GREETINGS

Dear Swamiji..I have once asked a question regarding Ramayana around 2014. At that time I was not satisfied by your answer. I thought it was because I couldn’t explain my question properly to you. So I have decided to ask you directly whenever I meet you. But alas! I never got that opportunity and hence my doubt remained unsolved. My question was:“Dear sir, I have not yet read Ramayanam properly…but i know the story and i strongly disagree with Rama in his decision to exile his pregnant wife. I have been told that Rama fulfilled his duty as a king. But i believe he failed as a king as well as a husband. Being a king he shouldn’t punish a person who he knows is innocent. and as a husband he should protect his wife at any condition. But as he didn’t do anything he has fallen down in my view. I cannot accept him as a perfect king or being called ‘purushothaman’. If i am wrong kindly explain me the justifications behind his actions”And your answer was:“Rama as ‘Maryada Purushothama’ observed Dharma as best as He could.Dharma can be the most confusing thing in your life. Every one has to play various roles in life. These roles may be challenging to one another.For example, a police man has to catch a thief and bring him before justice. But if the criminal happens to be his own brother or son, what will be his response?Will he save him or punish him?When the individual Dharmas contradict with each other, you have to select the main one and drop the other.It can be a truly testing time and the King in Rama won over the husband in Rama so that He could hold His head high as a ruler.It is essential for a King to ensure His supremacy. He could personally discard the kingdom as He did earlier, but the need of the country for a stable governance was more important.He would have known that they could be disrespected and insulted (in Ayodhya) too.So, ensuring a serene place with Sage Valmiki for Sita and sons, He lived alone for the entire life and that was the true sacrifice He did.We are all caught up in our emotional mind, that is why we are unable to understand Rama’s wisdom”1) In your answer, you have given the example of a policeman who had to catch his brother who happens to be a criminal. In this case the policeman had to bend towards justice and hand over his brother.. no doubt about it.. but what if the brother was really innocent.. then no matter what his relationship with the accused is, the policeman’s first priority should be to save an innocent from punishment. Rama was always considered as a role model for men and a great king. So how can a king (preserver of justice) let an innocent lady to be punished.2) When a man marries a woman, he promises her security and she in turn promises her full support to him . If Rama couldn’t fulfill his promises of being a husband because he was a king, then what is the point of calling him “Purushothaman” Shouldn’t a “Purush” include son, husband, father, king and all other roles. If he couldn’t perform both a father and a husband properly then he cannot be a total “Purush”3) Even if he had to punish Sita, couldn’t he arrange a way, so that his children wouldn’t be affected by his decision. The children grew up without a father or an identity. Why were they punished? If his decision had affected only Sita, Who accepted her husband’s decision blindly, it would not have been a big problem. But both Sita and Ram are guilty for acting selfishly without thinking for their children.4) Even if Sita was raped by Ravana, why should she be punished when clearly she was just a victim. Even if it was a regressive society, Ram as a king should change these backward thoughts of his people just like how Swati thirunal had done during his days. When the society’s perspective changes and becomes broad minded then there will be development. If the thoughts don’t change with time then the society would crumble. If this was the state of the society back then, it should not have been called the great Ramarajyam.I am sorry Swamiji for such a long question. I knew these questions can be asked more clearly if I had asked you in person but I never got a chance. I sincerely want to understand the beauty of Ramayana just like everyone else. But these questions stop me from enjoying it completely. And no matter whom I ask, I never get satisfactory answers. I hope my questions are more clear this time.Thank you Swamiji for patiently reading my question and trying to answer my doubts.