Onward
to Lanka: Bridging Ecological Borders
retold
by Nicholas Wojcik
There
is a place at the edge of the Indian world, where new ecological
barriers begin and this brief survey of stories must end - its name is
Lanka.
Lanka
is like no other place found in this collection of stories; its
inhabitants will tell you the same. They will tell you of a time when
those who believed in the power of nature banded together to build a
bridge of hope and destiny in order to help save the earth from chaos
and destruction.
Here
is what I have been told:
It
was at the height of day. The sounds of the waves on the sea echoed the
blissful, intelligent voices of the countless mingling creatures
inhabiting the vast area beneath the glimmering ocean surface. The soft
cool air, ushered in by Vayu the Wind God, danced in circles, causing
the leaves of the trees on the nearby banks to take on a life of their
own.
All
this magnificent beauty, all this happiness seemed to contrast with the
still figure of Rama, the seventh incarnation of the God Vishnu, who
sat solemnly at the edge of the shore.
For
you see, Rama was dealing with something far removed from anything he
had ever encountered. He was, to say the least, in the midst of a long
journey. For some time, he been following the trail of his voluptuous
bride, Sita, who had been deceptively kidnapped by the ten-headed demon
King Ravana, ruler of the rich city of Lanka and a menace to both
society and nature. Before this moment, Rama had been many places and
met many individuals who either stood as obstacles of sorts or assisted
him in locating his damsel in distress. But the vast body of water that
separated him from Lanka, where his wife was held and his enemy
reigned, was an obstacle he had not planned to encounter, nor did he
have the resources to cross - at least that is what one might think.
As
I said, Rama encountered many individuals in his travels. He had many
companions, all of whom stood firmly behind him for a full seven days
while he fasted and prayed at the edge of India, in hopes of reaching
Lanka's shore; in that period, his companions watched and waited until
the time when nature would have its way and speak its powerful voice.
It
was at that moment that the nearest and most powerful of all voices
came before them. It was Sumadra, the Water King, who had risen from
the giant sea, responding to the call of Rama. Breaking from
his meditative state, a frustrated and angry Rama demanded that Sumadra
let him and his allies pass so they could once and for all put an
end to the terror that was the demon Ravana. Rama even went as far as
threatening the sea with his arrow at which point Sumadra warned him of
the need to respect the laws of nature.
The
wise Sumadra was clear in his understanding of the threat that Ravana
posed to the world. And so, smiling in a rather cool manner, Sumadra
revealed to Rama the most amazing of all revelations: Sumadra informed
Rama that it was one of his, Rama's, own companions, the monkey
Nala, who all along held the key to one of nature's most
fascinating secrets - the ability to make rocks float on water.
At
the sound of these words, Rama's inner-peace crushed his anger like a
mighty fist, whereupon Rama mirrored the smiling face of Sumadra
and he said to his companions, "So be it."
In
a moment's time, a giant army of animals descended on the coastal
stretch with skillful open hands, clear minds, and a spirit of
readiness and determination, all of which were indeed necessary for
fulfilling the impending task. Nala the monkey laid the stone and
timber foundation. Then, mud, giant rocks, even chunks of
mountains were lifted high into the air by Rama's herd of supporters
and deposited in an almost ceremonial manner into the deep blue sea.
The erection of the bridge had begun.
On
the fifth day of construction, a most remarkable act occurred: the
massive
crowd of busy animals simultaneously came to a stopping point and
parted to make way for a band of tiny squirrels who sealed the mighty
bridge's cracks with morsels of sand. Upon completion, the squirrels
parted to make way for the monkey Hanuman, Rama's most noble
devotee, who stamped the composited bits of earth into its final
structured shape. As a final offering, the tall nearby trees blanketed
the bridge's walkway with gold and green leaves like the unveiling of a
classy red carpet.
Rama
and his allies were certain that what they had just completed was
nothing compared to the coming encounter with the hellacious demon King
Ravana. As for how that meeting turned out, I cannot tell you, for
those answers belong in another storybook. What I can say is that when
Rama and his army set foot across the bridge onto the shores of Lanka,
they turned and took in one last glimpse of the main land of India and
all its enigmatic and precious features.
They
knew that there are some things in life that are simply worth saving...
Author's note:
This retelling is collectively
based on events described in William Buck's and R.K. Narayan's versions
of the Indian Epic, "The Ramayana."
The title, "Onward to Lanka:
Bridging Ecological Borders," is my own contribution to the story and,
like the titles of the other stories in this storybook you see before
you, is intended to emphasize the chosen theme of Indian ecology.
I drew a considerable amount of
inspiration from Narayan's version, the shorter of the two
volumes, especially, for its ability to provide a basic yet eloquent
framework of
the events that took place. This version allowed me to play a more
considerable role in
the retelling of this story; in other words, it was up to me to
elaborate on what was otherwise a very short read and provide my
readers with a true sense of what I interpreted the events to "look"
like.
Aside from the title, the emphasis
on the surrounding environment can be seen in the beginning of this
retelling, whereas the original versions tend to emphasize the trials
and frustrations of Rama and his supporters. Also in the beginning of
this retelling is
the admittance of Vayu the Wind God who is not part of the cast in the
original versions of this scene.
Buck and Narayan both introduce
the demon King Ravana early on in the book and are able to develop his
character throughout the course of several chapters. Due to the word
count limit of this retelling, I obviously could not do that but hope
that the reader gets a sense of just what kind of brute he was. In
addition, the original authors' description of Ravana gives the
impression that he is a menace to the world and nature though they do
not blatantly state that; I chose to state that though to help keep
this story more in line with the theme of the storybook. Similarly,
neither Buck nor Narayan state that Sumadra was fully aware of what
sort of threat Ravana posed to the world.
The last major change that I made
was in the scene when the bridge is finalized. Buck's version does tell
the reader how long the bridge took to construct but I felt that this
was a prime opportunity to really have the animals exhibit their
charisma, grace, and awesome character, so I had them respectfully make
way for the squirrels and then to Hanuman the monkey!
Overall, this story possesses a
very strong message and is a perfect tale to close this storybook with.
The symbolism behind the bridge
cannot go ignored. While earthly elements held the bridge together, the
unification of living creatures made its erection possible. Ecology is
a full circle concept - how it changes, who or what is responsible, and
why, directly impacts the way in which we understand it.
Bibliography:
Narayan, R.K. (1972). The Ramayana. London: Penguin
Classics.
Buck, William (1976). The Ramayana: King Rama's Way.
Berkeley: University of California Press.
Image Information:
"India2"
by Ethisphere.