(All views in the following post are based on what I have heard and read from word of mouth. I have no evidence or any claim of the premise on which my assumptions are based).
An ugly looking female flirts with a man who she is not aware is married. The man is enraged by woman's gesture and chops off her nose. The woman crying goes to her brother and tells her the story. The brother is a big gun of his area, and seeks out to take revenge for her sister. Instead of meeting the assaulter of his sister, he chances upon beautiful female who happens to be assailants sister in law. The revenge seeking brother, falls weak on his knees and kidnaps the beautiful female.He doesnt touch her or forces on her while in captivity. The woman's husband rescues his wife and kills the kidnapper and returns back home. The whole world praises wife rescuer and calls it victory of good over evil.
The husband and beautiful wife return home. But the washerman, doubts the wife's intention and plants suspicion in husband's mind. Husband abandons his wife forever.
Does the story ring a bell? Yes, its our very own Ramayan, passed to us by generations.
The mighty Ravan, was a learned man. Very literate and pious. It was his sheer hardwork, that got him the greatness and make his kingdom, City of Gold (Sone ki lanka). He fell for Sita's beauty and kidnapped her. Kidnapping a married woman is wrong. He kept her imprisoned in his kingdom, until she had to become submissive to his wish. But Sita, the much faithful and devoting wife, stood guard of her devotion for her husband.Thus, Sita did not bend and Ravan never forced Sita, the learnt that he was, respected her dignity in that sense.
Ram or Lord Ram as we call, with entire force of his friends and pal, destroyed the entire Kingdom of Ravan, killed his brothers and killed him too.
The day is celebrated as Dusshera or victory of good over evil.
But before accepting his faithful wife, Lord Ram made Sita undergo the "fire test" or "Agnee Pareeksha" to testify her sanctity. Inspite of clearing that successfully, Ram abandoned her because his washerman had doubts on his own wife's sanctity.
Its such a pity, that only Sita witnessed the truth. But rest of the world never bought that, not even her own husband, for whom she underwent so much torcher and sacrificed so much.
Who is good now and who is evil? Sita never won but Lord Ram got branded as good.
Human History stands witness to a number of such events of past, where whenever a war or battle is won, the victorious is branded as good and the loser as evil. But the truth remains that it is never about good or evil, it is always about winner and loser. Ravan lost because of his own misdeeds but Lord Ram was no saint either. Sita on other hand was good but she was never winner.
So what do we learn from Ramayan? Maybe I havent witnessed it to understand it better or read it to absorb the true meaning, but for me, Dusshera is more of victory of winner over loser. The story thats passed on since generations definitely needs a revisit.
An ugly looking female flirts with a man who she is not aware is married. The man is enraged by woman's gesture and chops off her nose. The woman crying goes to her brother and tells her the story. The brother is a big gun of his area, and seeks out to take revenge for her sister. Instead of meeting the assaulter of his sister, he chances upon beautiful female who happens to be assailants sister in law. The revenge seeking brother, falls weak on his knees and kidnaps the beautiful female.He doesnt touch her or forces on her while in captivity. The woman's husband rescues his wife and kills the kidnapper and returns back home. The whole world praises wife rescuer and calls it victory of good over evil.
The husband and beautiful wife return home. But the washerman, doubts the wife's intention and plants suspicion in husband's mind. Husband abandons his wife forever.
Does the story ring a bell? Yes, its our very own Ramayan, passed to us by generations.
The mighty Ravan, was a learned man. Very literate and pious. It was his sheer hardwork, that got him the greatness and make his kingdom, City of Gold (Sone ki lanka). He fell for Sita's beauty and kidnapped her. Kidnapping a married woman is wrong. He kept her imprisoned in his kingdom, until she had to become submissive to his wish. But Sita, the much faithful and devoting wife, stood guard of her devotion for her husband.Thus, Sita did not bend and Ravan never forced Sita, the learnt that he was, respected her dignity in that sense.
Ram or Lord Ram as we call, with entire force of his friends and pal, destroyed the entire Kingdom of Ravan, killed his brothers and killed him too.
The day is celebrated as Dusshera or victory of good over evil.
But before accepting his faithful wife, Lord Ram made Sita undergo the "fire test" or "Agnee Pareeksha" to testify her sanctity. Inspite of clearing that successfully, Ram abandoned her because his washerman had doubts on his own wife's sanctity.Its such a pity, that only Sita witnessed the truth. But rest of the world never bought that, not even her own husband, for whom she underwent so much torcher and sacrificed so much.
Who is good now and who is evil? Sita never won but Lord Ram got branded as good.
Human History stands witness to a number of such events of past, where whenever a war or battle is won, the victorious is branded as good and the loser as evil. But the truth remains that it is never about good or evil, it is always about winner and loser. Ravan lost because of his own misdeeds but Lord Ram was no saint either. Sita on other hand was good but she was never winner.
So what do we learn from Ramayan? Maybe I havent witnessed it to understand it better or read it to absorb the true meaning, but for me, Dusshera is more of victory of winner over loser. The story thats passed on since generations definitely needs a revisit.
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