Kamba Ramayana. A study 19, Sita is tested and accepted.

Sita was released from the prison. But her trials were not ended. Rama insulted her by saying that women in her condition would have committed suicide and not lived at enemy's city for one whole year. The whole assembly wept at these cruel words. Sita was heart broken. She asked Lakshamana to prepare a fire so that she might end herself in the flames. When she fell into the fire, the fire would not burn her. On the contrary God of fire was burned by the fire of her purity. And now Rama accepted Sita.

 In Ayodhya Bharata was counting days as Rama's exile was about to end. There was no sign of Rama and Bharata readied himself, as he had vowed, to give up his life. Rama had this in mind and took the aerial chariot. He however asked Hanuman to fly ahead of him. Hanuman surprised Bharata as he was about to enter the fire and assured him about Rama's arrival. Rama soon reached and again offered the kingdom to his brother. But Bharata refused and Rama was crowned the Emperor of Aryavarta to the joy of all the worlds.

In Valmiki Ramayana when Rama rejects Sita and she enters the fire lit for her by Lakshamana,  Gods reach Lanka in aerial cars and approach Rama, "How do you, the maker of the entire cosmos, the foremost among those endowed with knowledge and an all-capable person, ignore Seetha who is falling into the fire? .... You are seen (to exist) at the beginning and at the end of creation. Yet, you ignore Seetha, just like a common man."

Rama replies, "I think of myself to be a human being, by name Rama, the son of Dasaratha. You, as a gracious Divinity, tell me 'who I am and why I am like this.' "

The gods tell him in detail who really he is and conclude, "Seetha is no other than Goddess Lakshmi (the divine consort of Lord Vishnu), while you are Lord Vishnu. You are having a shining dark-blue hue. You are the Lord of created beings. For the destruction of Ravana, you entered a human body here, on this earth."

Then, the fire-god appears in person from the burning pyre, carrying Seetha in his arms and restores her to Rama, testifying to her purity. Rama later joyfully accepts her.

He also explains his actions, ..The world would chatter against me, saying that Rama, the son of Dasaratha, was really foolish and that his mind was dominated by lust, if I accept Seetha without examining her with regard to her chastity."

"I also know that Seetha, the daughter of Janaka, who ever revolves in my mind, is undivided in her affection to me. In order to convince the three worlds, I, whose refugee is truth, ignored Seetha while she was entering the fire. The evil-minded Ravana was not able to lay his violent hands, even in thought, on the unobtainable Seetha, who was blazing like a flaming tongue of fire."

"This auspicious woman,... Seetha, the daughter of Janaka, is completely pure in her character, in all the three worlds and can no longer be renounced by me, as a good name cannot be cast aside by a prudent man."

This should clear our mind about Rama. The reason why he rejected her earlier and declared,  "You, with a suspicion arisen on your character, standing in front of me, are extremely disagreeable to me, even as a light to one, who is suffering from a poor eye-sight. O Seetha! That is why, I am permitting you now. Go wherever you like. All these ten directions are open to you, my dear lady! There is no work to be done to me, by you."

There are no issues if you are a true believer. Lord Vishnu came to earth to rid it of evil, goddess Lakshmi went through so much trouble for us, like a true mother. Every inconsistency in their behaviour is explained in some manner.

 Intriguing, Rama asked gods to tell him exactly who or what he was when they chose to appear after Sita had entered the sacrificial pyre. It is only then he knew he was an avataar of Vishnu. The sense of timing of gods is admirable.

Surprising as Rama had been treated as someone special all through his life. One would imagine he knew he was an avataar, but apparently not. As a mere human his behaviour would have been unacceptable, especially to his wife Sita. No wonder 'Thai' Sita walked out on him. Lakshmana who was admirable for his devotion to his elder brother (older by some hours?) would have been pitied today.

The author Aiyar has chosen to comment on the main characters individually. It will be interesting to see how he viewed the personality of Rama, hopefully as a human being. His study was in early 20th century.  I guess, today, Rama would have been diagnosed with a split personality and Lakshmana as an autistic. I do not know if Urmila, wife of Lakshmana is part of the study. We shall know in due course.

Raghunath said...

This is a very controversial event. Has been interpreted in various ways. It is inconceivable the Vishnu's avataar didn't instruct Agni to act as he did. It was a model lesson that we still use when we burn women alive, without Agni's benevolent intervention!

Even the obvious sex discrimination is not easy to understand as women's rights was well defined in Hindu society before being sullied by Muslim invasion.

So, in this episode each one for himself/herself and God for all!!

Raghu

5 June 2013 at 18:06 

Amruta Dongray said...

A man who could not stand by his wife. Got caught up in pleasing the 3 worlds and protecting his own image. So I'm wondering...why did he rescue her? Again...to protect his image?

6 June 2013 at 18:01 

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