Gauging Virtues

In the famous Indian epic Ramayana, Ram , Lakshman and Sita are the most sought after characters . But Sita’s sister , Urmila , inspite of her selfless decision and projection of immense maturity is not often discussed. Urmila obeyed her husband , Lakshmana , and stayed back in Ayodhya to look after her in laws while Ram, Sita and Lakshmana set out on their venture . (Vanavasa) (living life in the forest). To help Lakshmana maintain a flawless stint of service towards Ram and Sita, Urmila accepted without a second thought ,Nidra Devi’s proposal of shouldering Lakshmana’s share of sleep for 14 years. Later on this proved to be a weapon in the killing of Meghnad (the son of Ravan) ,who had got a boon that only a man devoid of sleep for 14 years could kill him . Thus Lakshmana did the job. Though not much celebrated, Urmila’s contribution cannot be forgotten.

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Her pious robe tainted the green forest,
In sacred shades of saffron,
Blobs of blood from her tender feet,
Toned the sods sanguine as she moved on.
Her chaste tears cleansed her face,
Sheathing it from the dust descending to kiss her,
Encased by flames of rectitude,
She tactfully distanced malevolence from her.
So bewitched was Ayodhya’s kingdom ,
In sati Sita’s probity,
Failed it to hoard some glory,
For a divine effigy of nobility.
But endeavour I today,
To explicate the deeds of Urmila,
Yes, Sita’s younger sibling,
The princess of Mithila.
The wood that charred into cinder,
To stoke Sita’s blaze heaving in air,
The noble hands that unclogged the thorny path,
Enabling Sita to disgorge a valiant flair.
Her body rested in a sumptuous palace,
Adorned like a charismatic queen,
Her contused soul dangled in the woods,
The lesions hardly could be seen.
The tedious span seemed never ending,
The unendurable wait soaked her votive tears,
A day resembled an era,
She put up with it for fourteen years.
She adhered to Lakshmana’s words,
Slugged her sorrows, took in-laws under care,
Albeit Sita had her share of struggles,
She had Ram to share.
What if Urmila had turned down ,
Nidra Devi’s proposal?
Could Lakshmana have vanquished Meghnad,
Had she taken the proffer for perusal?
A paradigm of self immolation,
Not of body but of soul,
Urmila was the covert carpet,
Ram Sita trudged on towards their goal.
An unsung heroine in India’s epic,
India’s sleeping beauty,
Beauty with a heart of diamond,
An undeterred upholder of duty.
That renunciation is not the emblem of sacrifice,
She is an allegory of that,
Pages of history owe her a lot,
She awaits the golden feather to be tucked in her hat.

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