NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY ODISHA, CUTTACK

SOCIOLOGY OF SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION

TERM PAPER

SUBMITTED BY- SUBMITTED TO-

Parigya Verma (2019/BALLB/073) Prof. Rita Ray

[Adjunct Professors (Sociology)]

 THE RAMAYANA: A FEMINIST APPROACH

This article attempts to analyse the Valmiki Ramayana on the

basis of gender disparity and the notions of femineity that are
regulated by various societal notions; the characters of the epic
are compared on the basis of their treatment in the epic and by
the author Valmiki himself. Additionally, special emphasis is
laid on the Agnipariksha or the trial by fire, which is the crux of
the feminist debates that have arisen with respect to the epic,
how it has transformed in various versions of the epic, and its
clearly indicative and explicit notions of chastity and pativrata
imposed to regulate female sexuality. Lastly, the article
concludes by briefly analysing the evolution that the epic has
gone through over the years, from its conception to the present
times.

Ramayana, in its multiple versions, shapes and forms is one of the central epics of Hinduism
along with the Mahabharata and Bhagwat Gita that have always had a great impact on the mind
and subconscious of the people of the Indian subcontinent. The narrative, devoid from the
influences and additions it has been subjected to in the past few years, is very clear in terms of
the characters it chooses to focus on, and develop further. This is aptly depicted with the three
main leads of the epic- Ram, Lakshman, and Sita. While Ram’s strict adherence to dharma at
the cost of his own emotions and wants, and Lakshman’s devotion towards his brother in the
face of tribulations is seen as brave, courageous and ‘good’; Sita’s unchallenged devotion
blends into the background, radiating the impression of it being something that is expected out
of a woman, and not something to be praised or marvelled at.

The role of Sita, Ram, and various other characters in the Ramayana have managed to shape
the minds of the Indian subcontinent for the past several years, and continue to do so. With the
many feminist movements emerging in the country along with the new approach of retelling
Indian mythology through fiction, there are many avenues and revolutions in store for the
future.

T HE R AMAYANA : A N ANALYSIS OF THE C HARACTERS

There exist many characters each with their rich past and tribulations worthy of analysis in this
epic spanning 24,000 verses and 6 chapters (or khands). However, this article does not aim to
focus on a specific character, but aims to draw a general analysis with patterns noticed across
most characters, with special emphasis to the female characters, due to the lack of attention
paid to them in the original treatise.

FOCUS OF THE NARRATIVE

From the very start, and from the title itself, it is clear that Ram is the driving force of this
treatise, and also for all the characters present. No matter whether for or against Ram, even the
conversation between two separate characters not directly related to him, mention and talk
about him in one way or the other. Eulogies of Ram describing his face, his valiant feats and
his unparalleled strength are commonly found in most conversations that take place between
the characters within the epic.

This narrative can be explained best by contrasting this epic with another one of its
contemporaries, the Mahabharata. While the latter also observes the appearance of an
incarnation of Lord Vishnu, each character is driven by their own backstories and motivations,
providing an individualistic realism to the narrative. In the Ramayana however, Ram seems to
be the centre of the universe for not just a few individuals, but for the entire universe contained
in the epic itself. Such notions only curtail the scope of representation and growth of the other
characters of the epic greatly, and keep the focus of everything on the main lead protagonist.

THE NOTABLE GENDER DISPARITY: AN ANALYSIS OF THE FEMALE CHARACTERS

While all the characters by a common thread of their relationship with Ram, there definitively
exists another running theme throughout the epic that separates many male and female
characters with regards to the treatment bestowed upon hem by the author, Valmiki. When the
epic is strictly analysed as a literary work, keeping the religious importance of it aside, it is
achingly visible how the female characters of the epic are pushed in the background or not
given their considerable importance.

Sita, the female lead of the epic herself, appears only in a handful of scenes where her presence
is absolutely essential- such as those of Ram leaving Ayodhya and Sita asking for his
permission to accompany him, her conversation with Lakshman when he refuses to go to Ram’s
aid and her consequent abduction, Hanuman discovering her in Ashok Vatika, and the infamous
Agnipariksha. The female characters mostly are given their due importance if they essay a
negative role, such as that of Manthara, Surpanakha or Kaikayi, or if they are very directly
related to Ram himself, such as his wife or his mother. Characters not falling in the above two
categories are briefly mentioned in some verses once or twice, and then vanish for the entirety
of the epic. Urmila, for example, the wife of Lakshman is mentioned once during her marriage.
According to popular folklore, she believed to have taken Lakshman’s sleep and slept for 14
years straight, so that Lakshman could stay awake for all those years and guard Ram and Sita.
In Valmiki’s version, there exists no trace of Urmila.

Another notable disparity can be seen in the treatment of female characters by the fellow male
characters in the epic itself. For instance, when Surpanakha approaches Ram enamoured by his
appearance and radiance, instead of a respectful rejection as is prevalent in the popular narrative
of the epic, Ram decides to indulge in mockery and tells her to approach Lakshman, which she
does. Lakshman picks up Ram’s cues and describes him as a servant and hence unable to marry
her. When Surpanakha realises such mockery, she gets angry and proceeds to kill and eat Sita
instead, so that Ram could be free and marry her instead. As a result, Lakshman cuts off the
tips of her ears and her nose. This treatment is also evident by the description of Surpanakha
provided, calling her ‘enormous’ and ‘horrible looking’. Keeping the moral narratives aside,
its Ram lies in the wrong as well which is fleetingly mentioned by him when he comments that
no joviality should be done with the ‘evil’.

Another prevalent theme that exists is that of the inherent dependence of the female characters
on the male characters to exist. For instance, on the event of Ram leaving for exile, Kausalya
is hysterical and distraught, and repeatedly begs him to stay. On his pre-text answer of
‘honouring his father’s word’, she gives him a command of her own, asking him to stay back.
Citing the example of Parshuram cutting off his mother’s head, Ram is quick to reply that while
her word was important for her, he had to obey his father’s. When after numerous failed
attempts Ram refuses to budge, Kausalya complies and gives him her blessing. This instance
very clearly brings out the disparity prevalent not just only in the epic, but in the particular time
period as well. Respecting the mother’s word over a father’s is not justified, while beheading
the mother on the father’s command is, because that is what the dharma dictates.

Additionally, it is emphatically emphasised time and again that the dharma of the wife is to
serve her husband, as is evident by analysing the character of Sita. The only thing that stands
out for Sita is her extreme and unwavering devotion to her husband, and her virtue and chastity
as she decides to accompany Ram in the Dandaka forests, a feat that is not expected to be
performed by an ordinary woman who would never leave the comforts of the luxuries provided
in the palace. This badge of honour, however, is quickly brought into question by Ram during
the Agnipariksha. The most of Sita’s individualistic spirit is seen during the Uttara Kand, where
she stands up for herself, unwilling to prove her righteousness and chastity again and again,
and goes back to her place of origin: the Mother Earth. This chapter, however, is not considered
to be a part of the original Valmiki Ramayana and is widely considered to be later addition to
the epic, similar to that of the Baal Kand.

T HE A GNIPARIKSHA : A C OMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ITS DIFFERENT NARRATIVES

Arguably one of the most controversial aspects of the epic occurs after the end of the war with
Raavan, when Sita is finally rescued and brought in front of Ram and his entire army, and is
accepted only after she performs a trial by fire (agnipariksha) that proves her purity and
chastity. According to the popular narrative of this chapter of the Ramayana, Ram is cold
towards Sita, and orders her to do an Agnipariksha to prove her chastity. After she does the
same, Ram states that he commanded so to prove her purity in the eyes of the public and so as
to save her from public humiliation. Everybody is satisfied, and the party moves on further to
Ayodhya.

In Valmiki’s version though, the scene starts with Hanuman being sent to fetch Sita, and inform
her about her liberation. Despite her appeal to meet her ‘Lord’ as soon as possible as she was,
according to Ram’s orders she is bathed and decked in silks and then taken on a palanquin to
the designated place. Ram appears thoughtful, but showers immense appreciation and concern
for his army. On Sita’s arrival, in violation of the prevalent custom, everyone is allowed to look
at her face which forces Sita to feel "confused and shrinking within herself’. He is cold towards
her, and then consequently breaks into a boisterous speech describing his valiant victory over
Raavan and how he has removed the supposed stain on the noble Ikshavaku clan caused by her
abduction. He states that the was not undertaken solely for her sake, and goes a step further to
say that since she served as the object of Raavan’s lust, and had ‘dwelled in the house of
another’, Raavan surely would not have respected her ‘ravishing, celestial body’, and that
accepting such a woman would not align with his illustrious Ikshavaku birth. After explicitly
stating that he no longer has any attachment towards her, he then tells her that she was now
free to go anywhere she wants to, with all the ten directions being at her disposal.

Sita’s response to such allegations is notably incongruous to the narrative of the epic, with her
existence and identity dependent heavily on Ram, as has already been emphasised. Instead of
being quiet and accepting her predicament, she gives him a strong reminder of her own noble
birth of the House of Janak, and regardless of his incredible knowledge of dharma, has
conveniently forgotten her devotion towards him as well her noble birth. Sita goes on to point
out that such behaviour of ‘ordinary men’ does not befit him. She swears of her bodily and
psychological purity and chastity, stating that she was only touched by Raavan once while she
was being abducted, which was out of her control. Going a step further, Sita mentions there
being no need for the war with Raavan at all, and that if he had to abandon her at the end, he
could have just informed her through Hanuman so that she could have given up her life then
and there itself.

After such numerous attempts, she asks Lakshman to prepare a fire for her, simply stating that
after such humiliation, the only place she wishes to go to is that of the ‘heart of the fire’. As a
last request, she prays to the fire god, Agni, to protect her from the flames if she is ‘sinless’
and has been ‘true to Ram’ in all aspects. After that, she jumps in the fire while Ram is silent,
although his eyes are ‘full of tears’. This event leads to the arrival of Lord Brahma and Mahadev
along with other gods to arrive on the earth, asking for his justification for allowing such an
act, and revealing to him his true identity. Consequently, Agni emerges from the fire and so
does Sita, and Ram confesses to undertake such actions to prevent public slander and censure
and that he fully trusts Sita’s devotion, purity and chastity. He hopes that Sita understands his
reasons and predicaments, but as her presence is not useful for the narrative anymore, she
diffuses into the background, and her reaction to the same is never known.
The discomfort of various poets and devotees of the original Valmiki narrative is apparent by
the different adaptations that were adopted as time passed and the epic was popularised. From
the sixth century with Hinduism flourishing through the Bhakti movement, Vishnu became
extremely popular, and so did his various incarnations. The focus of the epic was firmly shifted
to one character only i.e., Ram. Hence, such a shift in perspective made it essential that all
aspects of his character and his actions never appear problematic, either by providing an
explanation, muting them or making them disappear.

Contrastingly, instead of subduing the Agnipariksha scene to portray Ram in a favourable light,
medieval Tamil poet Kamban in his treatise Ramavataram in the 12th century, depicts the scene
rather harshly. According to that narrative, Ram accuses Sita of abandoning him, calls her
emergence from the furrows of the earth akin to that of a worm, and remarks that values such
as great birth, chastity, womanhood, greatness, right conduct, clarity and splendour all perished
by her birth. After the performance of the trial, neither does Ram provide an explanation of his
insults as in the Valmiki Ramayana, nor does he reinforce and assure all characters present in
the scene as well the reader of his belief in Sita’s purity and chastity. He says nothing, and the
story moves on.

The scene suggests madness and passion, and it is elucidated effectively by Shulman, by
interpreting it within the context of Tamil poetry and Kamban’s understanding of love and
relations between the devotee and the divine. His analysis does not focus on the gender theme,
nor does it pick up in the husband-wife relationship or the superiority of the husband or the
abuse that becomes justified by representing preparator being an incarnation of God himself.
The role of Sita becomes that of a devotee or lover of the Ram, and her passionate articulation
in the scene become the words of Kamban being spoken through her character. Ram in this
scene, as studied by Shulman, is the divine protagonist that is discovering “the painful cognitive
and emotional consequences of being human.”.

From the 16th century however, Tulsidas attempts to iron out his discomfort of that scene with
the help of an elaborate plot device, that of the Chhaya or Maya Sita. The origins of this concept
can be traced back to as early as Kurmapurana, and Tulsidas is said to derive his inspiration
for such a plot from the Adhyatma Ramayana. According to the narrative of Tulsidas, during
the violent interaction between Surpanakha and Lakshman, Ram takes Sita to a cave wherein
he informs her that she would be going away for a little while. Then he summons Agni, the god
of fire, and asks him to protect Sita by hiding her. Sita is taken in the fire, and from it emerges
a false version of hers, or Chhaya Sita. This version of Sita acts and look like the real Sita, and
even Lakshman is not made aware of such incident. It is this false version of Sita that is
deceived by the tricked illusion of a golden deer, has spoken harsh words to Lakshman to make
him go after Ram, is abducted by Raavan and is forced to live in Lanka in her captor’s premises.
When the time arrives to retrieve Sita and for her to go through the fire ordeal, the false Sita
enters into the fire and returns to Agni, and the real Sita emerges from the fire, untouched, pure
and chaste. The cruel speech of Ram is reduced to a few ‘harsh words’ mentioned fleetingly in
a verse by the poet, and there exists no rejoinder from Sita’s side as well, as she silently goes
through with the trial.

This plot device absolves a lot of problems associated with the unjust fire ordeal; it absolves
Ram of the accusations of cruelty and injustice, saves Sita from the hurt of listening to those
hurtful words, and of public humiliation, and lastly it proves the chastity and purity of Sita in
the eyes of the public as well, hence preventing public censure.

CONCLUSION

From the time period when Valmiki envisaged Ramayana and its characters for the very first
time in his treatise up until now, a lot of changes have emerged with respect to its influence on
the Indian subcontinent, as well as subtly changing the way Hindus perceive their religion. The
most radical change has been in terms of Sita. Where in the original Ramayana, Sita was used
to constantly reinforce the importance and goodness of the virtues of chastity and purity with
the epic subtly emphasising on the possible fate of an unregulated, non-abiding woman, the
current Sita in various modern and feministic literature symbolises a strong woman, angered
and spent after spending countless years following the rules of the society only for it to stab
her in the back at the end.

Sita’s transformation in emerging from passivity to the light can be traced back to the
Independence struggle, with Mahatma Gandhi’s creative interpretations of the epic. Gandhi’s
Sita was not simply the passive, domestic repository of virtuous qualities and the devoted wife
of Rama. The Sita that Gandhi rhetorically invoked as the political symbol of national identity
was the Sita who renounced the royal pleasures of Rama’s kingdom for forest exile and the
ascetic Sita who lived in Ravana’s captivity in the resplendent city of Lanka. Instead of seeing
a woman passively waiting for her husband to rescue her, Gandhi saw a powerful, solitary, yet
vulnerable figure resisting the material and sensual seductions of Lanka, a metaphor for the
consumer goods that colonial British economy offered. Gandhian nationalistic discourse
reworked the earlier, more passive elevated constructions of a national womanhood and
reconstituted women’s agency in new, powerful ways that enabled the mass participation of
women in the nationalist movement, especially the upper class, urban, middle-class Hindu
women.

In more recent times, Ramayana’s importance as a dominant nationalised and political culture
has emerged, with Ram’s role as the ideal sovereign and his exemplary exercise of power
eulogised as the ideal governance and kingdom. While Sita’s presence has still been preserved
as a strong, independent mythological figure in the feminist circles, her presence remains
absent in the political scenario. With Hindutva as a culture on a steep rise, there still remain
wide avenues left for further evolutions and changes in the epic, as they have taken place since
the past many centuries.
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