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Home , Agastya, Eknath, Rama, Ramayana, Sita, Valmiki

he bridge that built over the ocean to reach in Torder to rescue his queen, , who had been abducted by , was a major achievement and a matter Sita as Rama’s Advocate of great pride for Rama’s followers.1 This is an analysis of how Sita defends the building of the bridge in the 15th Propriety in the Ananda- century version of the Ramayana, the Ananda-Ramayana. OVidyut Aklujkar This voluminous text has been influenced further retellings of Rama katha in such as those by , and Mukteshvar. The Ananda-Ramayana is still read and followed in other regions of South and is one of the central texts of the Ramnami sect in . It offers a careful study of Sita’s dignity and composure under pressure and gives us insights and an understanding of the continuous hold of this legendary pativrata on the minds of people to this very day. Sita Dialouge The debate on the building of the bridge known as the Sita-Lopamudra samvada, takes place in the ninth sarga of the fourth Kanda, the Vilasa Kanda, of the Ananda-Ramayana. In it, Lopamudra, the wife of sage Agasti/, questions the propriety of Rama’s action. In response, Sita defends Rama’s endeavour and offers a unique gloss on it. While focusing on the propriety the older woman which saves the before discussing it in of a skillful action of an acclaimed situation. detail further. hero, the two women demonstrate The Sita-Lopamudra samvada “At the time of a solar eclipse their talents in conversational thus offers a rich context for the study Rama, along with Sita, and other strategies and propriety of speech. of Sita’s talents both in action and in relatives, mounted the Pushpaka Lopamudra’s playfully innocent speech. As the recent series of articles vimaan (aircraft) and went to question turns into a challenge which in MANUSHI has demonstrated, Sita Kurukshetra to bathe. The Sita meets head-on, using tact to uses her perseverance and regard for followed them, together with the convert an insult into an advantage, propriety to protect what she , the Kinnaras, and the and scoring points by advancing considers most valuable. This essay Pannagas. Sages from several several impeccable arguments about provides an example of how Sita wins hermitages and thousands of kings behavioral propriety. When Sita wins the verbal battle by a gentle but firm came as well. There, while the sun was the debate and the older woman is exercise of intellect accompanied by eclipsed, Rama bathed along with Sita, silenced, it is the proper courtesy her respect for propriety. and donated many elephants, camels, shown by the younger woman out of The entire episode is narrated in horses and chariots to those gathered respect for the age and reputation of 30 verses in Sanskrit, and I offer a there. Then the kings bearing many

38 MANUSHI gifts came to visit Raghava, and the not request this of the sage. Thus has queens came to visit Janaki. Sita Rama conducted the bridge-building greeted the consorts of the kings and with great thought, in order to advance offered them honoured seats his fame. No one has done anything alongside her friends and wives of the like it before, nor will they do again. sages. After accepting the hospitality Now the entire world knows him and offered by Sita, Lopamudra (wife of speaks of him as “The one who made Agastya), hoping to please Sita, the rocks float on the ocean’. began, ‘O Sita, with eyes dark as the How Sita Vanquishes Kanja birds, and with a gait like an With these words of Sita, elephant, you are so fortunate. Do tell Lopamudra was vanquished. She us something about Rama’s valour.’2 became embarrassed and remained Gentle but Firm silent for a moment before the At this request, Janaki narrated assembly of women. Then with a the story from the time of her wedding laugh, Vaidehi placated Lopamudra. up to the visit to Kurukshetra. Having She also worshipped the other wives heard the story, Lopamudra said to of sages and appeased them over and Janaki with a laugh, ‘O Sita, over again. everything that the great-soul Archive I have offended you today, great did was proper3. There is only one pativrata, please pardon my offence. occasion on which I think he exerted Thanks to the occasion, and because himself in vain. What was the purpose of your friendship, I have ventured to of undertaking the great effort of speak of Rama’s valour in front of you. building the bridge? Why didn’t I know very well that Rama owes his Raghava turn to the pot-born sage, valour to your husbands’ .’ Agasti? Agasti would have drunk the Having propitiated them thus, she salt-ocean in just one moment and bid farewell to all the sages’ wives.” dried it up so that the monkeys would [ A. R. Vilasa Kanda, Sarga nine, have been able to cross over easily. verses 1 - 30 ] He made all those toil This conversation between Sita ocean, the doubt raised would be, unnecessarily in the cause of building and Lopamudra unfolds like a game ‘How can one cross the piss of a the bridge.’ of tennis between the champion of ?’ If Rama were indeed to On hearing this proud speech Sita yesteryear and an aspiring young star. request your husband, the pot-born laughed aloud and said to Lopamudra, The past champion delivers a great sage to drink up the salt-ocean in one ‘O great pativrata3, Lopamudra, service, but then the young star takes mouthful, then this is what Rama Raghava acted quite properly when over and with a few well-aimed fast would have considered in his heart: he built the great bridge. I will tell you strokes renders the older champion the reason. Listen with a steady mind. True, we have heard that this ocean completely vanquished. Like a good May all the assembled wives of kings was once drunk by the angry Agasti, sport, the older champion accepts also listen to what I have to say. If and then released through his urine, defeat gracefully, when to sweeten the Raghava had dried up the ocean by which is why it has since become sorrow, the young champion passes 4 shooting an arrow, then it was feared salty. It is entirely salty just like urine, on all the credit of her victory to the that many beings would have been so how can Agasti deserve to drink it coaching of the older star. killed. Had Rama simply managed to now? Even if at my request, the sage Let me first note the uniqueness fly across the ocean by air, then how should indeed drink it up, then it is I of this episode. Such a conversation would Ravana recognise Rama as who would be the butt of ridicule between the two women, Sita and human? Had he sought to arrive on everywhere. They would point to me Lopamudra, does not occur in the the other shore of Lanka by riding on and say, this is that Rama who for the Ramayana, the Adhyatma the back of , then they sake of his own selfish ends, Ramayana or in any of the other older would have said, ‘Where is Rama’s commanded a brahmin to drink urine.’ . None of the major greatness in that?’ If you suggest that It is because of this consideration that mention it either, and it does he should have swum across the Rama, who is steadfast in , did not occur in any of the older plays

No.125 39 based on the myth of Rama. As far as By definition, the guests have the performed deeds of equally great I can tell, the Ananda-Ramayana is privilege and are honoured and proportions, and is venerated where it appears for the first time. The pampered at all costs.5 Sita does that throughout the North and South for Agastya-Lopamudra hermitage is to begin with. However, Lopamudra his extraordinary prowess and briefly mentioned in Valmiki broaches the subject of Rama’s wisdom. In addition, in the , he Ramayana. Agastya’s exploits such exploits, and having heard the epic helped the young hero Rama in his as lowering the mountain, drinking up story, decides to question the present victory in many ways.6 With the ocean and gobbling up demons propriety of his celebrated feat. At all this in mind, Sita must answer his are mentioned in the various this point, we enter the second ring wife’s question in such a manner as Puranas. Lopamudra’s birth, her of propriety, as now it is Rama’s to erase any blemish on Rama’s wedding to Agastya and the birth of bridge building which has become the judgement and re-establish his her son are mentioned in the focus of discussion and the propriety wisdom without offending the guest. and in some myths of of its construction under scrutiny. The Offense with Decorum the major Puranas. However, this sort issue of behavioral propriety here is Sita accepts the challenge and, at of battle of wits between the two tied to the respective the risk of offending the guest, heroines is not to be found anywhere accomplishments of the two manages to re-establish Rama’s claim else. The Ananda-Ramayana is husbands, bridge-building versus to wisdom, judgement, and propriety. original in this respect. drinking the ocean, which establish The fact that Lopamudra has posed Secondly, the locale and the time their respective heroic worth and an embarrassing question in the that the Ananda-Ramayana has claims to fame. At this point, Sita faces presence of the other ladies gives Sita chosen for the setting of this myth a dilemma, as would any well-meaning a justification in taking on the are fitting to the outcome. The locale hostess. She is confronted with a offensive. Nevertheless, she does it is Kurukshetra, famous as the mischievous guest, who has asked with utmost decorum, without any battlefield of the great Mahabharata her a seemingly innocent question, harsh words, ridicule, or ill feeling. All war. It seems fitting that even a casual which will overshadow her husband’s she does is to ask counter-questions. visit in this locale may somehow result glory. If Sita accepts the criticism, then She depicts alternate scenarios and in a confrontation. The time is said to she will have failed to defend the reduces them to undesirable or be of a solar eclipse, symbolising honour of her husband. On the other ridiculous situations. Thus, through temporary overshadowing, or hand, if she defends the honour of a simple process of elimination, Sita eclipsing of brilliance. Lopamudra’s her husband, as a good wife should, establishes the inevitability and mischievous remark, were it allowed then she fails as a hostess and risks thereby the propriety of Rama’s to go unchallenged, may have offending the elderly wife of a great action. eclipsed Rama’s fame. Rama traces his sage. This incident serves as a test of It is worthy of note that Sita does lineage to the , hence her hospitality, and can be regarded not tackle the solution offered by the choice of the imagery of a solar as her sattiva-pariksha (a test of her Lopamudra right at the beginning. eclipse is all the more befitting. Rama virtue). Instead, she examines the other follows the customary injunctions of Furthermore, the legendary possible options which could have behavioral propriety in passing over relationship between Agastya and been exercised. The importance of her the inauspicious times of an eclipse Rama is not just of the cordial guest- strategy will be obvious to myth and gives several donations. Similarly, host variety, nor is it the common analysts. These options are, in fact, Sita gives gifts to appease everyone complimentarity between a great sage other variations on the myth of Setu- assembled, and hopes to come and a great king. It is much more bandhanam, as found in other unscathed through this trial of her intimate than that. Agastya, the versions of the epic.7 In considering devotion to Rama, by using her tact Brahmin sage conquered the South them one by one, Sita finds fault with in speech as a gracious hostess. before the king, Rama ever each one of them, and discards them Test of Sita’s Virtues set foot on the southern land. He as unsuitable alternatives. She then Sita is the hostess, and the sage’s lowered the Vindhya mountains, he addresses the question of getting wife, Lopamudra, is one of several drank up the ocean to help the gods Agastya’s help as suggested by guests. Again, customary propriety of locate the demons hidden in its waters, Lopamudra. At this point, Sita talks behavior demands mutual respect, and he subdued demons like Vatapi of something unusual and polite exchanges, and gifts given by by literally consuming and digesting embarrassing. She mentions what is a the hostess to the assembled guests. them. In other words, the great sage familiar version of an earlier myth

40 MANUSHI about Agastya’s drinking up the Ekanatha (1533-99) mentions this ocean.8 It is a rather indecorous incident in his Bhavartha Ramayana, version and suggests humble folk-tale in another context. Here, in the origins.9 Yet Ananda-Ramayana has Yuddha-kanda, right after the actual managed to incorporate the folk bridge-building, when Rama goes to version in Sanskrit verse, in the meet the old sages in Ramesvara language of the gods, and thereby has , they congratulate him on his legitimised it, since within the text feat, Rama cautions Sita, ‘Lopamudra itself, the creativity of the entire will ask you to tell her of my exploits. Ananda-Ramayana is ultimately But you should not mention my attributed to the venerable sage, bridge-building to her or else you will Valmiki. The later Marathi texts simply be sorry.’ This anticipation of future echo this version of the release of the outcome of the conversation by ocean by Agastya as his urine. Ekanatha’s Rama may stress Rama’s By mentioning this ending of the omniscience, but it takes the punch earlier Agastya myth, Sita has killed out of the entire incident. There is also two birds with a stone. She has ruled no focus on Sita’s clever verbal skills out several options, such as Rama’s in Ekanatha’s version. Instead, both swimming across the ocean, or his Lopamudra and Sita act more like drinking it, or even Agastya’s drinking ornamental wives basking in the the waters. Regarding the last option, reflected glory of their own famous Sita even manages to portray the husbands. The utmost restrain cordial relationship between Agastya acknowledges the gift of grace exercised in the choice of words in and Rama, and describes as bestowed on Rama by Agastya, and Ananda-Ramayana by both women inadmissible and totally absurd the attributes the entire glory of Rama’s is also absent in the versions of the scenario of Rama asking Agastya to adventures to Agastya’s blessings. later poets.12 drink his own urine, and Agastya This humbleness on the part of the In comparison to such later complying. The only inhibition which young hostess saves the situation, portrayals of the two women’s restrains Rama from taking this and the sage’s wife departs with no ill dependence on their husband’s option, Sita says, is the consideration feelings. wisdom, the Ananda-Ramayana’s of propriety. Thus, Sita succeeds in The beauty of the Ananda- portrayal stands out as a refreshing answering all the unasked questions Ramayana passage is in the total battle of wits between the two of alternate courses of action, and absence of male participation in the heroines. This portrayal of Sita as an establishes Rama as one who exchange of words. Neither Rama nor intelligent hostess abiding by the recognises the proper dharma for a Agastya are present in the Ananda- rules of propriety depicts her as one King. Ramayana on this occasion. This is capable of tackling difficult situations Last Ring of Propriety entirely a conversation between the with admirable ingenuity. Sita is shown 11 At this point, we enter the third two women. Although the Ananda- in the Ananda-Ramayana as not just and the last ring of propriety. Ramayana was a very influential text a passive pativrata, but as one who Lopamudra, who is equal to Sita in in the medieval period in Maharashtra, can argue with wit as well as with her devotion to her husband, we find that the Marathi poets of the decorum, one who can win an decorous behavior and in taking quick time, while following the Ananda- argument and also win over 10 decisions, meets her match, and Ramayana, present a rather watered- Lopamudra’s heart by her disarming realises that she has been defeated. down version of the incident. They humility.  She remains silent, and is do not let the women resolve the embarrassed among the gathering of situation by themselves. Their world References women. It is at this point that Sita is entirely male-centered. In their 1. The residents of Rameshwar, a town once again shows her exemplary tact versions, Rama either instructs Sita near the southeast tip of India, fondly and nobility and reverts to proper not to mention his bridge-building to point out to pilgrims some great rock behavior as the gracious hostess. She Lopamudra, or ultimately saves the surfaces in the ocean overlooking the apologises sincerely to the elderly situation by propitiating Agastya and shores of Lanka as Rama’s celebrated lady, begs for , Lopamudra himself. For example, bridge. Valmiki-Ramayana describes

No.125 41 it as an unprecedented feat. Abhuta- Padma Purana, uttara khanda, 10. In the Mahabharata, when Agasti asks purvam ramena sagare adhyana 269.; [b] occurs in the Jaina Lopamudra how many sons she setubandhanam. Valmiki Ramayana Ramayana by Hemacandra, and also wants, a thousand, a hundred, ten or yuddha kanda, 16. in the Uttara Purana by Gunabhadra. one who will be equal in prowess to a 2. Many later literary works including [c] occurs in the Birhor Ramakatha. thousand. MBh. parvan, Hanuman nataka [8:19] and Ananda- See Bulcke, 1971. 3.97.18-20 Ramayana mention the bridge- 8. There are at least two endings of this 11. There is a slender thread in later building of Rama across the ocean as myth. The Mahabharata, the Sanskrit and certainly in the one of his major exploits. The Skanda Purana, and the Padma Purana Marthi literature where conversations Purana (3:1-52) spends in all 52 accounts say that having drunk the between two women are versified. chapters on the description of the ocean, Agastya refused to release it. Thus we have Laksmi-Gauri- glory of the bridge, setu-mahatmya- He digested it. So then they had to samvarfa, -Gauri samvada, Sita- varnanam. rely on other figures such as Lopamudra-samvaiia, and others. A 2. Vrtha te sramitah sarve vanarah setu- to refill it. This ending of Draupadi- samvada bandhane. A.R. Vilasa Kanda 9.12 the myth is consistent with another occurs in the Mahabharata. 3. Sita calls her pativrate, which refers myth of Agastya’s swallowing and 12. Pandita’s (1618-1695) to her being completely devoted to digesting demon Vatapi in order to treatment of the theme in his Sita- her husband, a quality for which, vanquish him. However, there is a Lopamudra samvada is similar to traditionally, Sita herself is recognised variant version which says that Ekanatha. His Rama cautions Sita not as being the foremost one. The topic Agastya released the ocean by way to boast in front of Lopamudra, Sita of conversation is the relative worth of relieving himself. I have not been of their husband’s exploits, and their able to trace this version back. It cannot resist, Lopamudra taunts her. own worth as pativrata is reflected in appears to be a well known oral Rama then uses the work “ksarabdi” the best defence of that fame. tradition. to refer to the ocean, and thereby again 4. The use of urine to give saltiness to 9. Motif Index of Folk Literature by Stith prompts Sita to refer to the release to liquids is a folk motif that occurs in Thompson mentions A923.1. as the ocean as urine. His Sita does reply shocking tales told in pubs, and Ocean from urine and also cf. A933 to the taunt, but after being prompted barrooms. The liquids may be as River from urine of goddess by Rama, and not on her own.s inadvertently consume by (giantess) and lists myths from Irish, unsuspecting victims. The most recent Nordish, French, Sudanese, Korean The author teaches at the University example of this is in a movie called and Indian sources. of British Columbia. Barnone from British Columbia, directed by Mark Tuit, released in the Vancouver International Film Festival in September-October 1997. MANUSHI 5. See on this topic, my earlier paper, Handsomely Bound in Maroon Leather in Nine Volumes Queer Guests and gracious Hosts, read at the annual Price for India, and : conference at Madison, Wisconsin, on October 19, 1996. An earlier version Vol.I : Nos. 1 to 19 (1979 to 1983) Rs.450 of this paper was read at the American Oriental Society’s 206th meeting at Vol.II : Nos. 20 to 37 (1984 to 1986) Rs.400 Philadelphia, PA, March 19, 1996. Vol.III : Nos. 38 to 49 (1987 to 1988) Rs.300 6. Details may differ, but the acknowledgement of help from the Vol.1V : Nos. 50 to 61 (1989 to 1990) Rs.300 elderly hero to Rama remains common Vol.V : Nos. 62 to 73 (1991 to 1992) Rs.300 in many Ramayanas. He has taught Rama a hymn, called aditya-hrdaya Vol.VI : Nos.74to85 (1993 to 1994) Rs.300 (V.R.), or has given him a great bow Vol. VII : Nos.86to97(1995tol996) Rs.300 belonging to Visnu, or a sword, etc. (Kamban R.). In most Ramayanas, Vol.VIII : Nos.98to 109 (1997to 1998) Rs.300 Rama stops over in Agastya’s Vol. IX : Nos. 110 to 121 (1999 to 2000) Rs.300 hermitage before he sets out to the deeper forests, and gains blessings Postage in India : Rs 30 per volume from the old sage. All Other Countries: US$ 60 per volume 7. For example, [a] occurs in the Abhiseka nataka, and drying up of the (including air-mail postage) ocean by occurs in the Send payment by cheque, draft or MO payable to Manushi Trust.

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