A chapter from the book "A History Recorded on Lotus Petals" by Alexander Ivanovich Toporov and Peter Stepanovich Losev, where they explore the myths of ancient India based on the Mahabharata, Ramayana, Rig Veda and "Kind of Raghu" by Kalidasa.
1. The myth as it is.
Sita, the daughter of Janaka, king of Mithila, at the age of eighteen, was married to Rama of the dynasty of Dasaratha, king of Kosala. For twelve years they lived in the capital of Kosala - the city of Ayodhya. In the thirteenth year of their life together, due to intrigues at the court of Dasaratha, Rama, Sita and Rama's brother Lakshman were forced into exile. For more than ten years they wandered through the forests, and in the eleventh year of these wanderings Sita was kidnapped by the Rakshasa king Ravana, the brother of the King of kings Kubera. Rama and Lakshmana go in search of Sita.
Ravana, the king of demons, kidnapped Sita in order to take revenge on Rama for the death of his brothers and the injury of his sister, the Rakshasi of Surpanakha. Sita lives with Ravana in the city of Lanka. Ravana cannot make Sita a wife or concubine due to the curse of Nalakubara, the son of Kubera. According to this curse, Ravana's head will fly into ten pieces if he tries to take possession of Sita. After Rama captured Lanka and killed Ravana, Sita, alive and well, returns to Rama, but Rama does not accept her and sends her to all four sides, reproaching her for disgracing the Dasharatha family by staying with Ravana.
Shocked by Rama's words, Sita reproaches him that he did not tell her about this earlier, because then she would have died of grief, and Rama would not have to fight with Ravana and besiege Lanka. Then Sita asks to prepare a funeral pyre for her. But a miracle occurs, and the god Agni himself carries Sita out of the fire unharmed.
Agni claims that Sita is pure before Rama, and orders the son of Dasaratha to take her back. Brahma himself assures Rama of the purity of Sita and, together with other gods, persuades Rama to accept her. Rama submitted to Brahma's decision. Peacefully and calmly, the couple have been living in Ayodhya for a little over a year. Sita has the first signs of pregnancy, but Rama, hearing the gossip of the city commoners about Sita, sends her to the forest to the hermit Valmika. At the same time Ayodhya is threatened by the demon Labana, Ravana's nephew. Rama's brother Shatrughna with an army opposes him.
In the forest, Sita gave birth to two sons - Kusha and Lava. Thirteen years later, Rama arranges a horse sacrifice. The hermit Valmiki, Sita, Kusha and Lava come to Ayodhya for this festival. For several days, Kusa and Lava tell Rama and the people the "Tale of Rama" created by Valmiki.
After the fulfillment of the legend, Rama recognizes Kusha and Lava as his sons. Valmiki swears that Sita is pure and pure.
Sita herself takes an oath: "If I told the truth, let Mother Earth open her arms to me!" After these words of Sita, the Earth consumes the unfortunate mother.
This concludes the sad story of Sita, to whom fate turned out to be so unfair and unmerciful.
2. Where is the story in the myth.
The love story of Sita and Rama may be less familiar to European and Russian readers than the love stories of Romeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolde, Leila and Majnun, but throughout the Asian East: in India and Ceylon, in Tibet and Nepal, in Indonesia, in Burma, Thailand and Malaysia, it surpasses all of them combined in its popularity and popularity in our time. But in all these stories there is one common plot feature: the tragic fate that overtakes the lovers at the end of the tale. Is happiness so illusory, love is ephemeral, and time conquers everything? It seems that all these stories about great and pure love both in the West and in the East were composed by the same people, according to the same canons. But, if the visible result is the same, this does not mean that the hidden springs of the described events also coincide. Not at all! Moreover, Sita and Rama by the history of their relationship in their true form illustrate the uniqueness of human destinies. The real presentation of their lives, hidden behind a mass of invented fabulous details, surpasses in its intrigue, tension and fatality all the visible fabulous romance of the relationship between Rama and Sita and, ultimately, leaves no trace of the idea of the great love of Sita and Rama. Judge for yourself.
Having become spouses, Sita and Rama have been living in Ayodhya for twelve years, and they have no children. Moreover, no one seems to be surprised at this, no one asks questions about this. Then Sita and Rama live in the forests for over ten years, and in captivity with Ravana Sita lives for about four years, and still no children. It was only a year after returning to Ayodhya that Sita finally became pregnant. But if people get married and live together, then, as a rule, they have children in a year or two, maximum within five years. The riddle of such a late appearance of children in Sita seems completely inexplicable, because at the time of the birth of children, Sita is about forty-five years old, and Rama is generally at least fifty. Why didn't Sita give birth to children in her youth, like any normal woman? Moreover, it looks abnormal when it comes to an Indian woman.
For an oriental woman, this age at the birth of her first child can be called absolutely incredible. According to modern medicine, the first childbirth in a woman at the age of forty is impossible without a cesarean section.
For Rama, a prince in exile, this problem should be even more important, even a top priority, because he needs an heir, a successor to the Raghu family. And what will the subjects think? Without a son, he becomes the most likely target for conspiracies. What would any eastern ruler do in this situation? The answer is obvious: I would take a second wife. Let us remember that Rama Dasaratha's father had three wives: Kausalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra. But Rama does not do this, and when he finds out that Sita nevertheless became pregnant, he behaves not like a loving man and not like a father who has been waiting for a child for so long, and not like a hero who defeated his wife's kidnapper. Urban gossip of commoners turns out to be higher than love, more significant than the desire to have a long-awaited and, most likely, the only heir. Ruthlessly, he condemns his pregnant wife to a life in the forest, full of hardships. In doing so, he acted more cruel than Kaikeyi, who sent him into exile for the sake of the happiness of her son Bharata. Just fear of human rumor pushes him to this terrible act, in fact, to a crime - to expel both his wife and her unborn child (his child!) From the house. How time had changed it! Sometime in his youth, he himself had to go into exile. And then Rama was inherent in mercy, because for a long time he persuaded Sita to stay in Ayodhya, referring to the hardships of forest life. Now he himself condemns his beloved woman, expecting a child, to these very hardships. What's the matter, did he love Sita at all?
On the day of the abduction of Sita by Ravana, the excitement of a hunter chasing a deer makes Rama forget about the duty to protect his wife, and he transfers this duty to his brother. Having lost Sita, Rama weeps and laments like a woman.
According to his own words, he fought with Ravana solely for the purpose of returning Sita, but, having returned her, he drives her away, referring to the gossip spread among his warriors. At the same time, he invites her to marry a Rakshasa, a monkey or another person. The husband is wooing his wife! The situation is incredible. When the Rakshasi Shurpanakha, who is in love with him, proposes to him, he and Lakshmana cut off her nose and lips. Why should Sita herself go from her living husband to the very first Rakshasa, which one agrees to take her?
By chasing Sita away, Rama is essentially giving up the main result of his victory in the war with Ravana. If the war was really fought because of Sita, then all the labors of Rama, his soldiers and allies, all the victims of this war were wasted - he himself abandoned them. And his soldiers and allies, how should they relate to the fact that their wounds and the death of their comrades were ultimately in vain? Shouldn't they have expressed their indignation to Rama at his decision? He behaved like a man who has no right to dispose of the fruits of the common victory.
Rama treats Sita not as a beloved spouse, but rather as a stranger, even worse, as a slave, a trophy of war. In none of the situations of the epic considered by us, he not only defends her, but, in fact, seeks to get rid of her.
Sita's behavior as a beloved and loving woman, wife and mother is no less controversial. For twelve years she has been living with Rama in Ayodhya and ten years in the forests - only twenty-two years - and they have no children. Needless to say that a beloved and loving woman will strive to have a child from her beloved man as quickly as possible? At the moment of her abduction by Ravana, she seems to be in a hurry to be stolen. First, she sends Rama on the hunt, and then practically accuses Lakshmana of wanting to take possession of her brother's wife and sends him after Rama. Thus, she completely deprives herself of protection. Then, being guarded by a forbidden line, she herself violates it, going beyond it to meet the future kidnapper. This behavior is at best indicative of frivolity, and at worst, collusion with the kidnapper!
After returning from the forest with the children - Kusha and Lava - Sita makes a strange oath. When a person wants to be believed, he will say: "I will sink into the ground if I lie!". And Sita, on the contrary, says: "I should sink into the ground if I speak the truth!" This oath does not give her a single chance of life. If she does not sink into the ground, then she will be considered a deceitful woman. Her fate in this case is unenviable. And if it fails, then it will not be rewarded for the truth in any way. Why then such an oath? In fact, in any case, she condemns herself to death. That is, even if Rama believes her, she will not be able to return to him. In fact, she would rather die than return to Rama! The words of the oath testify: either let people punish me, or I will punish myself. This is the decision of a man who finds himself in a dead end, who does not agree with the judgment of the people. It's a challenge! Sita chooses the latter - suicide!
As a mother, Sita doomed Kusha and Lava to orphanhood by her act. Returning with her thirteen-year-old children to Ayodhya, she does not even count on the late maternal happiness. Out of forty years she spent seventeen years without Rama. And the return after a long separation turned into a final departure from life. Not long-awaited and long-awaited happiness, but a tragic fate becomes the crown of her life.
And what about the rest of the characters related to Sita? During her stay in Ravana's captivity, Janaka's daughter is guarded by the "curse of Nalakubara." Nalakubara is the son of Kubera, the beloved grandson of Brahma, that is, Brahma himself protects her with this curse. Due to the "curse of Nalakubara" Ravana's head will fly apart in a hundred pieces if he takes possession of Sita. What a strange form of protection! Why is Rama's wife protected by the curse of a completely outsider who has nothing to do with either the Raghu clan, or the Dasharatha clan, or the Janaka clan?
In general, it is the husband's duty to protect a woman, and her father guards her until she gets married. Therefore, the "curse of Nalakubara" becomes logical only if we assume that he is the husband of Sita.
Why did Ravana kidnap Sita? Let's remember how the events took place. After the defeat of Khara's troops and the maiming of Shurpanakhi, Ravana consults with those close to him. But instead of collecting the troops, go out to meet Rama, he acts more than strange for the king and the warrior. Instead of revenge for a military defeat - the kidnapping of the enemy's wife. This method is inadequate to the insult inflicted. The defeat of the troops and the death of the brothers should have been followed by a military attack. But Ravana did differently. The abduction of Sita would make sense if Ravana, in response to the injuries inflicted by Surpanakha, crippled Sita and sent her back to Rama in this form. This is exactly what any Eastern ruler of the time would have done. But Ravana placed his captive in Lanka in a privileged position. Apart from all the women of the harem, she lives in the Ashok grove and for four years Ravana never made her one of them. A demon is more merciful than a man! That is, Ravana does not even try to make her a wife or concubine. Let us not forget that at the time of the abduction, according to legend, Sita was about forty years old. Most likely, Ravana did not even think about taking possession of her as a woman. Then why is he kidnapping her? And did Sita really live with Rama in the forest? How she actually ended up in Lanka, where, as we now understand, she was safer than next to Rama.
In the seventh book of the Ramayana, it is reported that, having taken Lanka from Kubera, Ravana captured a huge number of women: the wives of celestials, Rakshasas, Gandharvas ... It was from these captives that he formed his harem. And what, they all voluntarily went to cheat on their husbands? How did the celestials choose their wives, which they so easily and quickly cheated on them with the demon? Why is the "curse of Nalakubara" not protecting the wives of the celestials, which would be natural, but only Sita alone? Ravana has no thought of touching Sita. This can only be explained if we assume that Nalakubara is Sita's husband and Ravana is her father! And indeed, in some versions of the Ramayana (Jain, Tibetan, Khotanese, Cambodian, Malay) Ravana is the father of Sita!
Since Ravana (or rather, Shravana - the letter W was discarded in order to demonize this character) is the brother of Vaisravana (Vai-shravana), Sita is Nalakubara's cousin. This relationship has never been a serious obstacle to marriage. But marriage or simply a love relationship between a father and a daughter was condemned by all peoples and at all times! The thought of the possibility of such a connection in any normal father, and in fact, can "fly apart" the head.
Sita died, caught between a rock and a hard place, between her father Shravana and her husband Nalakubara. But what is the real history of Sita and what does Rama Dasaratha have to do with it? Let's read the "Version of Historical Events".
3. Version of historical events.
The historical picture of the events of the Ramayana can only be presented as probabilistic, that is, setting out the actual history with a certain degree of probability, because all data is obtained exclusively from legendary sources. Analysis of these data led us to the following conclusions.
Sita is the daughter of Ravana and the wife of Nalakubara, the son of Kubera. Ravana, the grandson of Brahma and the half-brother of Kubera, acts in the events described as a military leader and undoubtedly took part in hostilities against the aliens from the North - the nomads of the Shaks or Aryans, as they are often called in both legendary and historical sources. This war took place during his youth and Ravana (then still Shravana), being the grandson of the supreme ruler, could not avoid participating in it, even if he wanted to. But, judging by the text of the Ramayana, Ravana was a brave warrior and a good military leader, and therefore it can be assumed that he became one of the most active participants in the war. At some stage in his turbulent life, he married his daughter Sita to his nephew Nalakubara, the son of Kubera and the great-grandson of Brahma. At this time, there was still a truly brotherly, trusting relationship between the brothers - Shravana and Vaisravana. Perhaps Shravana counted on the support of the calculating and far-sighted Kubera, and he, in turn, relied on a strong and influential brother who possessed real power - an army subordinate only to him. But after a series of military setbacks, when the Shaks captured the flat part of the country and Brahma with his entire family and courtiers went to the mountains for Gandhamadana, the alliance cracked. At this time, Brahma already realized that it was impossible to cope with the invaders by force, and made a plan for a peaceful solution to the problem: first to intermarry with the leaders of the Shaks, and then gradually assimilate all, in general, not numerous in comparison with the local population, newcomers. The transfer of Lanka to Kubera and his appointment as custodian of the treasury became material, understandable to everyone, the embodiment of this sharp turn in the policy of the Supreme Ruler. Returning from the lost war, Shravana realized that he was out of work, that his military and military leadership talents were no longer needed, and his soldiers were waiting for a tiresome and hopeless guard service. And who is to blame for this? Of course, this cunning, flattering and treacherous Kubera, it was he who instilled in the old senile child, who is falling into childhood, a completely unrealistic plan of peaceful coexistence with the invaders, fatal for the country! He must be killed, captured Lanka and the treasury, collect new troops, pay the soldiers well and, continuing the war, knock the spirit out of these northern barbarians. So, or almost so, Shravan thought and he was tormented by a feeling of resentment for himself and for his soldiers who shed blood, when the rear rats, having joked in the secluded corners of the old palace, agreed to seize power, pushing aside the military class most worthy of this power. The decision has been made, we must act! With a small detachment of professional warriors devoted to him, Shravana suddenly captures Lanka, where he is enthusiastically greeted by the population, which consisted mainly of soldiers of the garrison and city guards - Rakshasas and their families. But Kuber failed to capture or kill. He, along with Nalakubara and a small detachment of the servants and guards who remained loyal to him, fled, capturing a small - as they could carry - part of the treasury.
At this time, Sita was pregnant, the birth of a child was expected soon and, apparently, she simply was not able to endure such a sudden flight. They left her, believing that nothing threatened her: Shravana is her father and will not kill in any case. The solution to this problem was postponed for the future. Most likely, according to the customs of the time, Sita got married between the ages of sixteen and twenty. We know that her first child was Kusha. Thus, Kusa is the son of Nalakubara and the great-grandson of Brahma. As for the second son - Lava, we will talk about him later. According to legend, at the time of Sita's return to Ayodhya, the age of her sons - thirteen years old - was very close to the fourteen-year period in the forests. According to our version, Sita all this time lived with her father in Lanka, that is, the time during which Shravana ruled Lanka - fourteen years. Thus, Sita gave birth to her first child not at the age of forty-five, as stated in the text of the Ramayana, but when she was seventeen or twenty years old. This is real, although not as romantic as in the legend, because even with the modern possibilities of medicine, the birth of the first child, when a woman is forty-five years old, is a unique case, and at that time it was simply impossible.
Forced to flee to Gandhamadana, Kubera was desperate. Everything is lost! After meeting with the Progenitor, he told him everything, not hiding his pessimism about the possibility of returning Lanka and the large part of the treasury left there. Brahma calmed him down and began to draw up a plan of concrete actions. First of all, while still being struck by such news and very angry with his grandson, he deprived Shravana of the status of heir. As a punishment, the Progenitor ordered to call his warlike grandson not Shravana (Glorious), but Ravana (Roaring). The rebel was turned into a demon. Having cooled down a little, Swayambhu undertook to draw up a plan that would allow slowly but surely to seize the initiative, find allies, overlay Ravana from all sides, and then defeat his troops and return Lanka. And what was Ravana himself doing at this time?
Only the first stage of his plan was completed with the capture of Lanka and the treasury. Then, using the captured gold, Ravana fortified Lanka, gathered, armed and trained a new army and, leaving a strong garrison in Lanka under the command of a reliable man, went to fight the Shaks. Upon learning of this, Brahma, of course, was only glad: maybe he would break his neck in this war and then it would be easier to return Lanka; It is a pity, of course, that part of the gold went away irrevocably, but there are still a lot left, and the mines on Gandhamadan are still working, Ravana did not take them away, and he will never be able to take them. In short, things are not so bad, and now you can safely prepare for revenge.
There are only seven legends about the wars of Ravana in the epic, extensive and verbose, like other descriptions of wars in the Mahabharata and Ramayana.
In the first of them - in the legend "Invasion of the Rakshasas to the North" - it is said that Ravana placed his brother Kumbhakarna in a cave near the city of Lanka, and after the attack on the possessions of Kubera and Indra, he returned to the city of Lanka. Therefore, before the attack, Ravana was already in possession of Lanka. Then Ravana attacked Shiva. The legend says that Shiva pinched his hands with a mountain. Having received a rebuff, Ravana was forced to ask for mercy, and the whole thing ended in an agreement between him and Shiva.
The ruler of Lanka fought with the Kshatriyas in the north, invaded the kingdom of Yama, abducted women, fought with the king of the Khayhai Arjuna Kartavirya. During the war with Indra, the king of the gods is captured by the son of Ravana Meghanada, who has since received the nickname Indrajit (the Conqueror of Indra). Only Brahma's intervention helped Indra.
From all these legends, in fact, it only follows that after the capture of Lanka, Ravana fought for a long time with a variety of opponents and returned to Lanka with nothing, that is, in essence, he lost these wars.
Brahma, of course, was immediately informed of the return of the unlucky grandson. But he was already ready for this. During the absence of Ravana, Brahma established a relationship with the "friend of Indra" - Dasharatha. It was decided to use his son Rama as the leader of a mercenary army, so that none of his contemporaries, who were not privy to the secret background of the events, even thought to associate these events with the great Ancestor and his large family. All the preparations for Rama's campaign: the organization of the conflict in the Dasharatha family, the recruitment of troops in the mountainous regions under the control of the king of the highlanders, Shiva, the murder of Valin and the treacherous activities of Vibhishana - all this was organized by Swayambhu during the wars of Ravana. It remained only to wait for the return of Ravana, to surround Lanka - and the trap would slam shut. The black sheep will be thrown to the wolves' food! Calm and order will return to Brahma's house.
Taking Lanka was incredible! Located in an impregnable place, well guarded by the warriors of Ravana, it seemed that it could be defended indefinitely. But the outcome of the case, as always in such cases, was decided by the “fifth column” - the people of Kubera in Lanka (Avindhya, Trijata and others) and the betrayal of Vibhishana and his advisers. It was Vibhishana who organized the completely open, unhindered passage of Rama's troops across the “ocean” (the air ocean - “Samudra”!), That is, in other words, through the gorge that separated the gates of Lanka from the surrounding mountains. Miracles do not happen! This rule is at the heart of common sense. After the victory, the traitor received control over the captured Lanka.
During his reign in Lanka, Ravana married his daughter Sita to her other cousin, Labana. From him she gave birth to her second son - Lava. When Lanka was captured by the troops of Rama Dasaratha, the question arose, what to do with Sita? Nalakubara didn't seem to love her enough to accept her back after her second marriage. Labana was not in the captured city. Then through Avindhya, Kubera's confidant, it was proposed to give her to Rama.
But Rama was unable to appreciate this proposal. Worse, he gave the poor woman another insult, saying that it didn't matter to him whether she was virtuous or sinful. To enjoy it is like eating food that has already been touched by the dog's tongue.
For Rama, this gift is humiliation, and for Brahma, behind this refusal of Rama, the contempt of the mercenary and his claims are hidden. Things took an unexpected turn. The mercenary refused the reward for his work, he neglected the opportunity to intermarry with Brahma. Brahma's mercy remains mercy even if one is taken from life. Brahma does not punish, he shows the greatest mercy! Rama proposed to marry Sita to a rakshasa, a monkey or some other person. Now Brahma has received the greatest offense! You cannot refuse the gift of Brahma !!! This decided the fate of both Rama and Lakshmana. The next day they were killed ... (We considered this option according to Kalidasa - "Rod of Raghu").
For a long time, in a lengthy speech, Brahma convinced Rama that there is nothing unusual in such a marriage. Wise kings observing the dharma and even the righteous do this. And Rama, having performed his feat in the name of the gods, became like the immortals themselves. Brahma launched into such revelations that other gods did not hear from him. He is ready to give this mercenary the status of immortal, that is, to declare him a god!
Aranyakaparva. Chapter 275. Verses 29 - 34
“Brahma said:
... You, O hero, have destroyed the enemy of the gods, the Gandharvas, (demons) -snakes, as well as the Yaksas, Danavas and great holy sages. Previously, thanks to my grace, no living creature could cope with it. There was a reason that for some time I endured this wicked ... You, like an immortal, performed a great feat in the name of the gods. "
Ravana created so many problems for the celestials that they found themselves in the greatest difficulty. Ravana is the enemy of such a heterogeneous coalition that he has become objectionable to everyone. Brahma is forced to admit that there are circumstances beyond his control. In fact, he confesses that he has made a mistake. He can afford such recognition only in the narrowest circle. Mortals shouldn't know anything! A rare recognition, although it is expressed very subtly, a hint. Formally, from the theological point of view, God (Brahma) is the only cause of the world. Brahma used Aesopian language to say that there are reasons and circumstances that he himself must reckon with. Worse, he, Brahma, must endure and wait for the right moment to remove the obstacle. What a blow to the pride of the immortals!
The powerlessness of the gods is so obvious, and Brahma admits in this that they are forced to turn to people for help. But people should also understand and appreciate the gift of the Lord of the gods. Rama fulfilled the task assigned to him and had to appreciate the opportunities that were opening before him. To be related to Brahma himself, what could be higher! It is difficult to understand why he decided to refuse what was offered by the immortal Brahma himself to him, a mere mortal, too mortal ... It is a pity. Rama's fate was sealed.
Sita had no choice. Her father, who loved and protected his daughter, died. She had two husbands: Nalakubara and Labana, but the first refused her, and the second was unknown where and was the enemy of Kubera and Brahma. The moment will come when Labana, at the cost of his life, will attempt to save his son Lava, but he cannot and does not even try to protect Sita. Sita's great-grandfather Brahma did everything he could to arrange her life, but that did not help either. Now only death could bring her relief. She committed suicide by throwing herself into the abyss. The earth closed its arms over the suffering woman. The innocent victim of intrigue and hasty political decisions has found her last home.
Many years have passed. Some particular episodes were erased from the memory of descendants, instead of them others were invented and inserted into the narrative, the assessment of some facts was changed, others were inconvenient for the writers
good story - were discarded. Passing the story of those events, the storytellers, to please the audience, greatly romanticized the relationship between the characters. A mosaic about the great, pure and beautiful love between Sita and Rama, about the abduction of Sita by the Rakshasa demon, about Rama's selfless desire to return her, about the obstacles in his path, about the great war with demons, about the illusion and transience of happiness.
In the epics of many peoples of the world there is a plot in which the cause of the war is the abduction of a woman, it is enough to recall the Iliad. But always, along with the abduction of a woman, there are other, more real reasons: a conflict of economic interests, greed, disputes from abroad, and the like. In the conflict between the Trojans and the Achaeans, the real reason for the war was that Troy, due to its geographical position, controlled the sea route through the straits from the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara and further to the Black Sea. The wife of the Spartan king Menelaus has absolutely nothing to do with it, and certainly her abduction (if any) was not the cause of this most famous war of the ancient world. The authors of epic legends widely used this plot to attract the "romantic" part of the public (mainly women) to a very serious presentation of political and military history. The tastes of the public were a kind of customer, dictating to the creators of the epic the need to clothe history in adventurous and romantic forms and thereby maintain the audience's interest in a serious presentation of ancient history. This technique is widely used in our time. The adventure novels of Walter Scott and Alexandre Dumas, which are quite serious and accurate enough to set out the basic facts of real history, certainly contain a story of romantic love as a main storyline. The success of the authors among listeners, readers and viewers in such cases is a foregone conclusion.
Everything that is said in the Ramayana about Sita suggests that the legend of the abduction of Sita by Ravana is just a literary device, introduced partly to attract a certain type of audience, partly to create the illusion that the story is easy to comprehend. Until now, the capture of a beautiful woman by bandits and terrorists is a favorite plot move in world cinema.
Rama Dasharatha is the heir in the kingdom of Kosala and in his actions should have proceeded from the state interests. But let's say we are wrong and Rama is not a mercenary going into battle for money, but a romantic and ardent lover who sacrifices everything for his beloved Sita, as it happened in the minds of most of the listeners and readers of Ramayana. How would this end? Nothing good!
There are examples in history when a monarch in love, precisely for the sake of his beloved woman, introduces the country into a state of deep crisis. The most striking example of this development is the famous story of the Taj Mahal in Agra.
In 1612, the Mughal prince Khurram, son of Jahangir, fell in love with the beautiful Arjumanad Banu, the daughter of the first vizier. The lovers got married, no one interfered with their marriage. The bride was then nineteen years old. In 1627, Khurram became a padishah under the name Shah Jahan. He adored his wife, not a single important ceremony began without her, not a single state act was adopted. She was a member of the Council of State, no one dared to challenge her opinion. For seventeen years of marriage, Banu bore him thirteen children, but at the birth of the fourteenth in 1630 she died.
According to Shah Jahan himself, her last wish was that he create an unsurpassed mausoleum for her.
The desire of the beloved deceased wife became for her husband the desire of God. Shah Jahan fulfilled this desire. The posthumous gift to Banu was to be the crown of their love.
In the blue waters of the Yamuna, a majestic and light structure, perfect in all proportions, is reflected, like a pearl in a mirror, a hymn of love. The color of the building changes: sky blue, whimsical pink, delightful orange. At night, in the moonlight, it turns snowy white. Time does not seem to leave its traces on the stones of the mausoleum, the beauty of which is admired by people from different countries. Thousands of tourists who visit India every year create an unforgettable experience for a lifetime.
But what did it cost the country and Shah Jahan himself! The construction lasted twenty-two years, thirty million rupees was spent, and thousands of people died during the work. Dutch merchant Van Twist writes:
“... whole families were drowned in the river, and cannibalism was committed openly. Gangs of desperate people plundered along the banks. Many survivors were mowed down by the plague ... The main reason for the disaster was the excessive taxation and the greed of officials who did not leave supplies to the peasants. "
On the other bank of the Yamuna, a second mausoleum of black marble was to be built for Shah Jahan himself, but it was not built. The damage to the state and its inhabitants was so enormous that the country was hit by an extensive economic crisis. Great love brought great misfortune to the country. The death of one beautiful woman caused the death of thousands of people in the country. The son of Shah Jahan Aurangzeb, with the support of the clergy, carried out a coup and imprisoned his father in the tower of the palace, where for the last nine years of his life, being in fact under house arrest, he admired the Taj Mahal, the greatest act of his life, through the window of the tower.
Admiring the beauty of the Taj Mahal, modern tourists would hardly want to live in India at that time. Have you ever thought about the correctness of the phrase that beauty will save the world? Please give examples! But beauty ruined thousands of lives. Let us ask ourselves the question: does the world need salvation? Usually such a question is not discussed, the answer is clear to everyone - it needs. Only the choice of specific forms of salvation is subject to discussion. Religious people with eschatological expectations are engaged in such discussions. They need the end of the world for their own rise, since they are the ones who act as saviors, offering their own ways of solving problems, or, more simply, by fanning fear, subjugating people. The thesis that beauty will save the world was put forward by writers, artists, that is, people of creative work. But did the contemplation of monuments, paintings, reading books stop at least one war? Did they improve humanity? It is not the contemplation of man-made models of beauty that makes a person perfect, but their creation, that is, beauty improves and “saves” only its creator. Beauty is always elite. Only a few out of thousands are capable of creating beautiful and magnificent products. On the other hand, any piece of art, no matter how mundane it sounds, always has its own market value. Hand-made art pieces become a commodity, and very many of them quickly become the property of wealthy people who, in pursuit of more and more new designs for their collections, without noticing it, become their slaves. Beauty, like the gods, requires sacrifice from those who worship it and them. The beauty of beautiful creatures is either a means of enrichment or a means of controlling people who worship it. This is true both in relation to people of antiquity and in relation to our contemporaries.
The beauty of nature is another matter. Its views are beautiful: plains, forests, mountains, gorges, rivers, sunrises and sunsets, the southern sky on a moonless night, aurora borealis, waterfalls created by the hand of an unknown creator, did not take a single human life, their creation did not shed a drop of blood ! Not a single rich man has bought himself the exclusive right to admire them. The beauty of nature, unlike man-made, is natural and not corrupt. It lasts for millions of years. Compare with human products, which are a maximum of three to four thousand years old. It elevates without enslaving.
But back to the events of the Ramayana. Millions of people in India worship Rama, and Rama worshiped Sita. As you can see, the picture we have painted does not at all correspond to mythical ideas. What is the matter, after all, a similar thing happened with other characters of the ancient Indian epic - with Indra, and with Krishna, and with the Pandava brothers from Mahabharata? The answer is simple: they all ended up in the winners' camp. The winners are not judged, because there is no one to judge them, because the defeated have no offspring left. The descendants of the victors admire the "glorious deeds" of their ancestors. The brahmanas used Indra up to a certain point, and then assigned him the status of an immortal deity. Rama also earned their gratitude, and if he accepted the offer of Brahma, then, undoubtedly, he would have found a place in the power pyramid. In essence, Rama Dasharatha is an adventurer and an immoral person who paid little attention to such things as honor, conscience, and decency. Let's remember how despicably he killed Valin. And how insidiously and cruelly he and his brother Lakshmana treated Shurpanakha and Ayomukhi, who, by the way, confessed their love to them. If he does not value the love of another being, and even mocks her, then is he himself capable of love and self-sacrifice? And if the example of the Rakshasi (in fact, just a woman who was born in the family of a guard) seems unconvincing to someone, then let's take his "wife" - Sita as an example. Rama drove out of the house a pregnant woman who was supposedly beloved by him only because of the gossip of the city rabble. A loving person, capable of sacrificing his life for the sake of his beloved, of course, will not be afraid of the gossip of the crowd.
Rama behaves like a typical mercenary, a "soldier of fortune", and treats Sita like a war booty, and therefore offers her to the Rakshasas, monkeys and other people. Such a person will not sacrifice even a handful of small coins for love, let alone life and kingdom.
Let's say it again. It was not love for the beautiful Sita that caused the war between Rama Dasaratha and Ravana, but the family conflict between Kubera and Ravana. Unhappy Sita - wife of Nalakubara and daughter of Ravana - became an innocent victim of political intrigue in the Brahma family.
We continue our excursion into Hinduism. Today we will talk about the beautiful companions of the Hindu pantheon and some of their descendants. By the way, many Indian gods and goddesses help in creativity, contribute to the elimination of barriers and the achievement of well-being and prosperity. If you want to know the details, then read on ☺
As I already told in the post "Hinduism and the Supreme Indian Gods" at the top of the Indian "Olympus" are the Gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, who form Trimurti. Each of them has a wonderful life partner (or even all lives), divine or human origin, but always with a very difficult fate. After they linked their life and destiny with their divine spouses, they became Shakti - deities (divine power, light), carrying feminine energy in the universe.
Brahma's companion
The wife of Brahma is the beautiful goddess Sarasvati, the patroness of the hearth, fertility, and prosperity. In addition, she favors creators, giving particular preference to writers of all stripes and musicians.
Saraswati is often called the river goddess, the goddess of water, moreover, her name is translated as "the one that flows." Saraswati is usually portrayed as a beautiful woman in white robes, seated on a white lotus flower. It is not difficult to guess that white is her color, symbolizing knowledge and cleansing from blood. Her clothes are rich, but, in comparison with the attire of Lakshmi, they are very modest (we will get to Lakshmi). Most likely, this indirectly indicates that she is above worldly goods, since she cognized the highest truth. Her symbol is also a light yellow blossoming mustard flower, which is just beginning to form into buds in the spring during the holiday in her honor.
Sarasvati, like Brahma, has four arms. And just like her divine consort, in other of them she holds a rosary, of course, white, and Vedas. In the third hand she has a wana (a national musical instrument), in the fourth - sacred water (not dawn, she is the goddess of water). Often a white swan swims at Saraswati's feet, which is also a symbol of her experience and wisdom in knowing the highest truth. Sometimes Sarasvati is called Hamsavahini, which means "the one who uses the swan to move."
If you remember, last time I told that according to one of the theories, humanity appeared as a result of Brahma's passion for his daughter Vak. This state of affairs does not suit some believers, therefore Vak is often positioned as one of the incarnations of Saraswati. Rati, Kanti, Savitri and Gayatri may be her other images. The goddess is very popular in India, sometimes she is sometimes even called Mahadevi - the Great Mother. It is believed that if you name your daughter Saraswati, then she will study diligently, and there will be prosperity and contentment in her future home.
Vishnu's companion
As we remember, Vishnu came to earth 9 times in different avatars and each time his wife was Lakshmi, naturally, in different forms. The most famous and revered are Sita (when Vishna was Rama) and Rukmini (Vishnu - Krishna).
But no matter how they call her in one way or another, no one doubts that this is Lakshmi. Lakshmi emerged from the depths of the Comic Ocean along with other treasures, so many worship her as a divine treasure. She, as a true woman, is at the same time the strength and weakness of her chosen one, which has repeatedly been reflected in folk art, for example, in Ramayat. Often her image is overshadowed by Saraswati, as well as Vishnu Brahma, and it is on her that the role of the Great Mother of Mahadevi is shifted.
Lakshmi is traditionally depicted as a beautiful young woman, younger than Saraswati, sitting on a pink or red lotus flower, wearing beautiful expensive clothes and jewelry. She usually uses a white owl as a means of transportation. Like other gods, she has four arms, but no obligatory items that she holds cannot be distinguished. Sometimes she is depicted with lotuses, sometimes with gold coins - for which the artist's imagination is enough. Lakshmi is incredibly popular in India, because, in addition to being the wife of the supreme deity, she also patronizes wealth, luck, luck, light, knowledge, wisdom, light, courage and fertility. She is a welcome guest in any home.
Surprisingly, in order to earn her favor, the following actions, already familiar to us, are mandatory. The goddess does not accept clutter, if your house is full of garbage, dust, unused things, do not expect her to visit you. The air in the house should be fresh, be sure to have water in a decanter, a house plant (if there is no garden), candles and incense. The most favorable area for placing the image of Lakshmi is the southeastern part of the house. If you remember my post, then according to the Chinese tradition, the wealth zone is located there, and the minimum measures to attract it are reduced to cleaning and airing. There is reason to think ...
The offspring of Lakshmi and Vishnu is the god of love Kama. We have all heard a lot or little about the Kama Sutra, and if translated literally, it means "the rules of love (lust)." By the way, poor Kama, seriously suffered from the god Shiva, which brought on the latter the serious anger of Vishnu and Lakshmi. Kama fired an arrow of passion at Shiva when he was in deep austerity and many years of meditation in order to draw his attention to the beautiful daughter of the king of the Himalayas Parvati. This angered Shiva so much that he incinerated Kama with his third eye. Under pressure from Vishnu, Lakshmi and other gods, he was forced to agree to the reincarnation of the god of love. Despite all the efforts, Kama was revived to life by ananga (disembodied) and now he is everywhere.
Shiva's companions
So we smoothly got to the love affairs of the great ascetic Shiva. There were many of them, depending on the form of its manifestation. Religious scholars did not agree on whether this woman was alone or not.
Here I will talk about them as different, because if all this variety of forms and essences are "shoved" into one character, I'm afraid I myself will get confused. Naturally, I can't write about all of them either, so let's focus on the most revered ones.
Devi is "goddess". Devi is especially revered among the followers of tantra. Goddess Devi “contains the whole world in her womb”, she “lights the lamp of wisdom” and “brings joy to the heart of Shiva, her Lord”. Today in India, rituals dedicated to Devi are often performed on the eve of marriage, and, as we understand, the religion of the spouses is of no interest to anyone ☺
Sati is "true, blameless." Sati was the daughter of the king (god?) Daksha. On the day of her majority, he sent out an invitation to all the gods, with the exception of Shiva, so that Sati could choose a worthy husband for herself. He believed that Shiva behaves unworthy of the gods, damaging their name and essence. When Sati entered the hall and did not see the only one whom she worshiped and whose wife she dreamed of becoming, she offered him a prayer with a request to accept the wedding garland. Shiva accepted her gift and Daksha had no choice but to marry Sati to him. But the story didn't end there. Dakshi decided to make a huge sacrifice in honor of the gods, again depriving Shiva of his attention. This act angered Sati and she appeared to his house without invitation, claiming that Shiva is a god above all gods. Defending the honor of her husband, she herself stepped into the sacrificial fire and burned up in his flame &
Upon learning of the death of his beloved, Shiva became distraught with grief. With his servants, he went to Daksha's palace and killed himself and his followers. After that, with the body of his beloved in his arms, he danced his divine dance 7 times around all worlds. The crazy rhythm of his dance brought destruction and sadness to everything around, the scale of the disaster reached such a volume that Vishnu intervened, who, in order to stop this crazy dance, cut Sati's body into several parts and they fell to the ground. After that, Shiva came to his senses, repented of killing Daksha and even returned his life (though with the head of a goat, since his original one was lost).
Uma - "Graceful". There is a version that she is the rebirth of the goddess Sati, but skeptics are inclined to believe that Sati's body was cut into several parts and fell in different places, so that she could not be reborn in a single image. Her name is sometimes associated with Barhma, since she is his mediator in communication with other gods. Based on this, Uma is the patroness of oratory. Uma also became the cause of divine conflict when the servants of Brahma caught her in the arms of Shiva in the sacred forest. He was so angry that he condemned any male, regardless of his species, to turn into a female, one has only to enter the territory of the forest.
Parvati is mountainous. Another possible rebirth of Sati, daughter of King Himvan, ruler of the Himalayas. The girl loved Shiva very much, but he did not pay any attention to her and was all absorbed in meditation and asceticism. In the end, the Gods could not stand the suffering of the beautiful Parvati and sent Kama to awaken passion and desire in him, for which, poor fellow, he paid. Having paid attention to the beauty and devotion of the girl, Shiva nevertheless considered her unworthy, and she was forced to perform difficult ascetic deeds for many years in order to gain his favor. In the end, she succeeded, and she became not only the beloved wife of Shiva, nor the mother of his son Ganesh.
Ganesha is one of the most popular characters, even in countries where Buddhism is the main religion, he is still revered. For example, in the north of the Thai city of Chiang Mai there is absolutely stunning. It is very simple to distinguish him from all other gods - he is the only one with an elephant's head. By the way, according to one of the versions, his own father Shiva deprived him of his human head, who did not recognize his son in the grown-up Ganesh and was jealous of Parvati. In order to revive his son, he ordered the servants to kill the first animal that came across and bring his head to the palace. By coincidence, it turned out to be the head of an elephant, which Shiva attached to the place of his son's head in order to resurrect him and calm the inconsolable Parvati.
Ganesha uses a white mouse as a means of transportation, so the Hindus do not favor cats, as they eat mice and cause Ganesh's anger. And no one wants his anger, on the contrary, they crave his favor. After all, Ganesha is considered the patron saint of prosperity, the remover of obstacles, he helps to increase earnings and profits, and also stimulates success in studies and profession. For these purposes, a statuette of Ganesha is often placed on the desktop or at the cash register, as well as special mantras are sung, for example: OM GAM GANAPATAAYA NAMAH or OM SRI GANESHAYA NAMAH.
Durga is "unapproachable". There are many legends associated with the appearance of Durga, but one of the most popular is the following. Once the king of the giants Mahisha won a victory over the gods, deprived them of everything and expelled them from their homes. Then, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva combined their powers and released from their eyes dazzling rays of light, from which came the Warrior Goddess with three eyes and eighteen arms. Then each of the gods gave her his weapon: Brahma - a rosary and a jug of water, Vishnu - a throwing disc, Shiva - a trident, Varuna - a shell, Agni - a dart, Vayu - a bow, Surya - a quiver of arrows, Indra - a lightning, Kubera - a mace , Kala - shield and sword, Vishvakarma - battle ax. Mahisha was inflamed with passion for Durga and wished to make her his wife, but he said that he would submit only to the one who defeated her in the fight. She jumped off her tiger and jumped on the back of Mahisha, who for the fight took the form of a bull. With her legs, she struck a blow of such crushing force on the head of the bull that he fell senseless to the ground. Then Durga cut off his head with a sword.
Kali is black. Probably the most controversial goddess of the Hindu pantheon, one of the most beautiful and at the same time dangerous. Her skin is black, a great warrior and a great dancer, like her husband Shiva. She is usually depicted in expensive clothing with a necklace of skulls and a belt made of severed hands. Most often she has four hands: in one she holds a bloody sword, in the other - the head of a defeated enemy, and the other two hands bless her subjects. T, e, it simultaneously brings death and immortality. During the battle, she pulls out her tongue to drink the blood of her victims (by the way, according to many theories, it is Kali who is the prototype of Lilith and vampires). Sometimes she is depicted with one foot on her chest, and the other on the thigh of the prostrate prostrate of Shiva. This is explained by the following legend. Having defeated the giant Raktvija, she began to dance with joy, and her dance was so passionate and unbridled that it threatened to destroy the earth and the whole world. The gods tried to admonish her, but it was all in vain. Then Shiva lay down at her feet, Kali continued to dance until she saw her own husband under her feet. She was ashamed of her own fierceness and disrespect shown to the great god that she stopped rooted to the spot. By the way, Shiva quite easily forgave her.
Among Shiva's companions there are also Jagadgauri, Chinnamustaka, Tara, Muktakesi, Dasabhuja, Singhavanini, Mahishamandini, Jagaddhatri, Ambika, Bhavani, Pithivi, etc., you cannot remember all of them ☺.
Well, perhaps, the fairy tale is over, who read to the end - well done! Hope you found it interesting.
(April May).
Just as Rama incarnated to exemplify an ideal person (in a male body), so Sita incarnated to exemplify an ideal person (in a female body).
The instructive story of Rama and Sita is described in the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and many other scriptures.
Sita is considered the incarnation of the goddess Sri, Lakshmi. Both the birth and the departure of Shri Sita are extraordinary. And the story of her life itself is extremely instructive.
"Sita is the manifested creative Power of God (Maya). Its essence is expressed in three letters. The sound" and "is Vishnu, the seed of creation and Maya. The sound" sa "is the nectar of Truth (also" true immortality "), the highest achievement and the moon (also "lunar nectar") The sound "ta" means the world-saving Lakshmi.
Mahamaya, whose form is unmanifest, becomes manifested, denoted by the sound "and", like moon nectar, adorned with pearls and other divine ornaments.
By the power of intimacy with the good Rama, She supports the Universe, generates, maintains and destroys all embodied beings. As the Supreme, Sita must know as the original Nature (mulaprakriti). Since She is pranava, She is prakriti, - so say those who have attained Brahman.
Goddess Lakshmi sits in the lotus position on the divine throne. It gives rise to all cause and effect. She is the idea of the differentiation of God. Joyful-eyed, worshiped by all gods, She is known as Viralakshmi "( Sita Upanishad of Atharva Veda... From book "Upanishads of Vedanta, Shaivism and Shaktism").
Consoled, called)
About the dharma of the ruler, husband, wife, etc. you can argue for a long time. However, the following words come: "People do not forgive divinity. Those who are not like them will be torn to pieces." And why such extreme methods of proof, even if the dharma of the ruler requires - to prove.
Perhaps in this incarnation (like Krishna in Mahabharata ) Rama showed the absurdity of blindly following the rules. After all, the main principle is: Place, Time, Circumstances. The same rule works in different ways under different circumstances.
The unsurpassed immortal Ramayana, the first poem of ancient India, is about this and many other things. The scriptures say that
Whoever tells the Ramayana with feeling at dawn, when the herds of cows go out to the pastures,
either at noon or at dusk, he will never know sorrow and adversity.
And the one who utters at least one sloka from the great tradition will be cleansed of the sins he has committed.
And this is such a wonderful female destiny. But the tests are given according to their strength. “The lot of the Goddesses who drag out existence on Earth is hard. The bondage of matter is so strong. I forgot ... and not immediately - awareness comes, and the memory of the past - will not open to everyone.
And only love, love will open all doors for us. She alone is the key to Heaven. And it is only one - the Reward. For work over the centuries, for sacrifice, for love. "
The Ramayana is an extraordinary work. Everyone there will definitely find something to their taste. An instructive poem about divine games, about loyalty, treachery, friendship and love, telling about the life of the ideal ruler of Rama and his impeccable meek wife Sita, the embodied Femininity - immortality.
This beautiful work can be re-read and retelling an infinite number of times, and it will never get bored, because the Divine presence is felt in it.
* "As long as mountains rise on the earth and rivers flow, until then the deeds of Rama and Sita will live in the hearts of people!"
From Vishnu Purana: Ramacandra and Sita were asked before their wedding what they thought of the role of wife and the role of husband. Here's what they answered:
Shri Sita is the embodiment of the divine Mother, the best feminine qualities.
And the Mother does everything for her children.
Sita Navami- an auspicious day in order to reveal the qualities of Sita in oneself, since it is on this day that this aspect of the Divine Mother is especially manifested in the Universe.
On this day, the girls pray to the Goddess Sita to grant them the most beautiful feminine qualities in order to find the most worthy husband in the world.
Over and over again listening and reviewing the wonderful story of Shri Sitaji, you can not only get rid of many sins and gain wisdom, but also reveal the best feminine qualities in yourself, meet a worthy life partner, find family happiness and attract the Goddess of prosperity into your life.
Prepared by: Natalia Dementieva
Publishing Books Natalia Dementieva
Excerpts from books see on social networks:
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Beautiful TV series "Sita and Ram" / Siya Ke Ram "series
Vedic holidays, fasts- cm. Vedic calendar
Screen adaptations of stories about Rama and Sita: Sampurna Ramayana (1961) or Trilogy about Rama in 3 parts; Sita's Wedding (1976); Lord Rama's Games (1977); Love and Kush (1963), Ramayana 2008.
Adaptations of the Ramayana and other Vedic films and cartoons - in our VKontakte group: 
Ramacandra, RamaNavami
About Ramayana
Shaktism. Devi, Shiva
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Frame and Sita
A long time ago, a powerful king, the Raja, lived in India. He ruled a rich and powerful state, with the capital in the city of Ayodhya. He had several wives and several sons, the eldest son was called Rama, and one of the younger ones was Lakshmana. These two brothers loved each other very much.
Once Rama happened to be in the capital of a neighboring state. Passing the palace of the local rajah, he saw a girl of extraordinary beauty in one of the windows.
- Who is this? - Rama asked the merchants who were sitting at the palace gates.
“This is Sita, the daughter of our ruler!
Rama turned his horse to take another look at the girl, but when he again found himself under the window, it was already tightly closed.
Rama returned to Ayodhya and told his brother about this meeting.
“It seems to me that I fell in love with her at first sight,” he admitted. - What to do, Lakshmana? Maybe tell my father and mother about everything? Or - no, a man should be able to wait ...
And in those distant times in India there was a custom - svayamvar, according to which, in order for the bride to choose a groom for herself, competitions were appointed in her honor. Young men gathered at them, they competed in archery, wrestling, and javelin throwing. To the winner, if, of course, he was to his liking, the bride put a wreath around her neck - by this she let him know that she agreed to become his wife.
And soon Sita's father decided that it was time to marry his daughter. As soon as this news reached Ayodhya, Rama and Lakshmana began to pack their way. On the appointed day, early in the morning, they were already driving in chariots into the city where Sita lived. Here everything was already ready for the holiday, colorful flags were fluttering at every corner, music was playing, sweet haze curled over the hearths where food was warmed up. Chariots decorated with flowers were rolling through the streets every now and then. From the main square came the eager rumble of the crowd.
- How would we not be late! Let's hurry our horses! Lakshmana shouted.
They drove into the town square. Here everything was already ready for the competition: Sita and her father were sitting in a gazebo decorated with flowers, opposite them stood in a bunch of suitors from all over India. The crowd filled the surrounding streets.
The drums thundered and fell silent. The king stood up and made a sign, demanding silence.
“Many years ago,” he began, “one of my ancestors received a bow as a gift from the almighty god Shiva. It was so heavy and strong that no one could ever lift or pull it. This bow will be brought to the square today. Whoever can bend it will become my daughter's husband. I said!
With these words, the king nodded to the servants. They rushed to the palace and soon returned, bending under the weight of an unusual burden. Seeing how big the bow is and how thick its bowstring is, the suitors were depressed. The servants dragged the bow to the middle of the square, laid it on the ground, and left. The suitors began to approach him one by one. The youngest tried the strength first. They approached the bow, grabbed it, strained their muscles, sweat streamed down their faces, but no one could even tear it off the ground with a finger. Then the older grooms spoke. They were real strongmen. They went out into the middle of the square, proud of their height, the strength of their hands and their previous exploits. Some of them managed to lift the end of the shaft and even grab the string, but ... the bow fell, and the string remained motionless.
And suddenly there was a murmur in the crowd. A black-bearded warrior emerged from the line of suitors. His eyes burned with fierce fire. He walked over to the bow and, without apparent effort, lifted it off the ground. Everyone gasped, the king got up from his seat, and Sita felt fear penetrate into her heart.
- Who is this? - the inhabitants of the city asked each other.
The warrior rested the end of the bow on the ground, grabbed the shaft with one hand, and put his palm on the string with the other. Thick, crooked fingers dug into her, the muscles of her arms tensed and became like stones. The bowstring began to draw back slowly. Sorrowful cries were heard among the suitors.
“Isn't it Ravana himself - invincible? - They started talking in the crowd.
The hero strained all his strength. The veins on his forehead puffed out, the ends of the bow began to draw closer. But ... there was a ringing like the sound of a saber, the bowstring was torn from the hands, the bow straightened and fell to the ground. And then the hero let out a terrible roar. He stamped his feet and roared like a wounded elephant. His eyes were bloodshot, his appearance, so clear and clear, became unsteady. The body lost its previous outlines, instead of one head, ten grew, and two arms turned into twenty.
Woe, woe to us! This is true Ravana, the king of the Rakshasas, the demon among the demons, the lord of those who roam at night, the warrior who knows no pity! - shouted in the crowd.
No sooner had the frightened Sita made out the one who almost became her husband, as the Rakshasa rose into the air and disappeared, as the column of dust, scattered by the wind, disappears.
And then Rama came to the square. He went to the bow, slowly raised it and, spreading his mighty shoulders, began to pull the string. The black, shiny, heavy wood gave way to strong hands - the bowstring was separating further and further from the shaft, and finally the bow could not stand it: there was a crash like a thunderclap, the roofs of houses trembled - the bow flew in half.
Shouts of joy filled the square.
- He won! Glory to the prince of Ayodhya! shouted the crowd.
The king got up, raising his hands in greeting, and Sita left the pavilion, approached Rama and, with downcast eyes, laid a wreath on him.
Played a wedding. Rama returned to his father's palace and began to help him rule. Sita came with him to Ayodhya.
Continued >>>
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Sources of information: Sakharnov S.V. "Why the whale has a big mouth: Fairy tales and stories". L. Lenizdat. 1987
