Shambuka

Shambuka (IAST: śambūka) is a character in Valmiki Ramayana. Shambuka, a shudra ascetic, was slain by Rama for attempting to perform penance in violation of dharma, the bad karma resulting from which caused the death of a Brahmin's son.^[1]

Rama's killing of Shambuka or even the existence of the character Shambuka is highly disputed. The story is treated as a later interpolation to Valmiki's Ramayana, being created at a later period in opposition to Brahmins.^[2][3][4]

According to the Jain versions, it was Lakshmana who slayed Shambuka, as Rama was a pacifist.

Hindu authors adopt other means to explain the reason behind Rama's killing of Shambuka. The Pushtimarg Vaishnavite tradition points out that the Ramayana refers to other Shudras, such as Shabari, who lived in the forest. Shambuka therefore deliberately violated dharma in order to get Rama's attention, and attained salvation when he was beheaded.^[5] The celebrated Kannada poet Kuvempu, in his play Shudra Tapasvi shows Rama as having to both carry out his duty by punishing Shambuka, and simultaneously protect Shambuka, as a pious and devout sage, from persecution, and thereby turns the story into a critique of Brahminical attitudes and a defense of Rama.^[6]

Other authors argue that not all tapas is done for a pious purpose. Ravana, a Brahmin killed by Rama, had also performed penance but not for pious reasons. They argue that Shambuka was killed for conducting penance with a motive of attaining a celestial power with his material body, which is not an unselfish motive for which penance is meant to be performed. It is particularly forbidden (e.g. story of Trishanku) in Hindu mythology to aspire for entering heaven with a material body. The belief is that the material body, i.e. Annamaya Kosha, is mortal and is meant only for performing ones Karma on earth.^{[citation needed]} Bhimrao Ambedkar, in The Annihilation of Caste posits that Rama killed Shambuka because he was trying to change his caste (to Brahmin).