Unknown
Indian (active Malwa)
Rama and Lakshmana Visit an Ashram, 1680s ca.
ink and color on paper
8 x 11 1/4 in.
SBMA, Gift of Pratapaditya and Chitra Pal
2008.47. 29
"The Guiding Light (72 years, ) As the World Turns (54 years), and General Hospital, may be the longest running American soaps, but they don’t hold a candle to the Ramayana."- Jean McKibben Smith
RESEARCH PAPER
This great 3rd-2nd century BCE, 96,000 verse Hindu epic by the poet Valmiki, relates an unending cosmic conflict between demons and gods. In this epic poem, Vishnu assumes human form as Rama, his 7th avatar, to fight good and evil. Rama exemplifies the ideal son, brother, step-brother, step-son, husband, leader and ruler by showing the righteous path (dharma) for all living beings through the progressive revelation of his divinity.The saga opens when the childless King Dusharatha of Ayodhya performs a great sacrifice and receives the gift of a son (Rama). Rama grows up along with his brother Laksmana and step brothers Bharata and Shatrughna. The King of Mithila has a daughter and an unbendable bow. Whoever can bend the bow can claim his daughter (Sita) as his wife. Rama not only bends the bow but breaks it. King Dusharatha makes Rama his prince regent, but on the eve of Rama’s consecration his stepmother insists that her son, Bharata, be named regent and that Rama be exiled for 14 years. The king agrees to this. Rama, Sita and his brother Laksmana set out into the forest where they wage war against the many demons that inhabit the forest and King Dusharatha dies of grief.
The sister of Ravana, the demon king of Lanka, tries to seduce the two brothers. She is unrelentingly insistent and her actions are totally inappropriate. Laksmana is so disgusted with her lack of respect towards Rama that he shames her by cutting off part of her nose. Thus, she is rebuked in such a way that everyone will know. (In India, the saying that one’s nose has been cut off means that one has acted in a shameful manner.) She complains to her brother, Ravana, who abducts Sita in revenge. In the process of joining with Hanuman, the great Vanara (Kingdom of Forest Dwellers/ Monkeys) monkey warrior with super powers, Rama and Laksmana meet up with the ascetic Shabari (Johnson, p. 54).
On the eve of her wedding, teenage Shabari hears of her father’s intent to butcher 1000’s of goats and sheep for her marriage dinner. Aghast and moved by compassion, she lets them free and she runs away. At length, she meets up with Master Sage Matunga, and serves him devotedly for the remainder of his life. Just before his death, she asked that in exchange for her devoted service that he enable her to reach the same abode of peace as he. Sage Matunga never saw Rama face to face, but because of Shabari’s true service to him, he granted her dashan (sight/ beholding/vision). “Wait until Rama comes.”
Shabari was in her ashram when she heard that Rama was coming. Blind due to her old age, she didn’t know what she could do in preparation, but decided that she would seek out the sweetest berries as an offering. Blindly, she would pluck the berry, take a small bite, and if it were sweet, she would put it in her basket. It never entered her mind that she should not taste the berries first. In “Bhakti” (an active involvement of a devotee in the worship of the divine) faults are not seen by God.
Even though hundreds of yogis were waiting to receive Rama in their ashrams, Rama went only to Shabari’s because of her sincere devotion. Lord Rama announced himself at the door of her humble hut. “Shabari, Rama and Laksmana are here.” Shabari was beside herself with joy and her many expressions of emotion ended with her prostrating herself at His feet. “I am the humble one; you see the true devotee. I have nothing to offer You, other than my heart, but these baskets of berries.” as she offered them to Rama.
When Rama tasted the pro-offered berries, Laksmana interjected, “It seems that Shabari has tasted them already.” Rama said, “Laksmana, you know how many types of food I have tasted, but I will tell you the truth, nothing could equal these berry fruits, offered with such devotion by Shabari…who so ever offers a fruit or leaf, flower or water with love, I partake it with great joy.”
Pleased with her devotion, Sri Rama told Shabari to ask any favor. “Would it be possible for me to have “darshan” of your physical form in my heart?” Sri Rama blessed her with eyesight to have his “darshan” and she saw a supra physical form that contained the whole universe.
At the end, Rama asks Shabari to kindly show them the way to Lake Pampa. Shabari tells him that Sugriva (King of the forest dwellers/ monkeys) and his friends live near the lake and that they will surely help. Then Shabari prepares to die while meditating on Rama. Sri Rama blesses her with his kingdom in Heaven or “mukti” (liberation from the cycle of birth and rebirth); for her “bhakti”.
In SBMA’s miniature, we see the three in front of Shabari’s humble hut. The background of the painting’s center is minium (red iron oxide) pigment with strong yellow in Rama’s, and to a less extent, Laksmana’s robes and crowns. These colors stand out against the green background as if they were spot lit. Shabari‘s light colored robe almost appears unfinished. She is the humble devotee; Lord Rama and the berries standout.
On the floor of the hut are the baskets of berries. Some have spilled to the floor. The surrounding forest is verdant and fecund with flowers (? blossoms of hope;? the fruition of desire). Each tree appears as a composite, one super imposed over the other giving the effect of a forest. There are three large berry bushes above the hut; two medium berry bushes, one above and one below the trees. At the edge of the patio there are small red flowers or berry plants. The bottom of the scene has eight rows of cultivation. These elements contribute to the sense of remoteness.
The Malwa School of painting is a sub style of the Rajasthani School of miniature painting. The primitive charm, simple childlike visions, lively presented architecture, the red and yellow of Rajasthani art and flat composition against a solid background are hallmarks of Malwa style.
It is important to note that this epic poem was written 2-3,000 years ago and has been presented in oral, written and play format and more recently, presented as a radio drama. Throughout all these years, the cultural milieu of the presenter and viewer and even the world has not been static. Nonviolence and vegetarianism are important tenets in the Jain and Buddhist religions. Perhaps the version of the Ramayana profiled in Keshavadas was told by a Jain or Buddhist which could have influence the teller’s interpolation of Shabari’s reactions. Or, perhaps we are reading too much into the story. As a non Hindu or Jain, would today’s viewer see the cultural significance of the nose cutting or Shabari’s reaction? Knowing some of the cultural background makes the viewer’s perspective richer.
The Ramayana is the story of humanity. It teaches us a way of life that shows us how to have pure love among family members and toward society. The SBMA’s miniature illustrates the fruition of a devotee’s desire for “darshan” of her Lord and the ultimate wish for paradise/”mukti”. The story portrays Shabari at peace with herself and her life of devotion to her God Rama. It is a beautiful moment. The viewer hopes that their Karmic journey will culminate in the granting of their personal “mukti”.
Prepared by SBMA Docent Jean McKibben Smith with the cultural and historic observations of SBMA’s Docent Sneh Singh, February, 2014
Posted to the web April 2016
REFERENCES:
1. Johnson, Gordon: “Cultural Atlas of India”: Andromeda Oxford Limited, Oxfordshire
England: 1996.
2. Keshavadas, Sant: “RAMAYANA AT A GLANCE”: Motilal Banarsidass
Publishers, Delhi: 1976.
3. http://.www.britannica.com/…Malwa-painting
4. http://.www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhakti
5. http://.www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darshan
6. http://.www.indiapicks.com/IndianArt/../MP_centralindian
7. http://.www.en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalpa-Sutra
8. http://.www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mukti