By P Mohan Chandran
What does it mean to be loyal? To whom do we owe our primary allegiance? To the family, to righteousness, or to our personal morals? The legendary epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, entrenched in the cultural fabric of India, cast light upon these deep-seated quandaries through the lives of two characters – Kumbhakarna and Vikarna.
On one hand, we have Kumbhakarna, a stalwart figure in the Ramayana, a rakshasa whose loyalty to his brother Ravana was unshakeable, despite his disapproval of Ravana's actions. On the other hand, the Mahabharata presents Vikarna, the third Kaurava, a voice of conscience amidst the morally blind, yet ultimately bound by loyalty to his elder brother, Duryodhana.
Kumbhakarna, blessed with power and invincibility, questioned Ravana's moral judgment in abducting Sita. Despite this, he chose fraternal loyalty over righteousness, highlighting the profound tension between personal moralities and familial obligations. His steadfast loyalty, despite recognizing Ravana's flawed actions, projects him as a tragic figure who prioritizes familial duty over personal righteousness, eventually meeting a heroic end on the battlefield.
Contrastingly, Vikarna, in the great assembly of the Kuru clan, raised his voice against the disrobing of Draupadi, making him the sole voice of dissent amidst the morally blind Kauravas. Despite his protest, Vikarna fought for Duryodhana in the Kurukshetra war, a decision that mirrored Kumbhakarna's – choosing fraternal loyalty over righteousness.
Both Kumbhakarna and Vikarna, despite their virtuous nature, were compelled by fraternal loyalty, which ultimately led to their downfall. However, their paths diverge with their attitudes towards their brothers' unrighteous actions. While Kumbhakarna was more passive, merely voicing his disapproval, Vikarna took a more active stance, openly rebelling against his brothers in Draupadi's disrobing episode.
What lessons then can we distill from these narratives? Both characters illuminate the complexities of loyalty, the internal conflict between fraternal duty and personal righteousness. They underscore that silent disapproval of an immoral act does not absolve one of the consequences. They highlight the need for moral courage to act against wrongdoing, even when it comes from our kin.
As we immerse ourselves in these epic tales, one is left to ponder – are we, like Kumbhakarna and Vikarna, allowing our sense of loyalty to override our moral compass? Are we too, in our lives, choosing the path of silent dissent over active resistance in the face of unrighteousness? As we navigate these murky moral waters, we must remember that it's not just our actions, but also our inactions that define us. The tragic tales of Kumbhakarna and Vikarna serve as enduring reminders of the costs of misplaced loyalty, echoing across ages, urging us to ponder the price of silence in the face of injustice.
© 2023. P Mohan Chandran. All Rights Reserved.
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