Storytelling Week Four: Rama's Reaction

         Rama, the king of Konsola, sat upon his throne as he was regaled with performances in his annual festival in the forest. Suddenly, Rama was presented with a pair of twins said to surpass all other musicians. Rama gave the casual smile he had worked on perfecting for the last 16 years. As others swooned over the two musician’s rendering of his life he simply brushed them off with the practiced apathy he had been using for years. Their words beautifully describing the tales barely hit his ears. Rama, Ruler of All Earthly Lands, was heartbroken. It was an old wound, one that would never go away but that he nevertheless had learned to deal with. He had sent away his darling Sita, the one he adored with all his heart. He could remember seeing her for the first time like it was yesterday, her hair covered in jasmine, seven strands of pearls on her beautiful breasts. But all of that paled in comparison to her blinding smile, 40 puffs of perfectly white cotton that broke his heart and mended it all in an instant. His divine Sita, whom he had loved and lost.

            Rama shook his head, uncharacteristically aggravated by this train of thought. Lakshmana looked over worriedly, ever concerned for his brother’s wellbeing. Rama took a deep breath and silently uttered a prayer for peace, and Lakshmana returned his attention to the two musicians. Meanwhile, Rama pondered the reason for his sudden aggravation. He was a calm, wise king who had long ago made his peace with this trial. Why then, were these feelings coming up fresh as if it was 16 years ago? His eyes wandered thoughtfully until they locked on one of the musicians. Kusa had told a lively tail of when Rama had jumped into a river, ignorant of the fact that that river was famous for the piranhas that inhabited it. Lakshmana, of course, saved his brother and pulled him out swiftly, but was unable to avoid bathing himself in the cold water as well. Kusa started laughing, and that is when Rama caught sight of that familiar smile. It was like a flash of lightening, and it suddenly every feature popped out at him. Those deep brown lotus eyes on the other, the curve of both their chins, the soft green and glowing gold of their skin tones. Rama quickly calculated the time, and realized, these were his sons.

            Rama devoured the sight of his two strong, talented sons, giving no outward sign of the revelation he had just had. Oh, they were just beautiful. Sita had done a wonderful job. As Rama thought this, his eyes filled with tears. He glanced at the golden statue of Sita that followed him everywhere. However, with eyes usually filled with longing and reverence, he now gazed at the statue with disgust. This statue was all wrong. After eyes filled with his sons and the living traits they carried from their mother, the statue looked lifeless and stale. Rama had to stifle the urge to knock it off its pedestal then and there. However, Rama calmed himself and considered the situation. He wished to let his sons know he knew their identity, but their voices were so beautiful, and he would never be rude enough to interrupt their performance.

            As Rama sat back, his head still whirling with the epiphany he had just had, he listened to the story with a renewed interest. No longer was he the passive king just listening out of curtesy, Rama was now the most avid listener in the crowd. He cried when the twins mentioned his father, Dasharatha, and the grieving way he died. He smiled when the accurately retold the way he broke Shiva’s bow. His heart strained when they mentioned his wife’s gentle touch at their wedding. As Rama sat there listening, he vowed to see his sons made strong kings. He may have given them up for 16 years, but after seeing their strength and talent, Rama knew what to do. He would love them until the end of time, and see them take all the world had to offer them.

Lava and Kusa, sons of Rama
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Author's Note:

Author’s Note: This scene was adapted from the very beginning of Buck’s retelling of the Ramayana in which Rama’s two sons, Kusa and Lava, are participating in a year-long festival held by King Rama in the Naimisha Forest. They were taught the Ramayana by the famed poet Valmiki, who took in Sita, Rama’s pregnant wife, when she was exiled from Rama’s kingdom, due to rumors of her yielding to Ravana, the evil demon king, during her captivity in his kingdom. No such rumors were true, yet Rama still sent her away. She was taken in by the poet Valmiki, who helped raise her sons and taught them to play instruments and recite poetry. Buck’s Ramayana mentions how Rama stared long at the two boys while they performed in the festival, and wondered who they were. This scene struck me as particularly interesting. I could imagine the inner turmoil Rama might have felt, recognizing features and calculating ages compared to the time that he had spent apart from Sita. I decided to add the possible emotion that I imagined could be seen in a fleshed out version of this scene.
Also, the story of Lakshama rescuing Rama from a piranha infested river is not written in the original version.

Bibliography: Buck, William (1976). Ramayana: King Rama's Way.