5 Lesser-known facts about Ramayana

A scene from Ramayan serial by Ramanand Sagar   |  Photo Credit: Instagram

Ramayan, that eternal epic of the ideal son, king and human. Lord Ram the perfect example of how to lead a life of principles. We - almost all Indians - know the broad tale of Ramayan. We know about the promise King Dashrath made to Kaikeyi years before his eldest son (by another wife) was ready to be anointed king. 

We know how Manthara - the old handmaiden - poisoned an otherwise caring Kaikeyi's ears and instigated her to act in the selfish interest of her own son Bharat. We know the love share between the half-siblings Ram, Laxman and Bharat (though Laxman's brother Shatrughan is given much less space in the narrative). 

But here are some interesting facts of Ramayan that are rarely mentioned in the broad narrative. 

1. Lord Ram's wife Sita wasn't King Janak's own daughter -

Different versions exist about who was the real father of Sita Mata. But one thing they all agree on was that Janak the king of Mithila and his wife Sunaina were not the biological parents of the child. Ramayan says that as a part of worship of the Bhumi (Mother Earth) goddess, Janak was ploughing the field and his plough struck a box that carried a newborn that the Bhumi Devi had meant for him to adopt as his own.

In a startling alternate narrative of the Ramayan, the Jaina version of Ramayana by Sanghadasa - called the Adbhuta Ramayana - Sita is called Vasudevahindi and is said to have been born as the daughter of Ravana and Vidyadhara Maya (Ravana's wife). It also claims that astrologers predict that first child of the duo will destroy his lineage. The child is then abandoned and found by Janaka.

2. Laxman did not sleep for 14 years - 

Such was the love between the two siblings (though half-brothers as they were born of two different wives of King Dashrath) that Ram-Laxman are the epitome of brotherly care and adulation. The two were also respectively wedded to Raja Janak's two daughters. Ram wed Sita - the foster daughter of Janak and Queen Sunaina and Laxman wed Urmila the daughter of the duo. When Ram left for exile, Urmila agreed - though reluctantly - to let Laxman follow the elder brother and wife into the jungle. But Laxman had also approached Goddess Nidra - the one who controls sleep of an individual - to free him of the need to sleep for the exile period. He wanted to be vigilant and take care of the safety of Ram and Sita. So he struck a deal with Nidra Devi. Laxman doesn't sleep at all for 14 years and his quota of sleep is availed of or fulfilled by his wife Urmila who stayed back at the palace in Ayodhya. 

3. How the squirrel got her stripes -

When Ram and Laxman reached what is today's Rameshwaram, they realised that they needed to build a bridge to cross over to Lanka to rescue Sita. So the army of Ram called the Vanarsena - comprising monkeys and bears got to work immediately. They began piling boulder after boulder to build the bridge to Lanka. A small squirrel saw the drive and was charged up herself to join the endeavour. She began fetching pebbles in her mouth and also brought some mud/sand on her back to add to the bridge-building material. The Vanarsena made fun of her and even warned her to stay safe or risk getting trampled. Soon Ram saw the squirrel's actions. He scooped her into his palm and ran his fingers on the back of the squirrel to appreciate her contribution. They say this is where the squirrel got her stripes from.

4. Laxman's no-sleep penance has a backstory -

Ravan's son Meghnaad (Meghnad) had a boon that he could only die at a Gudakesh person's hands. A Gudakesh is he/she who has conquered sleep. Laxman's quest over slumber qualified him to be the slayer of the Meghnad aka Indrajit. The latter is considered as one of the Atimaharathi class warriors born on the earth who wields Trimurti - the three powerful astras (weapon systems) viz. Brahmandastra, Vaishnavastra and Pashupatastra. Laxmana uses Anjalika-astra to slay Maghnad on Day 3 of the battle.

5. Laxman laughed uncontrollably at Ram's coronation - 

After staying awake for 14 years at a stretch, and having defeated Ravan (Dussehra commemorates that) in the month of Kartik, the trio of Ram, Sita, and Laxman arrive at Ayodhya (Diwali is the commemoration of that day). Now Bharat is eager to see elder brother take charge of the empire as he has ruled in Ram's name with the latter's paduka (wooden slippers) placed on the throne as proxy. The coronation ceremony is about to happen when Laxman begins to laugh uncontrollably. That is because Goddess Nidra had promptly appeared before Lakshman and now he must submit to her powers as Ram and Sita are safely back home. So before Ram is crowned king, Laxman falls asleep and his wife Urmila wakes up.