Secondary Tales of the Two Great Epics

Author(s): Rajendra I Nanavati
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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Secondary Tales of the two Great Epics Rávaña was enamoured of her, asked her to marry him, and when she declined, tried to subdue her by force. The girl, however, entered fire promising to be reborn for Rãvaņa's annihilation. She is reborn as Silā. Thus this tale provides motivation for Sită being the cause of Rāvana's end. In Sarga 19, Rāvaņa slays Anaranya, an ance. stor of Rāma, who curses Rāvaņa to be avenged by a king of his own line. According to the boon of Brabmă, Rāvana is vincible only by human beings; the Anaranya-episode specifies that human being as the king of Ikşvāku family. The incarnation tale of the BK narrows down the slayer of Rāvana still as Rāma. Looking closely, however, the Anaranya-talt duplicates the motivation of the incarnation-tale since the distinction is only hair-splittiog. Both the tales specify Rāma of the Ik svāku race, the human hero, as the slayer of Rävaņa. The BK-tale is in accordance with the standard paurāņika pattern, and fits quite well in the context in which it is put. The UK-episode is entirely artless, charmless and does not assimilate itself well enough in the bunch of these episodes. Or rather, we may as well say, though it be a little early here, that all th: episodes of this Rāvaņd-kathā-cakra are very loosely connected.
Sarga 26 contains the famous episode of curse of the Nalakūbara. Rambha was going to meet Nalakūbara, the son of Kubera, to their rendezvous. On the way, she was accosted by Rāvana who forced her to submit to his lust against her wish. Angered at such insolence, Nalakūbara pronounced a curse that if Rāvana thenceforth tried to subject any woman to his lust against her wish, his head would split into seven, The episode has widespread implications. First, it attempts to motivate Rāvana's respectful behaviour towards Sītā. But, it allows little respect left for the villain, for it compels us to conclude that Rāvana's patiently persuasive behaviour with Sītā was merely out of helplessness and not as a result of some honourable motive to inspire spontaneous love in the heart of Sītā by gallantly risking everything for her without as much as even touching her against her wish. The tale taken alongwith that of Vedavati, paints Rāvaņa as an unscrupulously lewd demon in dark colours and confirms the observation that the popular imagination has a tendency to reduce all characters into contrasted types. It would paint Rāvaņa all black, all evil, and would not allow him to possess any graceful quality whatsoever. Secondly, it is said : "Hearing this horripilating curse, Rävaņa (thenceforth) did not cherish enjoying the unamorous women."182 In that case, Sītā was in no carnal danger from Rāvaņa so long as she herself did not feel inclined. How shall we explain the fire-ordeal then ? Does it test Ravana's fickleness? or Sita's ? Does it not throw a doubt upon Sītā's innate chastity ? (For, it now does not remain a test of Rāvana's power over her since it does not exist without the consent of the woman.) Finally, Rāma's act in abandoning Sitä is controversial enough even as it is, Nalakubara's curse makes the act still more difficult to justify.
It is interesting to examine how the popular mind works at adjusting the meaning of the epic to its own understanding. The subtleties and complexities of the
182 UK, 26,47,