage and keeps killing king after king, in clan after clan, generation after generation, in the hope that repeated punishment will create a perfect world?’ asked Ram.

  Parashurama had no answer. He had not expected such a sharp retort from this young man. The air was filled with tension. Those around dared not breathe. ‘Are you saying control is bad?’ asked Parashurama.

  ‘Control creates domesticated animals. The purpose of society is to inspire humanity, not tame them,’ said Ram.

  ‘What then will create culture? Why not live like rakshasas? Without rules, the strong will dominate the weak and no one will help the helpless,’ Parashurama shouted.

  ‘Rules cannot be used to compel people to care. It will only amplify fear. The whole purpose of sanskriti is to outgrow fear so that we do not feel the need to grab, control or dominate. Your mother was beheaded not because she desired another, but because your father felt inadequate. Your killing of Kartavirya only sowed the seeds of vengeance in his sons, just as their killing of Jamadagni sowed the seeds of vengeance in you. You call it justice, but how much punishment is adequate – when is it fine to forgive and move on? A society that does not make room for imperfection can never be a happy society.’

  These words uttered by Ram pleased Parashurama. Not every king on earth was like Kartavirya. There was still hope. He smiled. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief.

  Parashurama offered Ram his bow. ‘You broke Pinaka, which is Shiva’s bow. Let me see how well you handle Saranga, which is Vishnu’s bow.’

  Ram took the bow, bent the shaft, strung it, mounted an arrow on it and pulled the string back effortlessly. Parashurama was impressed. This bow had been with the Bhrigu clan for generations and none but he had been able to hold it, let alone wield it.

  ‘I have mounted an arrow on this bow. What should I strike? This arrow cannot go in vain,’ said Ram.

  ‘Strike my mind with it, for I had assumed I alone would solve the world’s problems by enforcing rules. Shatter the boundaries of my mind, help me appreciate that the rules have to be followed voluntarily to create a happy society.’