Hikayat Shri Rama

Hikayat Shri Rama is well-known for its abundant moral messages that can be used as guidance for establishing harmonious relations between common people and royal family members. This is a Hindu-based and Vishnu-mainstream literary work bearing the number of guidance for people to live amicably with God, nature, and human (vertically and horizontally). Another message of Hikayat Shri Rama seemingly would like to urge us to highly respect and regard out lives as sacred things.

The hikayat can be categorized as a prose, and according to Stutterheim, that is able to touch the readers‘ hearts for its populist theme. It starts with a story about an effort of Prime Minister Puspa Jaya Kerma to open a new land namely Mandura Pura Negara (henceforth Mandura).

Long time ago, before King Dasarata moved to Mandura, there was a big cavalcade involving royal family members and common people. The king seated himself inside a palanquin carried on by six bearers. Unfortunately, amidst the crowd of the cavalcade, one pole of the palanquin broke up, but the king‘s second consort was ready and able to carry on the palanquin by her own hands. Starting from this the king then declared that his son would become the ruler in a new land called Mandura.

Other stories in Hikayat Shri Rama are: the king‘s hunting, Maharesi‘s mandate for Dasarata to kill a thousand elephants, Maharesi‘s meeting with Begawan Bakrama Dewa, Dasarata falling in sick, Shri Rama growing elder, and Rawana‘s proposal for marriage to a girl named Mandu Dari. Another one that should not be missed is the story about Shri Rama itself and some moral messages within the story.

Shri Rama was a figure depicted as a strong, strict, and brave person; but, his attitude, more often than not, was quite wise and prudent to all people. When he was growing elder, however, he acted like a beast disturbing surrounding people and sometimes, hurting his mother as well.

Hikayat Shri Rama in Summary

In Hikayat Shri Rama, it is said that there was a king named King Darasata. He got married twice during his life. From the first marriage, his consort gave birth to a son named Bharata, who would be appointed as the next ruler, replacing his father someday.

Such a plan then was heard by Shri Rama, another king‘s son from the second marriage. Shri Rama, who would be married off to Dewi Sita, escaped away from the kingdom to a thick forest namely Dandaka. He went to the forest along with his wife whose beauty was known in every corner of the forest and surrounding areas. Her beauty was not only famous amongst the surrounding people but also animals, natures, and environment.

Therefore, when Rawana, King of Langkapura, knew that she lived in the forest, once being flashed on his mind to grab her from Shri Rama. To make his dream come true, he dispatched an envoy to Dewi Sita‘s house. The envoy then transformed himself into an antelope to deceive Shri Rama. It worked done since the plan could successfully catch Shri Rama‘s attention. He hunted for the antelope to a place that was far away from home. Consequently, he left Dewi Sita alone at home. For Rawana, that was the right time to kidnap Dewi Sita and to fix her as one of his consorts.

All of his hard works went out then finally he could grab Dewi Sita from Shri Rama. By transfiguring himself into an old man badly requiring some helps from Dewi Sita, Rawana could successfully make her to come out from a borderline made by Shri Rama far before he hunted for the antelope. The area inside the borderline was an area where Dewi Sita had to stay inside. Moving outside the borderline could be a threat for Dewi Sita, thus she was asked for not to go outside the borderline.

During the way back home, Rawana found some troubles as he was hounded day and night by a Garuda bird. He had to fight against the bird so that he could bring Dewi Sita to his palace soon. A fierce combat was inexorable anymore at the time. But, Rawana finally won over the bird. Just a few seconds before the bird died, the bird told Shri Rama that Dewi Sita was kidnapped by Rawana.

Waiting no longer, Shri Rama went to Rawana‘a palace named the Langkapura Palace. In a short, he could find the place where Rawana was. A furious fight between Shri Rama and Rawana could not be avoided anymore and Shri Rama could be the winner of the fight. Rawana‘s breast was shot off an arrow and Shri Rama could brilliantly take Dewi Sita back. However, he was in doubt whether Dewi Sita remained chaste or not.

To answer his doubt, Shri Rama ordered his wife to walk through a fire lane. In case of she was burnt, thus she was not chaste anymore; and when she was invulnerable to fire, she remained chaste. All requirements had been there, and she walked through a fire lane. Amazingly, none of her parts of body was burnt when she walked through the fire lane smoothly. Taking a look at that fact thus Shri Rama could accept her again.

Unfortunately, they had not been able to live happily after that. Rawana, who was still alive after being defeated by Shri Rama, still wanted Dewi Sita very much. To reach his dream, Rawana ordered Kikewi Dewi, an artist, to paint Rawana‘s face on a propeller often used by Dewi Sita when she went to sleep. Because only through that way Dewi Sita could remember Rawana and hopefully, she could fall in love with him. Knowing that, Shri Rama began to doubt to Dewi Sita‘s love to Shri Rama. Then, Dewi Sita was sent to alienation for about 12 years.

All of sudden, after living 12 years without the one whom he loved so much, Shri Rama went to realize his mistakes to send Dewi Sita to alienation. He believed that Dewi Sita was still in chaste at the time since the environment cried the absence of Dewi Sita. That is why Shri Rama admitted and believed that Dewi Sita was totally in chaste. Finally, they could live happily and harmoniously after all.

FX. Indrojiono (sas/5/10-08)

Translated by Irfan Nugroho (ter/72/10-08)

References:

• Baharo, Noresah, dkk. Kamus Dewan. Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. 2007. Edisi Ke-IV.
• Mat Piah, Harun, dkk. Kesusasteraan Melayu Tradisional. Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. 2006.
• http://www.e-dukasi.net/mol/mo_full.php?moid=121&fname=sej107_04.htm
• http://smsotutong.tripod.com/seminar3.htm
• http://www.geocities.com/pendidikmy/cikgupjj/nota1.html

Photo Credit: www.4dham.com

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