Ramayana without Rama

For crores of Indians, Ramayana is not just a holy book but an emotion. Along with Mahābhārata, it is considered as the base of Indian history and culture. Such was its craze that soon after premiering on DD National in the 1980s, it quickly became the world's most-watched mythological serial. Being an 80s child I have a fleeting memory of it being a major Sunday event in my home so when its rerun was announced, I just couldn't miss the opportunity to rewatch it.

The whole saga revolves around Rama and Lakshmana. Rama is an ideal husband and a virtuous king and Lakshmana is the ideal brother but it always bothered me as to why we give less importance to the equally strong female characters of Ramayana? Why there is no mention of them in the debates on women's empowerment? So, today let's talk about those female characters who have played a vital role in the epic and without whom Ramayana is incomplete.

Out of the many female characters in the epic, the one most revered is the daughter of King Janaka and the wife of Rama - Sita. She represents self-sacrifice, courage and motherly love. During the time she was confined in Aśokavana, she displayed such immense mental strength and commitment towards her marriage to Rama that it perturbed even Rāvaṇa. Always been perceived as an ideal wife it's such an absurdity that she had to prove her purity after being suspected by her people of Ayodhya. She raised her two sons as a single mother and in the end when Rama wanted to reconcile with her she chose to return to her mother, Bhumi.

Surpanakha, sister of Rāvaṇa, has always been mentioned as an ugly, conniving lady. Everyone misses out on the fact that she was an evil genius! She was a bold, strong-minded woman who had approached Lakshmana without any equivocation. It was in an era wherein a woman being so advanced was considered taboo, though much remains the same in this era! There are other versions too which mention that it was all shrewdly planned by her to take revenge on Rāvaṇa for killing her husband Vidyutjihva. The reason can be anything but one cannot simply brush off her importance in Ramayana. After all, she was the one who led to the destruction of Rāvaṇa. Who hasn't heard the story of Shabari's berries? The old sage Shabari symbolises patience and ardent devotion. A hunter's daughter and a disciple of Sage Matanga, she proved to the world that one's origin doesn't determine their future. Being a low caste she was always looked down upon by the rest of the sages but her devotion towards Rama remained unswerving. Her offering of half-eaten berries to Rama is considered an embodiment of the eternal love and respect she had for him.

The one person who always tried to dissuade Rāvaṇa from following an immoral path was his wife, Mandodari. She was an intelligent, devout and righteous woman. She never blindly agreed to all that Rāvaṇa thought and did. When Surpanakha married Vidyutjihva, Mandodari was the one who convinced Rāvaṇa to accept his sister and her husband. There are many instances mentioned in Ramayana wherein she had stopped Rāvaṇa from hurting Sita. Such was her righteousness that in the final battle of Ramayana she stood with Rāvaṇa as a dutiful wife but asked her sons not to fight Rama.

Each one of them is an example of unshakable bravery, courage, love and sacrifice. They are the women of substance who have played a pivotal role in Ramayana. Their life is an inspiration for all women across all generations and it's a shame that we do not read about them often and do not give them their due credit.

(Ref. Valmiki Ramayana, India through the ages - Madan Gopal, "Women of Substance: Mandodari: Pure as Water" - Ayyer, Dhanalakshmi (2006), Contemporary Influence of Sita by Anju P. Bhargava) (Pic. Cr. Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Mandodaree Repressing the Warth of Ravana - artist B.P.Banerjee)