 Rama – Dasaratha and Rama
Of decisions and conviction
Tataka appears before them even as Viswamitra was narrating her nature, with her trident raised in preparation for killing the three. Even at that point of imminent danger, and the threat to kill them and gobble them up, Rama stops for a while. ‘I know that the sage wants me to kill her,’ he tells himself.
‘uyirkkE thuN enum vinaith thozil thodangi uLalEnum,’ Though she stands there wielding her trident menacingly, and is about to hurl it on them,
‘peN ena manatthidaip perundhagai ninaitthaan,’ Rama did not act immediately. ‘She is a woman and therefore it is not right for me to kill her,’ he thought. We have studied this scene from Kamban in our discussions on the Vali Episode. (See:
The maiden kill
- Part I and II)
As we saw in our earlier discussion of this scene, keeping the Vali Episode in perspective, Viswamitra quotes precedence and cites the instances of women of questionable character and those who violated the established order of society, who were a threat to public peace, were killed in the past.
“It is heard that in the former days Indra killed Mantharä, daughter of Virocana (son of Prahläda) who desired to destroy the earth, O protector of men! Again, the wife of the sage Bhrgu and the mother of Sukräcärya (the well-known preceptor of the demons), who though devoted to her husband, desired to see the world bereft of Indra, was disposed of by Lord Vishnu in the past, O Rama,” Viswamitra affirms. (Valmiki Ramayana, Bala Kanda, Canto 25, Sloka 20 and 21) The list that Kamban gives – a synopsis of which was given in the earlier discussion – is adopted directly from Valmiki, though Kamban’s list is a bit wider.
The essence of what Viswamitra quotes boils down to one thing. A criminal is a criminal. A murderer is a murderer. The protector of men is not to be swayed by considerations of gender, when it comes to protecting society. His priority is to protect public peace and to ensure public security. It is the first responsibility of a ruler, protector, to take the nature of the crime that is perpetrated and set other considerations such as gender, aside, in the discharge of his duties. The nature of punishment may vary from the minimum deterrent to stop the offender, as it would happen in the case of Sürpanakhä, or killing as it is now proposed in the case of
Tataka.
‘A king has to administer; uphold righteousness; ensure the safety of the protected. His mind should not sway on any account in the discharge of his duties, if it is right that he stands for,’ says
Viswamitra.
nRishamsam anRishamsam vaa prajaa rakshaNa kaaraNaat |
paatakam vaa sadoSam vaa kartavyam rakshataa sadaa ||
(Ibid, Sloka 18)
“For the protection of the people even that which is sinful or wrong must invariably be done by one whose duty it is to protect.” It is your onerous responsibility to protect. Do not let your mind go behind other considerations, when the question of ensuring common good arises.
‘paatakam vaa sadoSam vaa’ Be it sinful; or be it vilifying.
‘kartavyam rakshataa sadaa’ Your first priority is to protect.
Rama is now convinced. With folded hands he told the sage, “In the midst of (other) elders at Ayodhya I was instructed by my father conveyed in his (actual) words and out of respect for your father’s word the command of Viswamitra (a scion of Kusa) must be carried out (by you) without (any) scruple. His admonition (therefore) should on no account be ignored (by me). Having heard the (aforesaid) exhortation of my father and in obedience to the command of an exponent of the Vedas (in you) I shall accordingly discharge my foremost duty in the form of killing (the ogress) Tataka; there is no doubt about it.” (Ibid, Canto 26, Sloka 2 – 4)
What he heard from Viswamitra would govern the most important, difficult and crucial of decisions Rama would make. One of which is the killing of Vali. The Vali Episode should be examined with reference to this dictum of sage Viswamitra that Rama received at a very young age. There are a few aspects of the episode which remain to be discussed. We shall do so in due course.
The point now is Rama does not allow anyone to force a decision on him. If at all he is to do a certain thing, he does so after he is convinced and out of his own conviction. His decisions are his own decisions. And not doctored. The trait he displayed here is the trait that he would display in a variety of ways and in widely varying situations. He does not succumb to either threat or pressure. The completely different stance that sage Viswamitra adopts with Rama – as compared to what he did in the presence of Dasaratha – is an example, if not proof.
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