I have few thoughts on the Ramayana which I wish to pen down here. But before that the disclaimer:
I am a born Hindu, and probably I will die a Hindu. I came to know of all the sacred texts of Hinduism because I was born into the Hindu religion. Since I was born to Hindu parents, I became a Hindu. There are many sacred texts, many gods, and many incarnations in Hinduism. Every Hindu of the past, present and future is a born intellectual, possessing the innate ability to write commentary on any sacred Hindu text. Any Hindu can interpret, for instance the Bhagawat Gita, in his own manner. I am one among them.
It is claimed, and infinite evidence too is offered to vindicate the claim, that Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion, perhaps over 10,000 years old. Would it then be wrong to assume that there must have been at least 1,000 crore Hindus before us who were born Hindus, practiced Hinduism, and died as Hindus? At the same time, it would not be out of place to assume that there are at least 100 crore Hindus living today who are born Hindus, practiced Hinduism, and will die as Hindus. These figures are only assumptions and obviously will vary.
The Ramayana is one such sacred text of the Hindus. Every Hindu follows the Ramayana in letter and worships Lord Rama. The story of Rama is engraved in every blood cell of a Hindu. Such is the greatness of this sacred text.
There have been many authors who criticized this sacred text. In English, ‘Aubrey Menen’ reinterpreted it in his book Rama Retold, which was banned. The book was published by Chatto & Windus, London. Similarly, Ramayana Vishavruksham (meaning “Ramayana, the Poisonous Tree”) was written by the prominent Telugu Marxist and feminist writer Ranganayakamma. Published in the 1970s. It is a highly controversial critique of the original Ramayana by Valmiki, analyzing the epic through a Marxian and gender-equality lens. Likewise, many books in various languages were banned because their criticism of the sacred book – the Ramayana. My question, however, is not a criticism; at most it may be regarded as an author’s creativity.
During the war of the Ramayana, Lakshmana was mortally wounded by Ravana’s son, Meghnad (Indrajit), who used the Shakti weapon. To save him before sunrise, the physician Susena asked Hanuman to fetch the Sanjeevani herb from Mount Dronagiri in the Himalayas. What would have happened if both Rama and Lakshmana were killed in the Ramayan war? What could have been the story? How would the story have progressed? Why has no one thought from this angle before? It was a war; anything could have happened. War is like horse racing—any horse can win.
Infinite possibilities exist if we assume that Rama and Lakshmana were killed in the war. Yet no book, movie, or research ever explored this direction. This also shows the extent of the conditioning of our minds. Humanity never went beyond the traditional religious story of the Ramayana. My lifetime may not be sufficient to write about even a few possibilities arising from such an assumption. The question remains: why this thought never existed earlier?
About the Author
Dr. K. Raja Gopal Reddy is a seasoned internationally qualified Insurance professional. What you are reading here, may not answer all the questions we have, but has the absolute power of asking unsettling questions which increase the interest in the strange world, and show the contradictory wonders lying just below the surface of the commonest things of life. Look at this disturbing but beautiful thought of Friedrich Nietzsche “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him”.
Dr. Reddy can be reached at: raja66gopal@gmail.com
