Early this year (2017), I was one of the eager purchasers of the latest novel 'Uttara Kanda', written by Shri S.L.Bhyrappa. This novel has disrupted the minds of connoisseurs of the literary world. Although the novel is a rewritten work on Valmiki’s Ramayan, much is being discussed about the treatment given to various characters and events in the holy epic I have now chosen to humbly share with you my thoughts on the novel on the eve of 'Santheshivara Meet*' scheduled on 30th Dec 2017.
(*Santheshivara, a tiny village near Channarayapatna, Hassan District (about 170 kms. from Bengaluru) is the birth place of Shri S.L.Bhyrappa. Readers and patrons of the great novelist have arranged for a 'meet' at Santheshivara on Saturday, the 30th Dec 2017. This will be a great occasion for we patrons to meet and interact with Bhyrappaji himself. Those who are interested in attending the meet may write an e mail to 'santheshivarameet@gmail.com' to register their names and know the details).
Santheshivara Linganniah Bhyrappa (83), a Kannada novelist is a living legend. He has authored 31 novels which are household names not only in Karnataka, but also all over the country and the world. Almost all his novels are translated to many Indian languages and also English. Forty years ago when he rewrote ‘Mahabharath’ as ‘Parva’ (translated to Samskrut, Telugu, Marathi, Bengali, Hindi, Tamil, Punjabi and English), it was an eye opener for ‘free thinkers’. Mahabharath was depicted not as a work of mythology but as an event of history. All major characters including ‘Lord Krishna’ were just men ‘fallible to human temptations’ for Bhyrappaji. Present novel ‘Uttara Kanda’ is a similar work describing Ramayan and its characters from Sita’s perspective. Sita is never a passive woman here and she dares questioning Ram and treads her own path. Moreover no miracles here, every event is a real one. Entire novel is presented as a flash back by reminiscent Sita during ‘Uttara Kanda’.
It was ‘Ashok Van’ in Ravan’s Lanka. Expectant Sita became jubilant on hearing Rama’s victory and the killing of Ravan. Soon came Sarame, the wife of Vibhishan asking Sita to dress up for being taken to meet her victorious husband Ram. Wearing the choicest jewels gifted to her by Mata Anasuya, eager Sita comes to the battle ground to meet her ‘Prabhu Ram’ whom she was missing for over one year. All were excited including Sita, but not Lord Ram! There was eerie silence all over.
‘Janaka Putri’………….Ram addresses Sita to break silence……‘I have fought this war and killed Ravan not for you, but to uphold the glory of my Ikshwaku dynasty! There ends my task. You were in the custody of rakshas Ravan for so long. I don’t believe in your chastity. I don’t like to accept you back. You are free to go anywhere’. It took some time for Sita to withstand the shock of thundering words of Ram, but recovered to shot back at him. ‘Ram…..my father got me married to you hoping that you are a noble man. How can such distrustful thoughts come to your mind to reject me’?
It was turn of Laxman to intervene and prevent Sita from getting in to the fire. Laxman took Sita’s cause and fired at Ram. ‘Supposing Sita too questions your chastity during her absence, what answer you can give? Accept Sita and move on.’
Under forced retreat at Valmiki’s Ashram, ripe pregnant Sita took a stroll at the turn of events during those days. Her mind probed…….’Is Ram harsher than Ravan? Whether it was the same Ram who took up the cause of immoral Ahalya and reunited her with Saint Gautam’? ........ Yes it was a decades old story…………….Ahalya, the young and beautiful wife of Saint Gautam had to live a ‘dry’ life. Frail bodied Gautam always used to be in ‘tapas’. Naturally Ahalya was tempted towards the seducing King who used to visit the ashram. When the ongoing event came to Guatam’s notice, he became furious. He told her illicit acts to all in the neighbourhood and went away to distant Himalayas for doing ‘deep tapas’. Shamed Ahalya confined herself inside the Ashram for days together. When neighbours knocked at her door, she threatened to hang herself. Neighbours gave up, but started keeping food and water at her doors everyday. Ahalya started living this way, but continued to confine herself inside and was virtually cut off from the rest of the world for years together.
When Saint Vishwamitra along with young Ram and Laxman came to meet Gautam at his ashram, they came to know about the ‘self-imposed exile’ of Ahalya. Inspired by Vishwamitra, Ram took initiative to bring out Ahalya and reunite her with Saint Gautam.
‘Why this judgment of double standard by Ram? How can he be so kind to errant Ahalya and be so cruel to me, who lived only for him and nobody else’?.............Sita’s stream of sorrowful thoughts continues. And while sending her away from Ayodhya, Ram not even bothered to tell her the facts. Under the pretext of sending her to offer ‘pujas to Rishipatnis’, Ram sent away pregnant Sita to Valmiki’s ashram along with Laxman. While leaving her, Ram’s agent Laxman just mentioned that ‘Maharaj’ has divorced her and went away!
What made Ram to conduct himself so curtly against Sita, not on one, but two occasions? Did Ram become power conscious and too scared about public opinion? Did ‘maryada purushotham Ram’ lost to ‘Maharaj Ram’? Did he not err in his roles as a dear husband and an expectant father? Could he have chosen to give up power to uphold family life and human values? Let us leave this to Sita's judgment.
Now it was the turn of Saint Valmiki to take up Sita's cause. He brings her along with Lav and Kush to Ram's court to work out a reunion on the occasion of 'ashwamed yag'. Valmiki's sane words were an eye opener to the entire court and Ram too. Relenting Ram invites Sita to join him. But now Sita becomes assertive and speaks rising her voice........'this reunion initiative came from Saint Valimiki, not from you Ram. Not even once you thought about me during these sixteen years of my 'vanavas'. Had you called also, I wouldn't have come. I am a daughter of the soil and I prefer to go back to Valmiki's ashram to continue farming. Farming for me is the best way to reunite with my 'boo-mata' and walks away. And the entire court becomes dumbstruck! Ram's desperate shouts......'Sita, Sita please come back' goes in vain! Helpless Saint Valmiki laments.........'I could only write Ramayan, but couldn't influence its tragic end'!
Now let me humbly try to place before you all my views about the novel.
I would like to have a look at the Ahalya incident in the novel. Bhyrappaji has tried to give the most probable and realistic description of the miracle of Ahalya turning a 'rock' due to Saint Gautam's curse. Shamed by the exposure of her affairs with the visiting King, Ahalya confines herself alone to her Ashram for years together, while Gautama goes away for doing 'tapas'. When young Rama visits Gautam's ashram along with Saint Viswamitra, he takes up Ahalya's cause and succeeds in bringing her out. Also Rama mediates the issue with Saint Gautama himself and brings about a reunion of the senior couple. This looks unrealistic. Was not Rama too young to play the role of a mediator for this event? Moreover at that time Rama himself was not even married. How could Bhyrappaji discount the presence of the most experienced and the versatile Saint Vishwamitra who had also a stint of romance and family life with the proverbial beauty and dancer 'Menaka'? Obviously this task of bringing out Ahalya from the shell and working out her rapprochement with Saint Gautama must have been the deft task handled by Saint Viswamitra! May be Saint Viswamitra might have given the credit to young prince Rama. This could have been a more logical sequence of roles and events to bring the whole incident into the realms of reality.
Hinduism is probably the most tolerant religion in the world. Unlike a few other major religions of the world, Hindus are never aggressive and they have never invaded or fought any other country, except for self-defense. The fact that India is the only homeland for Hindus is a testimony to our peaceful and non-aggressive nature. 'Free thinking' is in our blood and that is why India has assimilated and accommodated other religions and thoughts of the world. Obviously our readers have wholeheartedly welcomed Bhyrappaji's 'Uttara Kanda' and its critical approach to the great epic.
But Lord Rama is the most revered God for majority of our people. Even the most learned Saint Valmiki has described Lord Rama as the 'maryada purushottam'! Of course even among us there are many who are questioning Lord Rama's ways and actions! Whether Lord Rama was a God or one more fallible human being is a never ending debate. Believers may dare Byrappaji to write similar critical novels about Gods of other religions too! Byrappaji has shown greater courage and freedom of thought while writing his earlier controversial novel 'Aavarana (2007)'. In that most discussed novel, Bhyrappaji has never minced words in exposing the evil practices and beliefs prevalent in the Islamic religion.
Of course the debate goes on. 'For those who believe no proof is necessary, and for those who do not believe no proof is enough' can only be the most acceptable statement about Lord Rama. Let noble thoughts come from all sides. Free thinking and tolerance shall become the guiding spirits of our way of life. But I would like to add a word of warning. Free thinking shall never become a tool for the policy of selective appeasement! And I am sure our great writers like Byrappaji will show us the way!
