A RAMAYANA OF THEIR OWN: WOMEN'S ORAL TRADITION IN TELUGU
Velcheru Narayana Rao, University of Wisconsin
As is well known now, the Ramayana has many forms and many different texts, both literary and oral. Educated upper caste men associate the Ramayana with Valmiki and the Sanskrit text attributed to this legendary author. But for the Brahmin women of Andhra Pradesh the Ramayana is not an epic story composed by the great sage Valmiki: it is real, it happened.
The events of the Ramayana are sung by these women in separate songs, some long and some short. The songs are sung in private gatherings usually in the backyards of Brahmin household, where the men do not usually enter. Altogether, about twenty five different songs are popularly sung. They constitute a fairly connected story of the epic. Most of the songs are available in print in the form of sidewalk editions. In 1955 Krishnasri collected and published these in a single volume, Strila Ramayana Patalu. However, to make a recording of these songs as they are sung is difficult for men.
With the help of Mrs. Kolavennu Malayavasini, Reader in Telugu at Andhra University, Waltiar, I was able to acquire fifteen songs on tape. Some of the songs were sung specially for taping, but I could not be present when the songs were recorded. My information about the context of the singing, singers and the audience comes from Malayavasini who recorded them. Malayavasini herself sang some songs for me. She learnt them from her grandmother.
Brahmin women who sing these songs are generally aged between thirty-five and seventy. They come from traditional families, literate but not formally educated. Their audience consist of women from similar background, usually relatives and neighbors. There are also children, unmarried young women, and newly married brides visiting their mothers’ house for a festival occasion. Often there is a marriage or a similar event which gives an occasion for a number of women to gather. The audience does not include women of other castes. The time of the singing is usually late afternoon, after the mid—day meal when the men of the family have all retired to the front part of the house.
A Brahmin house is divided into two main areas, the front where the men sit, conduct business, receive guests or, chat among themselves. Except when they are called for meals or when they go to sleep men do not go into the interior of the house. If ever men have to go into the house they make some kind of sound like coughing, or calling one of the women from outside. That is a signal that men are coming in, and the woman of the house comes into the middle part of the house to receive them. The middle part of the house is a neutral area where men and women meet together. In the back of the house are located a kitchen and a verandah opening into a backyard often with a well in it. It is in this part that women gather. Women visitors, servants and low caste men use the back entrance of the house to gain direct access to the women.
I said men of the family do not inhabit the back of the house. This is not entirely correct. Male relatives of the family, especially from the wife's family, have relatively free access into the back of the house. So, too, does the husband's younger brothers if they are significantly younger than the housewife.
Of the twenty five or so popularly sung Ramayana songs, not all of them are known to all the singers. Some singers have learnt some songs well. Singers do not need a special training. They do not consider themselves experts. There is a general recognition, however, that a certain person knows the songs; such a person is often called upon to sing. Some singers know how to sing but have not learnt the text of the song sufficiently well. On such occasions the singers use their note book in which they have recorded the text of the songs. Malayavasini sang for me from the printed book. But she told me that the printed book is not known to the singers she has recorded. No musical instruments are used in singing these songs. The tune is simple, often monotonous. At least one song has a refrain, "govinda rama", at the end of each line, suggesting that it is probably used as a work song. In a work song the lead singer sings the main text, while the refrain is uttered by the group of women working along with her. In the recording I have, only one singer sang the text as well as the refrain.
A list of the titles will give you a general idea of the themes and contents of the Ramayana songs. Here are some of the titles.
1. Several songs summarizing the Ramayana story.
2. Kausalya's pregnancy describing her morning sickness.
3. Rama's birth.
4. A lullaby to Rama.
5. Bathing child Rama.
6. Sita's wedding.
7. Rama's wedding.
8. Entrusting bride Sita to the care of the parents-in-law.
9. Sita's journey to her mother-in— law's house.
10. Sita's puberty.
11. Several songs describing the games Rama and Sita played.
12. Sita describing her life with Rama to Hanuman in Lanka.
13. Incidents in Lanka.
14. Sita's fire ordeal. ~
15. Rama's coronation.
16. Urmila's sleep.
17. Sita's pregnancy.
18. Waking up songs for Sita.
19. Story of Lava and Kusa, Sita's twin sons.
20. Lava and Kusa's battle with Rama.
21. Lakshmana's laugh.
Some of these songs are very short and take about twenty minutes to half hour to sing. But some are very long, taking several hours to sing. I was not able to acquire sung versions of many long songs, but they are available in print.
Even a cursory look at the title of the songs will indicate female interests prominent in the themes. Together they make a very different Ramayana from the one we are used to form the Valmiki version or other literary versions. Significantly, these songs do not mention many of the Ramayana events that we are used to. Dasaratha's glory, the rituals he performed desiring children, Visvamitra's role in training Rama as a warrior, the Ahalya story, events in the forest leading to the killing of demons, Rama's grief for Sita, Rama's friendship with Sugriva, killing of Vali, search for Sita, the exploits of Hanuman and the glorious battle in Lanka — none of these incidents receive attention in these songs. On the other hand the events that are of interest to women receive detailed attention here. Pregnancy, morning sickness, childbirth, tender love of husband, affections of parents—in—law, games played by brides and grooms in wedding rituals — these are the themes that are prominently portrayed. To the later half of Ramayana, the Uttarakanda, a lot of attention is given. Some of the longer songs in this collection relate to the events of the Uttarakanda, especially Sita's abandonment and Lava and Kusa's battle with Rama.
II
As the saying goes among men in Andhra, the news of the birth of a son is pleasant but not the process of the birth. Literary Ramayanas in Telegu describe Rama's birth in glorious terms. They describe how the king was happy, as was his kingdom, at the news of Rama's birth. The festivities celebrated all over the city of Ayodhya and the gifts given to Brahmins are described in rich detail. Only in the women's Ramayana do we have a song describing Kausalya in labor, graphically depicting the process of delivery and the pain associated with it. Attention to ritual is common in many Ramayanas but those rituals are the Vedic rituals where the Brahmin priests play an important part. Rituals in the women's songs are of a different variety. These are the marriage—related rituals, where women are prominent. The only man present is the bridegroom Rama. In all the ritual games played during the wedding, Sita comes out the winner. But as a courtesy she always surrenders at the end and gracefully accepts defeat.
Thus while the content of the songs is feminine, it is also feminist. Nearly every song begins with honor and respect paid to King Dasaratha and King Rama. But what is described after such ritual opening, is quite different. There are polite but strongly made statements questioning Rama's wisdom, propriety, honesty and integrity. However Sita, herself, never opposes Rama. Criticism against Rama is leveled by women who have the authority to do so, like Rama's mother, Kausalya, or his elder sister - a mother surrogate — Santa. Other people who criticize Rama include his young sons, Lava and Kusa. Rama's brothers' wives question Rama, too. But in order to do so, they need the support of Santa, and they stand together as a group.
After abandoning pregnant Sita, Rama intends to perform a sacrifice. Ritual prescribes that he have a wife present to perform the sacrifice." He therefore has a golden image of Sita made to be seated by his side at the sacrifice. The image has to be bathed. The person to perform the bathing has to be Rama's sister, Santa. When Santa is called to perform the bathing, she refuses, because she was not consulted before Sita was abandoned.
A song entitled Sita Gadiya, (Sita Locked Out) describes an event when Sita was delayed in going to bed because she has things to do in the house. Rama waits for her, and being impatient, closes the bedroom door and locks it from inside. Sita arrives and pleads with him to open the door. He stubbornly refuses. Sita quietly informs Kausalya. Kausalya comes, knocks on Rama's door and admonishes him for locking Sita out.
A more poignant situation occurs when Rama finds his sacrificial horse captured by Lava and Kusa in the forest. He does not know that Sita is still alive nor does he know that Lava and Kusa are his sons. Appeals by Lakshmana and Rama to the young boys fail to get them to surrender the horse. They will not even reveal their identities. In the inevitable battle that ensues, all of Rama's strong men including Hanuman and Lakshmana get killed. Finally, Rama himself goes to battle and even he is killed. When Sita comes to know about this she is angry with her sons for killing their father and their uncle. Valmiki, of course, comes to the rescue and brings everybody back to life. Even then, the boys insist that Rama bow to their feet before he got his horse back.
Is he not the cruel husband who has banished a pregnant wife? Rama wants to see Sita. Sita gets dressed in her best jewelry to meet Rama. But Lava and Kusa stop their mother from meeting Rama. How could she go to a husband who has treated her so cruelly? All the Gods appear at the scene to resolve the problem. Brahma, Siva and Indra come with their wives. The Gods take Rama's side while their wives support the boys. Parvati advises the boys, not to surrender. Sarasvati gets the boys to insist that Rama should bow to them first. The Gods advise the boys to accept the arbitration of the Sun god. The boys reject. Rama belongs to the dynasty of the Sun. So, Sun will not be impartial. How about Moon god? No, Vishnu saved Moon when Rahu and Ketu swallowed him. Therefore Moon's arbitration can not be trusted. Indra will not be an acceptable arbiter either. He owes favors to Vishnu, who cheated the demons of their share of ambrosia and gave all of it to Indra. Valmiki's name is suggested. The boys reject him too. He wrote the Ramayana praising Rama. Brahma, Siva and Rsyasrnga all are rejected one after the other. Rama has no choice. He decides on fighting the boys. Parvati is against this idea. She suggests that Rama leave Ayodhya to the boys and go to the forests. Finally, Rama is advised that he could bow to the boys intending the bow to his parents. Rama agrees to this and bows to the boys' feet uttering Kausalya's name. Thus the dispute is resolved. Finally the family is reunited and Rama embraces his sons. But even then the boys refuse to go Ayodhya. They can not trust a father who planned to kill his sons while they were in the womb. At last they agree to go. Soon after they reach Ayodhya they want to see the 'grandmother' who had banished Sita to the forest! They announce that Sita is under their protection now. Nobody could harm her anymore.
Lakshmana receives a very kind and affectionate treatment in these songs. He is closer to Sita, understands her problems, supports her and even protects her in her troubles. Rama in Valmiki version banishes pregnant Sita to the forests under a pretext of fulfilling her desire to see the hermitages. Lakshmana is instructed to leave her in the forest and return. According to the women's version Rama instructs Lakshmana to kill her. Lakshmana takes her to the forest but, realizing that she is pregnant, decides not to kill her. He kills a hare instead and shows its blood to Rama as evidence that he has killed Sita. Rama prepares for her funeral ceremonies and asks Lakshmana to invite sages' wives to the ceremonies. When Lakshmana goes to the forest Sita asks if it is her funeral that Rama is preparing for. Lakshmana tells a lie that they are performing a special ritual to rid the palace of evil influences. Urmila protests against Lakshmana's cruelty in killing Sita. She demands that she be killed too and so does Santa. Lakshmana tells them the truth; Sita is alive. She is pregnant and will deliver soon. Lakshmana goes to the forest to visit with her when she delivered.
An interesting song in this collection is about Urmila and Lakshmana. Valmiki's Ramayana barely mentions Urmila, Lakshmana's wife. What happens to Urmila when Lakshmana leaves her for fourteen years to go along with his brother to the forest? According to the women's version Urmila and Lakshmana make a pact. They trade their sleeping and waking hours. Urmila sleeps for all the fourteen years and Lakshmana keeps awake, so he can serve his brother without sleep. After they return from the forest, Rama is successfully reinstated on the throne while Lakshmana, Hanuman and all the rest serve him in the court. Sita reminds Rama that Lakshmana should be advised to go visit his wife who has still been sleeping. Lakshmana goes into Urmila's bedroom and gently wakes her up. Urmila does not recognize Lakshmana and thinks that a stranger intruded into her bed-chamber. She questions him and warns him about the sin of coveting another man's wife.