Let my sacrifice not be called aadha adhura- Shanta

Shanta as a girl seems to have understood this principle. Maybe when she decided to take the step, it was for her father and maybe at that time if Dasrath had stopped her she would have decided not to go.

But now as a mature woman who have reveled in the love and respect of her husband, one who after becoming the wife of a rishi has learned to look at the world with an eye of the spirituality she knows better and understands any blemish she felt at that time can be seen in the way her brother's behavior will show in future.

And that is a perfect thought. That's why she extracts the promise from them to behave in such a way that the world does not tell Shanta did her sacrifice half heartedly.

Yes her parents does feel sad over many incidents that happen later. But whatever the way her brothers turn out, it is very well prove that by reminding them of her sacrifice at the right time, in the right way Shanta ensured her sacrifice indeed gave the right results.

Lakshman also fulfilled his duty by accompanying his brother to forest, so that his father and mothers are tensionless as he can take care of his brother. While his wife Urmila was left behind to take care of their parents.

Even Bharath & Shatrugan did their best by abiding to the law and ruling the state in the name of Ram. This was the most crucial part for a person to rule the state but not get the pride as a king and their wives are perfectly OK with that gesture. The contrary was that of their mother (Mandavi & Sritkirthi) Chandra bhaga was so eager to be called as Rani and husband as Raj and her daughters as Rajkumaris while the daughters were satisfied with the company of their husbands and their family. they were eager to complete the 14 years so that their Sister Sita would come back to them and all the four can live together again.

I mean even after having a leech like Mandhara if Raghuvansh survived it was because not only of the love the brothers nurtured, but also the love the 4 sisters nurtured.

See it was easy for any woman to sway her husband, but if Mandavi abided by her husband's decision to rule the state in his brother's name, credit should also go to Mithila Naresh and his wife for the qualities they imbibed in all the 4 girls.

I am really waiting to see how that part plays out. Because I am sure if done right it has lot of message for today's generation on how to contribute for the betterment of family, thus contributing to society also. How a family that stands together in the times of calamity is able to change the society.

To see how the differences between parents didn't affect the equation between the children so that bitterness is not carried to the next generation. That's the beauty of Ramayan.

Whereas if you see in the Mahabharath bitterness of one man Shakuni and the actions of another man Bhishma in the name of vachans ends up destroying 3 generations.

And if take Kaliyug don't know how many generations are destroyed before sanity prevails.

Perfectly explained!!!! Can't add much to this beautiful post.

Well, my views on sacrifice - to sacrifice means to give up something more meaning ful for something less meaningful

There is also a sense of compromise, a sense of settling for less than what is the best when we talk of sacrifice, so though it is considered a lofty deed, I am not very sure I like the word sacrifice

I am more a believer in will and conscious choices

For example, when I hear about how much a mother sacrifices for her children, I always disagree strongly

When in between I took a career break for my daughters, I heard the sacrifice line a lot, but I took that break, because no other alternative was acceptable to me at that time, and because their safety security for me was of supreme importance, much more than any career growth.

So what I gave was actually at that stage of my life much less important to me than what I chose to do( be a stay at home mother )

Even here, the question. Is whether shanta made the choice, a conscious decision, or was it merely giving in to the unstated by strong pressure that her fathers dispoopintment in not having a son put on her

But when she talked of her balidaan, I felt she had given in to her situation, that she would rather not have made that choice.

She was serene, but it was tinged with sadness! So as for whether it was balidaan out of circumstances or free will is debatable !

That's why both her parents suffer. Because the choice one way or the other which was forced on Shanta, the choice is getting forced on Ram. Dasrath and Kausalya wants to stop him. But Ram goes for Vanvass with free will. I am sure they will show it. The tinge of sadness in Shanta's face when she tells " I will go father" will not be there in Ram's face when he tells he will go for Vanvass. He will take it serenely. And I am sure so does Sita and Lakshman. But we need to see their whether Urmila has the freewill or she makes a choice like Shanta. If it doesn't one way or the other Ram-Sita is also forced separation.

But where Shanta wins is that, the 4 brother's stay together. They have the right morals and they doesn't bring disrepute to the parents. If one of them had bought disrepute, then the whole purpose of getting sons by compromising the life of a daughter would have gone for a toss.

And when you are doing something of freewill it is never sacrifice, you just give. I still remember day before one of my college exam, my friend came asking for help. I was doing revision and I knew if I sit to help her, I may not be able to do revision properly and I might score less mark. At the same time I knew my friend came trusting me and if I don't help she will flunk the paper. I helped her wholeheartedly that day. Yes I scored a little less marks in the next day paper to the displeasure of my family calling me foolhardly sacrificing ( I do such things in lot of occasions). But it was not sacrifice for me. I gave my time willingly to her because I knew I couldn't take it on my conscience if she fails and I had the power with me to help her clear the paper, but I can be fine with some 60-65 where otherwise I might have got 80+. What people didn't understand is I was truly happy doing it. In a sacrifice you don't feel the happiness.