Same story and different interpretations......................

We are all aware of the black event of the epic history which is questioning our civilization from antiquity till now and that was Draupadi Vastraharan. Lot of accusations, debates, counter questioning and dramas had been happened before this horrendous incident. Karana called her ‘Vaisya’ because she had five husbands or she had conjugal relations with more than 4 men, in other term. Women were considered sinless until they cross the limit of 4 men as Kunti is the best example.  Almost times the prejudiced historians forget to mention Kunti’s statement to Pandu regarding women’s sexual freedom at epic time. Panchali was not the first incident of polyandrous marriage. It was not an alien thing for Panchala tribes and there were series of genealogies of polyandrous marriage. They were referred as true Bharata and Kuru were the Bharata also. Mahabharata war revolves around Kuru and Panchala.

She was referred ‘Vaisya’ and the same is the caste for business class who involves in commercial activities that is purely based on give and take policy. They are the financial and economic strength of any nation and nation survive because of the insatiate needs of these Vaisyas to earn more and more. Karana attacked the Vaisya class. I won’t use caste because there was no such thing as caste unlike today and it’s more of a mind generated idea for fulfilling personal and political agendas. The Vaisya class left Duryodhana, trade and business were destroyed, their prosperities were destroyed and Duryodhana’s thigh had already broken before the actual war started.  How the stories take shape around the socio-political, cultural, and historical developments.

As per the Purush sukta of Rigveda, the Vaisya was depicted by Brahma's thigh and the castiest mind interpreted it as the lower position in society than Brahmin and Kshatriya. Vaisya provides the stability and prosperity to any country for surveillance and they are enabling the Purusha to stand erect in any situation because the legs are strong and unwavering.

Merit would decided by Karma than Janma and that was repeatedly pronounced by Narada, Yudhistara, Rama, and various ancient sages through Upanishads and other texts. 

Vashistha was the revered Brahmin family and his descendants were all Sudra while Kanva family descendants were found in all caste (Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaisya, Sudra). Gautama was made Brahmin; he didn’t belong to the original seven Brahmin family.  He achieved Brahmin status because of his merit like Vishwamitra.  Kakashivana was Sudra born but was the priest at Yudhistra Rajsuya Yangya. Yajna, Dana, Penance, Renunciation, austerities, and Gyan were the ways to increase order of merit to be raised to Brahminhood.

The people were divided in four different classes based on their occupations they choose as per their skills and ability. Their choice of profession would go with their nature, potential, education, capability and resources. The system was not meant to degrade one class and elevate the other as it now becomes the usual norm of reading the ancient texts with casteiest eyes. IT class, corporate class, service class (including all government jobs), academic class (teacher, professors and researchers), scientist class and so many classes can be identified and distinguished as a separate class from each others in terms of their resources, mode of operation, policies and conducts, rules and regulations, eligibilities and skills sets.

Sudra referred the service class and they were the gross inhabitants of any civilization. Lot more people belonged to Sudra including, charioteer, artisans, potters, servants, goldsmiths, weapon makers, medical staffs including doctors, engineers, constructers, messengers and so on so forth.

Brahmin is the class of teacher, sermons, sadhu, priest, writers, poets who give their knowledge and the society would pay them the gratitude and take care their basic needs by giving dakshina and bhiksha.

I would like to point out some of the miscreant sections which are contradicting to the very essence of the epics itself.  The Puranas, Mahabharat, Ramayana and other scriptures we have today is the copy of 400-500 AD at the minimum and since then they had gone through different phases of editings and reinterpretations depending upon the socio-political and teritorrial changes. Ramayana became popular in mass during the Guptas ear when they used the local archer hero Rama as ideal man in combating Hunas. The whole India was united and stood by Skanda Gupta. He did great endeavors, collected big army and fought with Hunas for 12 years, away from his mother land. The Vikramaditya, Skanda Gupta, and their uncles’ struggles and endeavors against Hunas were incorporated in Ramayana and the local tales had become a biggest epic for Indian. 

This doesn’t mean that there was no Ramayana or no Rama, of course they had but the stories were largely influenced and  interoperated with the current happenings. Sita means the furrow in land and Skanda Gupta fought for his land/his nation against Hunas. Sita renunciation/abandonment is the creation of the Kalidas popular play “Raghuvansham” and it now an allegory to refer the Indian woman as an Abla Nari. Neither Valmiki Ramayana nor any Purana ever mentioned the story of Sita abandonment by Rama. 

Panini (the Sanskrit grammarian) had frozen the Sanskrit language around 500 BC as per the historic evidences and Valmiki Ramayana was composed thousands of years before than Panini. The drastic changes of language in thousands years had itself had changed many stories and their interpretations.

At the time of Buddha, India had 18 Mahajanapada and the same is given in Ramayana also. Around 600 BC, India had 16 Mahaganapda and kamboja, most of Ghandhara, Tigris, and Euphrates were under the sovereignty of Persian empire. The strong archer based partha tribes destroyed the Seleucid Yavanas and established rule of Dharma and silk route for 400 years. As well said in Kurukshetra ”utho Partha”! The right of rebellions against an unjust ruler had always been a part of political philosophy during Epic age ancient India. It is evident through Ramayana, Mahabharata, Mauryas, Guptas, and so on.

Ravana, the most prominent figure of Ramayana was well known as Dasanana at his time.  He had written few riks of Vedas and had a great contributions on the composition of Krishana (Black) Yajurveda. Rakshas were allowed to write Vedas and they say that the Sudras were denied of even listening Vedas.  Ravana had a unique philosophy on religions, politics and dharma and he built a big kingdom and gathered many supporters. Ancient Indian societies were running on free will of a person and that’swhy various religions, philosophies, and cultures were all flourished in this land. People were free to use their intellects and lead their path as per their beliefs and thus, every person is responsible for his own action.

Ravana built   a highly centralized system where all the powers were owe to him. Power catalyzes the hunger for more power and women were being victimized (Sita, Mandoodari, Surupnakha) in this power game of men. He initiated the conversion of people to gather wide supports for his ideology and to increase Raksha communities. Madhu Yadavas were the first one who converted into Raksha and later reconverted into Yadava Kshatriya. Vibhishana and few other ministers of Ravana camp were in favors of old Yaksha philosophy of life.  Yakshas can be compared with today’s capitalism which are directed to attain profits and enjoying life. 

Ravana had taken the responsibility of all the people and ensured to distribute the resources equally amongst them. Raksha was the separate ideology of politics and life. Nothing is good for the long time and rules are built to change as per the requirements generate. Ravana had become so obsessed with centralized power and aggravated many misdeeds and corruptions which had to be ended for once and all! 

To be Continued......