Ram was a bad husband. I don't like him at all. Just because some fisherman said something, he sent that poor woman (Sita) to vanvaas (exile). Lakshman was even worse. When Sita was abducted, Ram asked him to go find her as she was abducted under his watch. Lakshman simply excused himself saying she was his sister-in-law and he never looked at her face, so he wouldn't be able to identify her.I must say, on the basis of vAlmiki rAmAyaNa, araNya kAnDa (Book of Forest), that Mr. Ram JethmalAni seems to have erred, particularly about his comment on lakshmaNa's excuse. I quote below the relevant verses of the vAlmiki rAmAyaNa.
3-61-14 maa viShaadam mahaabuddhe kuru yatnam mayaa saha ,br>idam giri varam vIra bahu kandara shobhitam.
mA vishAdam. Pl. do not become desperate. mayA saha kuru prayatnam. Search for her w along with me. This hill is glistening with many caves.
3-61-15 priya kAnana sancAraa vana unmattA ca maithilii
saa vanam vA praviShTaa syaat naliniim vaa supuShpitaam
saritam vA api saMpraaptaa mIna vanjula sEvitaam.
Maithili (sIta) is fond of forest. She might have entered the lotus blooming foret. Or she might have entered streams full of fish.
3-61-16 and 17
vitraasayitu kAmaa vaa lAnaa syaat kAnanE kvacit
jiGnAsamaanaa vaidehI tvAm mAm ca puruSharShabha
tasyA hi anvEShaNe shrIman kShipram eva yatAvahe.
gist: She might have hidden herself somewhere, for fun (prank), to know how we react. tasyA hi anvEshaNE shrIman kshipram Eva yatAvahE. O prosperous one (shri = Goddess of wealth, shriman = one with the Goddess of Wealth. But, this word is now used as a title of honor = honorable), for her search, we shall now proceed without delay.
ybrems (remarks of this blogger) Where is the question of lakshmaNa not co-operating? We must say, in all fairness to lakshmaNa, that he made as much as effort as rAma, and underwent as many travails and troubles as rAma while searching for sItA. I personally view that lakshmaNa's effort deserves a rank higher than that of rAma, because rAma was wailing all the time (I shall not use the word grumbling, because I do not want to be disrespectful to rAma) , while lakshmaNa did his work almost silently.
Additional observation: lakshmaNa's extra effort must include his hunting deer for their food and cooking them, while rAma kept on wailing. lakshmaNa might have even made the steaks succulent by roasting with extra care and fed into the mouth of his brother, to entice a reluctant rAma to take food.
Mr. malAni might have made his off-the-cuff comments, may be with a view, to generate laughter in the audience. But a Senior Lawyer like Shri malAni, who writes good essays in newspapers on the ethical professional philosophy of lawyers (jurisprudence), when there is criticism against him on his enthusiasm to accept briefs even from terrorists who attacked Indian Parliament, ought not to have made such comments based on some secondary evidence.
2 comments:
Mr. Jethmalani may be referring to someother Ramayana like Tulsi Das when he was talking about the behavior of Lakshmana. But he is right on the mark when he described our protagonist as a bad husband.
Sir: Sorry for a delayed reply. From the date of the wedding of Rama and Sita, Shri Rama seems to have assisted his father Dasaratha for about 17 years. During that period, the couple seemed to have cohabited happily. From their exile to forest till Ravana abducted her, i.e. about 13 years, with the help of Lakshmana, they lived happily. Proof: One verse in Aranya Kanda indicates that Shri Rama was feeding Sita with pieces of steak saying "This is good etc.". But, after slaying Ravana, when Sita was brought to the presence of Shri Rama, he instead of trying to console her, speaks in such a way, that she was led to "enter into fire test". Shri Rama always seemed to have acted to please his "courtiers" . Thus, it is not a case of a bad husband becoming a king. Courtiers and Scholars might have brought pressure on Rama. In my school days, in my Telugu Text, I read a Telugu article by Late Kalluri Chandramouli, who was an Endowments Minister in Andhra Pradesh. In that he compared Shri Rama's predicament to the abdication from British Throne of Edward VIII (his correct name, I forgot), because he married a widow. The King preferred his love , over his duty to his royal glories. (to continue, some other day. Please permit me to change my views, if needed). I hope , I have not hurt your sentiments.
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