Bharata - sublimity incarnate, is a character in the Ramakatha far different from all others, even Rama, his elder brother. A Kshatriya by birth - the illustrious descendent of Ikshvaku and the second son of Ayodhya's legendary king Dasharatha, Bharata is hardly ever seen turning to arms against anyone whoever, not even 'rakshasa' - demons. Mragaya - hunting, Kshatriyas' dharma - religion, was neither his dharma nor pastime. Not that he never raised arms, arms certainly weren't his option. Towards the Ramakatha's end-part he led a massive army against Gandharvas, considered great warriors, and defeated them. In some versions of the Ramakatha Bharata is said to have resorted to arms on two other occasions. However, he seems to have attained his most goals by spiritual energy and perhaps good will. During the fourteen years' period when Rama and Lakshmana were away in far south and Bharata looked after Ayodhya, Ramakatha-narratives - Valmiki's Ramayana, Tulsi's Ramacharita Manasa. do not reveal a single incidence of violence, cruelty or even wickedness - a rakshasa torturing an innocent or an enemy attacking Ayodhya's borders. Bharata's non-use of arms does not define his passiveness or inaction but a different attitude of mind or a different choice of means for attaining a goal. He ruled but as would a saint, a saint-ruler in true sense. Peace and freedom to move fearless apart, he strengthened borders, multiplied state treasury and stores and had boundaries,and all without resorting to arms. On Rama's return to Ayodhya after his fourteen years' exile Bharata tells him not only that : 'Etat te sakalam rajyam nyasam niryatite maya' (Yuddhakanda, 127/55) - he is returning to him his entire state he was entrusted with, but also 'Awekshatam bhawan kosham koshthagaram graham balam .' (ibid, 127/57) - pray, check state treasury, stores, house and army; these are now ten times to what he was to him. Indeed it is i Bharata's spiritualism that Ramakatha seeks its fullest accomplishment, unique dimensional width and the body of an epic. Without him it would have been a legend of Ravana's annihilation, or with an armed Bharata, a legend of a family of great warriors annihilating Ravana-like ferocious demons. Bharata's character gives it a different dimension. It reveals the power of soul. Though himself Para-Brahma, Rama, in his manifest form or human birth at least, with arms in hands is engaged, and almost always, in annihilating rakshasa, andrunning after a hunt.
Rama's acts like redeeming Ahilya are more or less incidental.
The most generous, wise and invincible Rama is no doubt a Kshatriya's highest model. This, however, does not give to the Ramayana, a term meaning Rama's abode, or to the Ramacharita Manasa - the mind that Rama occupies, such width as should have the abode of him who is Supreme God manifest. Nothing less than the cosmos or cosmic consciousness Rama's abode would reduce to a house of mere warriors, even if great and undefeatable. Sita, representing purity, and Lakshmana, absolute devotion, add to the Ramakatha further width but it is Bharata who, representing the power of soul, adds to it an absolutely new dimension. In him, this house of warriors also has a saint, the brilliance of sword, also the transcendental lustre of soul. And, as should have a sword carrying saint, Bharata's is a monarch's asceticism, not the monk's, which equally assures the attainment of worldly goals as well as liberation from the cycle of birth and death. The epithet of Mahatma - the great soul that Valmiki has used for him aptly defines Bharata's character and intrinsic quality. Sage Valmiki has not used this epithet for anyone else. A Mahatma, he was in the world and as much beyond it. Tulsidasa perceives in Bharata the power to dually redeem : 'Bharata charita kari nemu Tulsi jo sadara sunahi, Siya Rama pada pemu avasi hoi bhava rasa birati', that is, those who listen to Bharata's life regularly and with a respectful mind are bound by ties of love to the feet of Rama and Sita, and are redeemed from worldly desires.
No comments:
Post a Comment