Sita’s empathy for tribal traditions and cultures

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Sita’s empathy for tribal traditions and cultures

In the Valmiki Ramayana, Sita strongly advocates peaceful coexistence with tribal populations and ancient cultures while entering the dense Dandaka forest.

Sita’s importance is generally understated. However, the Ramayana in the Bala Kanda describes itself as a biography of Sita: Sitayascharitam mahat. Its other name was Paulasya Vadham or Killing Ravana which was in effect the conclusion of Sita’s story, an action perpetuated on account of her kidnap and confinement.

Who was Sita? Literally, Sita means ‘furrow as in ploughed field’. In this sense she was a fertility goddess. She was also personified in later works including the Harivamsha Purana.

Her function as a goddess of fertility was naturally preservation of life on earth. Valmiki preserves her original connection with nature all through the Ramayana. Violence as such was not part of her nature; at least, not till she was provoked. In her infuriate form she turns into Shakti but still it is not her inherent nature and function as goddess of fertility.

In the ninth Sarga of Aranya Kanda, disturbed by Rama’s killing spree, Sita coolly but bluntly tells him that he was committing adharma or adhering to immoral behaviour in troubling the vanacharas, who were the forest dwellers.

Sita tells Rama that the three evils that Kama generates were perpetuation of untruth, adultery and treating others cruelly. He was committing the third sin.

Rama had entered the forest armed with weapons. Weapon in the hand might instigate the Kshatriya to use it for the heck of it, without any valid reason. Maybe he would use weapons even on spotting the innocent vanacharas and hurt them without any valid reason.

Sita told him that he must not think of killing the rakshasas — who were also tribals or vanacharas — without any provocation or enmity, just because he had promised the rishis of Dandaka forest to eliminate them. People would not approve of such killings committed without reason nor appreciate such acts of violence.

The only purpose of carrying weapons in the forest should be to protect those who were in trouble. Holding of weapons and vanavas (residing in the forest) are contrary to each other. How would you reconcile two things — violent cruel action of kshatriyas and tapa which means showing mercy to living beings? Hence we must respect the desha dharma or culture of the locals and adhere to tapa form of living.

Adherence to dharma begets artha, adherence to dharma leads to bliss. Through dharma you achieve what you desire. Dharma is the essence of life. In the Tapovana, place marked for religious austerities, we must follow the dharma of non-violence. This is the culture of forest dwellers.

Sita advised Rama that he could revert to his kshatriya nature and way of life once he returned to Ayodhya. Relinquishing the kingdom, Rama had sought refuge in the vana or forest where he ought to live like a muni or sage, interrelating peacefully with nature.

Sita symbolises mother earth for King Janaka found her while ploughing the field. In the end, Sita vanished into the womb of the earth. The function and nature of mother earth is to nurture, not to kill; it epitomises qualities of non-violence and mercy.

(A Collection)