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Dilemmas>Lesson 1
Moral
Dillemas :Lesson 3
RAMA
CHOOSES TO ALLY WITH SUGREEVA
"Lakshmana
had his misgivings. 'I am not certain whether Sugreeva is
trying to involve you in anything more than an ordinary
combat between monkeys. I do not know if we should participate
in this struggle at all. How can you trust as an ally one
who has not hesitated to intrigue fatally against a brother?'"
(from Valmiki, trans. R.K. Narayan)
Defining
the Dilemma
After
Ravana has captured Sita, Rama desperately searches for
a way to save her. As he is traveling in the kingdom of
Kishkindha, he comes upon Sugreeva, a deposed king of the
monkey kingdom, and Hanuman, his general. Sugreeva explains
to Rama that he has been deposed by his ruthless brother,
Vali, who has captured his wife and imprisoned his friends.
Now, alone and afraid, Sugreeva has been tormented by his
brother and the various vanaras that he has sent to kill
him. Hanuman ass Éures Rama that Sugreeva is telling
the truth. When Sugreeva shows compassion for Rama's loss
of his wife, Rama promises to help him defeat his brother.
After
this promise is made, Sugreeva continues to explain how
he had been deposed by his brother. It seems that Vali,
his elder brother, was king when a demon threatened his
kingdom. Vali left the palace with Sugreeva at his side,
in pursuit of the demon. Realizing that Vali was a formidable
opponent, the demon hid in a cave to try to escape the mighty
Vali. At this point, Sugreeva was asked to promise his brother
to stay by the door of the cave so that Vali could enter
the cave, kill the demon, and return to the palace. Sugreeva
waited a year, and, when Vali did not return, he assumed
that his brother had died. He placed a large bolder in front
of the door of the cave and returned to the palace where
he took over the throne and ruled as king. Vali was not
dead, however. When he returned, he was angry with his brother
for leaving the cave and for usurping his power. He banished
him from the kingdom, took Sugreeva's wife for his own,
and placed all of Sugreeva's ministers in prison. Sugreeva
lives in exile, living in constant fear of his mighty brother's
wrath.
Full
of confidence for acquiring his new ally, Sugreeva enters
the battle with Vali. Vali appears invincible. As Rama watches
from behind a tree, Sugreeva pleads with him for assistance.
Rama instructs him to wear a garland of flowers around his
neck while fighting Vali because they look so much alike
to him. Sugreeva returns to the battle and is eventually
overcome by Vali's strength. As Vali holds Sugreeva's neck
in his clutches, the younger brother makes a last plea to
Rama to save him. Rama shoots his arrow from behind the
tree, killing Vali. Sugreeva is returned to the throne,
and his army joins Rama's cause.
Outcomes
/ Consequences
Rama
has promised to fight on the side of Sugreeva, but he did
so before he knew all of the details of Sugreeva's exile.
If he kills Vali, he could be accused of interfering in
an affair between brothers. Sugreeva may not in fact be
on the side of righteousness in this scenario, for he has
violated his dharma by usurping power from his brother who
was still alive and depending on him to be waiting outside
the cave.
Vali
is a powerful figure, and he has been given a boon by the
gods which allows him to drain half the power from his opponents
and use it against them. Rama's success in this battle is
not guaranteed. If Rama chooses not to kill Vali, he will
have broken a promise to a friend. Rama needs a powerful
army to help rescue his missing wife. An alliance with Sugreeva
and helping him recapture the throne, would place Sugreeva's
powerful army at Rama's disposal, including the resourceful
general, Hanuman.
Dharma
According
to the rules of dharma, a warrior must first declare himself
an enemy of his opponent before entering into battle. Secondly,
a warrior's attack must never take place in secret (Rama
attacked Vali from a hidden spot behind a tree). Vali, having
heard a rumor of Rama's alliance with Sugreeva, tells his
wife that Rama is too noble a warrior to enter into this
fight without declaring himself.
Vali
had committed a sin against his own dharma by capturing
his brother's wife and keeping her as his own.
According
to the dharma of a king, one may settle disputes within
one's territory, even if the disputes exist between brothers,
and a king may punish within his own kingdom any one of
his subjects who has committed a breach of dharma; however,
Rama is not the king of Vali's territory.
A king's
dharma includes the power to punish, so long as the punishment
is just. Unjust punishments could result in the destruction
of the king and his family (Rama and Vali are both kings).
As
a warrior, Rama is entitled by dharma to hunt forest creatures
(Vali is a monkey).
Questions
1. Is
Rama's action correct according to Dharma?
2. Is his decision to ally himself with Sugreeva realistic
according to human nature?
3. What would you have chosen to do if faced with Rama's
dilemma?
4. What situations have you experienced, or are you aware
of, that parallel those in this scene of the Ramayana?
Extensions
1. Ask
students what current or historical issue illustrates the
same type of dilemma.
2. Ask students what comparable piece of literature illustrates
similar dilemmas.
3. If this were to be viewed as a contemporary dilemma,
what factors or variables would contribute to the outcome?
