Retelling Ramayan's timeless lessons on Trust - Raag Jaunpuri (DV Paluskar)
A truism that I learned listening to the inimitable Pt DV Paluskar's song in Raag Jaunpuri.
One of the benefits of learning Indian classical music is that you pick up philosophy disseminated through poetry and scripture (set to tune). Bhakti saints and their songs preaching reformation & good virtues are sung to this day, 1000+ years later. Is it any surprise that one of the oldest surviving epics, Ramayan (or Raamayan), continues to inspire and educate Hindus worldwide?
Here’s a modern-day example. Watch this hit song (with 92mn views) from a recent Bollywood movie. Madhuri starts the song with a couplet from a popular Raam bhajan (devotional music).
Ramayan
At the heart of this song is the story of Ramayan being told through theatre. The epic describes the ultimate triumph of good over evil. Mind bending plots and fantastical characters with complex storylines of their own, all in reverence of Lord Sri Raam. Unjustly exiled, dutiful son. God. King.
Much like the example, Ramayan has been traditionally kept alive in the Indian imagination through ceremonies, books, paintings, theatre, music, & video. Ramanand Sagar and his TV production in the 90s, much like Tulisdas with Ramcharitmanas, tried spreading its stories of virtue and building a just and moral society.
An alternate prosodical retelling of Ramayan’s stories, Raamcharitmanas (रामचरितमानस) is written in Awadhi (common tongue of 17th century India) which to this day is rendered musically.
What does Raamayan say about Trust?
Trust is a mixture of integrity and honesty. Two highly valued traits in many cultures and societies around the world, and essential for building and nurturing healthy relationships. The first line of the chart topper references this couplet.
रघुकुल रीत सदा चली आई, प्राण जाए पर वचन न जाई
Loosely translates to “Raghukul (Sri Raam’s) way has been going for eternity. One who is true to his/her word esp in troubling times, when your प्राण (life) might be at risk.
Of note is the phrase, ‘where you are true to your word’. Being truthful is considered the virtue of Gods, especially in the face of obstacles. I heard this couplet first in song by DV Paluskar in Raag Jaunpuri. DVP and his father, Sri Vishnu Digambar Paluksar (VDP), came from a family of preachers and many of their songs address complex topics such as spirituality, faith, devotion etc. That’s just one of the truisms documented in the Ramayan, shared as a song. Here’s the full bandish (~7 mins).
Lyrics in Hindi and English
During my masters, I studied the evolution of co-operation and explored formal models for it. I remember clearly the winning strategy in game theoretic (prisoner’s dilemma) scenarios - Tit for Tat. Yes, if you are honest and have integrity then the world will reciprocate. The Bible says the same thing - “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.
I believe that poets & writers can do what the best scientists cannot. Spread the message of honesty and integrity subliminally, and help share a generational message with the world about trust and co-operation. DVP does this gracefully with Jaunpuri as the base. I hope you enjoyed reading and learning from this post.