Meek ≠ Weak
Updated: Jan 20
While the preparations for the consecration ceremony of the Ram Janmbhoomi temple in Ayodhya are in full swing, an occasion of celebration no less than a festival, Ram was never missing from our day-to-day lives. The character of Ram, or shall I say Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram, is the guiding ray of light in the canopy of the dark forest of Sansaar, or even better, Prapanch, as I prefer to call it, the Telugu vernacular for 'world'. Tales of his virtuous wisdom ever triumps all the invidious and insidious pressures of modern life. They are Kaaljayi; I tried to get the English word for this phrase, but none seemed to do justice to what I intended to mean. It is not entirely the fault of the language, though.
It has been forever since I wanted to write an article in English. The thought that it would not be on par with my peers or would lower the standard of our esteemed blog curbed my prolonged and chronic desire. But, as I said earlier, tales of Ram dominate over all the material flaws. As a matter of fact, I am not even the one saying this. Tulsidas narrates in Shriramcharitmanas -
Bhaniti mōri saba guna rahita bisva bidita guna ēka.
Sō bicāri sunihahin sumati jinha kēn bimala bivēka.
My composition is devoid of all charm; it has only one merit, which is known throughout the world. Recognizing this merit, men of sound reason, who are gifted with unbiased judgment, will surely hear it.
His work is devoid of all the merits and attributes of a poem. But has one known qualification: Ram. He says that the mere presence of the name 'Ram' amends all the wrongs of his epic. I shall follow him. This article shall try to encapsulate a very famous tale of Shriramcharitmanas, and I wish to believe all the egregious blunders committed by me will be overlooked because of this topic. Had it not been for this topic, I would have taken an astronomically large period of time to pen down something in a language alien to my conscience but well understood by my potential readers, for what is literature that is not well received by the public? Is it?
Do not hold me wrong here. I don't seek any validation for my views, opinions, or even my language, but lately I have been occupied with the notion that the language of my blogs is too complex and sophisticated to understand and, hence, to appreciate or criticize. So, this article is my attempt at neutralizing the prejudices against me.
Sundarkaand's beauty goes beyond what one would possibly assume from its name. It is the 5th chapter of Shriramcharitmanas and is very aptly called the heart of the epic. My article is about yet another incident from the text. Ram, along with his Vanar Sena, is standing on the shore of the ocean, stretching between it and the island kingdom of Lanka, where Ravana holds Maa Sita after abducting her. The army must cross the ocean to battle Ravana, but the water is unwilling to yield. The narration that now unfolds is my lesson for the day. Ram, who himself is all virtue and knowledge, never restricts himself from consulting others. It is his modesty that he sends Hanumaan and then Angad for peace dialogue, asking to return Sita gracefully, to which Ravana not only refuses to agree but also tries to burn Hanuman and capture Angad as his hostage, both in violation of the well-established accord of the messenger's safety. Well, that's a story for another day. Ram asks in his soothingly placid tone:
Sunu kapīsa lamkāpati bīrā. kēhi bidhi taria jaladhi gambhīrā
Sankula makara uraga jhașa jātī. ati agādha dustara saba bhātī.
"Listen, O lord of the monkeys and O valiant sovereign of Lanka, how are we to cross the deep ocean full of alligators, snakes, and all varieties of fish, most unfathomable and difficult to cross in every way?"
Is Ram unaware of what his arrows are capable of? One arrow is all it takes to dry out millions of such oceans. Ram is the ultimate source of everything—the water in the ocean, the fish, snakes, reptiles, or other creatures residing in that water. Yet Ram is the humblest of all. Vibhishan acknowledges the greatness of Ram and suggests:
Kaha lankēsa sunahu raghunāyaka. Kõţi sindhu sõşaka tava sāyaka.
Jadyapi tadapi nīti asi gāī. Binaya karia sāgara sana jāī.
"Listen, O Lord of the Raghus," replied the king of Lanka. "Although your arrow alone can dry up innumerable oceans, propriety demands that you approach the ocean and request it to allow you a passage."
Prabhu tumhāra kulagura jaladhi kahihi upāya bicāri.
Binu prayāsa sāgara tarihi sakala bhālu kapi dhāri..
My lord, the ocean is an ancestor of yours; hence, he will think over the question and suggest some means of crossing the ocean. The whole host of bears and monkeys will thus be able to cross the ocean without much ado.
And Ram, in spite of the resistance of Lakshman, finds this suggestion tending. He says, "Friend, you have made a good point; this shall be done, provided the heavens favor us." Meekness is the greatest quality in Ram that inspires me. But as is said in Chanakya Niti, 'Ati sarvatra varjyet'—everything forbids excess, so is meekness. Don't make yourself so vulnerable that every now and then you are used because of your meekness, especially by the people you considered yours. But, again, this does not mean turning hostile and full of conceit. The "man" who balances the two is Purushottam.
Ram bows his head, greets the ocean with his lotus hands together, and sits at the shore. He consecrates a Shivlingam there, popularly known as Rameshwar, the Lord of Ram. He prays for three days. He is very patient. He is not at fault. He is definitely not weak. He is very respectful. He is perseverant. However, it is already day three. It's plenty for now. His meekness must not be equated to his weakness, for he is all the strength and energy; the maya is his daasi.
Binaya na mānata jaladhi jada gaē tīna dina bīti.
Bōlē rāma sakōpa taba bhaya binu hõi na prīti..
Although three days had elapsed, the crass ocean would not answer the prayer. Ram thereupon indignantly said, "There can be no affection without inspiring fear."
He further adds
Lachimana bāna sarāsana ānū. Sõşaum bāridhi bisikha krsānū..
Satha sana binaya kutila sana prītī. Sahaja krpana sana sundara nītī..
Mamatā rata sana gyāna kahānī. Ati lōbhī sana birati bakhānī..
Krōdhihi sama kāmihi hari kathā. Usara bīja baēn phala jathā..
"Laksmana, bring me my bow and arrows; I will dry up the ocean with a missile presided over by the god of fire. Supplication before an idiot, friendship with a rogue, inculcating liberality in a born miser, talking wisdom to one steeped in worldliness, glorifying dispassion before a man of excessive greed, a lecture on mindcontrol to an irascible man and a discourse on the exploits of Sri Hari to a libidinous person are as futile as sowing seeds in a barren land."
Kātēhin pai kadarī pharai kõţi jatana kõu sīnca.
Binaya na māna khagēsa sunu dāţēhim pai nava nīca..
Though one may take infinite pains in watering a plantain it will not bear fruit unless it is hewed. Similarly, mark me, O king of birds, (continues Kakabhusundi,) a vile fellow heeds no prayer but yields only when reprimanded.
It is all vain to expect from any want-wit any form of maturity, because all they think about is their own ego. Everyone else is inferior to them. No amount of meekness, humility, or supplication can turn their inimically antipathetic conduct around. They start taking others for granted and consider their modesty a sign of weakness. Wish it were! It's a reflection of the absence of their own wisdom. Meekness is very important, but only until it starts to be called fragility or frailty of one's character. Given an appropriate and substantial period of time and endeavors adorned with good intent, it is important to defend one's self-esteem against the stain of being weak and vacillating in thought. Once the period is over, you have every right to retaliate against their actions. A reaction is very important now. They need it. Ignorance of meek request is nothing but an invitation to the brutal payback they deserve. Expecting nice behavior after disrespect is so delusional. It is now at one's mercy and no longer their rightful claim.
The quality of mercy is not strained.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest. It becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown.
His scepter shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings,
But mercy is above this sceptered sway.
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings.
It is an attribute to God himself.
And earthly power doth then show likest God’s
When mercy seasons justice.
That in the course of justice none of us
Should see salvation. We do pray for mercy,
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy.
~The Merchant of Venice
The quality of meekness, in sooth, requires courage. When you are humble, sometimes more than needed, you are prone to attacks of humiliation, often qualified by the word 'intended'. It is courage to stand firmly on one's principles that provides a shield against such an attack. In a situation of such dismay, holding onto your meekness wearies. However, there are a few advantages that meekness offers. Best of all, it does not prevent us from picking up lessons from our juniors. Recently, I came across something written by Arin, my very valued junior, which goes something like this:
Jiske kandhe pe sar rakh k dukh bayaan karte the,
Uske kandha hata lene ka dukh ab kisse bayaan karen?
I found this so intriguing that I texted him. He supplemented the couplet with another few lines from the experience he earned during the year that followed.
Ab to jarurat hi nahin hain kandhe-e-himayat ki,
Gardan ki majbooti ne unhen jhukna hi bhul diya hai...!
Ye waqt ka behtreen tohfah-e-tajurba hai janab,
Varna baatein to mai bahut kiya karta tha...!
The story from Sundarkand taught me a very valuable lesson: when they deserve reprimand, do not serve them the sweet desert of modesty and supplication with respect. Don't be misled by my silence into believing that I do not have an arrrow of words in my quiver of lexicon, incapable of drying up the ocean of your fake and pretentious pristige.
The narrative progresses when Ram raises his bow and attaches the arrow to it, aiming for the ocean. At this point, the ocean appears, falls at his feet, and begs mercy since he has already lost his stake in justice, or, say, arguments for that matter. Ram avails him of mercy and forgives him. Yet another teaching: forgiveness is not for the weak.
Ēkaḥ kṣamāvatāṁ dōṣō dvitīyō nōpapadyatē. Yadēnaṁ kṣamayā yuktamaśaktaṁ manyatē janaḥ. ~Mahabharat (Vidur Niti)
Among forgiving men, there is one flaw; there is no possibility of another. The fault is that people consider a forgiving person incompetent.
As we move closer to the consecration ceremony, let us also consecrate Ram and any ounce of his traits of benevolent character in the garbh griya of our body—the heart.
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