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The Hindu Ideals of Man and Woman in Selected Literary Couples
The Hindu Ideals of Man and Woman in Selected Literary Couples
Sarroca
II 2 BSE English
Shakuntala, King Dushyanta described her as the peerless pearl of womankind (Ryder, 21).
He also suggested how her splendor is far more superior to the human standard of beauty by
saying the quivering lighting flash is not a child of earth (Ryder, 14). All of these descriptions
indicate how their beauty is truly one of a kind and thus, cannot be rivaled.
For Hindus, chastity is also an essential factor in determining the essence of an ideal woman
because engaging in premarital or extramarital sex would be considered a disgrace to the
womans reputation and to her family. In The Ramayana, after Sita was rescued from being
imprisoned by Ramana, she had to undergo a ritual test involving fire in order to prove her purity
and even after that, she was still banished to the wilderness because the populace was not
convinced of her faithfulness to Rama. This demonstrates the consequences of people having
doubts on a womans chastity in the Hindu culture. On the other hand, Shakuntala was praised by
Duhsyanta because of her innocence or purity (Ryder, 14).
As couples, they also uphold the significance of sacrosanct affairs, specifically marriage.
Although she her chastity was being questioned, Sita still remained firm on her testimony that
she had always been faithful to Rama and was able to eventually prove it. Shakuntala also
persisted to be a faithful wife to Dushyanta despite his rejection by not seeking for another man.
The historical and religious Hindu texts are not just mere fiction but literary works which set
the standard for acceptable traits which people follow even in current times. The views on their
duties and on marriage were in line with the traditional Hindu beliefs. All of the qualities of an
ideal man and woman were embodied in the characters of these great Hindu classics.
References:
Kessler, G. (2000) Eastern Ways of Being Religious. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield
Publishing Company.