Killing of Shambuka by Rama, a Woven Fantasy
Read Original Text of Sage Valmiki or
of Andhra Valmiki devoid of interpolations
Vanam Jwala
Narasimha Rao
The Hans India
(05-03-2023)
(Normally
‘Phala Shruti’ (The Result of reading Divine Books) that is mentioned at the
end of the book is given after ‘Yuddha Kanda’ and not after ‘Uttara Kanda’
meaning, perhaps, Uttara Kanda itself was a later interpolation. In other
words, the story that appears in Uttara Kanda is also a subsequent addition and
hence has no authenticity. killing of Shambuka (by King Rama) that appears in
Uttara kanda is certainly a fabricated woven fiction-Editor Hans India Comment)
Promoting a fabricated story in favor of an unimportant and
self-created killing of Shambuka (by King Sri Rama), a character purported to
have been mentioned in Ramayana’s Uttara Kanda, notwithstanding the fact that
whether it was a postscript insertion, and writing innumerable articles,
parodies, commentaries, both in the past and in the recent past, is nothing
short of deliberately demeaning, distorting and disrupting the age old vast
culture and traditions that the Indians have been meticulously practicing and
passing on to the posterity.
The story form of the satire highlights that, at the time when
Lord Srirama was ruling righteously, a Brahmin came to him and showing him the
dead body of his son, questioned as to who should be held responsible for the premature
death of his son, and, blamed Rama that, it was because of his sin. The Brahmin
threatened that if Rama fails to bring back the life of his son, he and his
wife would commit suicide resulting in his sin of killing a Brahmin!!! Unbelievable
indeed!!!
Sage Narada who was unpredictably present there, briefed Sri Rama
about the ‘Yuga Dharma’ supplementing the fact that according to
that, in Tretha Yuga, only Brahmins and Kshatriyas were eligible for performing
penance and contrary to that a Shudra was doing penance in gross violation of
prevailing Dharma, and as a result the son of the Brahmin died untimely. Narada
supposed to have advised Rama to take suitable remedial action!!! It appears,
as per the imaginary story, that, immediately Rama evoked the powerful ‘Pushpak
Vimana’, got in to that, and started flying. During his journey, he
found a person performing penance with his head upside down and obviously
guessed that he was the person Sage Narada mentioned.
Rama approached him.
Elicited from him the reason for his penance. Responding to Rama the person
said that his name was Shambuka, a Shudra by birth and with an intention to
access Heaven with his physical body he was performing penance. The woven
fantasy further continued with the story, that without even a second’s thought
and not even listening to the rationale behind his argument, Rama pulled his
sword and chopped off his head. The rest of the story was that Shambuka got
salvation since he was killed by Rama, (who was the Ultimate Godhead according
to Veda) and son of Brahmin got back his life. How far the facts and fiction of
this were believable can be evaluated and understood only by those who read it
at length.
The Great Sage Valmiki blessed the whole humanity with his first
of its kind Epic and a Great Literature Sri Ramayana that speaks about the
story of Sri Rama known to be an exceptional ‘Role Model’ and a person of
inimitable courtesies and mannerisms (Maryada Purushottam). The Text in
Sanskrit (Devnagari) which consisted of 24,000 + Shlokas stretched into 7
Kandas (Parts) and popularly known as ‘Valmiki Ramayana’ was translated in
to Grammatical Telugu ‘as it is’ with 24,000 poems about 100 years ago by a
saintly scholar Late Vavilikolanu Subba Rau (Vasudasa Swamy) and
named it as ‘Shrimad Andhra Valmiki Ramayana’.
The Telugu Text that was originally only in poetic rendering was
later rewritten by giving purport of every word in every poem and as well as
the prose version of each poem and added the word ‘Mandaram’ to the title.
Popularly known as ‘Vasudasa’ he was awarded the title of ‘Andhra Valmiki’ by the
Renowned Literary Scholars of his times. Having had the pleasure of reading the
entire text of thousands of pages of ‘Vasudasa Swamy Mandaram’
volumes a couple of times, and also having transliterated and rewritten in to
colloquial Telugu Language to the extent possible, I understood that several
features which are almost in campaign mode were not in the original text of
Valmiki Ramayana. As far as Ramayana is considered, Valmiki Ramayana is the one
and only standard text that talks about the exact story of Sri Rama and Sita
Devi. Rest are all Texts with self-styled insertions and poetic nuances by the
later poets out of their adoration to the dignified qualities and character of
Rama.
For instance, rather several instances are a proof of this. It is
not true as per Valmiki Ramayana that, During Sita Devi’s ‘Swayamvaram’
Demon King Ravana was present there and tried in vain to put up the bow. There
was no such thing as ‘Laxmana Rekha’ said to have been drawn by
Laxmana before leaving Sita and go to help Sri Rama while in forest. Ravana did
not dig the earth to lift Sita for fear of touching her and in fact threatened
her and kidnapped right royally by pulling her according to Valmiki Ramayana.
It is also not mentioned anywhere in Valmiki Ramayana that Ahalya was in the
form of a rock and with the touch of the foot of Rama she got back her original
human form. Jabali, the Charvak was not an atheist as certified by Sage Vasishta
the Raj Guru of King Rama.
Ravana having an immortal pot in his abdomen which protected him
from death and the secret was revealed to Rama by Vibhishana advising him to
destroy it and kill him was a funny distortion. Valmiki Ramayana says that Rama
used ‘Brahmastra’ and killed Ravana. Sita Devi was not ordered by
Rama to enter in to the fire to prove her virtue and chastity. It was purely
her option according to Valmiki Ramayana. Sabari did not feed Rama with fruits
tasted by her first. The Monkey Lord Hanuman did bring Sanjeevani Mountain but
the context that is being misquoted by many is different. It was brought when
Ravana threw the weapon ‘Shakti’ on Lakshmana resulting in his unconsciousness
for a brief while. It was not because of his deathlike state in the hands of
Indrajit.
Normally ‘Phala Shruti’ (The Result of reading
Divine Books) that is mentioned at the end of the book is given after ‘Yuddha
Kanda’ and not after ‘Uttara Kanda’ meaning, perhaps,
Uttara Kanda itself was a later interpolation. In other words, the story that
appears in Uttara Kanda is also a subsequent addition and hence has no
authenticity. killing of Shambuka (by King Rama) that appears in Uttara kanda
is certainly a fabricated woven fiction.
The curse of Sage Valmiki on a fowler who killed the male of a
pair of Krauncha birds while they reveled, was the reason for the genesis of
Sri Ramayana. When he witnessed the scene, filling with compassion, Valmiki
involuntarily burst into a poetic verse hat seemed to flow out spontaneously
without any effort on his part. Only those who inquisitively and devoutly read
Valmiki Ramayana with research bent of mind will be able to differentiate
between it and other Ramayanas as well as the greatness of Valmiki’s Text. In
addition to grasp Valmiki Ramayana, one should have knowledge of numerous
literary and scientific works of that nature.
To that matter, Shrimad Ramayana is a Great Book of righteousness
(Dharma
Shastra). It narrates all kinds of righteousness namely, virtue of king
(Raj Dharma), virtue of people (Praja Dharma),
virtue of husband (Pati Dharma), virtue of wife (Sati
Dharma), virtue of brother (Bhatru Dharma), virtue of son
(Putra Dharma), virtue of servant (Bhrutyu Dharma),
virtue of friend (Mitra Dharma) etc. The ordinary virtue (Samanya
Dharma) and special virtue (Vishesha Dharma) practiced
and followed by Lord Sri Rama may be understood by reading original text of
Valmiki Ramayana or of Andhra Valmiki's Mandaram only.
Sage Valmiki who initiated writing Ramayana asked Sage Narada 16
questions. In response, Narada described Rama’s qualities contextualizing
various phases of his life that included killing of Demon Tataki a lady, making
friendship with monkeys and tribal king Guha, Sabari, monkey king Sugriva, symbolizing
Rama’s virtues. If any disciple just remembers (Smarana Matra Santushtaya)
Rama, he blesses him immensely and if any one just salutes Sita (Pranati
Prasanna Janaki) she equally blesses him in the same fashion. For every
devotee both Sita and Rama are to be revered equally. This is what one can
understand by reading Valmiki Ramayana.
Ramayana was the first and foremost literary exposition (The
Adi Kavya). It is not only an equivalent of Veda but also Veda by
itself. Wherever Vedic reading is mandated, reading of Ramayana is prescribed.
The essence and meaning of Vedas have been empirically elaborated in Ramayana.
Lord Brahma also said that Ramayana is Vedic form. Whether one reads or listens
or recites it, Ramayana provides immense happiness. And hence everyone shall
read Ramayana and that too Valmiki Ramayana original Text excluding insertions
to avoid fictious stories like killing of Shambuka (by Lord Sri Rama) which is
nothing but absurd. Let us go to the original text of sage Valmiki or of Andhra
Valmiki's Mandaram.
(The writer is Chief Public Relations Officer to Chief
Minister Telangana)
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