When
Ram and Lakshman sat down to play snakes and ladders, Manthara told them, “For
every ladder you climb, remember there’s a snake waiting to swallow you.”
Some
snakes will swallow you even before you climb any ladder, Ram realised years
later. If you are a potential climber,
snakes are more eager to swallow you because they know swallowing is difficult
once you have actually climbed.
My
ladders were removed even before I reached them, thought Rama. First Kaikeyi, then Ravana, and then the very
people of Ayodhya, they all took away the ladder just as I approached it. I took revenge on Ravana, but did I regain my
Sita? So what use was it all? I ascended the throne of Ayodhya. For what?
To see Sita walk into the flames?
You
lacked the courage to stand up to people, said Lakshman. You were more concerned with your image, the
facade of the Maryada Purushottam. Lakshman was chagrined when his role model and
hero consigned his wife, the most chaste woman, to the flames in the name of
agni pariksha just to gain the applause from the gallery. You never protested
though you knew deep in your heart that your ladders were being pulled away unjustly. Unnecessarily, in fact.
What
would I have achieved by protesting? Ram
countered. Kingship? Do you think I was more interested in
kingship than in the happiness of Kaikeyi ma?
But
your passive acceptance of Kaikeyi’s demand killed our father. When you proffered joy to Kaikeyi you brought
deep sorrow to many others in the family.
Both
snakes and ladders are essential, brother, to complete the game.
Granted
that. Lakshman was thinking. But why do the deserving people encounter
more snakes than ladders? He was
watching helplessly and remorsefully Sita Devi being swallowed by the
earth.
True. Even I share your views about Snakes & Ladders.
ReplyDeleteRamayana nicely incorporated.
Can I throw a challenge? 99% of RSS activists have not understood the epics of Bharat.
DeleteThe enigma stays on!
ReplyDeleteThe enigma is a result of igonrance, Uppal ji. Ignorance bred by people like our PM, unfortunately.
DeleteBeautiful. And I agree 99% of RSS activist don't have any insight about any great epic of India. Neither do the Bajrang Dal nor any other extremist group.
ReplyDeleteMost of them may not even be literate enough to read them, I'm sure.
DeleteGreat interpretation of the epic...compels readers to think and question.
ReplyDeleteBoth our epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, are profound works amenable to multiple interpretations. The latter has various versions too which are radically different from one another.
Delete