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Revision as of 18:28, 4 September 2007 by 68.122.11.222 (talk) (→Criticism and [])(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Shambuka (Sanskrit śambūka) is, in Hindu mythology, a character in the Ramayana.
Story
The oldest mention of Shambuka occurs in the Ramayana of Valmiki, in the last book of the epic Uttara-kanda. After Lord Rama returns to Ayodhya and is crowned the king of Ayodhya, the death of a child occurs in the kingdom. He is told that calamities such as this occur when Dharma is not followed in a kingdom. Rama tries to find out the reason and comes to know that a person of the Shudra jati, called Shambuka is performing penance which he is not supposed to do according to the Varna system of rules prevailing in that period. He is executed, by beheading, personally by Rama
The place where Shambuka was beheaded is identified as the hill of Ramtek, near Nagpur in Maharashtra.
Criticism and apologetics
Many scholars believe the Uttara Kanda, which forms the last chapter of the Ramayana, was a later day interpolation and the story was not in the original Ramayana of Valmiki. The claim is due to differences in poetic styles as well as a stark contrast in the treatment of so called "outcaste tribes" in earlier parts of the Ramayana. For example, Matanga rishi is mentioned in Valmiki Ramayana with the highest regard. He came from a tribe that may be regarded as untouchable in today’s parlance. Rama met him to pay his respects during his forest sojourn.Also the story of Guhak and Bhakt Shabari, both persons from an outcaste tribe are clear example of Rama's respect towards them.The apparent contradiction between Rama's behaviour towards other Sudras or tribes outside of the Vedic system and towards Sambuka are clear that the Shambuka story was added later
In the modern context, this incident is quoted often to condemn Rama, the varna system, or both. E.V. Ramasami used this episode to argue that Rama as depicted in the Ramayana was clearly not the benevolent king devotees claimed him to be, and often used depictions of the scene of Shambuka's beheading at rallies. Ambedkar, in contrast, said that to condemn Rama based on this incident was to miss the point. The true point of the story of Shambuka was that it demonstrated the unsustainability of the varna system, and the extent to which its existence depended on the harsh punishment of those who sought to transgress it.
The story of Shambuka was problematic for early Hindu authors. Bhavabhuti (circa A.D 7) is clearly uncomfortable with the story in his UttaraRamaCharita, while Kalidasa (circa A.D 4) mentions the incident of Shambuka without any comment in his Raghuvamsa.
Later Hindu authors adopt various means to explain the reason behind Rama's killing of Shambuka. The Pushtimarg Vaishnavite tradition of Gujarat points out that the Ramayana refers to other Shudras, such as Shabari, who who were dear to Rama and meditated without incurring any penalty. It explains Shambuka's death through a backstory, which states that Shamba was an asura in a previous birth, and did penance with the view of attempting to seduce Parvati, the wife of Shiva. He was cursed to be born as Shambuka, a Shudra, and remain so until he was redeemed by Rama. Shambuka therefore deliberately violated dharma in order to get Rama's attention, and attained salvation when he was beheaded. The celebrated Kannada poet Kuvempu, in his play Shudra Tapasvi shows Rama as having to both carry out his duty by punishing Shambuka, and simultaneously protect Shambuka, as a pious and devout sage, from persecution, and thereby turns the story into a critique of Brahminical attitudes and a defence of Rama.
Notes
- tataḥ katipayāhaḥsu vṛddho jānapado dvijaḥ
śavaṃ bālam upādāya rājadvāram upāgamat
Valmiki Ramayana, Uttara Kanda, Sarga 64, Verse 2 - tasmin dvāparasaṃkhyāte tapo vaiśyān samāviśat
na śūdro labhate dharmam ugraṃ taptaṃ nararṣabha |21
hīnavarṇo naraśreṣṭha tapyate sumahat tapaḥ
bhaviṣyā śūdrayonyāṃ hi tapaścaryā kalau yuge |22
adharmaḥ paramo rāma dvāpare śūdradhāritaḥ
sa vai viṣayaparyante tava rājan mahātapāḥ
śūdras tapyati durbuddhis tena bālavadho hy ayam|23
Valmiki Ramayana, Uttara Kanda, Sarga 65, Verses 21-23 - bhāṣatas tasya śūdrasya khaḍgaṃ suruciraprabham
niṣkṛṣya kośād vimalaṃ śiraś ciccheda rāghavaḥ | 4
Valmiki Ramayana, Uttara Kanda, Sarga 67, Verse 4 - Government of Maharashtra, Nasik District Gazeteer: History - Ancient Period (text credited to Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. V. V. Mirashi)
- Countercurrents, "Periyar's movement" (June 28, 2003).
- B.R. Ambedkar, Annihilation of Caste with A Reply to Mahatma Gandhi (1936)
- David Shulman, "Bhavabhuti on Cruelty and Compassion" in Questioning Ramayanas: A South Asian Tradition (edited by Paula Richman). University of California Press. 2001. ISBN 0520220749. pp. 49-82.
- Motiramji Sastri, Ramayan (in Gujarati) (Ahmedabad, 1961).
- 'M. Raghava, "The king and the protector of the devout" The Hindu (October 26, 2004).
External links
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