Shambuka

Shambuka (Sanskrit śambūka) is, in Hindu mythology, a character in the Ramayana.

Story

The oldest mention of Shambuka occurs in the Ramayana of Valmiki, in the last book of the epic Uttara-kanda. After Lord Rama returns to Ayodhya and is crowned the king of Ayodhya, the death of a child occurs in the kingdom [tataḥ katipayāhaḥsu vṛddho jānapado dvijaḥ
śavaṃ bālam upādāya rājadvāram upāgamat
"Valmiki Ramayana, Uttara Kanda, Sarga 64, Verse 2" [http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rys/rys7064.htm] ] . He is told that calamities such as this occur when Dharma is not followed in a kingdom. Rama tries to find out the reason and comes to know that a person of the Shudra jati, called Shambuka is performing penance which he is not supposed to do according to the Varna system of rules prevailing in that period [tasmin dvāparasaṃkhyāte tapo vaiśyān samāviśat
na śūdro labhate dharmam ugraṃ taptaṃ nararṣabha |21
hīnavarṇo naraśreṣṭha tapyate sumahat tapaḥ
bhaviṣyā śūdrayonyāṃ hi tapaścaryā kalau yuge |22
adharmaḥ paramo rāma dvāpare śūdradhāritaḥ
sa vai viṣayaparyante tava rājan mahātapāḥ
śūdras tapyati durbuddhis tena bālavadho hy ayam|23
"Valmiki Ramayana, Uttara Kanda, Sarga 65, Verses 21-23" [http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rys/rys7065.htm] ] . He is executed, by beheading, personally by Rama [bhāṣatas tasya śūdrasya khaḍgaṃ suruciraprabham
niṣkṛṣya kośād vimalaṃ śiraś ciccheda rāghavaḥ | 4
"Valmiki Ramayana, Uttara Kanda, Sarga 67, Verse 4" [http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rys/rys7067.htm] ] .

The place where Shambuka was beheaded is identified as the hill of Ramtek, near Nagpur in Maharashtra. [Government of Maharashtra, "Nasik District Gazeteer: History - Ancient Period" [http://www.maharashtra.gov.in/english/gazetteer/nasik/005%20History/001%20AncientPeriod.htm] (text credited to Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. V. V. Mirashi)]

Unlikely Story

This story of Shamnuka seems false as Lord Rama cared for all human beings and was around peoples from all castes. For example, Maharishi Valmiki, the composer of the original Ramayana is a casteless tribal. Lord Rama, while searching for Sita Devi together with His brother Laxmana was offered half-eaten 'ber' from a Bhil tribal devotee - Rama and Laxmana gladly accepted and ate her remnants. Maharishi Narada was a great devotee of Shri Rama and came from a Shudra caste and himself taught Ratnakar or Vailya (yet to become Valmiki) to meditate on the mantra "Rama Rama". Maharishi Vashista was a son of a prostitute and a guru of Lord Rama. [ [http://www.freeindia.org/biographies/sages/vasishta/index.htm Maharishi Vashista] ] Maharishi Parashara, son of an outcaste woman (Matsyakanya-Satyavathi Devi) and narrated the stories of the 10 avatars of Vishnu. Shri Rama and Shri Laxmana also went to the Ashram of Matanga Muni, a Mang outcaste that became a Brahmana.

Lord Rama after all was the "noble that cared for the equality of all."

Criticism

In the modern context, this incident is quoted often to condemn Rama, the varna system, or both. E.V. Ramasami used this episode to argue that Rama as depicted in the Ramayana was clearly not the benevolent king devotees claimed him to be, and often used depictions of the scene of Shambuka's beheading at rallies. [Countercurrents, " [http://www.countercurrents.org/dalit-periyar280603.htm Periyar's movement] " (June 28, 2003).] Ambedkar, in contrast, said that to condemn Rama based on this incident was to miss the point. The true point of the story of Shambuka was that it demonstrated the unsustainability of the varna system, and the extent to which its existence depended on the harsh punishment of those who sought to transgress it. [B.R. Ambedkar, " [http://wcar.alrc.net/mainfile2.php/Documents/77/ Annihilation of Caste with A Reply to Mahatma Gandhi] " (1936)]

The story of Shambuka was problematic for early Hindu authors. Bhavabhuti (circa AD 7) is clearly uncomfortable with the story in his UttaraRamaCharita, [David Shulman, "Bhavabhuti on Cruelty and Compassion" in "Questioning Ramayanas: A South Asian Tradition" (edited by Paula Richman). University of California Press. 2001. ISBN 0520220749. pp. 49-82.] while Kalidasa (circa AD 4) mentions the incident of Shambuka without any comment in his Raghuvamsa.

Later Hindu authors adopt various means to explain the reason behind Rama's killing of Shambuka. The Pushtimarg Vaishnavite tradition of Gujarat points out that the Ramayana refers to other Shudras, such as Shabari, who were dear to Rama and meditated without incurring any penalty. It explains Shambuka's death through a backstory, which states that Shamba was an asura in a previous birth, and did penance with the view of attempting to seduce Parvati, the wife of Shiva. He was cursed to be born as Shambuka, a Shudra, and remain so until he was redeemed by Rama. Shambuka therefore deliberately violated dharma in order to get Rama's attention, and attained salvation when he was beheaded. [Motiramji Sastri, "Ramayan" (in Gujarati) (Ahmedabad, 1961).] The celebrated Kannada poet Kuvempu, in his play "Shudra Tapasvi" shows Rama as having to both carry out his duty by punishing Shambuka, and simultaneously protect Shambuka, as a pious and devout sage, from persecution, and thereby turns the story into a critique of Brahminical attitudes and a defence of Rama. [ 'M. Raghava, " [http://www.hindu.com/lf/2004/10/26/stories/2004102615010200.htm The king and the protector of the devout] " "The Hindu" (October 26, 2004).]

Notes

ee also

*Backward-caste Hindu Saints

External links

* http://www.valmikiramayan.net/