Tale of the brothers– ramakatha

Ramakatha.

North Indian houses, believe that Ramayana should be read in the house, as it is a tale of brothers bonding but not Mahabharata.

Ramayana is indeed a tale of brothers,

Ravana–Kubera

Ravana-Kumbhakarana

Ravana- vibhishana

Vali – sugriva

Jatayu-Sampati

Rama–Lakshmana

Rama-Bharat.

Somewhere in this annals poor shatrughna stays forgotten.

The Ramayana of uttarkhand talks of vaishrava, and his two wives Kaishiki and I forgot the other name, of which Kaishiki is the mother of Ravana and Kubera is a Yaksha. Kubera creates the swarnalanka in the centre of the southern sea, and Ravana banish’s him from there.

Kumbhakarna his unshaken loyalty to his brother, despite of not agreeing with his point of view.

Vibhishana who choose to change sides rather than compromise his ideals, when the tale is that of the winner vibhishana becomes righteous, but he is also the person who caused destruction of his fellow-men.

There was Vali who combated Mayavi, when he did not return within the stipulated time, his brother takes him for dead, he then moves on take Vali’s throne, vali’s wife and yet plays a pathetic victim when the tables are turned.

Sugriva is obviously incapable of surviving without a strongman, be it the protective brother Vali before or Hanuman later. With the help of rama he overthrows Vali to reclaim the throne.

Lakshmana who follows Rama to the forest. When the goddess of sleep nidra claims her place in his life, he requests her to spare him. But as the energy of sleep had to be honoured, she was housed by Lakshmana wife Urmila, who slept for 14yrs.! The ram- kavya’s of Andhra state this.

Bharata, refused to accept the throne his mother ensured for him, and lived like an ascetic until the return of Rama.

Rama the prince of Ajodhya, an outsider to Kishkindha and its traditions, the laws of a different order sides one of the prince, he becomes a defacto, king. When he reinstated Sugriva, sugriva is no longer the independent king but is obliged to Rama the culture and law of Ajodhya takes over.

When vibhishana defects to Rama, he gives up the equal society of Rakshasa’s and the Aryan society where women are restricted enters the domain. Again, he is longer lankadhipati, though independent he is a vassal of Ayodhya.

The trend of inviting the outsider into an internal power struggle has become a tradition, be it Alexander, Ghori, ghazni, Moguls, or Brits, they all entered the Indian fabric  to darn internal squabbles.