Week 3 Story: As Told by Manthara

Okay, so everyone knows my story. Or at least, they think they know my story. It’s the one with that stupid prince Rama and the ugly misshapen servant, Manthara. Well, that’s me, ugly hunchback lady. I’m here to tell my side of the story (the real story!).  This is a story about a group of tyrants, the jungle, and revenge. Don’t read this if you want to believe that Rama and the royal family are perfect, honorable people (spoiler: they aren’t). Don’t read this if you think assassination is wrong or you’re afraid of the jungle. If you’re not scared of the truth, this is a story you’re gonna love.

First, I should tell you about my younger days. I was born ugly. There’s no doubt about it. My face is totally screwed up. Plus, there’s that hunchback. Not cool. But that’s just the way I was born. Nothing I can do about it. Naturally, everyone was scared of me. It’s hard to find a decent job when no one wants to look at you. There’s only one job for people that look like me. You get to be a slave! Sometimes, the family you get to serve is nice. They don’t care about the hunchback. Other times, you don’t get so lucky. As you probably know, I was a slave for the royal family. I served one of King Dasharatha’s many wives, Kaikeyi. This means I also serve the children. One day, I had to fetch some water for Rama’s bath. The well was quite far from the bath area, and I was tired that day. I guess that I took too long for Rama’s liking, because he started to scream and yell at me when I returned. When a price screams at you, there’s not much you can do. You have to take it, so I did. Rama wouldn’t calm down. Then, the brat picked up this giant stick, and wacked my hump with it! Man, did it hurt! Humps are extra sensitive spots. I knew that it would hurt for days. I had to crawl away from that little brat. Luckily, when I went inside, Prince Bharata was there. He helped me up and started to fix the sore on my hump. Now, we all knew that Prince Rama was in line for the throne. He was loved by the King and the towns people. But I knew the truth! He was a mean, cruel, selfish little boy! From that day, I decided that I would do everything in my power to make sure he didn’t become king.

When I heard about Rama’s quest into the jungle, I knew that this was my chance. Lakshmana told me all about the trip he was taking with his brother. Now, if you’ve never been to the jungle, just know that it’s horrifying. There’s hardly any food, there’s no place to sleep (except the ground), and it’s filled with wild beasts and demons. It’s basically a death sentence. So, if someone dies in the jungle, it’s not suspicious at all! Perfect. Of course, I know some rakshasas that live in this jungle. Right before the Prince left on his journey, I went to go visit my friend Thataka. We’ve been friends for a long time now. She’s a great rakshasa. She can throw boulders like they’re light as air! Amazing. I told her all about Rama the jerk, and she agreed that someone like him should never take the throne. She told me that she would take care of it. I’m sure that you heard how that went! She tried her best, but somehow the stupid prince defeated Thataka. That was my first plan, but it certainly wasn’t my last. This time I won’t mess it up. I’ll make sure that Rama is banished and the kind Prince Bharata can take the throne!

Author's Note: 

This story is based off of two stories in the Ramayana. "Thataka" from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie and "Manthara and Kaikeyi" from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie.
 In "Thataka" Rama has to defeat a rakshasi in the jungle. For this story, I wanted to explore why Thataka (the rakshasai) decided to attack Rama. In the story "Manthara and Kaikeyi" I was interested in Manthara. She's the misshapen servant that schemes to get Rama exiled. I thought that exploring her story would be kinda fun. The Ramayana doesn't explain why she wants Rama off the throne. I decided to tell her story, from her point of view. In this version, she was actually behind the attack on Rama in the woods. I wanted to make her a reoccurring villain. In this version of the story, she's responsible for many of the hardships that Rama goes through. The attack in the jungle is only the first one!

Image Info:

Manthara (Wayang Kulit shadow puppet)

Found on Indian Epics Blog