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)