Yesterday Ravan was burnt in full public view and with a lot of enthusiasm and joy. Quite ironic to see celebrations over a public execution. Some would say, why not after all this is celebration of the victory of good over evil, some prefer to keep quiet and overlook the other salient points of the eternal conflict.
What is good and what is evil? Who decided such standards in the absence of central governance or a common human understanding?
Was it incorrect to questions people who donned the outfit of ‘harmless ascetics’ but carried arms and displayed the physique of warriors? A man should not kidnap another’s wife. But then should people allow their sisters to be insulted?
In which culture did one severe nose in response to what one might call an ‘indecent proposal’? Which is a bigger crime – insulting someone’s sister or kidnapping someone’s wife, in return? Is an individual taken by force the property of the one who has strength and power at his behest? For an individual enmity, is it correct to render the whole nation (read kingdom) vulnerable?
On one had we tell people to feel proud about ones achievements, but the moment we change the adjective (Proud) in to a noun (Pride) we start looking down on the same achievement, why is it like that?
Were there ulterior motives behind the whole apparent plot? Was it destined such? Were the characters just playing small roles in the overall big drama conducted by someone else?
Someone once asked me why do you ask so many questions and my answer was – Why not? He said, there that’s another question, but I thought that was an answer!
good question!
ReplyDeleteyou know there's another saying to this.It WAS all destined and that everything was a planned sequence for god to show the world that good always prevails over evil.Thats why keykayi suddenly changed her loving stance to a wicked one and ordered Ram out of the kingdom, hence starting the order of the sequence.
regards,
Sapnaa
I think kidnapping someone else's spouse to seek revenge(and mind you she wasn't even at fault for the nose episode)is wrong and humilating(for any self respecting person).
If Ravan did kidnap for revenge (which wasn't entirely true as he was also bessotted by Sita) then why didn't he abduct Urmila(Laxma's wife)the wife of the person who was actually responsible for the nose episode....and by the way,Laxman cut Surpanakha's nose after she threatened to kill Sita at her proposal being turnd down.
The dramatic version will always have a number of reasons to be seen in different lights. Is life always an eye for an eye? Do we always respond with the same insult that was hurled on to us? That is not necessarily true, so to say that Ravan should have abducted Urmila, is incorrect. In such myths, look at the larger picture, avoid taking instance for an instance.
ReplyDeleteOf course there is a central governance, as a citizen - our constitution. As a human - my religion ( in my case Gita or Vedas) so we can definetly look upon them and decide. What I think is -- everytime a superpower was getting created, next to God, there has been a correction happening by a hero. Now, mind well these superpower were not democratic in nature. Its like Shiv Sena becoming the highest authority of our nation. This should be stopped.
ReplyDeleteThe phrase 'central governance' was in the-then concept, when each kingdom was different and there was a difference of perception in governance. Under those circumstances, what was good for one, need not be good for another. However, one could see the whole aspect as an act of establishing a common code of conduct, across nations (or kingdoms).
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