Originally posted by: CaptainSpark
Hey guys. I have recently started reading up about Ramayan and have a lot of questions. My questions may look repetitive, but I am new to this. I hardly have much knowledge about Ramayan except the basic story line. I haven't read the real epic. Feel free to clear my misconceptions. Thought y'all well be able to explain things to me :)
1. Why didn't Ayodhya or Mithila help Ram when he went to battle with Ravan? I know Janak was not a king per say but more of the head of a farmer community, but still, I guess they could provide some help. No excuse for Ayodhya though.
I answered this in the other thread so just copying it over:
When Seeta was abducted, Rama was going about as a hermit. His coronation was not done so technically, Ayodhya had no King. He was King just in name, and Bharat was his regent. This is why Rama might have refrained from asking the Ayodhya peeps to come down.
Also, communication was slow. To find Seetao nly they took like 10months, and another month to travel down to the sea-shore. So, to wait for the Ayodhya army to first come to Kishkindha, then to Lanka, it would've been tiresome, and many people would've died on the way thus weakening both Rama's and Ayodhya's army.
Then, as I mentioned Ayodhya did not have a coronated King for 14 years. Bharat did the administrative stuff but he did not have powers equal to a coronated King. In this case, he needed all the support he could to keep Ayodhya safe from invaders and such. The most important asset of them was Ayodhya's formidable army, to remove even one soldier would weaken Ayodhya's defenses and would potentially jeopardize Rama's accession in the future.
As for Janak, he was a highly respected King so Dasharath might have, but I don't think his jamai raja had any practical authority to command him. Also, a little ego battle: Ayodhya always stands alone and above all else.
2. Hanuman went to Sita in Ashok Vatika and met her. Why couldn't he have brought her back? ππ
Seeta didn't want to touch a different man than Rama. Hanuman offered, though. π
3. What was the reason for Manthara's strong hatred for Ram? Was it just because she came from Kekaya and wanted Bharat hence? That seems strange.
Ramayan is mostly a utopian composition. Everyone is white/black, nothing in between really unless it is explicitly mentioned (like Meghnaad).
Manthara saw Rama as the one and only obstacle in the path of Bhaat's 'success' so Rama bore the brunt of her crusades.
4. How is beating up Manthara like that justified - I have read that Bharat and Shatrughan beat her up later. She technically was just looking out for the queen from her kingdom. Is beating her up justified?
Bharat actually stopped Shatrughna from killing Manthara (as per the laws for having sabotaged the prince of the kingdom). Both Bharat and Rama, as the main people in positions of advantage/disadvantage due to her plottings, forgave her eventually.
5. Why did Dasharath love Ram more than others?
First child, heir to the throne, generally of a pleasing disposition.
Rama had been groomed to become the futrure King from the start. I'm sure that involved him spending a lot of time with his father, the actual King. So perhaps that was the reason Dasharath was more inclined towards him.
6. Is it true that Vibhishan married Mandodari after he became King?
There are some folklores, most accepted versions/translations do not mention this.
7. How is Meghnath's death justified? Laxman was unable to defeat him if he would have finished Nikulbhila Yajna. But why couldn't Ram have taken up arms and fought with him?
Lakshman had vowed to fight Meghnaad so Rama refrained form interfering. If Lakshman had failed in his final attempt I guess Rama would have stepped in.
8. It's a known fact that Ram asked Sita to go through agnipariksha. How is this justified and why did he do this? (Appease subjects is not reason enough IMO)
There is a story of Maya Seeta. It's said that the real Seeta went with Agni deva and lived in Agni loka for that one year when Ravan abducted her and shiz. In this story, Ravana is able to 'touch' and 'abduct' and 'subdue' only the Maya/Chhaya Seeta. It is believed that Seeta could take on the form of MahaKaali at her will (she killed Ravana's elder cousin AhiRavana in this manner). So, Ravan would've died if he tried to touch the actual Seeta and Rama's life purpose would be unfinished. These stories are found in Ananda and Adbhuta Ramayana, both ascribed to Valimiki.
9. Who managed Ayodhya while Ram was away? Bharat with Ram's slippers?
Yup, from Nandigrama (WB wala or not idk π).
10. What's Shatrughan's role in the whole epic?
Nothing, really.
In Uttar Kanda he slays the demon Lavanasura and is then crowned the King of Mathura. Also, on his way to Mathura, he ends up in Valimiki's ashram on the night that Lava-Kusha are born, and Valmiki very slyly has him do the christening of the boys without revealing their identity.
11. Why did Lakshman cut off Surpanakha's nose and ears like that? This was wrong at least as per my understanding. There's nothing wrong in asking a man's hand in marriage as polygamy was common?
That was wrong, definitely. Lakshman's logic was that she didn't quit trying after both Rama and he both turned her down once. Also, she insulted Seeta.
12. Did Ravan ever show any romantic interest in Sita? I haven't heard of any, but still asking. What was his motive? To keep Sita as a prisoner forever? I mean how did he want to take revenge for Surpanakha?
He wasn't exactly taking revenge for Shoorpanakha. In fact there are theories which suggest Shoorpanakha was the one taking revenge here. Ravan had previously killed her husband Vidyutjihhva in a battle (where the husband was a minor soldier, so he was unnecessarily killed).
so, in this theory Shoorpanakha identifies Rama as the only match for Ravana. She knew Ravana had a problem with the ladies, so she set him up for Seeta so that Rama and Ravana could be played off against one another. (First she tried taking Rama as her husband, so she could influence HIM to fight, but that didn't work so she lured Ravan there with Seeta)
Ravan definitely had romantic interests. He was in fact quite polite with her in the beginning, requesting her to take him as her husband. He got rakshas-y only when Seeta showed resilience. Ravana also tried luring Seeta by promising Mandodari as her maid if she marries him. Ravana also forced Mandodari to come and promise to BE her maid (which Mandodari absolutely HATED doing but couldn't say no).
Ravan however did not even touch Seeta due to an archaic curse that said Ravana would die if he forces any woman into having relations with him. I think it was Mandodari's influence that kept him from forcing Seeta outright (Lanka was vaguely matriarchal owing to Rajmata Kaikasi's presence).
I'll add more as and when needed π
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