Reading Diary A: Public Domain Ramayana

A story that caught my attention was the story about Ahalya. Ahalya was Gautama's beautiful wife, and the god Indra fell in love with her. In order to seduce Ahalya, Indra disguised himself as Gautama. Outraged by the betrayal, Gautama cursed his wife and Indra. So Ahalya turns into stone (according to some versions). I understand that Gautama was outraged by his wife's infidelity, but the fact that she was tricked by a god makes me pity her. Was she really at fault?

On chapter that I did like was the story of Sita. It seems like fate that the avatar of Vishnu and the avatar of Sita found each other and fell in love. It reminds me of the theory that my mother believes in about soul mates. She believes that love transcends through time and different lives. So if two people were to meet for the first time and experience love at first sight, it is because in their past lives they were together. My favorite quote was when Rama compared Sita's beauty to the moon: "The queen of night is not so fair as Sita." Of course he wins her hand in marriage by bending the bow of the god Shiva.

Everything seems to be going great for Rama. He married Sita. He is announced as heir to the throne. But then the servant Manthara convinces the youngest wife Kaikeyi that Bharata should be the crown prince. Dasharatha and Kaikeyi have a huge argument about which son is to be prince. Dasharatha promised Kaikeyi two favors, or two boons. With these boons, she requested her son Bharata to be the heir and to banish Rama for fourteen years. Like a dagger to his heart, Dasharatha could not bear the pain of his wife's favors. He said, "Have I dreamed a fearsome dream? Do demons torture me? Is my mind clouded with madness?" He scorns Kaikeyi. He feels betrayed that she would not only replace the heir but also banish his favorite son.

"Traitress, wouldst thou bring ruin to my family? Rama hath never wronged thee; why dost thou seek to injure him? O Kaikeyi, whom I have loved and taken to my bosom, thou hast crept into my house like a poisonous snake to accomplish my ruin. It is death to me to part with my brave and noble Rama, now that I am old and feeble. Have pity on me and ask for other boons.”

She threatens suicide if he does not grant her the wishes. With a heavy heart, Dasharatha keeps his word, but he promises to hate her and her son forever. “I grant the boons, but I reject thee for ever and thy son Bharata also.” Tricky situation. I was always taught that the only thing that I truly possess in the world in my word, so to use it wisely. If I make a promise, I must keep it. Dasharatha was cornered into banishing his son. I wonder if he ever forgave himself.

Although Rama was the only one banished, Sita and his brother Lakshmana accompaned him. I thought this was really noble, and it reminded me of my brother and my cousin. If I was ever banished, I know that the two people closest to me wouldn't allow me to travel alone. My favorite line of that story was "Thereafter Rama and Sita and Lakshmana went together, walking barefoot..."

Rama and Sita on exile. Source: Indi Samarajiva