he bridge that Rama built over the ocean to reach Lanka in Torder to rescue his queen, Sita, who had been abducted by Ravana, 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-Ramayana century Sanskrit version of the Ramayana, the Ananda-Ramayana. OVidyut Aklujkar This voluminous text has been influenced further retellings of Rama katha in Maharashtra such as those by Eknath, and Mukteshvar. The Ananda-Ramayana is still read and followed in other regions of South India and is one of the central texts of the Ramnami sect in North India. 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 Lopamudra 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/Agastya, 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 translation 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 gods 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 Gandharvas, 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’ blessings.’ 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 vanaras 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 brahmin?’ 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 Valmiki Ramayana, the Adhyatma the back of Hanuman, 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.’ Ramayanas. None of the major greatness in that?’ If you suggest that It is because of this consideration that Puranas mention it either, and it does he should have swum across the Rama, who is steadfast in dharma, 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 epic, 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. Mahabharata 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.