The Ber Incident

In Ramayan, when Ram, Sita, & Lakshman were in exile they meet a woman named Shabri in the forest. It is popularly believed that Shabri offered ber to the trio which she had tasted first for sweetness. With all the caste issues in our country it is wondered by some why did Ram and Sita eat that ber when Ram belonged to the Kshatriya caste while Shabri belonged to the untouchables caste. I asked my mother the same question why is Ram allowed to look beyond caste whereas we don’t. The same thing is shown in the movie “Delhi 6”. Unsurprisingly, the answer that I received and the answer given in the movie is the same “Vo to Bhagwaan hai unhe sb allowed hai”.

I personally do not believe that Bhagwaan ko sb allowed hai. Vishnu has taken the avatar of a human to live among humans and abide by the laws of society. If Ram is making contact with an untouchable then he is breaking the law. But Ram is called “Maryada Purshottam”. He is the symbol of an ideal human being. Not just an ideal king, or son, or husband, or brother but an ideal human being. How is he able to maintain the status of “Maryada Purshottam” while breaking the laws? Did he want to convey that all humans are equal regardless of caste, or race? If that is the case, then why didn’t he ask Lakshman to eat that ber? Why are there no such incidents when he finally becomes the king?

In the original Valmiki Ramayan, Shabri didn’t offer them ber but fruits that too without tasting.

एवम् उक्ता महाभागैः तदा अहम् पुरुषर्षभ |

मया तु विविधम् वन्यम् संचितम् पुरुषर्षभ || ३-७४-१७

तव अर्थे पुरुषव्याघ्र पम्पायाः तीर संभवम् |

“Oh, best one among men Rama, thus I was told by those highly providential sages, oh, best one among men, oh, manly tiger, and I have gleaned various forest fruits and eatables that occur on the moorlands of Pampa Lake for your sake.”

This incident took many forms as Ramayan got popular. But Ram and Sita eating fruits or already tasted ber doesn’t make any difference as the theme of the story remains the same. Ram and Sita indeed got in contact with an untouchable woman and Lakshman refused.

In my opinion, the answer is that Ram believed that in that forest there is no difference between him and Shabri. Ram believed that when he was exiled from the palace he didn’t leave the palace only, he left his lineage, and caste also. Shabri didn’t meet Ram the king who has servants at his disposal, who belonged to the bloodline that gave the world righteous kings such as Ikshvaku, Raghu, Harishchandra. Shabri met a common man who spends his day roaming in the forest trying to feed and protect his wife. 

Hence, Ram didn’t hesitate once to take help from a fellow human because this was the best that the forest could offer them. Sita had faith in his husband. She knew that Ram will always follow the path of righteousness. So, she also didn’t hesitate.

Lakshman, on the other hand, hadn’t forgotten where he came from. He knew whose blood was flowing in his veins. Lakshman was a man of honor and he did not let his circumstances change who he is. He might have believed that if it wasn’t for his father’s promise to remain in the forest, he would have done something to provide better for his dear brother and sister-in-law. Lakshman was a man of sheer will and unmoving determination. He even gave up his sleep to protect his family during their exile. 

Now, the question arises why didn’t Ram ask Lakshman to eat those fruits? It is obvious that if Ram had asked/ ordered, Lakshman would have obeyed unhesitatingly. This is because Ram realized that Lakshman is also right. It is not wrong to remember where you came from. After all, Lakshman held on to his roots as he was only maintaining the honor of his family. He didn’t have any selfish agenda behind this.

In Hindu Sanskriti, the word Bhagwaan is associated with Vishnu and his various Avtars. Humans are only able to see from their point of view only which makes the judgment very singular. Whereas, Bhagwaan is someone who can understand everyone's point of view and act accordingly instead of passing on judgment. We can also learn to understand the point of view of others by reading the stories from our Bharat’s culture and expanding our minds.