Transcript 1. Women of Ramayana (Kavita Gupta)

कल्याणकारी राम चररत मंथन
December 4th, 2010
Kavita Gupta
Rama the Great
 Maryada Purushottama
 Behind every successful man, there are many women!
 The story of Ramayana would not have existed without
the critical roles that women played.
 Without the female intervention in Ramayana, the life
of Rama would have been the story of a typical prince.
Divine Birth
 Goddess Earth, Bhumidevi, went to Brahma begging to
be rescued from Ravana who was plundering her
resources and destroying life through bloody wars and
evil conduct.
 Mother Kaushalya was Aditi in a prior life, the wife of
sage Kashyap. She had given birth to the demi-Gods
Indra, Surya, Agni, etc. She expressed a desire to the
Supreme God that she wished that He would be born
to her. God then assured Aditi that when he would
descend on earth in his avatar as Rama, she would be
his mother. This is why Kaushalya, a reincarnation of
Aditi, was chosen to give birth to Rama.
The Mothers
 Kaushalya, Sumitra, and Kaikeyi
 The queens were overjoyed with the arrival of these four
lovely princes. The palace was filled with joy and
merriment.
Becoming a Warrior
 Rama's first encounter is with Tadaka, a rakshasi.
Vishwamitra explains that she has polluted much of
the habitat where the sages reside. Rama has some
reservations about killing a woman, but since Taataka
poses such a big threat to the Rishis and he is expected
to follow their word, he fights with Taataka and her
sons Mareecha and Subahu.
Destined Love
 Rama and Sita are the protagonists in one of the most
famous love stories of all time.
 It was normal for kings to have more than one wife,
Rama and Sita gave the ideal of having a monogamous
marriage.
 When Sita is kidnapped by Ravana, both Sita and
Rama undergo great personal hardships during their
separation.
 When Ravana kidnaps Sita, Rama is distraught. Rama
says to Lakshman, "If Sita is alive I will return to the
asrama, if she is dead I will relinquish my life.”
Winning over the Critics
 Sita’s swayambar presented an opportunity to impress
the toughest critics.
 Rama shoots the arrow up into the sky with Vishnu's
bow, performing a feat true to his supreme, divine
nature with his natural weapon.
 It is said that the Rama's arrow is still flying across
space, across time and across all of the universe. The
day it will return to earth, it is said, it will bring the
end of the world. Others say that the flying arrow
destroys all evil on earth to uphold dharma and
righteousness.
The Perfect Wife
The Perfect Wife
With your husband you chose exile:
suffered privation, abduction,
then the rejection the chastity test on scorching flames,
the victim twice victimized.
Could those flames turn to flowers
without searing the soul?
they say you, devoted wife,
questioned him not
and let him have his way.
--Bina Agarwal
The Perfect Wife
 When Rama is banished from the kingdom, he
attempts to convince Sita not to join him in a
potentially dangerous and certainly arduous existence
in the jungle, but Sita rejects this.
 Sita is also known for her chastity. She even
maintained it with a blade of grass.
 She willingly went through agnipariksha to prove her
chastity.
 In the words of Swami Vivekananda, " There may have
been several Ramas, perhaps, but only one Sita."
Agnipariksha
Agnipariksha
 Sita walks into the flames. But to their greater shock
and wonder, she is completely unharmed. Instead, she
glows radiantly from the centre of the pyre.
Immediately Rama runs to Sita and embraces her. He
had never doubted her purity for a second, but, as he
explains to a dazzled Sita, the people of the world
would not have accepted or honored her as a queen or
a woman if she had not passed this Agnipariksha
before the eyes of hundreds, where Agni would destroy
the impure and sinful, but not touch the pure and
innocent.
Mother of Luv-Kush
 When banished by Lord
Rama to the forest, Sita
tells Lakshmana that she
would not end her life as
she carried the seed of
the royal family.
 She gave birth to the
twins and did not leave
the mortal world until
they were reunited with
their father.
Banished
 Kaikeyi, influenced by
Manthara, demands that
Dasaratha banish Rama to a
forest exile for fourteen years.
 Rama does not bear any anger
towards Kaikeyi, believing
firmly in the power of destiny.
This exile presents Rama the
opportunity to confront
Ravana and his evil empire.
Surpanakha
 Catalyst for war!
 She had orchestrates the
war either to seek
revenge for her insult or
against Ravana for
murdering husband.
 She intices Ravana to
abduct Sita to make her
his wife.
Shabri
Exemplary devotee
Perseverance
Mandodri
 The unfortunate wife and
mother
 Ravana threatening to kill
Sita unless she marries
him, Mandodari saves Sita
by holding Ravana's hand.
Mandodari says that the
murder of a woman is a
heinous sin and thus
Ravana should not kill Sita.
Trijata
You Decide
Sita’s Banishment
 A: Adarsh King
 B: Curse from Rishi Agastya
 C: Protective Husband
 D: Not part of original story
Lessons from the Women
 The women are categorized as either meek and good
or as bold and evil. The message to women was clear. If
you remain within the bounds set by the male
dominated society you will be ‘deified’ like Sita was.
If you break the barriers you will become an outcast.
 Women in the Ramayana are “dependent on their
men, morally inferior and poor decision makers,”
though these qualities do not keep them from being
honored.
 The traits that the women hold in Ramayana are a
guideline to the readers. This culture is still existent in
India. Women are loyal, subservient, faithful, loving,
and compassionate towards their husbands.
References
1. Hindu Mythology By Harsh Nevatia
http://www.suite101.com/lesson.cfm/18770/2182/6
2. Hindu Women: A Look at Historical
Depictions
ksuweb.kennesaw.edu/~tkeene/ogtthoughtpapsamp
leA.htm#_ftn7
3. Leading Female Roles in Ramayana
http://www.echeat.com/essay.php?t=32382
4. http://www.swadharma.org/2009/02/17/causesfor-debate-in-the-ramayana/