RAVAN SITA SAMVAD PART II - FROM CONVERSATION TO NEGOTIATIONS AND DIALOGUE

RAVAN SITA SAMVAD: PART II

 

समाश्वस मुहूर्तम् तु शक्यम् वस्तुम् इह त्वया || ३-४७-२२
आगमिष्यति मे भर्ता वन्यम् आदाय पुष्कलम् |
रुरून् गोधान् वराहान् च हत्वा आदाय अमिषान् बहु || ३-४७-२३

 

Unlike other languages, understanding Samskrutam (Sanskrit) sounds, words  and verses  needs a multi pronged approach for traversing beyond the literal and figurative meanings.  Freedom enjoyed by the creators of the Sruti traditions or ‘listening’ format, gave  infinite freedom to incorporate a multitude of factors through a single expression. Samskrutam (Sans-krit) was originally developed as the transcriptional format for the expression of the resonance system of Vedas with it numerical system of Sankhyam and graphic representations of multi dimensional Yantras. Upavedas, Vedangas and all works ancillary to the Vedas were carried out in Sanskrit by Sages of varying degrees. Valmiki brought in a  deviation from the conventions, by creating a dramatic sequence of an epoch thus laying the foundation of  religio-lingusistics which was later adopted Vyasa to scribe, Mahabharat and  Bhagavatha Purana  which led to ‘age of devotion’ or Bhakti kaal in the later periods.

 Ramayana, the composition by the pioneer of the Valmiki School who himself attained sage hood. Valmiki schools had made elaborations of Ganita or arithmetic known as Valmiki Ganita. Metallurgical studies were elaborate with stratigraphy, identification of light metals and process.  Articles used by a poet are those whose properties are best known beyond any doubt and are well reflected in the conversation between Ravan and Sita.

Verses of Ramayana carry expressions and actions, together with the inherent subject contained.  Certain words and phrases are used to create conflicts in the mind of the characters involved by rendering scope for   philological and philosophical inferences.  Ramayana is the culmination of a visualisation of continuous sequences in real time.

Valmiki did a daring experiment within the limited space set in the schematics of the visual drama, thus creating a virtual world through visual effects lyricism. Transitions in the body language are well expressed through the changes in the colour of the eyes and furious outlooks, timely use of hands. Setting a tempo using the change of costume in the same scene from saffron to red in the case of Ravan is perhaps the finest innovation of visual effects. In the next sequence, Valmiki uses acoustic effect for change over to mark the entry of Pushpak.

 Micro level treatment of finer details immersed in complexion and effect is loud in portraying sex appeal of Sita and urge for her brewing in Ravan.  Background for the scene is set with Sita introducing her age through the sequence of events in her life. Eighteen year old beauty well brought up and well nourished by two royal   families, find its exploding features through the camera eyes of Ravan.   The purpose for which the wife of the great Sage Matanga gave the ornaments in an earlier scene finds its worthiness beyond ascetic beauty here.  The effect of interlacing gold chain between the ivory coloured jostling breasts of Sita is an unexpected shock transcending through the eyes of a sage at the pinnacle of seductive mavericks.

On a broad platform well accounted life of interlinked lineages that covers origin and diversification races and kingdoms, Valmiki enjoyed the privilege of the back ground set for his work.  Sita Ravan Saved brings together the discontent of decision making process between dynastic rule of Ikshvakus and democratically elected kingdom of Mithila. The first ever account of the King chosen by the people find its reference in Ramayana. More over Valmiki’s knowledge of geo-political configuration of the region is evident from the directions given to Sugriva Sena, in the forth coming segments. Reference Muchiri Patnam, the Kingdom of Chera dynasty. This reference indicates that Valmiki was well aware of the  system of governance of  Chera Dynasty,a succession of 12 year period for a ruler. After the period the rule ‘Perumal’ had to abandon the  place and leave the premises, so that the successor is not influenced or do not have the fear of revolts.  There is no evidence of Ravan entering into conflict with the Chera Dynasty, or Ram entering into any treaty with them. 

Sita, in this conversation exposes the prejudices and vested interests, nepotism and hypocrisy that prevailed in the coterie  dictated by women around the  King  Dasarath.

 Every character is provided with a profile of lineages and linkages with place, ambience with sound knowledge base yet, is well disposed off as interspersed in a crowd with identifiable face and features. Creating such characteristics is with a well defined objectivity to render his central character and associates eternity. Ram, Sita and hanuman are immortalised through the sense of devotion and through the theory of incarnation established by the poet through convincing sequences.  As such the theory of immortalising through incarnation, inculcating divine attributes alone can influence the elite peers of the society including the ruling classes and the Brahminical Society. Both are equally important in the process of learning and debating on characters and themes which was a salient feature of the intelligentsia of the period. The processes eventually will lead to Royal patronages and adaptations and commentaries by other scholars of from different language groups. Valmiki Schools thus attained wide acceptance for the work through the ages. The theory of eternity of characters through incarnation and divinity was proven by Valmiki, which was carried on by Vyasa in Mahabharata and Bhagavata Puran.

The creativity of Poet Valmiki is synergised through a process reformation from a Savage to Sage.  The basic tenet that holds this reformative movement of the psyche is drawn to the question of accountability and collective responsibility of acts and actions. Acts refer to the ethical domains, self regulation within the predetermined societal norms and conventions poised to one’s own action. Here, the question of these in relation to the primary unit of the society, i.e., the family is the foreground of assessment.  Here, acts and actions of the individual are accounted irrespective of the positions he assumes, as father, uncle or grandfather a ‘persona de facto’ or an ‘actor as a mere individual’.  Collective responsibility is ruled out for assortment of actions that leads to the shedding of the Valmika, the materialistic sheath to be Valmiki. He realises the depth and values of every aspect of human life at a miniscule level and his treatment of subjects can accrue as many dimensions it can.

The profile of the poet itself depicts delinking from materialism and the concept of materialism of the poet is seen here as highly volatile.  Poet applies the same yardstick to all the characters. Ram, despite his convictions of being an incarnate of Lord Vishnu, born in human form, is destined in the hands of the poet to undergo torments of his birth in the present form. So is the case of every character at his disposal, whose destiny is drawn through an array of satires. The same is reflected in the  second phase of the story , as it sets into motion the agonies of ‘deprivation’ of Sita with all its logical basis  drawn with instincts of reasoning,  defined by cause and effect principle that reaches as climax as Sita utters, this what Kaikeyi wanted by sending us to the jungles.

Sita recreates the shocking moment. When Ram reaches his father for the coronation, his second wife of the King, Kaikeyi abruptly intervenes and conveys the decision of the King. Here, the King is reduced to weak and subjective person, with no control over the situation, caught in the conflict of emotions and lost in mental distress. 

Sita denounces the stature of Lakshman as the son of Ram’s step mother. Further, her discontent over the incidents and the ill fate of being sent in exile becomes loud when she says that she enjoyed the richness of Ikshvaku dynasty for 13 long years. Here Sita is brought down from the elite stature to assume true shape of a commoner’s woman, exploding with grudges against the in laws. The situation created here is with a stranger, who is presumed to be unknown to her in laws. Introduction of Ravan as a Brahmin is done with the highest order of precision with a careful design, without any undue gestures to render Sita with the ambient energies to open up her mind.  Dialogues of Ravan is so intricately worked out by the Sage

Sita could have answered Ravan within her limits, either as wife of Ram and hails from the Ayodhya. However, the poet seemingly took the course from her origin.

A frustrated and deprived mind is flared through a mild provocation. Ravan wanted to create a moment to change the phase of their conversation, to take Sita along with a positive note.  Sita over emphasised her husband’s nature of being truthful and as a man of words. Yet, the end result of the so called good virtues of Ram is that, she is now left to live the life of a forest dweller. It cannot be a pleasant note. Second quality of Ram, mastery in warfare is well focussed to hit the target, to give a word of caution to the visitor.  

 

Other than this, she gives no hint on their love and passion for each other. The expectations of an 18 year old girl, living with a man of 25 years, whose priorities are not oriented towards the family life is sounded to Ravan. This is a defining moment on the extent of deprivations. She is deprived of luxuries of Royal life and family life.  The beauty, complexion and the features that Ravan found in her are meaningless to her and are of any good.

And Sita offers him a share of the hunt that her husband is to bring, a moment that Ravan was awaiting.

 A question mark is often raised on this verse. Whether Ram, who is considered as God were meat eaters and could meat be shared with a Brahmin?

Treta Yug is significant for several transformations in the society and in re organising the administrative structure of the Kingdoms. The Monarch himself administered the people, revenue and defence.  Conquests were a part of the kings own dictated policy to expand the empire. Here, the period after Dasarath, Bharat takes over civil administration and his brother Satrughna takes charge of Home Affairs. The need of strategic powers to control civilian population and to have the reach of administration to the far- flung areas is a new area of administration that develops during the last phase of Treta Yug.   Later, stages monitoring of airspace and air combat also is noticeable in the Ramayana. Mission of Raman is well described by Sumitra to Lakshman before they move out on exile.

Ramam Dasaratham Vidhdhi, Mam Vidhi Janakaatmajam

Ayodhyaam Ataveem Viddhi, Gacha Tata Yadtha Sukham

This verse is intimately linked to Vararuchi, believed to be one of the nine gems of King Vikramaditya.  To the question, which is the most important lines of Ramayana, Vararuchi could not answer. He wandered analysing every verse of Ramayana, and eventually became tired and rested under a tree. Vararuchi woke up hearing the conversation of the guardians of the forests.  One of them said, the man lying below claims to be one of the nine gems of the court of Vikramaditya, yet he could not understand the most relevant lines of Ramayana. Another Guardian tells her, even she do not know, whether anyone know those lines. One of them recite these verses and say it is the most relevant line.

 

Indeed the relevance of the line underlies in the stability of the family structure, status in the hierarchy, the change in the concepts and foundations with which the relations are not breached. Ram and Lakshman are 25 years and Sita is hardly 18 years.    Lakshman, the younger one who leaves his wife Urmila behind, is bound to observe abstinence.   Control over urges and desires are introduced through a conceptual change through Sumitra and Lakshman.  “ Ma Vidhdhi janakaatmajaam” . Beyond doubt it cannot be a transcription or transliteration of a conversation as   addressing Sita as ‘janakatmaja’ is intentional to show the different lineage and as a word of caution from other kingdom, and also to remind Lakshman of his wife. Urmila is also ‘Janakatmaja’. 

Lakshman considers his elder brother Ram with equal reverence as his father.  This inseparable relation which makes Lakshman to be so determined to accompany Ram to the forest.  As Sita is accompanying Ram, it is pertinent to raise a question on his wife Urmila who is also ‘janakatmaja’. ‘Ma Vidhi’ in the hands of religio- linguists, in this context became ‘consider as mother’, and everywhere else, it is meant as ‘no’.  A deliberate attempt to whisk away all adorations to Sita and ignore all other three women into anonymity with no roles other than mere wives is a ghastly crime meted out to their existence as human beings. In such a context, a mother is bound to ask her son, what about your wife? Don’t you have any consideration for her?   A probable question of Sumitra to Lakshman is carved out of the situation to add another level of mystic charm to Sita.

“Ayodhyaam Ataveem” – to treat Forest as Ayodhya, is the first ever advise to create and order and administrative structuring of the forests. Forest is inclusive of the people and resources. It is a word of caution as well, not to exploit and treat with care and affection. Not to do anything that he does not do in Ayodhya.  

In forest life adaptation is the key to survival. Sita expresses her inability to the Brahmin that despite being the daughter of the King Janak, and married to the Ikshvaku dynasty, she can offers only that her husband brings home after the hunt. Valmiki introduces “Godhaan”.  When read together with “Suvesham Mrugaya Gatam Patim” and “Vanyam Aadaya Pushkalam”, Valmiki establishes the adaptation of the brothers Ram and Lakshman in the forest and their way of life by means of gathering forest produces and hunting.  ‘Godhaan’ here is the staple food. ‘Go’ refers to animals that are ideal for food, and relishing, which includes stags and wild boar.

 

How the name ‘Go’ was extended to include the cow is still not clear.  The conflict of time scale needs to be explained here. The origins of societal order in the Indian Subcontinent had set in ages before  the Paleolithic age in the European and American systems.  Age of the earth is calculated to be 4.54 billion years, which in the Indian Scheme dates back to 150 billion years. Organised societal order of human settlement set into motion with the Prajapati or the ‘ruler of the People is calculated to 125 billion years. 50 billion years is the gestation period between the birth of earth and planetary system and Anthropogenesis.  Humanisation or transformation of a certain primitive Humanoids to human beings sets into motion the age of Rishism. Rishi or Sage is the one who establishes a settlement, with principle of social order. “Ra”     “ishi”, one who posses or wields a Ra or settlement is Rishi.  Such settlements were brought under the ruler or Prajapati.  Vedic Systems takes its origin here. It is during the tertiary period, that compilation in the form of Hayagriva Veda took its origin. Each period thus has its own codification and Rishism. It is in the second phase that the system of economic base of social order and wealth and possessions became defined. “ Godhaan” as the basis of prosperity of  Sage Vasishta lead to war between him and the King Kaushika.   The whole episode revolves around the possession of the celestial cow ‘Kamadhenu’.  Kamadhenu is found with Sage Jamadagni and Dilipa period of Ikshvaku Dynasty.   Animals as the basis of economic structure seemingly is the underlying principle of ‘Dhenu’ that satisfies all the ‘Urges’ or Kama. 

Identity of Sita is revealed in this dialogue as the daughter of Janak, the King of Maithili and married to the Ikshvaku dynasty are   the parallelisms drawn by the Poet.  Mithila dynasty relied on agriculture as the mainstay of economy, where as Ikshvaku derive their name from the sugar cane based economy.  Reference of ‘Godhaan’ is the reversal of the situations of the members of the two dynasties back to the ‘sustenance on animals’. Therefore, the Brahmin guest will have to be contented with the share of the hunt-‘vanyam aadaya’ – seizures of the forest as the offering. Here, Valmiki sketches the extreme aversion of Sita and her discomfort and helplessness, an exposure that is more than needed with a stranger.

Valmiki had created varied aspects of frustration of a wife over the situations arising out of the determination of her husband to live by the assurance given to his father and the traumatic situation of leading the harsh life, the agony of deprivation, ill fate of her father in law who was entrapped lust of love, step motherly treatment to her husband, and being with the a step brother in law as well as economic crisis.  Ravan is armed with enough subjects and insights to make a way ahead with conversation.  Although Sita asks Ravan who is the Brahmin before her to take rest, the poet has spilled too many contradictions before him to think and assimilate. Request of Sita to him to take rest is only a paradox, after listening so long, taking rest is an impossible proposition. 

 Here, Ravan as a character of conflict and confrontation enters the last phase of portrayal outside his territory of Lanka.  The most crucial turning point of his life is shaped and defined in his own hands, yet standing tall to have written his own destiny.  Here, absolute submission of  the Poet Valmiki to Ram, the central character of his creation becomes visible. Valmiki   did not give any space to the three characters of Ram, Lakshman or Sita to have a rethinking on their act of defacing and mutilating the womanliness Surpanakha, Sister of Ravan.  Belonging to the race of Demons, the poet moves ahead with the foregone conclusion that ‘evil deserves no justice’ and Ram stands justified for his acts. The turn of event takes Ram to an array of confrontations and opportunity to prove the might of his arm with Khara –Dushana.  Whatever, it be  Ravan, unmistakably ever victorious conqueror, ardent devotee of lord Siva and Goddess Lakshmi, with all the strength of blessings from all Gods  had all the strength to declare Ram as his enemy. He could have confronted Ram in a straight battle, instead, as a strategy made a plot to demoralise Ram.

The stage is all set by Valmiki to expose Ravan and his last act outside his territory.   Ravan, in the attire of the Brahmin admit that he himself is Ravan, brother of Kuber. He fought with his brother, who is respected for the management of finances. Kuber escaped to mount Kailash for safety, and seized his aircraft Pushpak. Ravan openly invites Sita to be his wife, with all comforts, security and safety.     He interprets words of Sita to denounce Ram, who  had no strength to challenge the decisions of the King, and opted to quietly wander in the forests. Sita is given all temptations what a woman expects in this world, to accept the offer.

Sita Challenges Ravan, makes every attempt to ward off the misconceptions of Ravan. Her weapons are the qualities of her husband, and the his capabilities as a warrior. She deposes her confidence in the strength of Ram and his brother. There Ravan also confronts Sita with his potential powers and capabilities of destruction. He shows his might as the ten headed Ravan, the frightening terror for all the worlds.  He makes every attempt to convince Sita and to erode her confidence in her husband.

The drift in the pace of conversation reach new heights, as Sita uses all her energies to counter the might of Ravan and the process of dialogue begins. The misconception created through the frustrations of Sita in the introductory part creates a wave of notions in Ravan, to test the probability of creating detachment in Sita by treating Ram as a common subject of discontentment to a common enemy. The moderate language used by Valmiki for Ravan in the first part was a test to this probability. The failure of Ravan in invoking the right emotional drive in Sita is produced as a failure of Ravan. The ground for a peaceful conversation for settlement and negotiated settlement fails as Sita rejects all the amenities, facilities and concessions that Ravan offers her in lieu of deserting the Ram and his dynasty. Equations of power of the two dynasties are dealt here extensively. Sita uses all arsenals of ethics, qualities and strength of combat on one side where as Ravan uses all his extra human capabilities, his ferocity, wealth and domination  to delink fro negotiation to threat perceptions. A unique state of affairs where a king fails miserably  to convince through conversation, dialogue, negotiation and threat is used here by Valmiki to interlink  the principles of ethics and loyalty  with self determination.

Both the characters exhibit their incredible logics   over their preconceived notions of power. Here, Ravan is equipped with more proven materials than what Sita has in her store for Ram. Ravan is not habitual of listening ‘no’ from any one for any reason as a sign of assertion of power. Yet, he, listens to the volleys of Sita, and do not enter into a state of fury to show the power of weapon as, what Ram and Lakshman did to Sita, instead he balances himself to achieve  his target.

Valmiki here uses all conventional materials at his disposal to articulate the qualities of the two men central to the dialogue. 

Ravan describes his ferocity, terror and power to the extent that he  incites fear of death from Gandharvas of celestial origin to evil spirits, from birds in the skies to snakes in the burrows .

Sita compares Ram to a sturdy mountain, Lord Indra and like deep Ocean. To Ravan, all Gods including Indra cannot face him and will vanish on seeing him.  Ravan could not create any sense of fear or insecurity in Sita, who in turn addresses him as a fox. For Ravan, even the sun becomes as cool like moon in his presence, but for Sita, Ram is like a banyan tree truthful, who uses both hands in warfare, ferocious like a lion and a supreme human. In turn, Ravan flouts the claims of Sita and to him Ram is spineless, devoid of Kingdom, unlike him who has all the powers as a king. Ram who lost his kingdom and is left out in the forest is in a pitiable condition, and he can do nothing than practising abstention. He raises a question on what more can Ram do? Sita reciprocates saying must be seeing many Golden Trees with the hope to be in the heaven. Valmiki here introduces an element of mysticism.

Lion and Fox, crow and eagle, swan and falcon, water fowl and peacock, stream and ocean, led and gold, sandalwood and sewage are few of the two ends of comparisons for Ram and Ravan perpetuated through Sita.

To the utterances of Ravan that he can destroy earth and finish of the waters of the oceans. In return Sita raises the question how he can steal the Mandthara Mountains, without consuming the lethal poison. The extreme degree of phraseology narrates the fury of both characters. ‘Giving death to death in war’ expresses the undaunted psyche of Ravan to establish his ultimate power of being unconquerable.

To create the height of conflict and create a situation that forces Ravan to abduct Sita, Valmiki uses the dialogue of the extremes with the reference to Sachi, the most beautiful woman, the wife of Indra. Sita makes a mockery of the powers of Ravan, when she utters that he may be able to survive even after abducting Sachi, but he cannot escape death, if he dares to abduct her. 

The question here is why Ravan had to enter into a conversation and dialogue of negotiations with offers beyond the expectations of a woman for convincing Sita?  The character of Ravan as the cruelest devil of the Rashes race could have walked in and taken Sita by force. Sita is represented as nothing more than a wife who is overconfident about the powers of her husband. Right to justify even the act of an evil is a consideration that Valmiki had extensively explored here. Sita is well aware of the dynasty of Ravan, as she takes the name of Vibhishan, brother of Ravan.

Valmiki uses another symbolism here of Pururuvas and Urvasi. Pururuvas awaited Urvasi in the Gandhamadana, the garden with flowers of hallucinating fragrances. Ravan reminds her of the incident when Urvasi escaped into the territory of Karitkeya, where she was imprisoned.  The same will be the fate of Sita. Poet creates the spell of the most celebrated romance of Pururuvas in the Gandhamadana, to inspire Sita. Ravan himself imagined of such a celestial love affair with Sita in a garden identical to Gandhamadana, the Ashok Vatika of Lanka. Despite all victorious conquests, name, fame, ferocity and all achievements including his pious and committed wife Mandodari and a host of other wives, Ravan had the dream of finding a love as that of Urvasi and Pururuvas.

The history of lengthy dialogues by characters and the scope for movements of the other characters throughout this time, is an anatomical structuring of theatrics that  Valmiki has introduced in Ramayana. Also, it kept alive the tradition of ‘not to interrupt a conversation till it ends’ is noteworthy.  Equally with the devotional content, Ramayana is the oldest form of poetic Dramascope with technical precision and perfection. Dimension of ethics, logics, political philosophies, strategic depth and threat perceptions, diversification of governance to Home Affairs, internal security, air defence and External defence, societal transformations are well  included in every unit structure Ramayana.