Suspense, Sentiments, and Sex: Reflections on the Ramayana and Rasa*

This week’s readings largely focused on the Ramayana. The except from Book One of the Ramayana was a summary of how Valmiki learned the story, how he was inspired to create the first sloka, a plot summary of the epic, and then the legend of how the story came to be recited in front of the hero himself by his own kids. I have noticed in my past readings of Sanskrit translations for some other literature classes that it is very common to preface a longer story with a very short summary. In “western” story telling culture this is not so commonly practiced. People want an element of surprise, and suspense drives the story. In contrast to this it is said that no one in India ever hears the Ramayana for the first time. People do not listen to the story of go to re-enactments in order to be surprised. They know the story in and out and go to appreciate the specific telling; the suspense lies in the unexpected ways it is retold. Therefore before we even begin the epic we know the background and we are given the plot, spoilers included!

The excerpts from the Dhvanyaloka were more difficult to get into. This is partly due to the fact that the margins were cut off, and the ends of every line were unfortunately missing. This text discussed rasa theory, particularly in the context of Valmiki’s composition of the Ramayana. Valmiki experienced emotions of grief at the killing of the bird, his grief transformed into the rasa of compassion. It stated that “grief if the basic emotion of the rasa of compassion, for compassion consists of relishing (or aesthetically enjoying) grief” (116-117) I find this to be a rather strange definition or understanding of compassion and grief. I am not sure if I agree that one feels compassion because they enjoy feeling grief. Is it not more a feeling because we care? But I guess if we were to care about other’s problems we would have to not be afraid of feeling grief.

The "Ramayana in the Theology and Experience of the Srivaishnava Community” article was an interesting compilation and discussion of bhakti poetry for the incarnations of Vishnu. I was aware of the often sexual and “bisexual” tendencies of mysticism involving Krsna. One example being how devotees often re-enact the story of Aravan and Mohini in a way that bends gender boundaries, similar to the gender fluidity that is expressed in the myth itself. (Quickly: In the Mahabharata Aravan, Arjuna’s young son, is going to be sacrificed but wants to have a sexual relationship with a woman, and to have that woman mourn his death. But no woman would want to put themselves in that position. So Krsna becomes Mohini, the “temptress”, and satisfies Aravan’s requests.) The Ramayana does not include such interesting examples of gender fluidity as the Mahabharata, so it makes sense why there are less examples involving Rama. But it is interesting to find out that it is not unknown.

I was not sure how formal to make this response, and I just now skimmed over Aveisha’s and Aneisha’s posts, which appear much more put together than mine, which are just my random thoughts. I must have gotten too used to the informal nature in our Method and Theory class!

- Jackie

*You will also have to excuse my title; sometimes I really like alliteration...