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| Rajaji with Jawaharlal Nehru and sardar Vallabhbhai Patel |
Rajaji’s books on “The Ramayana” and “The Mahabharata” are very famous works. He gave altered versions of some episodes in Ramayana in some of his stories. In “Uttara Kanda revised” the writer elevated the divine personality of Sita. The purpose of Rama’s personality ended after he killed Ravana. Rama remained only as the king of Ayodhya in human form. But Sita retained her divinity even after Rama asked her to prove her chastity to the people by entering fire. She wished to stay away from Rama in Valmiki’s Ashram till she would meet her divine lord in heaven. She advised Rama to get comfort and solace by keeping a golden image of hers with him.
As per Valmiki’s advice Sita treated Lav and Kush, two saintly boys from Ashram as her own sons. Valmiki taught them to sing the Ramayana epic composed by him. Sita felt satisfied to hear her story sung by her adopted sons and disappeared into the earth. Rama was enthralled on hearing his story sung by Lav and Kush. This whole episode was narrated by Tara, Vali’s wife, to Ruma, Sugreeva’s wife. Ruma asked Tara whether Sita was right in leaving her husband. Tara replied that Sita acted justly because the divine avatar of Rama was over after Rama had killed Ravana. Rama ruled as the king of Ayodhya only as an ideal king. Tara concluded that she would go to meet Jambavan to know about the coming incarnation of Narayana as a cowherd boy who would do more wonderful leelas than Rama and would teach men how they should do their duty without attachment.
In “The Killing of Vali” the writer shows the moral dilemma faced by Rama. The writer seems to suggest that Rama was forced to go out of Dharma to help Sugreeva and keep his promise to protect him from Vali. But as a Kshatriya he should not kill Vali hiding behind a tree. If he would not kill Vali, he would betray Sugreeva, and Vali would surely slay Sugreeva.
At last Rama decided that he had to commit the sin of killing Vali to fulfill his promise given to Sugreeva. As both Sugreeva and Vali looked alike, Rama could not kill Vali at first. Sugreeva ran away from the battle to save his life. He called Rama and Lakshmana as cheats. Rama asked Lakshmana to put a green creeper with flowers around Sugreeva’s neck to identify him when he fought with Vali. When Sugreeva challenged Vali again for a fight, Vali’s wife, Tara, begged Vali not to go as she got news that Sugreeva got support of Rama and Lakshmana. But Vali thought that Rama would not seek support from a weak person like Sugreeva. Besides Rama would not act against Dharma.
When Rama shot an arrow to kill him, Vali was shocked. He questioned Rama why he shot an arrow like a coward hiding behind a tree. The writer showed Parvati and Parameswara witnessing this event. Parvati felt sad to look at the plight of Rama who lost both his wife and sense of dharma. Vali became calm and realized that he had behaved with his brother in an unworthy way. He requested Rama to look after Tara and his son, Angada. Tara, in a fit of anguish told Rama that though he would get Sita, his sinful act would prevent him from possessing her for a long time. Rama too felt sorry for his sinful act. Lakshmana consoled Rama saying, ’Who can ward off fate? … were it not due to fate, would my mother Janaki, have driven me from her presence?” Viewing Tara’s grief, Parameswara says to Parvati;” Uma, did you not see how the God of gods plays with the lives of people as with dolls in a pantomime?” He consoles Parvati saying that all this happened as a prelude to extinction of Ravana’s evil. He assured Parvati that by her grace, Tara would become wise and lead a peaceful and austere life. This story shows the dramatic skill of the writer who introduced Parvati and Parameswara to explain the purpose behind the killing of Vali and Rama’s moral dilemma.
In this amusing story “The Gods arrive” Rajaji endorses Gandhi’s Swadeshi concept of wearing khaddar clothes. Sunder Chettiar was a cloth merchant and his wife, Minakshi, was a pious lady who followed traditional rules of life. She used to fast on every Ekadashi every fortnight. She used to feed sparrows and crows with rice before sitting down for her meal. One day an ascetic came and asked her for cooked food. She invited him and served food. The ascetic was very much impressed by her devotion and blessed her. He taught her a mantra by which she could see her ancestors, gods and sages.
The following day she bathed and repeated the mantra for 1008 times as the sage had instructed her. Suddenly she saw a big crowd in her place of worship. She saw heavenly beings, her ancestors and many other divinities. She saw Lord Krishna, Rama, Balarama, Sage Vasistha, Parasu Rama, Dharmaputra, Arjuna and Bhima. When Minakshi shouted “Narayana,” Sunder Chettiar came there to see what happened. Seeing the huge crowd, he thought that they were actors dressed in strange garb. Looking at their clothes, he took them for followers of Gandhi as all were clad in various types of khaddar. He asked them to go to some other’s house to show their acting skills.
Meanwhile an old man stepped out and introduced himself as the father of his grandfather. Sunder Chettiar did not believe his words and asked them to vacate his house since police would arrest him if he was seen in the company of khaddar-clad people. Sunder’s great grandfather told him that all people in his time wore same type of cloth and in heaven also they were clad in khaddar only. He also added that he came in a hurry as Sunder’s wife had called him. Sunder Chettiar did not believe the old man’s words since he thought of them as Congress men. He looked at Dharmaputra and respectfully asked him to tell the truth. Dharmaputra replied that all people wore homespun cloth since ancient times which is now called khaddar as no other type of cloth came from outside India. He also advised Sunder Chettiar that people should prefer khaddar to help poor Indians earn their livelihood. Sunder examined the clothes worn by gods and sages and concluded that everyone was dressed in homespun cotton clothes.
All of them blessed Sunder and his wife and disappeared. Sunder found out the truth that wearing khaddar had not started with Gandhi but from times of antiquity. His forefathers wore khaddar and died with those clothes on and still wear them even after they were in heaven. The writer concludes that we should also follow the age-old tradition of our ancestors since “there is reason to believe that we should get back our greatness by doing so.”
Let me conclude with a funny tale “Hats and sarees” in which the writer pokes fun at the Indian officers who imitate Europeans in dress, manners and language. For public they appear odd and ridiculous and become a laughingstock. Mr. Kaushika’s real name was Gopalakrishna Aiyar. When he went to Oxford, he thought that his name was too long and chose to call himself by his gotra as Mr. Kaushika. He discarded Hindu customs and addressed his wife as “darling’ and “dearie” in western fashion.
He joined as Assistant Collector in charge of Parvatipur division. The Dist. Collector, Mr. Moberley invited Mr. Kaushika and his wife to an evening party. The same day he had to perform the annual shraddha of his father. Kaushika did not believe in Hindu superstitions and rituals. But to satisfy his mother he called the priests of Parvatipur to perform his father’s ceremony. He asked one of the Brahmins to perform the ceremony on his behalf. For this Mr. Kaushika had to pay a hefty amount. He also instructed them to finish the ceremony very quickly as he had an important meeting with the collector.
He called his wife to get ready for the party. She wore a fine red silk saree. He helped her to sit in the side car of his bike. He put on his hat and started the bike. The road was very bad with many ruts and potholes. People of the area gazed at the Asst. Collector and his wife “with gaping mouths laughing as if they saw some strange funny animals.’
When they reached the Collector’s house, everyone was asked to narrate a funny story. Mr. Saketaram, the Deputy Collector, said that he would narrate a funny incident that happened on that same day on the condition that they should not find fault with him afterwards. He said that it was about an incident that happened on that day itself. He said that while he was travelling in Jutka on the Parvatipuram road, he happened to see a group of ryots. As a Deputy Collector he enquired them whether they had enough rainfall. An old man replied,” Would the gods send rain, Sir, when even Brahmin women have become so bad and elope with westernized Indians (Eurasians)?” He added that he saw with his own eyes a rascal white man wearing a hat riding on a bike with a good Brahmin lady in red silk saree and beautiful flowers seated in the side carriage of his bike. She was laughing as if she was most happy to be carried away by that wicked Eurasian. She did not feel ashamed even when people were watching her. He concluded,” it was so open and wicked. What have we come to, Sir? No wonder the gods hold the rains back.”
Mr. Kaushika blushed on hearing what people thought
about him and his wife. Mrs. Kaushika felt embarrassed and overturned the milk
jug while trying to hide her confusion. Mr. Mobley and all others laughed on
hearing this funny episode. Mr. Mobeley asked Mr. Saketaram whether it really
happened. Saketaram replied that it was not an invention and commented that
none would imagine that wearing a hat would lead to such mistakes. Mr. Kaushika
never again wore a hat when going out with his wife. From that day he behaved
in a reserved way with Saketaram as he had exposed his hollow pretensions to
look like a white officer.
The influence of Mahatma Gandhi is clearly seen when the writer described the superstitions about untouchability, caste distinctions and discrimination based on social status. The prevalent evil of drinking in poor classes and their frustration is very clearly brought out. The exploitation of poor women by domineering rich people shows the pitiable condition of ladies who are forced to yield or end their lives. The social stigmas among higher castes is also described in detail. The narrative and descriptive skills of the writer in these tales is superb. The writer gently criticized the superstitions and blind beliefs of the society. He used simple, clear and realistic style and everyone can understand the content without any difficulty. Of course, some themes are used repetitively in a few stories. This book shows the writer as a social critic from a new angle. In every story a message is found, and the content of the stories is very interesting and shows the social conditions prevalent in his time and which are still seen in some parts of our country.
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12th September, 2024 Somaseshu Gutala
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