Sushmajee
Vaalmeeki Raamaayan | Notes-General

Baal Kaand | Ayodhyaa Kaand | Aranya Kaand | Kishkindhaa Kaand | Sundar Kaand | Yuddh Kaand | Uttar Kaand
 

Notes-General

Home | V-Raamaayan

26-Seetaa and Lakshman

Back to Notes


Seetaa Lakshman Dialogs in Panchvatee
[Taken from Valmiki Ramayan, 3/45]

Seetaa and Lakshman dialog in Panchvatee is a unique episode of Raamaayan in which Seetaa rebukes Lakshman for not to move from the hut even after Raam's call for help. She blames him to woo Her in the absence of Raam and at the stake of Raam's life. Lakshman hears all that, but when it is out of tolerance, he goes away to help Raam. Below are some scattered ideas and explanations about the dialog. While this dialog occurs -

A woman can be said as cow-faced-tigress. She prowls, growls and howls at others if her interests are contradicted. Thus, Seetaa is a shrewd lioness-princess, and her rash talking is not new or instantaneous at this place alone. She said something to Sumantra also against Kaikeyee, which Sumantra did not report to Kaushalyaa in Ayodhyaa Kaand (60/14). One full 9th Sarg (chapter) of Aranya Kaand caters for Seetaa’s haranguing Raam, when Raam wanted to wage an unprovoked war against Raakshas, thus She did not spare even her own husband. If the contemplated deed was contrary to her thinking, and because she was countering her own husband she included a saving clause, "I have spoken in all my womanliness... it is up to you to decide...." otherwise it would be a straight tongue-lashing. Thus Her talking riff-raff with Lakshman is no great surprise

Later, Seetaa repents for her rash talk with Lakshman in Sundar Kaand (113/44-46), saying: "When my fate is against me, and when my earlier sins [of finding fault with Lakshman] have acquired this [incarceration in Lanka...] one has to reap the results of one's own faults... a sinner, or a do-gooder, or one undergoing a capital punishment shall be treated kindly... who is he/she that does not offend...'

These are the very same words of Sugreev in 4-Kishkindhaa Kaand (36/11): "Either in faith or in friendliness if I have overstepped, in the least, that may be pardoned for I am an attendant of yours... for, none is unoffending...' All this culminates into the saying 'to err is human...'.

On the other hand, in the perspective of mythology, the time had come for Seetaa to go to Lankaa, in order to effectuate her curse to Raavan as Ved Vatee, where Ved Vatee cursed Raavan, 'I will be the root cause for your total elimination...[as Seetaa...]' For such a transit, Raam had to go away from Seetaa, for that She had to have some kind of reason, that was golden deer and as a good husband Raam had to run after it.;

But this security guard is more obstinate obstacle than Raam and He would not go away from there, because He had to keep custody of His brother's entrustment. Unless such unbearable words are spoken to a self-respectful person like Lakshman, he will not stir out. To stop his leeching onto Her, She had to talk in an abnormal way, which has to make him to go away, though reluctantly, and this paved the way for Raavan's entry. If the Golden Deer was not there, Raam would not go, if Raam's voice was not heard, Lakshman could not be sent, and if Lakshman did not go, Raavan would not come... then a blemish called 'Dosh' ad infintum... occurs to Raamaayan. If we do not mind to end Raamaayan in that way, Raavan would have been ruling high, even today...


(1) Lakshman repeatedly addresses Seetaa as 'a broad-eyed-lady...' suggesting that 'though you have broad-eyes, but your mental perception is not that broad...', 'your eyes are belying your faculties...', 'the daughter of Janak....', 'the daughter of a judicious person, yet unable to discriminate...', 'coming from Videh province...' [Videh means 'without body'], so it means 'you are some supernatural, yet that demon beguiled you...?' and so on.


[Valmiki Ramayan, 3/45/32]
(2) Lakshman said to Seetaa 'be lost in desolation...', in the first instance but further he said that she 'be blessed...' and he himself seeks the help of divinities to protect Seetaa in his absence. Although this appears self-contradictory on the part of Lakshman, but it is not, for he uttered derogatory words in the first instance as an angry person but still wishes for Her welfare and security through divine authorities as a mother scolds her child on some bad behavior, but never wishes bad for her child. Besides Seetaa belongs to Raam and he could not wish bad for Him and Her. So He said 'be blessed...'. Whatever that belongs to Raam, that cannot be ridiculed, especially his mother-like elder sister-in-law.


[Valmiki Ramayan, 3/45/37]
(3) At one point,  Seetaa says to Lakshman that She will commit suicide without Raam but will not touch another man. [Here in this Shlok some texts say the word is Kadaapi "never" and some texts say that it is "Padaapi" even by foot'. "I do not touch any other man even with my foot..."

"Kadaapi" word meaning is clear that She will never touch any other man, but Padaapi needs some explanation. Padaapi word signifies 'marriage' where, in marriages there is a custom for the newly weds, like handshake or pressing toes of one another, in order to acclimatize with one another's body touch. Here, if this word is taken as Padaapi, She means that 'she will never marry any other person...', but not mere bodily touching; or maybe that She will not touch anybody else even by foot.

But in the second line of Aranya Kaand [ Valmiki Ramayan, 3/45/37], Seetaa clearly says that She wouldn't touch any other man than Raam.


(4) Beside these intimidations of Seetaa that she would commit suicide by consuming poison, hanging, plunging in river, or by self-immolation etc, are not new to Seetaa or to any woman, under these irksome situations. She is giving many alternatives for suicide and the last one is self-immolation. If she is not going to die by hanging herself, or by consuming poison, or by drowning in river, then only the question of self-immolation comes up. But She lists all of them only in her anguish for Raam. With the same impetuosity she jumps into fire for Her Agni Pareekshaa (Fire Test)  after war, when Raam belittles her. There also, She orders the very same Lakshman to arrange a pyre for Her, disregarding Her own accusations made at Lakshman.

 

 

Home | V-Raamaayan

 

Back to Notes


Created by Sushma Gupta on 5/27/03
Contact:  sushmajee@yahoo.com
Updated on 04/13/13