Sai message for the day

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Although Manthara and Surpanakha are the two minor woman characters

in the epic, the Ramayana, both of them appear crucial in leading to

major developments. What lessons should we learn from these two

characters?

 

In the Ramayana, Manthara symbolises anger and Surpanakha represents

desire. Rama and Lakshmana were playing with a ball during their

childhood. As ill luck would have it, the ball hit the hunchback

Manthara. All the children playing with Rama and Lakshmana saw this

and laughed so loudly that she felt terribly upset and humiliated.

She thought that it was Rama who had thrown the ball intentionally

and had hit her. Since that day, she grew revengeful towards Rama and

was looking for an opportunity to retaliate. This made her speak all

kinds of falsehood to Kaikeyi, on the day of the coronation of Rama

ultimately leading to Kaikeyi's demand for Rama's exile and Bharata's

coronation.

 

Surpanakha, sister of Ravana, saw Rama in the forest and was very

much attracted by his personality. She prayed to him to marry her.

Rama gently and softly sent her away telling her that he was already

married and that his wife, Sita, was also with him, and if she was

still desirous of a marriage she could as well approach Lakshmana and

marry him. Accordingly, Surpanakha approached Lakshmana with a

similar plea. Lakshmana then cut her nose and ears and turned her

away. Returning to Lanka, she said to her brother Ravana, " Oh!

Brother! I have no words to describe the beauty of Sita. What a

charming woman she is! I feel a king of your stature and splendour

alone should have Sita as his spouse. After all, Rama, a mere human

being, doesn't deserve her. Brother! You should win her hand somehow

or other " .

 

Then Ravana put her a question, " Sister! When your nose and ears were

being cut off, what were you doing? Did you simply keep quiet,

without resisting? " Then Surpanakha replied, " Brother! What else

could I say other than keep silent at that moment? Brother! Believe

me or not, I was lost totally watching the majestic beauty and divine

personality of Rama all the time. I did not know what was happening. "

 

Therefore, it should have been very clear to you by now that

Manthara's anger was responsible for Rama's exile. The death of King

Dasaratha was a consequence. This was the sequence of events that

followed the anger of Manthara. Then, how about Surpanakha? Her

desire to marry Rama, which was not fulfilled, the humiliation she

was put to at the hands of Lakshmana, and her report to Ravana

extolling the beauty of Sita ultimately led to the abduction of Sita

separating her from Rama. Was it not her desire that proved to be the

main cause of all these events? So both the characters speak about

the tragedy that would befall anyone who falls victim to anger and

desire.