This is an issue that has stayed with me for nearly three decades. When the first Indian nuclear device exploded at Pokhran, Rajasthan, back in May 1974, the scientists sent the coded message, "The Buddha has smiled" to the prime minister in New Delhi to indicate that the deed had been done. The Buddha – prophet of nonviolence, self-sacrifice, renunciation, prayer and ultimate enlightenment – being associated with a nuclear explosion?
While I was carrying on about the injustice of it all, my long-suffering wife turned around and snapped: "Big deal, your 'prophet of enlightenment'. He abandoned his wife and young child while he went off to attain enlightenment. Same with Laxman, who went off for 14 years with Ram and Sita, leaving his wife Urmila behind."
Now this was an interesting angle. Buddha is venerated by all. Laxman's statue stands next to Ram and Sita as the model brother – he is worshipped by the Hindu millions. But the record seems to be clear on one thing: both Siddhartha Gautam and Laxman abandoned their wives for matters of 'higher principle'.
Siddhartha was the son of a Shakya chief, a warrior tribe. Born into a princely family, he grew up in the lap of luxury, got married at 16 to Yashodhara, and fathered Rahul. On visiting the city outside the palace one day, he saw a series of disturbing figures – a crippled old man, a corpse, a diseased man and, finally, a wandering monk. He was astounded and enlightened, the experience eventually giving rise to the concept of the 'eternal circle of life', encompassing death, disease, pain and age. Blinded by his new vision, Siddhartha decided to leave his wife and son, his position and riches, and stole away from Kapilvastu in the middle of the night.