Opinion | What India Can Learn From The Exchange Of Gifts In Valmiki’s Ramayana – News18

Last Updated:October 30, 2024, 16:20 IST

As India celebrates Diwali, Valmiki’s Ramayana whispers timeless wisdom: true generosity lies not in the value of the gift but in the spirit with which it is given and received

Gifts and gifting are deeply rooted in the celebration of Deepawali. Recent reports indicate that Deepawali-centered sales are set to reach nearly Rs 4 trillion this year. Celebrated and hyped as a “festive boom,” people’s spending power during Deepawali is often seen as reflective of Sanatani wealth and prosperity and serves as an early indicator of the health of the Indian economy. One can take immense pride, comfort, and inspiration in the act of gifting during the celebration of Ram, which has roots and joyful expression in Valmiki’s Ramayana. This is an often-overlooked aspect in the retelling of the Ramayana and in our cultural heritage.

In Maharishi Valmiki’s Mahakavya, each tangible gift is an aesthetic object, and each encounter that inspires the act of gifting, though temporal in nature, bears an intrinsic sequence of events, auspices, humility, respect, spiritual purpose, heartfelt cause, and a lasting impact on those involved.

Reading these episodes can help India and Indians appreciate that aesthetics, creations by local artisans, gifts of nature, products derived from forest heritage, and indigenous tangible wealth as gifts all held a place of importance in the Ramayana. They possess an enduring power to preserve and strengthen relations and relationships.

Appreciation for the retelling of the Ramayana, devotion to the arts, and the practice of talent and tradition are beautifully interwoven with the custom of gifting in Valmiki’s Ramayana. The epic offers a supreme example of the honour and respect shown for two artists who retell the Ramayana in the marg(i) vidhan (classical style). These artists were Luv and Kush, whose esteemed audience—the rishis and munis—were moved by their intense and poignant rendition, with its musicality and narrative depth. In response, they bestowed gifts drawn directly from nature and the forest in their raw and unrefined form. These valued gifts for Luv and Kush included valkal vastras (garments of tree bark), jute strings for tying hair, a waist girdle made of munj, yagyopaveet, asana, gerua vastra (ochre cloth), an axe, and other items significant to ritual observance—all practical items derived from the forest, useful in the daily lives of the two ascetics.

The exchange of these gifts reflects the natural brilliance of both giver and receiver, as seen between Luv and Kush and the rishis–munis, as well as in specific retellings of past events, such as in Sita’s interaction with Anasuya during the Sita-Anasuya samvad (dialogue).

In an intense conversation on duty and dharma, Anasuya gifts Sita special garments, ornaments, and garlands. The reception of these gifts by Sita finds deep spiritual resonance in her retelling of her svayamvar (self-choice ceremony), upon Anasuya’s request, and later in her appearance before Ram adorned in these gifted vastras and ornaments. Through these gifts, Anasuya recreates the gift of shringar (adornment) for Sita.

The Yuddhakand of the Ramayana reveals a rich confluence of gifting and renewed relationships. Kaushalya (Ram’s mother) and Sita take it upon themselves to gift shringar (adornments) to their honoured guests, the vanarastrees (female vanaras). In Sanatan aesthetics, literature, and the performing arts, ornaments are laden with both emotion and rasa (aesthetic essence), while rasa itself is imbued with the symbolism of adornment. This epic captures the essence of rasa and beauty through these gendered exchanges of affection.

Adorning and ornamenting the vanarastrees for Ram’s rajyabhishek (coronation) as king of Ayodhya, Kaushalya and Sita become central figures in the tradition of gifting shringar. Motivated by their affection and infused with generosity and respect for the receiver, the givers of these gifts convey a deep emotional connection, crafting aesthetic offerings that emerge from abundant love and appreciation. Some gifts consist solely of words, yet they hold intangible value in the absence of tangible items.

In the Yuddhakand, Ram wishes Sita to hear of the much-anticipated event—the defeat and ultimate downfall of Ravan. He turns to Hanuman, “the best orator.” Upon learning of this pivotal moment in Ram’s pursuit of dharma, Sita’s happiness manifests through tears, her elation leaving her speechless and struggling for words and she finds out that Hanuman’s role as a messenger discloses a dilemma.

Sita wished to convey her gratitude to Hanuman with a gift but found herself unable to identify a “vastu” (object) that would do justice to her emotions. Hanuman assured her that nothing precious within the three worlds—gold, silver, or gems—could truly capture their joy, and that her words alone sufficed as his reward.

An aspect often overlooked in retellings and performances of the Ramayana is how Maharishi Valmiki’s unmatched artistry places these episodes of gifting at the heart of Ram’s story, encompassing elements of dharma, perseverance, duty, affection, brotherhood, atithi-bhaav (hospitality), and the gratitude of guests, expressed through acts of gifting or the profound absorption of the emotions they evoke.

The act of gifting largely centres on Ram, whose transformation from valkal vastra (bark garments), deer skin, and jata (matted hair) is eagerly anticipated. For Vibhishan, the new king of Lanka, retrieving each element necessary for Ram’s ceremonial adornment upon his return becomes an emotional imperative. Vibhishan gifts Ram ornaments, sandalwood, fine garlands, garments, and preparations for a special bath. Observing Ram’s resolve to undertake the challenging journey to Ayodhya on foot, Vibhishan intervenes, offering him the celestial vehicle, Kuber’s Pushpak Viman—the most essential and impactful gift for Ram’s homecoming.

A palatial bhawan surrounded by an Ashok vatika (a garden of ashoka trees) and adorned with gems and precious stones is Ram’s gift to Sugreev. Ram directs Bharat to lead Sugreev to this special dwelling, illuminated by the warm flicker of sesame oil lamps. Sugreev, in turn, entrusted four of the most valiant vanaras with the honour of collecting water from the various oceans in golden pots for Ram’s coronation ceremony. Ram then gifted Sugreev a radiant garland of gold, shining like the sun, and bestowed on Angad—the son of Bali—armlets studded with neelam (a blue stone).

These episodes coexist with a divine inclination to live in the present and savour it, even as they reflect on past contours or distant glimpses of the future.

When Ram sought Sita for an emotional rendering of the most precious garlands—a muktahaar, shimmering like moonlight—she dedicated this luminous garland, along with ornaments and garments, to Hanuman. Previously, in the Yuddhakand, when she couldn’t find an appropriate gift for him, she had parted with the muktahaar, which enhanced Hanuman’s own radiant brilliance, like a mountain illuminated by a garland of clouds.

When Ram entrusts Hanuman with the task of announcing his return to Bharat, he specifically asks him to observe Bharat’s reaction. This boundless trust, born of devotion and affection for his bhakt (devotee), is itself a gift.

Upon hearing from Hanuman that Ram is temporarily staying at Prayag, Bharat, overwhelmed with joy, faints and then has a brief moment of doubt. Gently, Hanuman points to signs of Ram’s return as reflected in nature—the blooming of fruit-bearing trees, clusters of bees, and the resounding calls of vanaras crossing the Gomti River—all vivid tokens of Ram’s presence and the blessings it brings.

Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.