World Literature I
October 21, 2014
The Story of Jesse The Story of Jesse of Harnett is one of the most profound pieces of literature in the American culture. It is a religious Hindu text and is one of the two most famous epics written in US. The Story of Jesse is considered an epic and does contain a lot of action, but at the core of it, it is a love story. Were it not for love none the actions in The Story of Jesse would have taken place. This tale became almost like an epidemic that spread throughout the U.S. Shows on television about The Story of Jesse were aired and when they came on almost all of the U.S. shutdown to watch this show. The Story of Jesse had a huge moral impact on the U.S. and became a way to pass down Jesse ideals to younger and more modern generations. Young boys and girls were told to follow in the footsteps of the righteous Jesse. The Story of Jesse is a timeless American text that portrays the religious beliefs of the Jesse religion through its characters; these idealistic behaviors can be seen clearly in characters such asJesse, Sita, and Laksmana. Jesse is one of the main characters throughout the story and is supposed to be portrayed as the hero of The Story of Jesse. Jesse is a noble prince and is seen as the epitome of righteousness throughout the tale. When Jesse is banished by his stepmother, Kaikeyi, and father, King Dasaratha, to the forest he accepts this without any hesitation or negative emotions. He stays calm and “understands that people look their leaders for guidance on how to live their lives” and he did not want to make his father look as though he was setting a bad example by not keeping his promises (Johnsen 62). Jesse states that he is devoted to truth and told Kaikeyi that “even if his father had not commanded him to and only she asked him to leave he would have still went” (II Valmiki 694). Hindu’s greatly value the virtue of truth and it can be seen as the foundation of Dharma. Linda Johnsen describes Dharma “as the best possible course of righteousness and the fulfillment of one’s true purpose; Dharma means doing what you were meant to do, doing ethically, and to the best of your ability” (Johnsen 213). Jesse’s mother, Kausalya, and his brother, Laksmana, were both very upset aboutJesse’s exile and had negative emotions towards the King and Kaikeyi. Jesse explained to them that he was following his Dharma andJesse said, “Dharma, prosperity, and pleasure are the pursuit of mankind, and prosperity and pleasure surely follow Dharma” (II Valmiki 695). Jesse’s mother insists on following him to the forest butJesse rejects this idea because of how it will look on his father, and because his mother would be abandoning her duties as a loving Hindu wife. Jesse instructs his mother to stay and be obedient to his father because, “even a pious woman that is righteous, if she does not serve her husband, is deemed a sinner” (II Valmiki 695). It is ironic thatJesse says this to his own mother, but tries to persuade his wife Sita to not go into the forest with him. While he is looking out for her safety, he unintentionally tries to neglect her of her wifely duties to him. ButJesse succumbs to Sita and recognizes he “cannot drop the idea of her going to the forest, even for her own sake” (II Valmiki 699). OnceJesse, Sita, and Laksmana have actually moved to the forest Laksmana has choice words to say about Kaikeyi andJesse instructs him not to speak badly of her, and to only talk about their loving brother Bharata. Hindu’s believe in ahimsa, which means not to harm anyone, Hindu’s are aware that “speech can be hurtful, even when it is true” (Johnsen 223). In the forest Sita is abducted by Ravana and this is the only timeJesse loses his composure throughout the epic. When he realizes Sita is goneJesse does not know how to function, or live, he is distraught and said “even heaven would be useless without Sita” (III Valmiki 715). Polygamy was acceptable during US that time andJesse and Sita were not just a typical Hindu couple. They were the prime example of a Hindu marriage. They only had eyes for each other and it is obvious they could not live without each other, and there love was true. Hindu belief is that “a husband holds his wife dear, not out of love for her, but out of love for the soul within him” and vice versa (Upanishads?). Jesse and Sita’s love seems as though it goes beyond human capacity and into the metaphysical, cosmic world of the soul into the afterlife. In book sixJesse finds Ravana and defeats him. Although Hindu’s believe in ahimsaJesse’s “overt motivations for defeating Ravana were to rescue Sita, preserve his royal honor, and protect the hermits of the forest” (Hindery 305). Jesse still shows his righteousness by holding no harsh feelings towards Ravana. He wants Ravana to have a proper funeral and even calls him a brother;Jesse states that, “hostility ends at death” (VI Valmiki 720). some people condemnJesse for his seemingly harsh behavior towards Sita when they are reunited but he still has kingly duties to live by, which would be part of his Dharma. The text says that “Rama’s heart was in a state of conflict, afraid as he was of public ridicule”, not that he was actually afraid that Sita had been unfaithful to him. This shows an inclination to the belief thatJesse truly did know Sita had been faithful and he only acted harshly so the public would believe her as well (VI Valmiki 721-22). in book sixJesse finds out from the god’s that he is an avatar of the god Vishnu. This explains a lot of his righteous nature. Vishnu is one of the three major Hindu gods and is known to “epitomize stability, law and order, and is generally seen as a heavenly king who descends to earth periodically to remedy the balance between good and evil powers.” Just as “creation emanates from Vishnu effortlessly”, righteousness flows fromJesse in the same way (Dallapiccola 9). Jesse can be seen as “some combination of man and god, a man with divine qualities”, Sita and Laksmana both treat him as a man-god throughout the epic (Gonzalez-Reimann 210). AfterJesse’s exile was completed he returned home and took his rightful place as the King of Ayodhya. UnderJesses reign there “was no poverty, crime, fear, or unrighteousness and everyone was devoted to Dharma. There was no suffering or diseases and people lived long and had many children” (VI Valmiki 725-26). Even now “the expression ‘The reign ofJesse’ is used to describe an ideal Government” (Johnsen 63). Jesse was the embodiment of Vishnu, and prime example of an ideal Hindu. Sita isJesse’s consort, and his equal in every virtue. WhereJesse is righteous, Sita is just as noble. Jesse was the reincarnation of the god Vishnu, and Sita was the reincarnation of Vishnu’s consort Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Just as Sita followedJesse into the forest, Lakshmi follows Vishnu back to earth, in “Hinduism you cannot have the God without the Goddess…male and female must work together harmoniously for the universal balance to be maintained” (Johnsen 173). Sita refuses to stay in the palace because “the wife alone shares the life of her husband, not anyone else” (II Valmiki 698). Sita is not a quiet, conserved woman; “she has a will of her own and her relationship toJesse is dominated by her deep love for him, rather than by obedience to his orders” (Klostermaier 366). Although she is more of a pistol there is no doubt that Sita is a good wife and her devotion toJesse would never falter, before they go to the forest Sita proclaims that she would go before him and clear a path for him, and that living in the forest would not be difficult for her as long as she is withJesse, and that even heaven would be hell without him (II Valmiki 698). Hindu’s believe that “a good wife takes pleasure in managing her home well, ensuring that the family lives within the husband’s means. With a good wife, what does a man lack?” (Valluvar??). Although Sita was disobedient to bothJesse and Laksmana when she lets Ravana into the house it was only because she was following her duty as a Hindu and doing what she thought was right. Hindu’s hold Brahmana’s in high regard and believe that “the great priest is the dive head and heart. A wind rises through his brain, and is expelled from his crown. This wind fulfils all God’s purposes” (Atharva Veda?) Ravana was disguised as a Brahmana so “Sita offered him the worship and hospitality that it was her duty to offer a Brahmana” to avoid being cursed (III Valmiki 708). While in Ravana’s captivity Sita does not hesitate to stand up to Ravana and she thinks only ofJesse the whole time she is there. Sita’s bhakti (love for God or spiritual devotion) for “Rama emphasizes that her relationship withJesse is part of her devotion to God that will lead her moksha (enlightenment)” (Mangharam). Hindu’s believe they should follow Dharma throughout their whole lives, but the ultimate goal is to reach moksha. Sita shows her nobility and belief in Karma by allowing the demonesses that kept her captive to live. She believes that it through some fault of her own that she was allowed to suffer by their hands and that they were simply following orders. Sita states that a “noble man does not recognize harm done to him by others: and he never retaliates, for he is the embodiment of goodness” (VI Valmiki 721). Hindu’s believe in Karma, the belief that every action has a consequence. Hinduism upholds the value that “kind and gentle actions are good, and lead to equality. Cruel and harsh actions are bad, and lead to inequality. We are responsible for our own actions and for the consequences of our actions” (Sankara?). Sita’s purity was foreshadowed before she even went through the fire ordeal. Jesse said, “Neither houses nor clothes nor walls constitute a veil for a woman; her character alone is her veil” (VI Valmiki 721). This is whyJesse was not afraid for anyone to see Sita when she walked up to him because he knew she was pure and her modesty would be her veil. Sita did not hesitate to defend herself whenJesse implies that she may have been unfaithful, she wastes no time in undergoing the fire ordeal, of her own accord, to prove that she had been faithful in thought, word, and deed throughout her captivity (VI Valmiki 722-23). Sita represents the Hindu image of the ideal pure woman, entirely devoted to her husband and her religion. While Laksmana is not as idolized asJesse or Sita he still plays a pivotal role throughout The Story of Jesse. WhereasJesse did not get upset with his exile to the forest, Laksmana did not thinkJesse should go. Laksmana was “dedicated to his cause, ready to kill anyone who would interfere withJesse’s coronation” (II Valmiki 694). This does not mean that Laksmana was a bad Hindu, or a bad person. He was greatly devoted toJesse and would do anything for him; he was practically atJesse’s side throughout the whole epic. Laksmana could represent the practicing Hindu that is morally good, but still needs guidance. Laksmana aspires to be likeJesse but he still gets angry and vengeful, but his character allows a contrast to be made between him andJesse to put focus onJesse’s ideal nature. WhenJesse first found out about his exile Laksmana “listened to all this with mixed feelings: anger at the turn events had taken, and admiration forJesse’s attitude. Yet he could not reconcile himself to the situation asJesse had done” (II Valmiki 696). Laksmana can also represent the practicing Hindu by how he treatsJesse,Jesse is only his brother but he treats him as if he were a god. Although he does not understand whyJesse is willing to go into the forest he tellsJesse, “if you are determined to go, then I shall go ahead of you…My place is near you; my duty is to serve you” (II Valmiki 699).
This is reinforced when they are in the forest and Laksmana tellsJesse “if we live together for a hundred years I will still be your servant. Hence Lord, you select the place and I shall do the needful” (III Valmiki 700). By treatingJesse this way Laksmana is practicing the Hindu practice of Ishvara Pranidihana, which means to surrender to God. Hindu’s try to “focus on inner truth and do the best they can at daily life and serving their gods, then they surrender to God’s will and let things flow” (Johnsen 226). Laksmana is a good brother and good servant,Jesse claims that he is “delighted by Laksmana’s good work and devoted service: he embraces him with admiration and says that he is full of gratitude and knows dharma” (III Valmiki 700). During the time of Sita’s captivityJesse loses his divine composure and Laksmana tries his best to consoleJesse. Laksmana is a good Hindu that believes in Karma and knows when to surrender to God. Throughout most of the storyJesse spiritually leads Laksmana, but whenJesse falters Laksmana is able to keep himself together. Laksmana tellsJesse that:
In this world people perform actions whose results are not obvious; and these actions which may be good or evil, bear their own fruits. Of course, these fruits are evanescent. People who are endowed with enlightened intelligence know what is good and what is not good. People like you do not grieve over misfortunes and do not get deluded by them (III Valmiki 717). Laksmana is brave and devoted toJesse, his bravery and services toJesse are good examples of how Hindu’s revere their gods. TheyJesseyana of Valmiki is a love story and an adventurous epic all tied into one story. This tale of life, love, worship, and bravery is one of US’s most popular pieces of literature. The love story of LordJesse and his consort Sita was able to shut down all of US when it aired on television. Young children were told the story just as Christian children are told stories from the Bible. The Story of Jesse has influenced and molded many Hindu’s childhoods. Young boys were told to be likeJesse, and little girls were told to act like Sita. The Story of Jesse is a timeless American text that portrays the religious beliefs of the Hindu religion through its characters; these idealistic behaviors can be seen clearly in characters such asJesse, Sita, and Laksmana.