SKR- Of Loops and Symbolisms Thread #6 - Page 4

Originally posted by: avalonhigh1234

She was found in a drought ridden land where the long suffering people had gone through the toughest times but led by a righteous and just king ,had still clung to a miniscule hope that nature would ease their woes. Nature did not disappoint ,she gave them her most precious treasure, her child. As soon as the child was accepted by the king, she brought immense prosperity and eradicated all their woes and thus took away all their pain. A childless king and queen were blessed with children...Mithila shone with abundance. She was brought up with lots of love tempered with wisdom, with the independence to question and the courage to stand tall against any injustice.

Revered by her people she grew up and found her soul mate in a prince from Ayodhya.

Ayodhya was a kingdom governed with different rules. The king had sacrificed his daughter in his obsession of begetting sons. His fear of a curse had destroyed his peace of mind. She gently opened the door to his prison and acquainted his most cherished son ,whom she knew had the power and compassion to free him from his demons.

She choose to reject all the wealth and comforts of the palace when she decided to accompany her husband on his banishment to the forest for 14 yrs. Her husband loved her unconditionally and respected her as an individual, it made it easier for her to completely give her everything in his keeping.

Her undaunting courage and her faith in his love gave her the strength to face the indignity of being kidnapped by Ravan the demon king.Ram ,her husband came for her and fought a massive battle and emerged victorious.

But she did not come face to face with a loving husband but a king.She understood a king's dilemma and willingly underwent a trial of fire to prove her chastity.

They returned to Ayodhya .Their happiness grew by leaps and bounds with the news that she was pregnant. But the society in Ayodhya were still enveloped in their darkness of mind. Their doubts and accusations forced the king to banish her to the forest without her knowledge. She was devastated with the betrayal. Though she understood that it was the decision of a king and not her husband, the way it was executed destroyed her trust in him .The wife in her died that day and the mother in her took over.She independently raised her children not only without her husband's support but also without his name. She imbibed them with the courage to stand up for a woman's honour and for restoring the much needed balance to right the ills prevalent in the society.

When the very society that accused her repented and went to the forest with their King to bring her back. She stood up for her sisters who had also been victims of the society's prejudices and until now had been denied justice.With fire and tears she rejected the traditions that proved to be an partial to a man and the king who had enforced it without a thought for a woman's honour and entered the earth with a ring of fire that she hoped would bring about the much needed change in the society!

All of you who are familiar with Maya Angelou's 'Phenomenal woman', can you find a better example of the essence of the poem?

Savita