In the last chapter we analysed the role of Kaushalya, Kaikeyi and Mahasati Anusuiya. Now we'll analyse the role of Tara, Mandodari and Mata Sita.
4) TARA
The story of Tara is complicated. She was originally the wife of Vali, after his alleged death she became the wife of Sugreev, then again of Vali when he returns and lastly of Sugreev after death of Vali..... She is also the mother of Angad.
Tara is a Sati, one of the Panchkanyas and is incredibly wise and intelligent. When Sugreev was delaying in fulfilling his promise after getting the kingdom, Shri Ram sent Lakshman ji to warn Sugreev that if he doesn't fulfill his promise then there will be consequences.
On learning that an angry Lakshman ji was coming to him with weapons in hands, Sugreev requests Tara to calm his fury.
ततः ताराम् हरि श्रेष्ठः सुग्रीवः प्रिय दर्शनाम् ।
उवाच हितम् अव्यग्र त्रास संभ्रांत मानसः ||
अथवा स्वयम् एव एनम् द्रष्टुम् अर्हसि भामिनी । वचनैः स्वत्व युक्तैः च प्रसादयितुम् अर्हसि ||
Sugreeva, King of Vanaras, was bewildered with the fury of Lakshmana. Sugreeva turned to his wife Tara & said... "Oh, lady, you alone are apt to speak to Lakshmana, and it will be apt of you to control his anger with your intelligence & ability to speak well. "
- Kishkinda Kanda 33.31&35
And Sugreev was right, Tara indeed pacified Lakshman ji with her diplomacy and averted the conflict that was about to arise between the two kings, Shri Ram and Sugreev.
So if a woman is capable of negotiating and mediating between two kings, then it means that both of them trust her words.
Is this misogyny ?
5) MANDODARI
Mandodari another Sati of the Panchkanyas and is the wife of Ravan. Throughout the epic she shows the same level of patience and perseverance like that of Mata Sita.
Mandodari always tried to give sound advice to Ravan, to bring him to the path of righteousness.
देवासुरनृकन्यानामाहर्तारं ततस्ततः ||
शत्रुस्त्रीशोकदातारं नेतारं स्वजनस्य च |
क्रियतामविरोधश्च राघवेणेति यन्मया |
उच्यमानो न गृह्णासि तस्येयन् व्युष्टिरागता ||
Ravana, you always abducted many women - wives of other men and inflicted pain & suffering on all those innocent women. You never paid heed to my advice on your bad deeds and eventually, entered into this conflict with Rama.
- Yudha Kanda 111.21&55
Ravan never listened to his wife, and doomed not only himself but his entire kutumb. This shows how important it is to listen to the sound advice of your wife.
And one person did listen to the advice of his wife, and ended the evil. Shri Ram. I'll elaborate in the next point.
6) MATA SITA
The central figures of the story are Shri Ram and his wife Mata Sita. She is the ideal wife and an ideal woman. The sad thing today is when we talk about an ideal wife/woman people assume they are submissive and oppressed.
But that's not true, at least in the case of Vedic history. The ideal wives and women are always the one telling the husband their mistakes and advising them to the righteous course of action.
When Hanuman ji meets Mata Sita in Ashok Vatika, she inquires about the battle strategy that Shri Ram will be using.
द्विविधम् त्रिविध उपायम् उपायम् अपि सेवते । विजिगीषुः सुहृत् कच्चिन् मित्रेषु च परम् तपः ॥
"Hanuman, tell me if Rama, desirous of victory is following a 2 fold policy (confrontation and conciliation). A tough enemy cannot be defeated by following this method. A 3 fold strategy has to be adopted in this case (confrontation, conciliation and creation of dissension among his foes) to be victorious. I hope he is well-disposed to his friends and has good allies!
- Sundara Kanda 36.17
The 2 fold strategy means creating an army and going to fight the enemy. But a 3 fold strategy is creating an army, fighting the enemy and also breaking the enemy from within.
And Shri Ram did exactly that ! He took the help of Vibhishan and therefore easily won over Ravan.
This shows what happens when you listen to the sound advice of your wife. Shri Ram listened to Mata Sita and won, Ravan didn't listen to Mandodari and lost.
This also tells us 2 things about Mata Sita, first that she was an incredible strategist and knew how to win a war. And second the amount of freedom a woman had to speak on the topics like war that people of today mistake to have been dominated by men. Tara and Kaikeyi also show us the same.
It's a tight slap on the face of those who say that Mata Sita is an example of submissive and oppressed women.
But if you still think Ramayan is patriarchal, then let me show the epitome of women empowerment in the text.
Before Shri Ram, Mata Sita and Lakshman ji left for forest, Dashrath says this -
न गन्तव्यम् वनम् देव्या सीतया शीलवर्जिते | अनुष्ठास्यति रामस्य सीता प्रकृतमासनम् ॥
Sita the princess shall not proceed to forest. Sita will occupy the throne, which was awarded to Rama.
-Ayodhya Kanda 37.23
आत्मा हि दाराः सर्वेषाम् दारसम्ग्रहवर्तिनाम् | आत्मेयमिति रामस्य पालयिष्यति मेदिनीम् ॥
For every man, his wife is his soul. Since Sita is the soul of Rama, she can rule this earth.
-Ayodhya Kanda 37.24
Now you yourself tell me, is Ramayan really Patriarchal ?
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A/N
In my opinion, Ramayan is neither Patriarchal nor Matriarchal. It shows the working of a progressive society that is free from such labels.
It presents us, men and women at their best like Shri Ram, Mata Sita, Lakshaman, Urmila etc and also men and women at their worst like Ravan, Surpnakha and Tarka.
HAIL THE STRONG AND RIGHTEOUS WOMEN OF RAMAYAN !
JAI SIYA RAM !
YOU ARE READING
BHARATVARSH
RandomA book of our glorious history, facts and myths. What we have been told vs what actually happened.
