 Rama – Dasaratha and Rama
A strange situation
Despite everything, there are a few characters in the epic that are aware of the divine nature of the hero and the purpose of the avatar, though the hero himself is not aware of it, and is not supposed to know it until the killing of Ravana. Sometimes we see some of the citizens getting a whiff of the scent, which take the shape of their admiring exclamations. But these are passing remarks. Almost all of the sages that we come across in the epic have an insight into this divinity. You can see this right from Vasistha to Agastya. From Atri to Sarabhanga or Suitksana. That includes the demons Viradha and Kabandha. If Vibishana realises this divinity, Kumbakarna expresses it in his last advice to Ravana; Indrajit acknowledges it. And even Ravana realises it on the very last day of the war, at the very last moment, minutes before his death, as he perceives his trident turning to piece with Rama raising the sound of ‘hmmm’ in anger.
‘ivanOdhaan av vEdha mudhal kAraNan,’ Ravana realises in shock. ‘He is neither Shiva, nor Brahma, nor Vishnu. He is the One that the Vedas point to as the Supreme.’ But it was too late then.
If that is so, there are two very important characters of the epic, which are happily unaware of any such thing as ‘divinity of Rama’ or the idea of an ‘avatar’. One is unable to see. The other refuses to see. Dasaratha and Rama. Dasaratha is unable to see the super-human nature of his son, despite the killing of Tataka, the killing of Subähu and the hurling of Märïca, despite the breaking of the bow of Shiva, despite the quelling of Parasurama, despite everything. Rama is nothing other than his ‘endeared child’ throughout, until the very last breath of the emperor. He might have grown up sufficiently to accept the responsibilities of a king; but he is no more than a child. He could not see anything else of Rama. In fact, he was unable to see beyond that because of his excessive love for Rama, his child.
And the other person, of course, Rama, turns a deaf ear to such statements that tell him of his divinity, after the fall of Ravana. The appearance of Garuda in the battlefield means nothing to him. The words of Agni or Brahma or anyone else for that matter in the scene of Agni Pravesa on his divine nature go unheard. The appearance of Agastya in the battlefield is seen as an act of unbounded mercy. The appearance of the chariot of Indra which is sent to him for his last battle with Ravana is looked at with a bit of askance. Rama does not give cognisance at all to any of the references to his divinity on more than one occasion towards the end of the Book, until Yama comes to him to remind him that He has to ascend His abode. That is the only occasion when Rama perceives what He is. Save for only one occasion, when blessing Hanuman at the time of Vibishana Saranagathi.
That is the difficulty in moving the drama. The main character is in blissful oblivion of His nature; while a few around him possess that knowledge. And those few are supposed to initiate such events and make the wheels roll in their intended direction. When they do so, they are not supposed to divulge in the least the reason why they are doing this and this deed, which would cause a direct awareness of His own true Self. They do things so very imperceptibly; naturally and prepare the ground for the avatar to move towards its purpose. That demands all the skills of the poet to move the drama to move smoothly, without letting inconsistencies and incongruities hold their sway!
Now, Viswamitra is one among those who was aware of this purpose behind the avatar, apart from Vasistha. And that’s how we see his appearance in the court of Dasaratha. He needs Rama to be sent with him. That’s how the story of Rama begins, after his birth. This is the first time that we are going to see our hero on the screen. The reason that he gives out to Dasaratha, for sending Rama along with him, sounds neither convincing nor logical. But he wants Rama to accompany him! He is not able to listen to Dasaratha’s reasoning, or the suggestion of a viable and logical alternative. He is touched to the quick and his eyes spit fire at the moment Dasaratha pleads for accepting him as the right choice to guard his Yaga.
Why is that Viswamitra’s request, is neither convincing nor logical? Think for a while.
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