Valmiki’s Ramayana is considered as one of the most sacred Hindu texts. This tale of Gods and demons propagates the notion of an ideal world (Rama Rajya) through the characters of Rama, Lakshmana, Sita ,Hanuman etc. The ideal nation phenomenon is possible through a man conforming to his dharma towards his subjects and also a woman accepting the dharma towards her husband & the male members of the society.Through the analysis of different characters & incidents cited in the epic, this paper tries to bring out the different notions of femininity that emerge out of the Ramayana. There are two types of women portrayed in the Ramayana. One, the goddess and the other the demoness.The goddess is always the one who conforms to the rule of man and is submissive to her man where as the demoness is the woman who dares to question man and is hence punished by death or disfigurement .
The construction of the Goddess is based on her acceptance of the male as the supreme. Women are always subordinate to the men in the family. Before marriage a woman is dependent on her father which is evident from the tale of Kushanabha and his hundred daughters narrated by Vishwamitra to Rama and Lakshmana. Kushanabha’s daughters condemn the Wind God who desires to marry them: “For father is our master, nay, he is our supreme deity. He alone will be our husband to whom father will give us away”(21,Canto 32,Balakanda)…..“May good betide you, we are dependent on our father and (as such) are not masters of our will. Ask you us of our father; we shall (certainly) accept you (as our husband) if he gives us away to you.” (3,Canto 33,Balakanda) Hearing this, the wind god turns them into hunch-backs. Kushanabha is proud that his daughters by resisting the advances of the wind god protect the honour and dignity of his race,thus holding the woman responsible for restoring the honour of the state: “The act of forbearance done by you, which can be done (only) by those given to forgiveness, my daughters was extremely noble (on your part). And the fact that the honour of my race was vindicated by you by resorting to unanimity (on this point) was (also) a unique achievement (on your part).” (5-6,Canto 33, Balakanda)
After marriage the women attain spirituality and goddess status by serving their husbands which can be seen through the story of Kausiki(Satyavati,the daughter of Gadhi) who by “Following(as she did) the wishes of her husband (throughout her life) my sister bodily ascended to heaven and (later on) turned into a most beneficent and delightful great river – Kausiki(the modern kosi)”(8-9,Canto 34,Balakanda).
When Kaushalya expresses her discontent about Dasaratha’s decision to exile Rama and longs to join him(Rama) to the forest. Rama explains: “Nay, that woman who though extremely noble and keenly devoted to sacred observances and fasts, does not serve her husband, is sure to attain the destiny of a sinner. Through service to one’s husband, (on the other hand) even that woman who does not offer salutations (to anyone other than her husband) and is averse to the worship of gods secures the highest heaven.Intent on doing that which is pleasing and good to her husband, a married woman should, therefore do service to him alone.” (23, Canto 24,Ayodhyakanda). Thus making the husband,a god like figure for a woman and the woman is termed as pious and noble by adhering to the rules set by man..
These pious women are also punished by their husbands when they fail to please them. This can be seen in the story of Ganga who is held by Shiva in his matted locks when she desires to go away from the path directed by him “ The said Ganga,who is all glorious and most difficult to sustain,thought (within herself):- “wafting Lord Sankara along with my stream, I might as well enter Patala.” Enraged to perceive her arrogance, the three eyed Lord Sankara (the Destroyer of the universe) for His part forthwith made up His mind to conceal her (in the midst of His matted locks).”…O Rama, that sacred river could in no way reach the earth even though it made every effort(to do so)”(5,6,8, Canto 43,Balakanda).
Kaikeyi’s fears of being mistreated by Rama once he is in power arose out of the desire of wanting her son to be the king. One can also read her fears as a questioning of the system of enthroning the first child as the King. Manthara the hunch back points out that Bharata till then had not been given an opportunity to prove his worth to the subjects and hence by exiling Rama for fourteen years, Bharata would stand a chance of proving to the subjects that he is capable of ruling them:“Surely when Rama has been sent into exile for fourteen years your son (Bharata) will have sown the seeds of affection ( for himself) in the heart of his subjects and will have been established (on the throne).” (21,Canto 9, Ayodhyakanda). Kaikeyi is considered a sinner and is rejected by both her husband and her son Bharata for driving Rama away to the forest and going against Dasaratha’s wishes to enthrone Rama.
The epitome of purity and woman hood in the epic,Sita is abducted by Ravana when she fails to abide by Lakshmana’s command to not cross the Lakshmana Rekha. Women had to be bound by the limits designated by the society on her. Any deviation from these limits would lead to her downfall as a woman, which Sita goes through in the form of abduction by Ravana and has to prove her purity later to her husband by going through the Agni pariksha.
Women are often considered as juvenile,unintelligent and gullible by beautiful objects. This is evident by Manthara’s warning Kaikeyi against acceptance of rich jewels,pearls and gems and asking her to stand for her decision and not be diverted by such mere gifts.Sita’s desire for the beautiful deer leads to Rama’s hunt for the deer. Sita is unable to recognize the cries of Marica and asks Lakshmana to go in search of Rama. Hesitant Lakshman blames Sita for her “feminine nature”. “Women are (generally)such as have cast decorum to the winds, are fickle, hard hearted and disposed to create discord”.(30, Canto 45, Aranyakanda) When Ravana comes in the guise of a recluse, Sita once again is unable to recognise the demon king and also unable to protect herself from him.
A womans existence is vain, without her husband’s . Sita constantly desires to commit suicide when Rama is not around. “Serving you everyday with self restraint and practising sacred vows, I shall sport with you in woodlands fragrant with (stores of )honey o valiant prince.”( 13, Canto 27, Ayodhya kanda). ..“if you do not feel inclined at all to take me, afflicted as Iam as shown above to the forest, I shall resort to poison fire or water to hasten my end”(21, Canto 29, Ayodhyakanda)….Even when under captivity Sita constantly desires death..“What shall I do in the absence of Sri Rama of pleasing aspect? ( 35, Canto 26, Sundara kanda)… Death is preferable to life for me, who stand disunited from the high shouled and heroic Sri Rama, whois unwearied in maintaining his character and who is capable of exterminating his foes.(43, Canto 26, Sundarakanda)….I would shortly part with my life through poison or even by means of a sharpened weapon (16,Canto 28,Sunadarakanda)….Tying my neck with the fillet that ties my braid I shall now proceed to the presence of Yama.”(17, Canto 28, Sundarakanda). Thus Sita finds her life meaningless if she has to live without serving Rama or being admired by Rama.Sita chooses death to such an existence.
Women were reduced into objects of warfare by the Gods.Women like Menaka, Rambha, Ahalya were victims of such a devices. Ahalya is deceived by Indra who has sexual union with her in the guise of Sage Gautama and is cursed by Gautama thus: “You will stay here for many thousands of years without food or drink, living on air (alone), and remain lying on ashes full of remorse. You will dwell in this hermitage unperceived by all created beings. When, however Sri Rama, son of Dasaratha, who is hard to overcome ( for anyone else) visits this fearful grove, then(alone) you will be absolved (from your sin).Completely rid of cupidity and infatuation by virtue of hospitality that you will extend to him (in the same invisible form), O immoral woman, you will regain your own (pristine) body and return to my presence full of joy.” (29-32, Canto 48, Balakanda). Indra too is cursed by Gautama by cutting off his testicles,“In a fit of anger I have (accordingly) been deprived of my virility and Ahalya (too ) has been disowned by him. He has (thus) been robbed by me of his spiritual energy by being incited to pronounce a great curse (on me as well as on his wife) Therefore, with (the co-operation of ) the host of seers and the celestial bards, O jewel among gods, you should all see me restored of my manhood, since I have served the cause of Gods.” (3-4, Canto 49, Balakanda) but is forgiven and given the testicles of a ram by the Agni, Siddhas, Gandharvas and Caranas “Here is a ram full of virility, while Indra stands actually deprived of his manhood (by a curse from Sage Gautama). Taking the testicles of the ram (pray) transfer them at once to (the person of ) Indra. The castrated ram will surely afford you supreme satisfaction. Nay, to those men indeed who will offer (hereafter) such a ram for propitiating you, you will surely confer on them a handsome and undying reward.” (6-7, Canto 49, Balakanda) whereas Ahalya is turned into a stone who needs to wait for Rama to regain her form.
Women who were away from these bondings were the Yaksha’s & the Rakshasis.These Rakshasis were devoid of the feminine qualities and were more masculine in their appearance and behaviour. Manthara who is held responsible for brainwashing Kaikeyi is a deformed hunch back who was responsible for Kaikeyi’s questioning of Rama’s installation of a king . The resistance to the patriarchal notions of the Ramayana often lead to the death or disfigurement of such women by the Rishi’s or the Gods themselves. When Rama accompanied by Lakshmana is taken away by Sage Vishwamitra to dispose off the rakshashas that interfered with his sacred observances Rama is asked to kill Tataka (the yaksha woman who is powerful) by Vishwamitra to which Rama questions the sage thus: “When Tataka (the Yaksha woman) is known(from what you say) to be a female (proverbially lacking in strength), O jewel among hermits, she must (presumably) be of poor might. How (then) does she wield the strength of a thousand elephants?” (2,Canto 25, Balakanda). Rama is surprised that a woman should be powerful as, women in that age were not supposed to be more powerful than men which is evident from Rama’s words. Vishwamitra explains that Tataka was given the power of thousand elephants by Brahma, when Tataka’s father Suketu did penance for the birth of a son. Brahma deliberately resists from granting a son of such calibre to a Yaksha for that would increase the stature of Yaksha clan which was an “inferior” class compared to that of the Gods. Tataka is married to Sunda, the son of Jambha, a demon. Sunda is killed by sage Agastya by means of a curse but the epic doesnt explain the cause for the curse. Tataka along with her son Marica sought vengeance by killing Agastya . Rama is hesitant about killing a woman,but Vishwamitra clears Rama’s doubt of killing a woman by saying so:“Women characterized by impiety were killed by (all) these as well as by many other high-souled ksatriya princes,who were the foremost of men. Therefore, shaking off (all) tenderness, dispatch her by my command,O protector of men” (22,Canto 25, Balakanda). Since the epic doesnt specify why Sunda was cursed. One can conclude that Tataka was justified in seeking her revenge. But the problem here lies with Tataka’s womanhood which render her incapable of revenge and hence she becomes a demoness or the immoral woman who has to be killed by Rama . Shurpanaka was disfigured when she tried to lure Rama and Lakshmana to marry her. When she tried to avenge her disfigurement by provoking Ravana to abduct Sita, it led to the destruction Lanka and the whole race of demons. Here again a woman’s rebellious nature is supressed by the male dominated society.
The Ramayana reinforces the patriarchal structure of society through the gender roles defined for women in the epic. The women in Ramayana are categorised as good or evil . The good women are worshipped only when they are subordinate to the male . The evil woman are often ones who defy the gender roles. The Ramayana cements the idea that women should be restricted within the boundaries of the male dominated society, to be worshipped as Devi’s or else they would face banishment like the Rakshashis.
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