Political Violence in Ancient India by Upinder Singh

Author:Upinder Singh [Singh, Upinder]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub, pdf
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Published: 2017-09-25T04:00:00+00:00

Later, Rama restrains Lakshmana when the latter announces that he will kill all the demons:

“You must not slaughter all the rākṣasas of the earth on account of a single one.… Therefore, mighty warrior, let us strive to slay him [Ravana] alone.”123

This is very different from the idea of total war in the Mahabharata.

Sita, too, is compassionate. She does not allow Hanuman to kill the demonesses who had been her companions during her incarceration (some of them had actually been kind to her). She argues that they were just following their nature and Ravana’s orders. Her misfortunes in this life were the result of fate and misdeeds performed in previous lives. A noble person must react with compassion (kāruṇya) in every situation, no matter what the provocation and regardless of the adversary’s conduct.124

Rama’s compassion stands in great contrast to Ravana’s cruel nature. This makes his magnanimity in victory even more stark. The noble Rama urges the reluctant Vibhishana to perform Ravana’s funerary rites. He lists Ravana’s negative qualities—his lies, deceit, cruelty, and unrighteousness. But he also points to his good qualities.

“Granted, the night-roaming rākṣasa was given to unrighteousness and untruthfulness. Nonetheless, he was always a powerful and energetic hero in battle. Rāvaṇa, who made the worlds cry out, was a great hero, endowed with might. One never heard that the gods, led by Indra of the hundred sacrifices, ever defeated him. But hostilities cease with death. Our purpose has been accomplished. You may now perform his funeral rites, for as he was to you, so he is to me.” (Emphasis added)125

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.