ARUNDHATI: A CHARACTER STUDY
(Based
on Uttararamacharitam of Bhavabhuti)
By
BH. SATYANARAYANA, M. A.
In
the dramatis personae of Uttararamacharitam, the great Sanskrit
drama by Bhavabhuti, no character, excepting the hero and the heroine,
was so prominently portrayed as the character of Arundhati.
The name of Arundhati, before whom even her husband Sage Vasishta
looks small, is an honoured and household name
throughout the
Arundhati’s role in Uttararamacharitam
is that of a peacemaker. In a triangular conflict
between Rama, Sita’s father Janaka,
and Rama’s subjects, she brought about a happy
concord among the conflicting parties, through her tact, sympathy and
determination. The new king Rama who was greatly attached to his subjects
abandoned his wife Sita, because the people cast reflections on her, and this
greatly infuriated Janaka against Rama and his
subjects. In such a critical situation there were only two persons, namely Vasishta and his wife, Arundhati, who could act as
peacemakers. But, unfortunately, the great Vasishta
was disqualified for the task, because it was on his behest to propitiate the
people at any cost that Rama banished Sita. Finding that his ill-timed message
sent to Rama through Ashtavakra produced a disastrous
rift in the family of the Raghus, of which he was the
Kulaguru (family priest), Vasishta felt embarrassed and helpless. The only thing he
could do to ease the tension was to send a message of hope to the old queen Kausalya, mother of Rama, that all would end well in course
of time. For this reason, Bhavabhuti did not bring Vasishta
on to the stage for conciliating the conflicting elements.
Bhavabhuti,
therefore, employed Vasishta’s wife Arundhati in the
task of peacemaking–a task to which she was eminently fitted in virtue of her
exalted status. Bhahavabuti declares, in the words of
Janaka, that Arundhati was held so sacred that even Vasishta used to consider himself purified by his
matrimonial alliance with her. The philosopher-king hails her as triloki maangalya (auspicious
to the three worlds) and makes to her a most reverential bow, touching the
ground near her feet with his forehead. He also compares Arundhati with the
Goddess of Dawn and addresses her as Jagadvandya
(respected by the whole Universe) and even the goddesses Vasundhara and Jahnavi later on
refer to her by the same respectful honorific. It is, therefore, no
wonder that in a situation which made so many hearts to break, no less a person
than Arundhati could have intervened, and intervened with success, culminating
in the happy reunion of Rama and Sita amidst scenes of universal rejoicing.
When
Arundhati heard in the hermitage of Rishyasringa the
startling news of Sita’s banishment, she became so
angry and grieved that she flatly refused to go back to Ayodhya,
bereft of Janaki. She, therefore, proceeded
straightaway to the hermitage of Sage Valmiki,
together with the grief-stricken Kausalya. Arundhati
consoled Kausalya with the message of hope sent by Vasista that all would be well in the end. But the sceptical Kshatriya lady, in her
despair, put no belief in Vasishta’s words conveyed
to her and openly expressed her misgivings about it. This provoked a spirited
retort from Arundhati who sternly warned Kausalya
never to doubt the great Rishi’s words. Kausalya, taken aback at this outburst from the holy
Arundhati, kept quiet hoping against hope that after all a miracle might happen
as predicted by Vasishta.
Arundhati’s handling of Kausalya was a light affair but the difficult part of her
work lay ahead. She knew full well that Janaka was
burning with rage at Sita’s banishment and a
life-long rupture between Janaka and Rama seemed
imminent. A single false step on either side would for ever mar the cordial
relationship that so long existed between the Raghus
and the Janakas, and it was to prevent such a
development that Arundhati was specially deputed by Vasishta.
She, therefore, softly persuaded Kausalya to approach
Janaka and speak to him first, on his arrival. But,
on seeing Kausalya, Janaka
taunts her as the mother of prajapalaka (beloved
ruler of his subjects) and by enquiring after her health. At this, Arundhati
was stung to the quick, but discreetly refrains from speaking a word in defence of Kausalya, lest, in
doing so, she (Arundhati) should unwittingly offend Janaka
who was already sore at heart. But when, incidentally, Janaka
angrily poses the question as to how Agni was
competent to test his daughter Sita, Arundhati immediately joins him and proclaims
in emphatic tones that Sita is more sacred than Agni
himself, and this pacifies the irate father. Then Arundhati slowly brings to
the notice of Janaka the pitiable state of the
grief-stricken Kausalya, who swoons at the mention of
Sita’s plight, and the noble-minded Janaka, repentant for his rude behaviour
towards the wife of his late revered friend Dasaratha,
busies himself in bringing her back to consciousness, and sadly recounts, in a
reminiscent mood, the happy times spent by them in bygone days. Thus Arundhiiti succeeds in bringing together Kausalya and Janaka as desired by
Vasishta.
But,
soon afterwards, Kusa and Lava, the twin sons of
Sita, make their appearance on the scene, and their handsome features which
bear a striking resemblance to the features of Sita, open fresh wounds in the
mind of Janaka. He gradually becomes so enraged at
the monstrous perversity of the people and the outrageous haste of Rama that he
stands up with grim resolve to destroy both Rama and his subjects outright, either
with a bow and arrow or with a curse. Kausalya,
terror-stricken at this revengeful mood of Janaka,
implores Arundhati to pacify Janaka and avert the
impending peril. Arundhati, seeing how explosive the situation is, immediately
intervenes and submits to Janaka, in an appealing
manner, that Rama is Janaka’s own child and that the
people are an ignorant lot and entreats the angry Rajarshi
to show mercy on them. At this, Janaka cools down,
admitting that Rama is like a son unto him and that the people comprising
mostly of Brahmans, old men, women, children and cripples, deserve clemency at
his hands.
Arundhati,
by now, has completed half of her work, but the remaining half, which is more
complicated, has yet to be begun and completed. Kausalya
and Janaka were reconciled in their common misfortune
and Janaka had no trace of ill-will or anger against
Rama, whose action he began to see in its proper perspective. Only the people
had to be told, and told convincingly, that Sita is flawless, and until this
fact was accepted by the people, there was no question of Sita’s
acceptance by Rama. Arundhati, therefore, sets herself the task of convincing
the people about Sita’s purity with the help of Sage Valmiki who, by his supernatural powers, arranges a huge
conclave of people near his hermitage, to witness a short play of Sita’s banishment composed, by himself and staged by
celestial nymphs. When, at the end of the play, Vasundhara
and Jahnavi jointly deliver Sita into the hands of
Arundhati, that venerable lady raises her powerful voice and addresses the
mammoth gathering in a short speech, which breathes the spirit of our own
democratic times. Pointing out that Sita has been praised for her purity by
goddesses Vasundhara and Jahnavi,
Arundhati herself presents Sita to the people as their queen. Re-calling that Sita’s purity was tried and tested by Agni
and applauded by the gods, headed by Brahma, in the past, Arundhati exhorts the
people to accept Sita unhesitatingly from her (Arundhati’s)
hands and, in conclusion, requests the people to express their view in the
matter. Arundhati’s speech, which was virtually a
proclamation of Sita’s purity to the whole universe,
had an electric effect upon the assembled people, who silently bowed their
heads to Sita in great reverence and thereby indicated their acceptance of her.
Arundhati, then, quietly calls upon Rama, standing stupefied at the turn of
events, to accept Sita as his wife, and employ her as his companion in the Aswamedha sacrifice, which was only half
completed by then with the gold idol of Sita by his side. And Rama meekly
agrees to do according to Arundhati’s bidding, to the
immense relief of Lakshmana and Sita who were
anxiously watching to see how Rama would act upon Arundhati’s
advice. After that, Arundhati who had no more work to do, leaves the place,
making a formal request to Valmiki to perform the, Upanayana ceremony of Kusa
and Lava, the sons of Rama and Sita. Thus Arundhati ably fulfils the delicate
mission of peacemaking entrusted to her by her husband Vasishta,
who was precluded by force of circumstances from undertaking the mission
himself.
This
portraiture of Arundhati by Bhavabhuti, conceived and developed out of the
small nucleus in the Ramayana of Valmiki, has
no parallel in the whole range of Sanskrit literature.