SKR- Of Loops and Symbolisms Thread #6 - Page 11

Originally posted by: shruthiravi

Guys I understood why Ram called Lakshman his reflection. Beautiful episode. Posting analysis soon. They symbolically gave me what I wanted

Originally posted by: shruthiravi

Guys I understood why Ram called Lakshman his reflection. Beautiful episode. Posting analysis soon. They symbolically gave me what I wanted

2/11/2016

Today was a beautiful path crossing and what a way to show Ram's maryada. Yes it was hard to watch Lakshman banishment. But that is what Narayan is. He applies rule same way to Prakriti and Sanskriti.

Go back to Dasrath. Shanta goes to lure Rishisringa. In a way Dasrath had sacrificied her for that purpose. That doesn't break Dasrath. He continues to live because he got sons. But when he is asked to banish Ram what happens , he loses it. He asks Ram not to go. He tries to find " n" number of ways to stop Ram from going for Vanvass. He is willing to break any law for allowing Ram to stay. His putra moh is over and above Dharma, which he doesn't show for Shanta.

Now Ram. Understand why Ram didn't do Sita banishment in public. If he had to do banishment in public he would have to do it the way he did in Rajsabha today. Keeping everyone as witness he will have to pronounce banishment to Sita. Can he make his wife suffer such an insult. How will it look if he does that publicly. That means he considers her impure right, that means he considers she has done wrong right. Ram didn't want to do that. He didn't want Sita to face that humiliation. Imagine she walking alone through the streets of Ayodhya as a banished woman. How will it look. He gave the most gentle banishment for her. At midnight when no one will see her. She stepped out of the palace as queen itself. Only at day break people knew what had happened. But after the decision was made he didn't allow her to see him. He didn't look at her and then turned away. Sita wouldn't have survived it. If he had looked at her and then turned away. He suffers through the pain in silence.

Today Ram faced the decision of banishing his brother. Yes it was difficult for him to give death sentence to lakshman, but he agrees for banishment. And I loved the dialogue. In the books banishment is mentioned equal to death. So another question comes up. When a woman is banished she is killed right. The society never thinks about it.

After banishing Lakshman Ram turns away from him, doesn't allow him to touch his feet one final time, just like he didn't open the door for Sita. But the flower Sita kept wind takes to Ram telling their feelings for each other remains same. But Ram turning away from Lakshman was brutal to say the least. He doesn't flinch when sacrificing Prakriti, doesn't flinch sacrificing Sanskriti also. He follows the same rule. And we can say he was more brutal for Sanskriti than Prakriti, where he pronounces Lakshman guilty, while Sita is never pronounced guilty.

Now what does Lakshman banishment signify. Why Ram called Lakshman his reflection. See we call know reflection is where light is and shadow is absence of light or our own darker version. Rather reflection is our good thoughts, good memories, our emotional part connected to Prakriti which everyone wants to see. That's why Bharat is artistic and he is easily connected as Ram's reflection. Because we want our reflection to be good. Connect to Prakriti alone can make us good. That part of Ram which is Siyaram signifies the reflection that Bharat is.

But Ram is not just Siyaram, he is rajaram also. Rajaram is the darker part. Yes we call it shadow, but on a broader thought that is our ego which we don't want to see, which we hide, but which exists in all of us. By calling Lakshman his reflection Ram is acknowledging the ego, pride of Raghukul ki reeti, neeti and parampara. And acknowledging the dark Raja Ram who follows that reeti neeti Parampara. Because Lakshman is that. Unlike Bharat, Lakshman represents Sanskriti its rules, its perceptions. That is why Lakshman is able to do Sita banishment, while Bharat cannot. That is why Lakshman takes vachan from Urmila. That's why Urmila is always at Lakshman's service or has to abide by Lakshman's decision. He is a soldier who stands for the pride of the country.

What does Lakshman banishment signify. It signifies the outright banishment of Sanskriti by Ram. Or rather the end of Raghukul's adharma reeti, neeti and parampara. Before Narayan goes he has to end the Sanskriti of Raghukul. By sacrificing Lakshman, Ram is sacrificing Raja Ram so that only Siyaram remains.

And Lakshman's death shows, the dark reflection or shadow exists only till a particular time. Till the person exists. But the other reflection, the one where light falls it exists even in the person's absence. Because it needs only feelings. That's why Bharat survives through Ram's chappals and Sita survives through kids. But the presence of Urmila cannot bring Lakshman to life. Because ego and pride when it falls, it dies just like Dasrath. Lakshman is reminded of Sita banishment in the end. He feels his bhabi's pain of banishment completely. That day he asked her to live. But when he faced it he couldn't survive. That is Sanskriti which can tell others do this do that but when they face the situation they succumb. Ram gives Sanskriti the situation it gives Prakriti. And shows how Prakriti thrives irrespective of so much brutality Sanskriti shows to it, while one brutality Sanskriti cannot take.

Originally posted by: shruthiravi

Thanks Savitha. In all the hungama of discussing Sita's BP I forgot to share a beautiful experience I had. Got a chance to meet Shrimati Sudha Murthy in person. Her speech simply captivated you. Her journey from a girl, to a wife to a mother it was interesting to hear. People bombarded her with questions how it is being wife of Mr Narayana Murthy, how she felt when she gave Rs 10000 to Murthy. The lady answered all maybe the nth time she is doing the same. All in all she inspired the group. It was a meeting only for the ladies managers from IT who were involved in community services . shee gave quite a lot of idea of the area we should be looking into, which included sanitary napkin distribution in government schools and support for drug de addiction centres and alchohol de addiction centres. She was talking about the young children and teenagers who she has come across in these de addiction centres and how heartbreaking it was to see the future of country getting destroyed like this.

Though it is not an unknown thing that drug addiction is happening in large scale her speech did make me reflect on that. I felt the youngsters in this forum will be able to answer it better. As in my time we had certain moral grounding and most people including boys didn't stray much on that. Drugs as such were taboo among people and maybe we came across 1 or at the most 2 in our known group.

How is it now. What do you people feel about it. Any thoughts on how we can guide the youngsters so that they don't fall prey to this. What kind of lifestyle, pressures in your environment making students go for such drastic measures and destroy themselves. What exactly are your problems. I know teenage problems, youth problems will be similar to mine, but the technology induced stress which was not there in my teenage and youth days your generation have and you people have much better knowledge on this than me.

I go to schools to teach students during weekends. if you could give suggestions, guidance on what all topics if we cover, the way we cover can help students stay away from these menance that will be helpful. De addiction is secondary. I am more looking at nipping that tendency itself atleast wherever I go to teach.