Agreed that even though Kovalan was not a chaste man he was still entitled to a fair trial.
But was Kannagi " chaste" totally?
Is Chastity merely the body?
What about the mind?
Kannagi was experiencing grief and anger and she could not control her anger..knowing very well how ones heart bleeds during grief yet she inflicted pain and death on others who were not related to her husbands case at all.
She should have demanded justice from the King without becoming a mass murderer arsonist.
Making exceptions that children..chaste women ..cows and brahmins be spared from fire is no big deal cos that must be the writers imagination to prevent Kannagi from commiting the forbidden Hatya!
But what about others who died?
Non Brahmin men..other animals..unchaste women?
If her unchaste husband was entitled to fair trial becos the case was unjust killing then isnt the death by fire inflicted upon non brahmin men..unchaste women and other animals too unjust killing?
How come Kannagi could not feel pain for others and grief for other families when she herself was undergoing grief?
Is this "Chastity"?
Zero level of compassion?
Elsewhere in the Puranas..Renuka Devi mother of Parashurama gets beheaded for merely admiring a Gandharva.
So it shows chastity has a mind component too.
Therefore one is ONLY TOTALLY chaste if MIND and BODY is chaste from any thoughts that violate code and conduct of the time and place.
Atma is always chaste..so thats not really a problem here.
So Kannagi?
No compassion..commited Arson..killed others unfairly.."Chaste"?
Killing is immoral.
Chastity is from the Latin word Castus..meaning morally pure.
If going by the definition that chastity is being morally pure..it goes without saying that it has a Thought..Word and Deed component then I guess hardly a few humans in this world are " Chaste".
Oh.. Wow! just look at the energy flowing in this message!
Kovalan...
Most of the times, it is lady who makes a successful man. Kovalan was one such person.
What is chastity? Raghy is the last person to talk about chastity. Raghy does not mind " your children and my children are playing with our children" situation. Majority of Raghy's colleagues are girls.
Seriously, chastity is subjective.
How could Kannagi kill all those innocent persons?
This where Ilango Adigal made others to think. He put forward two girls... Kannagi and Madhavi. He designed his story such that, as a reaction for loosing Kovalan permanently, Kanngi reacted which was rajasic.... while Madhavi reacted which was Saatvic.
A Rajasic person will not be empathetic to others sufferings and feelings. Kannagi burned Madhurai.
Is Atma chaste?
My Atma and your Atma are the same... My atma a piece of Paramatma... and so is yours.. My atma can join your atma anytime I like.... Atma is beyond this stupid Victorian chastity....
So, the chastity we talk is applicable only to the body... flesh... If a girl got raped, had she lost her chastity? All men should say "no".
I don't really like to dwell more deeper in this subject. I hope you understand.
Now about Renuka....
Parasurama beheaded his mother only because he was asked by his father Jamadagni... Why Jamadagni didn't behead his wife? He knew he could not do it... She was not at fault...
Renuka... I will leave that with a question mark... Padavedu... My village worshipped Renuka.. My attachment with Renuka goes back to pre-teen years..
