SriRama's action - 4

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Sri:

Srimathe Ramanujaya nama:

 

To fulfil a promise is an eternal virtue. But a doubt may be raised

that the promise theory(Cf. IV.30.84. "prathi shrutham Dharmam

avEkshya shAshvatham")only explains the killing of VAli but not the

fact that SriRama killed VAli when he was engaged in a fight with

another man and that too from behind a tree. This again could only be

answered if we interpret the Valmikian law of Dharma as a relative

principle of morality rather than a categorical imperative. SriRama

tells VAli[Cf. IV.18.4,8]:

 

Dharmam arTham ca kAmam ca samayam cApi laukikam |

avij~nAya kaTham bAlyAn mAm ihAdhya vigarhase ||

(not cognisant of virtue,interest,passion,time and custom,why do you

blame me like a child?)

 

Here,"virtue,passion,custom,time" have been enumerated as the

standards of moral judgements and all are true and right at a

particular time,place and in particular circumstances. We can now see

for ourselves whether SriRama's action was moral or immoral. We know

that SriRama in his exile lost his beloved wife and his highest

interest lay in making friendship with some kings with whose help he

might be able to search out SIthA and punish the culprit. SriRama

says,"I killed VAli and bestowed the kingdom on SugrIva only in the

hope that SugrIva in return will help me"[Cf. IV.18.26; 29.18;

30.73,77,84]

 

If this be the case,then people may think that VAli was killed for a

selfish motive. But self-love has been advocated as one of the

important standards of morality[Cf. VI.9.14]. Secondly,SriRama wanted

to free the world from the existence of such a man who ravishes the

wives of others. Therefore,to annihilate the great evil from the face

of the earth,he was morally justified to kill VAli by any means and

seek the help of SugrIva to wipe off the greater evil. Again a

question may be raised by asking why SriRama did not approach VAli

for help. But SriRama realized that VAli,who was leading a happy and

contended life, would not like to wage a war unnecessarily against a

powerful king for the sake of an exiled Prince;so contacting VAli for

help would be fruitless. SriRama realized that common adversities

bring the sufferers near to each other and therefore he could

naturally find allies in SugrIva and VibhIShaNa and not in VAli.

 

It is the time,circumstances and interests which justified him in

killing VAli engaged in fight with SugrIva from behind a tree. There

is still another angle from which SriRama's action could be justified

and which again expresses Valmikian ethical relativism and that is

the viewpoint of Regal Duties or "rAja Dharma". RAja Dharma

recognized four standards of action,all of which are morally right.

They are sAma,dhAna,bhEdha,dhaNda. SriRama,who was a prince and

dhEshakAlavith(cognisant of time and place)realized the sternness of

royal duty(ugrathvam rAjaDharmAnam).

 

So SriRama,realizing that there is a difference between the

brothers,seizes upon this opportunity, and realizing the importance

and significance of "place" and "time" kills VAli. Valmiki teaches us

that according to the conditions,demands and exigencies of time and

place(dhEsha kAla)what is otherwise Dharma may become aDharma and

what is aDharma may become Dharma. So,though Dharma demanded that a

man should not kill a man from behind or when he is engaged in fight

with another man in normal circumstances,yet had SriRama followed

such a command at this juncture,it would have been out of "place"

and "time" and thus instead of Dharma it would have been aDharma.

 

We find SriRama at no other place does what he did in the case of

VAli,for example,when he finds RAvaNa,his greatesy enemy,too tired in

the battlefield he advises him to go back to Lanka and come back

fresh next morning to fight him[Cf. VI.59.140,141;59.72,90]

 

Here ends the author's explanation. Ofcourse the author discusses

various episodes in Valimiki Ramayana and those who are interested

can read the book.

 

PS:We may find people who are still not convinced by these

explanations. It is good to ask questions because knowledge expands

because of "why". But one has to remember that one has to undergo

a "thorough" study of the "subject",whatever it may be, to comprehend

the nuances. Samskrt is a very simple,beautiful and yet complex

language in the sense that a "single" samskrt word allocates room for

multiple meanings and hence multiple interpretations(that's why we

have three different philosophies,advaita,srivisishtadvaita and

dvaita)and which can lead a person(with little knowledge in subject

matters)to develop hazardous misinterpretations. Above all,it is

SriRama Himself who gave the vision to Sage VAlmIki to narrate His

life as it is. When VAlmIki questions NAradha muni,"Is there a man

who is the embodiment of all kalyANa guNas(auspicious qualities)?"

and NAradha replies "Yes,there is one and His name is SriRama".

 

SrInAthE jAnakInAThE abhEdha: paramAthmani |

thaThApi mama sarvasvam rAma: kamalalOcana: ||

 

AzhvAr EmperumAnAr Jeeyar ThiruvadigaLE sharaNam

NC Nappinnai