THE SOCIALLY DEPRESSED

THE SOCIALLY DEPRESSED

The death of a Sudra at the hands of Rama in the Uttara Kanda of the epic poses another ethical enigma. Not only does this episode reflect the deep rooted class divide during the days of the epic but also the duties of the king in maintaining the class-norms among men. The episode seems to have originated, therefore, in order to demonstrate that Rama ruled the kingdom to protect Varnadharma, commensurate with the social laws of the epic days.  Rama gets a report that a young Bramhana boy has an untimely death in his land. Such an incident happens in his land for the first time. He meets his ministers on this issue. Narada intervenes in the matter and suggests that a Sudra, who is not qualified to perform penance, is engaged in penance and warns Rama that a king who allows it will go to hell. Rama then asks Lakshmana to get the body of the boy preserved in an oil tub. He himself sets out, in search of the Sudra, seated in his Pushpaka. On seeing the Sudra performing penance, he alights from his Pushpaka, and enquires with him whether he is a Bramhana or a Ksatriya. The boy named Sambuka reveals that he is a Sudra by birth. Immediately Rama takes his sword and cuts off his head. The Gods hail Rama’s act on seeing Sambuka being killed. The Bramhana boy gets back his life.

Morally Rama’s killing of Sambuka for performing penance is wrong. But the social law forbids him from doing penance and Rama has the power to punish him. He has to act not as an individual but has to follow the social law existing at that time.

That Rama did not have any disrespect for any class in the society is revealed in the event of his visit to Sabari’s hut. Sabari who belongs to a mountain tribe, meets Rama after a long wait and feels on meeting him, the fulfilment of her life’s ambition. The old lady who performs penance considers herself satisfied by Rama’s presence in her hut and her penance bears fruits. The ethical point here is Rama’s compassion for the desolate tribal woman unlike in the case of Sambuka in which he is the king, bound by the social law to kill him.

The Varna system has its ramification in India due to inter-class marriages. The son of a Sudra male and a Bramhana woman is called a Chandala. A Chandala is considered to be lowest by birth and is treated as an outcaste. An event related to the condemnation of a Chandala by Gods raises an ethical question of class discrimination. Trisanku, who belongs to the race of Rama, has a peculiar desire to go to the heaven with his body. His own guru Vasistha and his sons reject the idea and curse him to become a Chandala. When Trisanku approaches Visawamitra, he conducts a sacrifice and the Bramhanas, out of fear, take part in the sacrifice. Neither do the Gods take the offerings of the sacrifice nor do they allow him to go to the heaven as he is a Chandala. At last Viswamitra gives him the position of a star while he falls head downwards. The whole episode is centered on the unethical treatement of Trisanku by Gods as he is a Chandala. Viswamitra’s virtue of compassion and his determination to keep up his promise as a cherished value set examples to Rama and Lakshmana whose tender minds are impressed with it.