11 year old kid perspective about Bharat Ji

The dinner table conversations these days are a rarity. Firstly because the family doesn’t sit together around the table and have dinner. Secondly, if they do, everyone is busy in their phones.

I have tried to inculcate the habit of eating together and talking about whats happening in lives of my children (Two young boys – 14 and 11 year old)

The other day we happen to discuss about Ramayana (the fact that the entire family happen to re-watch it together recently during lock-down and it was still afresh in everyone’s mind). How this conversation went talks a lot about how young kids are perceiving our age old tradition and epic like Ramayana and how they are drawing parallels in their lives. It was an eye-opening experience that not only reveals the thought process of our new generation but also very delightful to hear and learn from them.

Give it a read and maybe you can strike a similar conversations at your home. It leaves you feeling good about your culture and upbringing.

Me: Was he a king?

Paarth: Yes temporary King but he was not king. He did not sit on the throne.

Me: Ok, so who was sitting on the throne?

Paarth: Hmm, “Chhappal” of Ram Ji

Me burst into laughter. “Chhappal” what you mean chappal.

Paarth: Sleepers, what you call them “Khadaun, I think”

Me: Why did Ram ji go to Vana?

Paarth: Because of his “Dharma”

(Again word “Dharma”. Hearing the word Dharma from his mouth itself was very delightful. I mean awesome)

Me: What you mean by Dharma?

Paarth: I don’t know. He was following his father’s order. That was dharma

Me: Why did his father give him that order?

Paarth: He gave two promises to Mata kaikeyi and Ram ji was fulfilling his promises.

Me: What promises?

Paarth: She asked Ram to go to Vana and Bharat to be crowned as king.

Latter part of this conversation takes this whole thing to a new high which was quite surprising and made me proud  as well.

Me: So why didn’t Bharat become the king?

Paarth: After thinking for a while. He was younger. So he wanted Ram Ji to be the king.

Me: So, he did not follow his dad’s order. (Pause) Bharat was not following his Dharma  as he failed to fulfil his father’s promise.

Paarth: (After thinking for a while), he was younger ,so younger can follow partial order (With a little smile – Paarth is also younger)

After a pause

he did not deserve that. You cannot take a thing when you don’t deserve that.

Me: Even if your father gives it to you?

Paarth: Yes. That’s why he was on dharma. He did the right thing. 

Me: How can you say that he did not deserve that?

Paarth: Because he was younger.

Me: That doesn’t make sense that he did not deserve it because he is younger.

Paarth: Ok. He did not deserve to be a king.

Me: But why?

Paarth: Because he got mad at his mom. He can not speak like that. Ram ji never speak like that. Ram ji always respected his mom. Ram ji even gave respect to “Manthra”, While everyone else cursed her.

“It was beyond my expectation. What did he just say? What a thought. First, he knows about “Manthra”. He remembered her name. on top of that, he brought up a logical point to back up his claim. Absolutely stunning. I mean how many of us think before we start an argument with our parents and cross the limit by yelling back at them or by raising our voice during the conversation.”

Me: But then how can he be at dharma when he yelled at his mom.

Paarth: Complete silence.

After a while

Paarth: Papa, he did it for Ram Ji. He knew that Ram ji should be the king. That’s why he got mad at her mom. But he was dharma. He lived in hut like Ram Ji. He dug a hole in the ground.