Ram As Abductor Subrahmaniya Bharathi's Ramayan
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Ram as Abductor Subrahmaniya Bharathi's Ramayan Introduced and Translated from Tamil by Paula Richman Subrahmaniya Bharathi wrote a In The Horns of the Horse, Sita’s collection he called Nava-tantra, which Cwhimsically idiosyncratic abductor is not Ravan but Ram, who he envisioned as an updated version treatment of the story of Sita and Ram. tries in vain to seize the kingdom of of Pancha-tantra, an ancient collection Entitled The Horns of Horse, the story Koshala from his father. In the forest, of Sanskrit animal fables created to has been published in several formats, Sita turns to Queen Shurpanakha for aid; impart practical wisdom to members of including as part of a collection of the helpful queen sends the young the royal family. Although the The didactic tales. The Horns of the Horse woman to Lanka to take refuge from the Horns of the Horse contains the nested appropriates the narrative format of an persistence of Ram. Furthermore, structure of many animal fables, animal fable, slyly satirizes religious Shurpanakha cuts off Lakshman’s nose beginning with a question about how conventions, and reverses standard and toes, in a comic reversal of a particular animal gained one of its expectations about gender. Although Lakshman’s more familiar mutilation of characteristics, the framed tale belongs many Indians know of Bharathi’s Shurpanakha. The queen’s martial in the category of Ramkatha. The nationalist poetry composed in Tamil, prowess excites Ram’s desire, but she narrator’s name, Pandit Crooked Face, Sanskrit and English, The Horns of the spurns his offer of marriage and orders however, hints that the story might be Horse, translated below, is little known him out of her palace to avoid the somewhat unreliable, a suggestion either inside or outside ofTamilnadu. appearance of scandal. Ravan not only strengthened by King Reevana’s Born on December 11,1882 into a defeats Ram’s army but saves Ram, out susceptibility to flattery and his Shaiva Brahmin family in Tinnevelly of respect for his youth and noble birth. willingness to reward fawning District (in present day Tamilnadu), C. Bharathi wrote The Horns of the storytellers with large amounts of gold. Subrahmaniya has earned a reputation Horse and several other stories for a Reevana’s name sounds quite similar as the greatest Tamil poet of the twentieth century. He worked in a number of literary capacities over the course of his life - as a court poet for a zamindar, a high school teacher, journalist, translator, and cartoonist. An assembly of poets bestowed upon him the title by which he is commonly known, “Bharathi” (a Tamil name for Goddess Sarasvati), in recognition of his literary talent. His notariety grew as he became more deeply involved in political journalism against colonial rule. When the British government cracked down on “seditious” writings, he fled to nearby Pondicherry, where he remained for a decade and wrote many of the works that later won him literary fame. C. Subrahminiya Bharathi returned to British India in 1918; he passed away three years later, at age 39. No. 116 15 to that of his ancestor Ravan, the results, a ridiculous fate befalls Ram, Shurpanakha, and Ravan - a exemplary ruler of ancient the sacrificial items sent from version that differs radically from Tamilnadu - at least according to Sugreeva’s court to that of those dominant tellings by authors Tamil cultural nationalists writing Ravan. Those setting out on both such as Valmiki, Tulsidas, or during the period when Bharathi military and domestic journeys Kamban. Bharathi plays with many lived. incur major delays due to dichotomous cultural categories in Both in the framing of the unavailability of auspicious days. this story, including “good” women story and in the tale itself, Disastrous consequences follow vs. “bad” ones, humans vs. demons, Bharati makes fun of Brahmanical minor events, for instance, the and forest vs. kingdom. Yet and courtly conventions: the Sun tumbles to earth after a king Bharathi’s story ends on a familiar Vedic rites described require laughs out loud. note, with Ram marrying Sita in a absurdly large numbers of The bizarre premises of this proper ceremony in Mithila, thus sacrificial items, and instead of story provided Bharathi with the limiting the extent of transgression bringing about auspicious chance to recount a story of Sita, contained in the story. The Horns of the Horse* N Andappura City, in the land of and each month had thirty-three days. ofyajnas were performed. In the same way, Sind, lived a king named Reevan So annually, thirty-three rains fell at the members of the other varnas performed I Nayakkar. He prided himself on his rate of one every eleven days. their duties properly. Everyone was descent from the lineage of Ravan, who The Brahmins were so skilled that virtuous and charitable, enjoying all the ruled as the King of Lanka several yugas they could recite backwards - without pleasures of this world and then attaining ago. His court was renowned for its missing even a single syllable - the four the shade of Paramashiva’s holy feet in many pandits who had thoroughly Vedas, the six shastras, the sixty-four the next world. mastered all the shastras. One day, the kinds of learned arts, 1,008 puranas and At that time, in the city of Ayodhya, king demanded of his court, “Why the 10,080 sub-puranas. Everyday, in King Dasarath’s son, Ram, did not want doesn’t a horse have horns?” All of every Brahmin house -without fail - 24,000 his elder brother crowned. Since he the pandits were taken aback. Only goats were sacrificed and a variety desired the crown himself, he revolted Pandit Crooked Face, who had come against his father. Dasarath, enraged, from Karnataka to receive gifts from the threw Ram and Lakshman out of the king, offered to answer the question. country. From there they fled to the city When the king gave his assent, Pandit of Mithila and took refuge with King Crooked Face began this story: • Janak. While the king was sheltering “Emperor Reevan, listen! In ancient them, Ram saw and fell in love with the times, all horses had horns. In the time beautiful Sita, daughter of Janak. He of Lord Ravan, your ancestor who ruled abducted her and entered the Dandaka in Lanka, Brahmadeva, put an end to Forest. the practice of having horns on horses, There Ram and Lakshman tortured at the king’s command.” the sages in all sorts of ways, ruining When Reevan Nayakkar heard [of their sacrifices. Shurpanakha Devi, who his ancestor’s power], he was thrilled. ruled the forest, came to hear of this. “What’s that? Tell me the whole story.” Because she was Ravan’s sister and Pandit Crooked Face continued as because she was of Brahmin lineage, follows: she couldn’t tolerate the trouble Ram During the time of Ravan’s dharmic gave the rishis. So she ordered her army rule in Lanka, rains fell three times a to catch Ram and his brother month. In those days, every year Lakshman, tie them up, and bring them uniformly contained thirteen months to her. Exactly as she had ordered, the 16 MANUSHI soldiers caught Ram and Lakshman, bound them with a rope and brought them into the presence of Shurpanakha. Commanding that the two be untied, she threatened them with harsh words: “Because you are princes and because you are young, I will forgive your past depredations. However, if you ever perform such actions again, you will be severely punished.” After giving this advice, she welcomed them to stay for a few days in the palace and enjoy her hospitality. One day, when Sita was speaking to Shurpanakha privately, Sita told her that Ram had abducted her and that she wished to return to her father in Mithila. Out of sympathy, Shurpanakha sent Sita to Lanka and requested that Ravan have her brought to Mithila. As soon as Sita reached Ravan’s palace, Ram asked, “When did you send “Ravan, King of Lanka, writes to the ministers awaited an auspicious day Sita to Mithila? With whom did you Sugreev of Kishkindha: You killed to send her to Mithila. There wasn’t an send her? How far would she have our friend. You killed your elder auspicious day during the entire year. gone by now?” brother. You stole the kingdom. As It was the same thing during the Shurpanakha replied, “From now soon as you read this letter, you following year. So Ravan ordered Sita on, abandon all thought of Sita. I should send Tara to a nunnery in to stay at his palace for two years. have sent her to my elder brother in Lanka. You should give the kingdom Back in Dandaka Forest, Ram Lanka. Maybe he will send her to to Angada, the son of Vali. You asked Shurpanakha, “Where is Mithila, maybe not. He can do should become a sanyasi. Renounce Sita?” whatever he wants. He’s the king of the kingdom and leave immediately. Shurpanakha told him that Sita the three worlds. Forget Sita.” If you refuse to obey my commands had been sent to Mithila. Angrily, When Ram heard that, he set out, about these matters, I will lead my Lakshman began to rebuke planning to rescue Sita from Ravan, army to attack you.” Shurpanakha, asking, “How could and arrived in Kishkindha. At that As soon as Sugreev read these you do such a thing?” time, a king named Sugreev was ruling orders, he became frightened, looked Immediately Shurpanakha Kishkindha. He had been preceded for Hanuman, and asked him, “What grab-bed the knife tucked at her by his elder brother, Vali.