It is good news that the Delhi University's Academic Council has decided to withdraw from its history syllabus an essay by eminent scholar late A. K. Ramanujan on the Hindu epic Ramayana titled, "Three hundred Ramayanas: Five examples and three thoughts on translation." It is good news only to the extent that it was found unsuitable for undergraduate level. However, it is not known if it would be found suitable for graduate or post - graduate level.

According to reports, Ramanuja's essay will now be replaced by two essays — by historian Romila Thapar (once again a controversial historian) and R. S. Sharma. Hope this would be non - controversial unlike the one by Ramanujan which ran into a controversy and even sparked violent protests by some right wing groups in 2008. Now, after two courts and a four - member panel going into the issue, a decision has been taken.

What was wrong with Ramanuja's essay? The Hindu believers of the original Ramayana by Valmiki found it blasphemous. First, it details several "tellings" of the Ramayana in India and beyond its borders, questioning the very assumption that Valmiki's Ramayana is the original and authentic one. Secondly, it speaks of versions of the Ramayana in which Ram and Sita are siblings and in certain others where Sita was Ravana's daughter.

Naturally, this did not go well with a generation in India brought up on Valmiki's Ramayana. But outside India where despite people following other religions, Ramayana had become rooted in their ancient culture so much so the epic was in a way distorted to accommodate new converts, especially in South - East Asia. As with Christian religion across Europe where Pagan rituals were accommodated to appease the Pagan and Barbarian converts. If one studies the three semitic religions and the Old Testament — the life of Patriarch Abraham or Ibrahim for example — these subtle as also obvious changes in the narration of some of the epic events and as also the life and relationship of main players would be understood as due to compulsions of new religions.

Let us hope, at least now the curtain will come down on this Ramanujan controversy.

As we know our Hindu epics have been rubbished, made fun of by many so - called rationalists and thinkers, atheists and skeptics. Some times to get attention, sometimes for reasons political and social. However, it was like trying to poison the ocean or flatten the Himalayas. Our Bharat is Mahan culturally because of the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata Period.

Have no doubt. The original Ramayana is by Valmiki and the original Mahabharatha is by Vyasa. All others are inspired by them and are imitations with distortions.

Other day I was browsing through a tome in English titled "Myths and legends of India" by William Radice. I was amused as much as intrigued by what I read about Ravana under a sub - title "Ravana's stupidity" and here I would like to share it with my readers as one of the controversy of Ramanuja's essay related to Ravana as mentioned above. This episode tells about how Ravana's enormous strength was undermined in the end by his stupidity.

Ravana's mother Kaikasi being an ardent devotee of Siva, worshipped a Sivalingam. One day, the lingam was stolen by Indra — apparently jealous of not being worshipped by Kaikasi. The old demoness of a mother was so upset that she embarked on a relentless fast. Ah! Yes our leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Anna Hazare must have taken the cue on fast to achieve their goal from Ravana's mother! To think of a demoness being the inspiration for our leaders.…

Alarmed by the possible consequences of this fast, Ravana promised to bring her, not the stolen lingam [might be that Ravana was afraid to challenge Indra] but the Atmalingam — the original lingam of Siva — if she would stop fasting.

So it was that Ravana journeyed to Mount Kailas and set out not to fight Siva but to observe ascetic austerity. How? Five blazing fires were lit, and he stood on his 10 heads in the middle of them for 10 thousand years! [Could be it was a printer's devil here juggling with the number of years!]

At the end of each thousand years, Ravana cut off one of his ten heads and threw it into flames. He was about to chop off his last head when Shiva gave in; such unprecedented self - mortification by a Rakshasa, demon, to boot would make his own ascetic power untenable and weak. So Siva appeared before Ravana and asked what boons he wanted. Ravana asked for three boons.

Boon No. 1: Make me immortal.
Boon No. 2: Give me the Atmalingam.
Boon No. 3: I want a wife as beautiful as your own wife, Uma.

Well, after all, after ten thousand years of self - denial, Ravana deserved some pleasure!

Like our judges granting conditional bails to criminals Siva granted the first two boons with a condition that if Ravana ever did anything that would harm Siva, the boon of immortality would be instantly cancelled and he should not keep the Atmalingam on the ground till he takes it to Lanka. If he did, then the Linga would sink into earth.
However, as for the third boon Siva said "No, impossible." Reason: That no woman or goddess in the three worlds is as beautiful as Uma.

Ravana simply said: "Then give me Uma herself." [This must have been the rehearsal to abduct Sita later!]

When Siva said, "Sorry brother, no way". [To use the modern slang language], Ravana threatened to go on his austerities again. Siva meekly but reluctantly gave in to this blackmail and threat of Ravana. Siva surrendered his adorable wife Uma to Ravana who set off to Lanka "whooping with triumph and blazing with lust."

Narada, good at carrying tales against divine beings and creating misunderstandings for a purpose, saw danger in Ravana getting the boon of immortality. Narada who encountered Ravana in his celestial wanderings told Ravana the boon of immortality given to him by Siva had no potency at all as Siva had no power to grant such boon to a Rakshasa. Ravana lost his temper, went back to Siva and in his anger damaged (like present day protesters) Mount Kailas. Siva was livid with anger and told Ravana that he (Ravana) had broken the condition of the boon by his conduct and hence it had become null and void. Apparently Narada had lied.

However, Ravana carried Uma on his shoulder, held the atmalingam in his hand and proceeded to Lanka.

Uma, desperate, prayed to God Vishnu for help. Vishnu appeared before Ravana in the form of a decrepit Brahmin and asked Ravana why he was carrying an ugly woman. Ravana, in order to check, let Uma slither from his shoulder only to find an old hag. Uma had by her own power transformed herself into an ugly woman. In disgust Ravana left her on the spot suggesting that she beg for a living and proceeded to Lanka with the Atmalingam.

Soon he felt like answering the call of nature. After 10 thousand years, it was natural. There was a herd - boy in a field nearby and Ravana asked him to hold the Atmalingam saying, "Don't ever keep it on the ground," because Siva had told him if he did, it would sink into the earth. Since this herd - boy was Lord Ganesha, Siva's son himself, he agreed on condition he would hold it only for an hour and after that he would drop it to the ground. Ravana agreed thinking he would not take more than an hour to empty his bladder. But unfortunately there was a collection of 10 thousand years in the bladder and it took more than an hour to empty.

When Ravana came, the boy was not there, nor the Lingam. When he saw the Lingam sinking, he began to tug at it to pull it out, but it was sinking. Soon he realized he was simply tugging at the ear of a cow and not Lingam. So Ravana returned to Lanka empty handed. Stupid fellow. And, look at our own stupidity in the 21st century! Should an essay like that about an epic be prescribed at all and look at the laborious way the solution was found. In secular India, Hindu epic-bashing seems to be okay?

It is not recorded what Ravana's mother said about Ravana's misadventure, nor if she had lived to see Ravana.

As for the ears of the cow that Ravana was tugging at and now sticking up out of the earth, they became the site of a famous temple called Gokaranam (cow's ear) in Karnataka and pilgrims journey there to this day to worship Siva's Atmalingam.

Enough of Ramayana, nay Ravana for now.

Tail Piece:
The popular Kannada film Bhookailasa, I am told, was based on this episode in Valmiki Ramayana.

By K. B. Ganapathy
Editor in Chief
e-mail: kbg@starofmysore.com
Courtesy: Star of Mysore