Thread by @ShivamShankarS

Call it pessimistic, but ending of Ramayan teaches us that society absolutely SUCKS!

Ram trusts Sita, but she has to leave the Mahal and live in Valmiki ji’s ashram incognito because “log kya kahenge” - the people of Ayodhya question her fidelity and kind of force her out! 1/n

Ram is king and symbolises the ideal man, but he’s powerless against the mindset of society. He can fight Ravan, but not the gossiping Ayodhyans.

To preserve the sanctity and purity of his throne, he lets Sita go and fend for herself. Marriage and righteousness be damned.

Sita has two kids, they grow up without Ram knowing. They then come to Ram’s court and sing about Sita’s plight. The entire court is crying and is emotional. Ram wants to call Sita back!

But wait, some random sadakchaap morons still question Sita’s purity!

So Ram decides Sita still must swear publicly that she’s been faithful. Mind you, the Agni Pariksha stuff has happened way before all this. She still needs to do this public declaration - because till any public doubts it, Ram can’t take her back.

Finally, Sita has had enough...

She does the public declaration, but asks that dharti mata take her. She’s done with the stupid world.

Since she’s obviously telling the truth, dharti mata obliges. Sita is gone. Everyone in the court is depressed.

So essentially the ending of Ramayan is a depressed Ram, along with every hero of the story being depressed at what a blameless Sita has had to endure.

And why’d she suffer: because society wanted to gossip and Ram ji was too weak to handle that!?

Ram ji says his responsibility as king meant all his affairs had to be beyond reproach, including doubts over Sita’s character.

Reality though - he called it quits. Instead of doing the actual right thing and telling the people of Ayodhya that they’re idiots, he gave up.

I don’t mean this as disrespectful, but this is how Valmiki ji’s Ramayan goes. I don’t know if there’s an interpretation that one can make from it that’s less terrible... I’d be delighted to hear it.

As I’ve understood it though, it’s an absolute tragedy! And the lesson is:

Society as a whole sucks. Don’t listen to them!

Stand up for what you feel is right, and ignore the masses. If you don’t, you’ll just be super depressed until you die and you’ll lose whatever it is you love the most!

This, I believe, is a brilliant lesson. And an ignored one. No one told me this lesson from the Ramayan before!

All in all, really appreciated #RamayanOnDDNational. Including #UttarRamayan in the telecast instead of the Cartoon Network version made all the difference!