BD Sharma
The Ramayan is not only a religious epic but also a literary achievement. It is also a fountainhead of our culture and thinking. Its overwhelming effect on our life can be well gauged from the fact that over three hundred of its versions have seen the light since it was first written by sage Valmiki. Its outreach to the other parts of the world has also been phenomenal. The Valmiki Ramayan is the basic source but it remains mainly in the domain of the priestly class. It was Goswami Tulsidas’s Ramchritmanas which scaled lofty heights in making this holy book very popular particularly in northern India. The great linguist and Indologist Grierson has termed it ‘worthy of the greatest poet of any age’. Other orientalists also concur that the Ramchritmanas occupies the place which probably few literary works can hope to attain anywhere in the world. It has also been held in high esteem by the learned critics for its poetic style with deep underlying thoughts and messages. Surviving the test of five centuries, the Manas only seems to have grown in terms of respectability. Millions treat it as a scripture and read it daily. Others and even illiterates among them have remembered it by heart and they quote it profusely in their daily discourse. They also keep a check on their conduct by deriving guidance from its contents. Vincent Smith, the famous Irish historian and author of a biography of Tulsi’s contemporary , Akbar the great, hailed the epic’s creator as ‘the greatest man of his age in India, greater even than Akbar himself’ Valmiki and Tulsi krit Ramayans have, no doubt, attained an exalted place in our lives. But amongst the many ordinary people including your present author the version of stage drama commonly known as Ramlila is very popular. In Ramlila version , the ‘Arya Sangeet Ramayan’ by Raja Jaswant Singh Verma is very popular in north India. Initially the format seems to have been written in Urdu and later the author has put the garb of Hindi on his work. The essential framework remains intact but the author has made the narration in somewhat lyrical style and has also dramatized some scenes. He has incorporated some fifty songs in it also to be sung in easy ragas like Behre Tabil, Chaubola, Behre Qawali, Lavani etc. Some Mandlis have mixed abundantly some narrations from other versions like those of Radhe shyam or the Manas. Ram Lila used to be performed in almost every village in our childhood.
The Ramlila performed at Basholi and Bhaddu are still rated amongst the best in India. In our childhood we used to wait for the Navratras eagerly and the evenings were spent in enjoying the Ramlila for a week or so. Every part of the drama did evoke a lot of interest in the audience but one of the most enthralling scene amongst youngsters used to be where there was a hot exchange of words between sage Parshuramji and Laxmanji perhaps because a youthful Laxman was involved in the duel. When the news of breaking of the Danush was received by the warrior sage Parshuram he became furious over it as the bow belonged to his guru, Lord Shiva. He confronted Ramchanderji and
Laxmanji in the presence of Vishwamiterji. The godly natured Raama behaved very respectfully with the sage but the hot tempered Laxman showed a little haughtiness against the sage. When the situation started to take the turn for the worse, the wise Raama took the command of the situation in his hand and begged the sage for his forgiveness. In the process Raama bowed to touch the feet of the angry Brahmin. As per one of the versions and the Dogra folklore the moment Raama touched the feet of sage Parshuram, all the supernatural and celestial powers of the sage got drawn out of him by the Lord. Finding such a sea change in himself and being a very learned Brahmin, the sage came to realize the reality of Raama. He promptly inquired as to whether Raama incarnation has taken place –‘Kya Raama Avatar Ho Gaya Hey?’ After coming to know of the reality, he immediately pronounced that his time was over and he was there and then leaving for the Himalayas to undertake the Tapsya. All the prowess and exceptional valour of the all powerful sage, whose writ ran for generations in the universe, disappeared in no time.
This scene of exchange of hot words between Laxman and sage Parshuram and the cool manner in which Lord Raama tackled the explosive situation remains one of the interesting chapters of Ramalila. In addition it gives us a lot of lesson in our day to day life also. Like sage Parshuram we may have led a glorious life but a day comes when new forces come into play and we either become irrelevant or rendered powerless. In other words in our lives also a Raama Avatar takes place and despite our past glory a change is destined to take place. The wise and the enlightened understand this phenomenon and they willingly accept it and retrace their feet to let the baton pass on to the next generation. Thus ‘Raama Avatar’ has assumed a proverbial narration in our lives.
The Ramayana has taught us innumerable lessons such as obedience to parents, brotherly affection, devotion of spouses to each other, triumph of Raama’s truth over the might of Raavan, disharmony created by a Kakei leading to disastrous results in the family, the disastrous results of a bad company of Manthra, sticking to Dharma like Vabhishan and a number of other lessons. But the lesson imparted by the actions of sage Parshuram who wielded huge strength and authority in his life, in retracting gracefully from the stage once he came to know that Raama Avatar has taken place remains quite illuminating for us in all walks of life. His realization that a new order has taken over and he remains of little consequence in the emerging situation is equally important for all of us. Unfortunately the lesson learned from the episode of sage Parshuram is not fully appreciated by the modern generation and we leave no stone unturned to remain stuck to the chairs of influence and later on have to cut a sorry figure when we are unceremoniously thrown out of it.
This became obvious recently when the honourable members of the old guard some of them euphemistically christened as Marg Darshaks of BJP showed a lot of reticence and reluctance in leaving their musical chairs. They sulked a lot when it became known that no mandate was being given to the political leaders who have crossed the age of 75 years. The consummate Advani didn’t utter a single word against the decision of the party per se but it was rumoured that he was sulking a lot over it. He couched his grievance very cleverly in a blog. It barely concealed the criticism of his party leadership. The old man obliquely criticized the leadership by blogging that the BJP never treated the criticism of opposition leaders as antinational. However, Modi, the shrewd politician, snatched the words of Advani and appropriated them so cleverly as to nip the controversy in the bud. Then Murali Manohar Joshi exhibited his annoyance telling us about his willingness to contest the elections but lamented that the party general secretary preempted and conveyed him the message that he was not being considered for contesting the 2019 elections. Similarly Sumitra Mahajan had also to give in with a lot of sulk and annoyance. Much is not needed to say about Yashwant Sinha and his cohorts as their exasperation and desperation were evident from each of their utterances.
One failed to understand as to why these experienced and wise men could not comprehend the contours of the emerging situation. The things were becoming clear that the old order was being replaced with the new order. It would have been in the fitness of things if they had treaded the path of sage Parshuram and had anticipated the coming events and had happily withdrawn from the stage.
The people also wonder as to why these Margdarshaks so easily forgot about the treatment which they had meted out to their predecessor, Prof Madhok, the great political thinker and founding father of the party in its earlier avataar. Mr Advani and his friends had designedly thrown the Professor out of the party very disgracefully.
Incidentally the lesson left for us by the great sage Parshuram had not been kept in mind by Sh Madhok, the great professor of Indian history and culture also. He was also supposed to know that a Raama Avatar was in the process of taking place in his life and it would have been graceful if he had handed over the mantle of the party to the new leadership and had gone out for Tapsya like the great sage. Both Prof Madhok and these Margdharshaks desperately tried to cling to power through hook or by crook and consequently they had to lose a lot of respect in the eyes of their followers.
If we consider the issue from another angle then we may be inclined to appreciate that there is at least one political party in India which has evolved a mechanism for effecting devolution of power from one generation to the next generation smoothly. Some people may have been hit hard in the process but it is also a fact that when revolutionary changes take place some people are going to be sidelined .
The appreciation has also got some justification because almost all the other political parties in India do not observe the rational and democratic norms to effect succession and have almost become dynastic fiefdoms. Not to speak of the many regional parties even the old grand party of India has embraced the dynastic mode of succession. No Raama Avatar can take place ever in this political party. Only a Gandhi Avatar, not of the Mahatma variety, of course, takes place here. The nation is destined to see a new drama, yet in this political party.
A Vadra Avatar, instead of a Gandhi Avatar is around the corner to take place. It may be a whiff of fresh air for the party men but this will be a puff of nuisance to any Indian who wants the Congress party to play an important role in the affairs of the country.
There are some people who opine that BJP could have dealt with its senior leaders with some grace and sophistication. It would have been dignified if the president of the party had visited the senior leaders himself to convey them the decision of the party regarding giving the mandate to only those below 75 years.
It may sound overstretching the issue but it is a fact that many Indians believe in the theory of Karma and some of such people don’t hesitate to attribute the plight of these senior leaders to the time tested principle of Providence that they had got the same treatment as they had meted out to Prof Madhok and some of their other predecessors. The famous Urdu poet Nazir Akbarabadi has explained these games of nature very beautifully in verse: Kalyug nahin kar yug hey ye, Yan Din ko dey aur Raat ley: Kya khub Sauda naqad hey , Iss haath dey Uss haath le :.
Those who have sent the Margdarshaks packing should also remember that the wheel of time is bound to make a circle and a Raama is waiting in the wings to take over from them also. The street singer is singing at the top of his voice ‘Iqtedar Paani ka Bulbula’. Let his message be also heard and remembered.
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