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Book No. – 49 (History)
Book Name – The Concept of Bharatvarsha (B.D. Chattopadhyaya)
What’s Inside the Chapter? (After Subscription)
1. The Three Acts of Rama
1.1. The Killing of Välin
1.2. The Rescue and Rejection of Sitä, or the so-called ‘Fire Ordeal
1.3. Summary Justice for Sambuka
2. Some Interpretations of Rama’s Acts
3. Toward Another Suggestion
4. Summing Up
5. Conclusion
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LANGUAGE
Rāma’s Acts in Exile and in Kingdom
Chapter – 4
Table of Contents
- The essay focuses on Rāma from Vālmīki’s Rāmāyaṇa, considered the Ādi-Kāvya.
- The writer’s engagement is not due to expertise in the text or commentaries but a desire to explore certain phenomena in Indian history related to the epics.
- Rāmāyaṇa has been rendered in many versions and languages, with numerous oral and visual presentations, not only in India but also in Southeast Asia.
- Despite various interpretations and scholarly interest, Rāma’s character and actions often remain enigmatic.
- The most crucial issue is the politicization of the text, especially through the centrality of Rāma in devotional Hinduism, his historicization through ‘epic archaeology’, and propaganda surrounding the alleged existence of a Rāma temple at his birth site in Ayodhya.
- The essay’s focus is not on historicity but on understanding Rāma’s acts in the context of the society and ideology in which Vālmīki’s Rāmāyaṇa was shaped.
- The essay represents another attempt at reinterpretation by re-reading the text, with a special focus on polity in the Rāmāyaṇa.
- The writer selects three Acts of Rāma to examine the nature of his character, which are often seen as irreconcilablewith his devotional image.
- The goal is to determine if these Acts truly are contradictory, and through them, understand the overall thrust of the Rāmāyaṇa.
- The essay proceeds in three parts:
- First part: Briefly recounts the circumstances leading up to each of the three Acts and how Rāma executed them.
- Second part: Reviews some available views on Rāma and his Acts.
- Third part: Offers the author’s own understanding of Rāma in relation to these Acts.
- The concluding part provides general remarks on the special character of Vālmīki’s construction of Rāma and its relationship with Brahmanical ideology on society and polity.
The Three Acts of Rāma
The Killing of Vālin
- Rāma was exiled by his father Daśaratha for fourteen years, before being anointed as crown-prince.
- The three Acts of Rāma discussed in the essay occurred during different periods: two during his exile and one when he was a sovereign ruler at Ayodhya.
- The irrelevance of status in Rāma’s case will be explored later in the essay.
- The killing of Vālin occurs in the Kiṣkindhā-Kāṇḍa of the Rāmāyaṇa during Rāma’s search for Sītā, who was abducted by Rāvaṇa, the ruler of Laṅkā.
- Rāma befriends Sugrīva, a monkey chief, during his search, at Rṣyamukha mountain.
- The bond of friendship between Rāma and Sugrīva is formalized by a fire ritual arranged by Hanumān, symbolizing mutual commitment to help each other.
- Rāma’s commitment includes helping Sugrīva by killing Vālin, Sugrīva’s elder brother and the legitimate chief of the monkeys.
- Vālin had driven Sugrīva out of Kiṣkindhā, taken his wife, and imprisoned his allies.
- The bond of friendship between Rāma and Sugrīva is motivated, not selfless, as Rāma’s decision to help is shaped by personal factors.
- Rāma kills Vālin after Sugrīva’s failure in direct combat, and Rāma kills Vālin in a deceptive manner.
- Commentators have found Rāma’s killing of Vālin difficult to explain because it contrasts with the image of Rāma as an embodiment of righteousness.
- In Vālin’s household, Rāma is described as a shelter for the afflicted, knowledgeable, and a noble soul, with royal qualities such as control of senses, compassion, and heroism.
- Vālin, on his deathbed, criticizes Rāma for killing him unfairly while Rāma was not even his direct adversary.
- Vālin accuses Rāma of acting unrighteously, given Rāma’s previous image as a just wielder of daṇḍa (punishment).
- The dying Vālin’s criticism challenges the common perception of Rāma’s righteousness, raising questions about the interpretation of Rāma’s actions.
- The dialogue between Vālin and Rāma, though significant, has not been sufficiently explored by modern scholars.
- The bafflement caused by this event is not only felt by Vālin but also by the readers and modern commentators on the text.