Ratna Prabha
Rama Consoles Vibhishana
The thousands of twinkling lamps adorning the houses and streets of Ayodhya seemed to compete against the stars in the night sky. It was a beautiful sight to behold. The people of Ayodhya were celebrating the return of their king and queen, Lord Rama and Devi Sita, after their arduous but fulfilling 14-year exile.
Vibhishana sat on the balcony overlooking this wonderful scene. However, his feelings didn’t match the environment. He was sad, dejected, and confused. He began to doubt himself and his decisions. Would the people of Lanka love him as much as they loved their former king, Ravana? Or would they hold it against him for siding with the enemy? Would they understand his predicament between familial love and the path of dharma?
“What are you thinking so deeply, Vibhishana?”
The gentle voice of Lord Rama broke into his thoughts. The newly crowned King of Ayodhya looked resplendent in his golden-yellow and green robes. His royal earrings tinkled majestically as he walked towards Vibhishana. His shoulders were strong and firm, reflecting surviving in tough conditions away from all the luxury he was used to since his birth, not to mention the agony of separation from his beloved wife, Sita. The crown he wore today didn’t come easy, even though he was the rightful heir to the Ikshvaku Dynasty.
Rama chose a 14-year exile to keep his father’s promise rather than a life of ease and luxury. He chose the difficult path even if he wasn’t obliged to. He made some tough choices, the most painful being to make Sita walk through fire after he rescued her from the captivity of Ravana, the King of Lanka.
Rama didn’t doubt her purity and chastity. But the dharmic laws wanted proof of it. If he had to set an example of following the law to the letter, he had to show the world that he and his wife were not above it. They had to give proof before being cleared of any lingering doubt. So, Sita walked the Agnipariksha and came through unscathed, proving her chastity and devotion to Lord Rama, both in body and mind.
Today, all that was in the past. Rama and Sita were the revered royal couple of the Ikshvaku Dynasty. Lord Rama was the Maryada Purushottam, the unblemished one, the one who showed the path to an ideal life governed by Dharma. Not only was he an avatar of Lord Vishnu, but he also practised what he preached in his human form. Devi Sita was the epitome of wifehood.
All these thoughts flashed in an instant through Vibhishana’s mind as Lord Rama walked towards him. He bowed respectfully, “My dear Lord, I don’t know how I will live without you by my side. I’ve gotten used to coming to you for counsel and advice. When I return to Lanka, how will I fare?”
Rama smiled. “You underestimate your capabilities, Vibhishana. You will be an excellent king, and your subjects will love and revere you always.”
“Those words soothe me,” said Vibhishana. Even as he turned to look at the celebratory scenes in front of him, his face remained dark with worry.
“That’s not the only thing that’s worrying you, Vibhishana. I can tell. Open your mind to me. You’ve come to my aid during my difficult time. If it was not for you, I would’ve never known the secrets of Ravana’s army, and that helped to tilt the war in our favour. The least I can do now is listen to your problems and try to help you solve them. Tell me, my friend, what is bothering you?”
Vibhishana’s Dilemma
Tears filled up Vibhishana’s eyes. “My dear Lord, do you think I made a mistake by abandoning Ravana, my own brother, my blood, my family?”
“Aah! That’s a tough question, and it’s not going to be easy to find a satisfying answer or one that convinces everyone that you did the right thing. Do you think I will ever be forgiven for making Sita go through the Agnipariksha? That’s the way of life. Some choices nag you until your last breath. Still, you have to make those choices. In your case, let us start from the beginning of your dilemma. When do you think it began?” Rama’s question made Vibhishana ponder for a while.
“I don’t know when the dilemma began. I think even before Ravana kidnapped Sita, I realised his arrogance was going to his head. Many times, I tried to warn him about his unstoppable plans to expand his kingdom without thinking about the consequences of repeated bloody wars. But Ravana’s small desire to overthrow Kubera, our half-brother, and take over the kingdom of Lanka grew exponentially as he became increasingly powerful., both militarily and territorially. I was worried that his vanity would destroy not only him but our kingdom and its innocent citizens, too.”
“Whenever I took my worry to our mother, Kaikesi, she would say that I was soft-hearted and that I got the dominant genes from our father, Sage Vishrava, rather than from her. She would say we are born into the warrior clan. Fighting battles is in our blood. She would say wars and battles keep our minds and bodies sharp and strong. She was always proud of Ravana and my second brother, Kumbakarna, who supported Ravana unconditionally. Most importantly, she would say that as a mother, she knew when her children were crossing the line. She would assure me that Ravana was well within his rights to expand his kingdom to the four corners of the world. Her words gave me consolation, although I still never stopped worrying, wondering when my brother would cross the line.”
Rama nodded. “Yes, Ravana was a great king, and his subjects were happy with him, vanity and arrogance notwithstanding. Yet, we are mortals, and we all have to die someday. Looking back, I believe that the trigger for Ravana’s end was set when Mother Kaikeyi demanded my exile.”
Rama continued after a moment’s pause. “In fact, that was what Lakshmana said when both of us stood looking over Ravana’s dead body. He said perhaps Mother Kaikeyi had some notion that we had a bigger purpose to achieve before I could ascend the throne of Ayodhya.”
Vibhishana shed fresh tears when he recollected the day of his brother’s death. “He could’ve been a great king and lived many more years. Why did he have to covet Mother Sita?”
“Another step towards his end,” replied Rama solemnly.
“Looks like it. Our mother pleaded with him to return Sita. She said that such condemnable acts would be his downfall if he didn’t take corrective action immediately. Both of us tried to reason with him. I remember her being angry with Ravana for the first time. It was clear that her anger was rooted in fear for his life.”
“She said, ‘Ravana, you are already a prosperous and popular king. Your subjects love you. Your wife, Mandodari, puts you on a pedestal and worships you like a god. There are many women in our own kingdom who would do anything to fulfil your carnal desires. But by coveting another man’s wife and holding her against her will, you have crossed the line. You are acting thoughtlessly, letting your lust cloud your judgment. Return Sita to Rama with dignity and live happily as before.’”
“But no amount of reasoning worked, my Lord. He was hell-bent on keeping Sita captive. In retrospect, I believe it was his doom blinding him to reason and logic.”
Rama put his hands across Vibhishana’s shoulders, trying to console him. “You are right.”
“But again, my Lord, should I have stayed on his side and died along with my brothers and my nephew, Indrajith, and other family members instead of coming over to your side?”
“What advice did your mother give?”
“After she realised she couldn’t convince Ravana to return Sita, she said I was free to do what I believed was right by me.”
“Exactly! As a mother, she wanted at least one of her sons to think reasonably and, perhaps, survive the war with the hope that Lanka would remain in the hands of your family,” replied Rama.
Vibhishana’s eyes cleared at these words. “Maybe you are right. But will my subjects understand my dilemma?”
“Why not? The ones who fought on Ravana’s side are almost all dead. The ones remaining are the children, the elderly, and the women. They need someone strong like you to lead them to the path of recovery from the bloody war. Someone like you who didn’t hesitate to go against his own powerful brother when he knew adharma was happening. They will look up to you to do just that.”
“But how long will my subjects have me to support them? I am mortal, too. What happens after my death? Will my name be tarnished by another king with a different perspective?”
Rama looked intently at his friend and said, “You will never die, Vibhishana. You achieved immortality when you chose to remain untainted by demonic feelings and thoughts even though you were born into that tribe. As your mother rightly said, your father’s “sagely” genes are more dominant in you than in your brothers. I also confer that immortality on you, Vibhishana. You will live forever, always looking out for your kingdom and her subjects. You will be one of the immortals until the end of the Kalyug.”
This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.
https://feminisminindia.com/2021/06/23/kaikasi-the-forgotten-mother-in-the-ramayana/
I’ve always found Vibhishana’s dilemma fascinating, and you captured his emotions so well. The conversation with Rama felt so real, almost like I was witnessing it. Loved reading it!
Thank you, Neha!
Traitor or sagely. Every coin has two sides. We do our best in all ways, yet there is always a doubt. But then, most actions can’t be reversed. We just need to keep reminding ourselves that we acted with the best intentions in mind. Well captured.
Very well put, two sides and with best intentions! Thank you, Ambica!
Vibhishana did not betray his brother, I feel. He did the good thing and stood by what was right. In fact, I do not condone the agnipariksha that Sita had to go through.
Years of thinking about it makes me realize what you say, Harjeet. Yet, it was a difficult choice! And he lived with the consequences of that choice. And the Agnipariksha is a different issue that can never find a satisfying end, at least for me. I’m still struggling to understand it.
Vibhisana did what in today’s time what a good politician would do. Rajneete bahot hi complicated ha mere samaj ka bahar ha. I stay away from pilitics in every means. I am still in dilemma whether Vibhisana was good or bad? You made me think again Vibhisana was right or wrong.
And the thinking will never stop, Samata, unless we choose to stop it and go by what we believe in. That’s what our puranas and itihasas teach us; to use our mind, make informed choices, and be prepared to face the consequences of your choices. Thank you, my dear girl, for your comment.
To go with truth and righteousness is the way to go. Vibhishana is the perfect example of that. He went against his brother to not take the path of sin and instead chose the right way.
Yes, that’s why he is granted immortality. Thank you, Reubenna!
A beautifully captured conversation that not only clears the doubt of Vibhishana but also addresses modern-day dilemmas. It reminds that the path of dharma is the ultimate one. The conversation, the dialogue felt so real. Thank you for highlighting this profound moment from the Ramayana.
Thank you, Pinki. Am so glad the story resonated with you.
Vibhishan – ghar ka bhedi. These politics was born from these day. But you captured vibhishan emotions very well. Even I consider him ghar ka bhedi. But your post bring the essence of DHARMA.
thank you, Neeta!
This was such a great read. Choosing between family and doing the right thing is never easy. Shree Ram’s words were really comforting, and the part about granting him immortality was so powerful. Really enjoyed this.
Thank you, Anjali! I’m glad that Lord Rama’s words soothed you too!
Well, Vibhishana’s name has been immortalised anyways and he is still remembered as the insider who brought down Ravana’s kingdom and his end.
It was a formidable situation to be in. To betray your blood or to betray your beliefs!
Formidable dilemma! Well put, Preeti.
You captured the dilemma very beautifully.
The back story of mother’s love towards Ravana was very well portrayed. I also realized that a mother who supports her child unconditionally often does not see the monster he or she is turning into. They will finally not listen to their rather weak mother !
Parents supporting unreasonable demands of children will lead to their downfall. Our stories are filled with such parents. Who can forget Dhristarashtra? Thank you, Chandrika!
I have always found the comparison between Vibhishana and Karna interesting. Vibhishana who supposedly went to the ‘good’ side is talked about as a traitor and not in a good light. Karna, who was supposedly on the ‘wrong’ side, but stood loyally by his friend, is respected for that. Loyalty, by far is a more appreciated trait.
Aah yes! Very interesting comparison, indeed. Let me see if I can create a story combining the two of them, perhaps in a contemporary setting! I personally prefer loyalty coz that builds trust. Still, it can be confusing dilemma most times, having to choose between the two! Thank you for your very interesting comment.
Mythological stories always fascinate me, and Vibhishana’s tale is such an intriguing one! He’s often overshadowed by the more well-known characters of the Ramayana, but his journey of choosing dharma over family is so powerful. It’s interesting how his devotion granted him immortality, yet he remains a lesser-discussed figure.
That’s another amazing story you made simple staying true to your blog’s title! I love reading your stories.
I did not know this side of the story of Vibhishana, his repentance. Thanks for sharing, Ratna Prabha.
To live under the dominating presence of Ravana and still have the courage to stand your ground was an impressive trait of Vibhishana. His dilemma was understandable but he did the right thing for his kingdom and people.
Oh, this I never knew! Vibhishna is immortal? That’s definitely a great tale for me to remember! Thank you for sharing.
I absolutely loved this rendition of the conversation between Rama and Vibhishna. It was emotional and at the same time imparted understanding of one’s doing