Abstract
Today,
the average reader knows Rama's obedience, love, and righteousness, as well as
Arjuna's skill and valor. We all know about the tyranny of Ravana and no one
forgets the injustice of Duryodhana, not to mention the likes of Indrajit and
Kumbhakarna or Dushasana and Shakuni.
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| Art-sita-ramayan-fictional-rama-character |
But
amidst the grandeur of these epics, we most necessarily forget those characters
without which neither the Ramayana nor the Mahabharata would have existed.
Without Sita, we are never ready to see Rama's sacrifice, love, or valor. The
Kurukshetra war was neither waged by Draupadi nor provoked by Duryodhana's
anger or Karna's hatred.
Under
the many complex folds of these two ancient histories, we do not get to see
today's feminist icons and role models that young people see or the power of
royal women from Satyavati to Kaikeyi in their entire splendor.
The purpose is to bring forth the perceived motives of the characters that played
such an important role in their stories but to make them shine to their male
counterparts. To allow is pushed into the shadows. It will tell readers the
stories of female heroes and villains of these epics, the weakness caused by
Sita's silence, and the battle for the role of Shurpanakha as a reason for
Draupadi's anger and Kunti's love and reluctance in light of today's movement, Mother
and a queen.
History:
Both
Ramayana and Mahabharata are placed in a separate class of epics as Itihas,
meaning that they were written by poets who lived in the time of both stories,
record-keepers of the time. Stood in form, and differentiated between fact and
imagination. This leads us to understand that both epics are mostly true and
there is very little exaggeration between the lines, which means that each
minor character and story is absolutely real. The struggles these women have
lived, the struggles they have come out of, and the knowledge and spirit they
possessed, are unmatched.
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| Ramayana |
Many
female characters have been ignored or constantly appreciated for their
determination and the sacrifices they made. The purpose is to bring these women
into the spotlight and give them a chance to shine, in which both their flaws
and their luster are drawn. A mixture of four women of the Ramayana and five of
the Mahabharata, well-known, but unknown characters: the stories of Sita,
Kaikeyi, Mandodari,
Inappropriate
portrayals over the years have been depicted in sabotage, as a humble, obedient
wife to Sita and Kaikeyi's misfortune. However, the purpose of this is to tell
its stories in their authentic and raw, unfiltered forms as much as possible.
In this, we will see Sita as a devoted and determined princess, Kaikeyi as a
warrior queen and Satyavati as the lord of politics, Kunti as a
multidimensional mother, and more.
Sita:
When
today's readers compare the two most prominent female protagonists in the
Ramayana and the Mahabharata, Sita, and Draupadi, the latter is generally given
more credit for her because she is seen as a fearless, fearless woman who Seeks
justice. While Sita is considered calm, slanderous, and ever ready to bear the brunt of Rama's law-abusive nature and self-justifying decisions.
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| Sita |
Both
women were the ultimate feminist icons, relevant to both them and our time,
there were many disparities between them, not only in time but manner. And yet,
both Sita and Draupadi, despite their differences, made their mark in history:
it is an indicator that both of their characteristics made an equal impact in
their own stories.
Sita
was the princess of Mithila and a great emperor,
What
we fail to realize is that Sita's peace was never to blame; it symbolizes her
strength, love, patience, and affection, which did not acknowledge the flaws of
those around her, which stemmed from her confidence that she needed him when
she did not need him.
Over
time, Sita 'has been used to portray the ideal' wife - rarely calm, obedient,
and accepting and patient even in the most unavoidable of situations, which is
why today's readers give her a Feminists do not see themselves as role models
to like.
However,
none of these qualities truly connects Sita as a character.
She
was rarely vocal because she did not know her place, but because she knew what
she wanted. And only interferes with a situation when needed. It shows
intelligence as well as foresight. The extremely impressive moment in which he
skillfully argues with Rama that everyone is discouraged to go to the forest,
and another, in which he orders Laxman that when he cries for help, he asks
Rama to go to the forest
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| Sita with his sons Luv and Kush |
Sita
proves that she was never an obedient wife, only a dutiful person who would
increase her intelligence and power only when she deemed it necessary, again
showing an impeccable sense of judgment.
Sita
was known as a test of her loyalty through the Agni Pareeksha, so we've already
seen that when she wishes she understood what she meant and endured her
husband's reasons, she is put to the test, knowing that it is not for his
approval, but his vows in the eyes of the people.
Many
argue that the
It
is through Sita that Rama establishes his relations with the people of Ayodhya,
the monkeys of Kishkindha, and his most trusted ally Hanuman. There is no
Ramayana without Sita. Without him, Rama's dependence, love, sacrifice, and
loyalty could never come.
Thus,
Sita, neither Ramayana nor Rama is complete.
Rama
demonstrated his dependence on Sita and unwavering love towards him in many
ways. The ocean is the most obvious example of reaching Lanka to reach Sita. In
Instead,
Rama created a solid gold replica of her, thus establishing both that she
disappeared the queen, never the wife, and also that Sita was pure and ideal in
her eyes, regardless of what his people thought.
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| Sita with his sons Luv and Kush |
One
of the few to realize that her husband Vishnu, the trusted god, washer
Lakshmi, the independent goddess. She showed patience and courage as never seen
before through the many undesirable trials of her life. Even Ravana, who was
one of the most powerful kings with many divine blessings was afraid of him
and the raw power he possessed because of his holiness because he was afraid to
touch him because of his past form, cursed by Vedavati’s was, a resistant woman
was touched if she died.
With
today's movement, we see Sita demonstrating the importance of consensual and
consensual relationships. She brings out the ideals of feminism, assuming the
fault of a cruel, meek girl instead of being a wrong, unkind woman. He showed
the strength and maturity necessary to bear the consequences of the decisions
of a patriarchal society at a very young age, reflecting the relaxation of his
childlike temperament and knowledge in his independent life.
Kaikeyi:
As
an epic, much of the Ramayana's progress is for women, and Kaikeyi is one of
them. Eternity is seen as a vicious villain who ruins family cohesion and
bliss, Kaikeyi is seen as a symbol of jealousy and envy despite various acts of
vengeance, is depicted. They have been used as examples of how well false
beliefs and promises are abolished, as well as a sacrificial goat to promote
the stereotypes of a catfight, jealousy, and bad luck can bring a woman home.
Nevertheless,
with many historians and writers digging deep into her story, we fail to see
her authentic personality - the raw, genuine charm of Kaikeyi, the courage, and
courage of Kaikeyi of her days. In her unchanged way as a princess in
Kaikeyi
was the daughter of King Ashwapati, the king of Kaikeya, which covers parts of
present-day
Due
to an earlier dispute between his parents in which Ashwapati lives with his
wife. Disappointed with the lack of concern, Kaikeyi's mother was banished from the
kingdom. As a result, Kaikeyi never had a real maternal influence in his life,
save Manthara, who was his nurse, and became his only maternal power throughout
his life.
With
seven brothers, Kaikeyi is a world. Elevated where the emotions, judgment, and
ego of men and only men were taken into consideration. Despite being constantly
overshadowed by her heavy brothers and her powerful father, she became a
well-read, courageous and compassionate young woman, widely known for her
fearless and obstinate attitude.
Kaikeyi's journey began in the jungles of
The
entire Ramayana is based on promise and does not break anyone's promise and
yet, one of the first promises made in the epic is later. One is broken without
a second thought, and one could argue that it eventually leads to the fall of
Dasaratha. Death due to other reasons.
This
suggests that Kaikeyi is being bathed with renewed attention and love after
coming from a crowded family of eight children, but there is no account of
sudden conception or better air in the Valmiki Ramayana, suggesting that He was
always kind, blunt, gentle but furious and never backed down from a fight to
maintain his character, whether it was his demanding brains or his military
strength.
Kaikeyi
as a warrior, Indra, and Samhasura fight in between. The king of heaven, Indra,
helps Dasharatha, a formidable military man of his time, defeat a powerful
rival. Adam with her, Kaikeyi joins her husband on the battlefield, this being
the first example where we see a woman on the battlefield.
Dasharatha
is badly injured during the battle and between the wheels of the chariot. Also
breaks. Kaikeyi displays her physical strength and mental strength as well as
her love towards her husband, using her little finger to push the wheel of the
chariot, thus protecting her husband. It also shows his tenacity in the chariot
ride.
Putting
aside earlier writings of her life, we never saw Kaikeyi as a scholarly woman,
an avid warrior, a courageous wife, and the boldest queen of the three. I did
not see that he is only portrayed as a cold-blooded villain who ruined his
family's happiness so much that the girls were not even given the name of
Kaikeyi out of fear that they would reflect his undesirable characteristics.
When
the four princes were born, he is repeatedly accepted saying that Rama is his
favorite child; he likes his son Bharata but does not treat other princes less.
Lakshmana's eyes are full of warmth and fiercely loyal, he has the same grace,
his affection, and love for Rama, causing him to hate him and banish Rama.
The story is a creation of the fruits of situations and negative emotions.
Throughout his life, he saw Ashwapathi's malice towards his mother, Kausalya's
jealousy towards him, Manthara's disagreement, and hatred for Bharata.
And
yet, in all of this, he never let his soul die or suppressed them. As a child,
in mischief and gaiety, when he was deep in the middle of meditation, he
blackened the sage's face. Extremely distraught, the sage cursed him for his
simple stupidity, saying that as he darkened his face, so she will also have a
‘black’ reputation.
There
is a lot of debate about Kaikeyi's story about whether she was really an
easy-flowing and will-power woman who could be poisoned by other schemes or if
she was actually fascinated by the big scheme of things and agreed to bear the brunt of the villain in the
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| Kaikeyi with Manthra |
Some
people say that Rama needed passage to go to the forest because his avatar was
intended to rid the world of evil and kill the demons in his own way and so, he
approached Kaikeyi. He did so because he saw her as the bravest queen. Others
say that Ashwapati once heard two birds (through his boon) talking about how
there was a curse on the
Thus,
they say that it was for this reason that Kaikeyi had exiled Rama for exactly
fourteen years, knowing that Bharata, out of loyalty to his brother, would
never accept the throne.
We
can never know the true story of Kaikeyi, whether he is an influential person
or influence, but we can remember him as a feminist icon of his time, a charismatic and bold princess who became the queen of all different but still
tops.
Mandodari:
Ramayana
has many female characters who are easily overlooked and are not given due
credit, not only in the kingdom of Ayodhya where the likes of Kaikeyi and
Urmila exist, but also in the kingdom of Lanka where Mandsari, Trijata, Shurparnakha,
and there is too much.
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| Mandodari |
In
some of her mention in the Ramayana, Mandodari is considered to be a dutiful and
the devotee wife, which she was very much, but in fact, portrayed as powerful
and strong and accepting as the queen had not been.
Mandodari,
was the daughter of Apsara, Hema which left him in the care of his father,
Mayasura, a famous and mighty king of Asuras, daityas, and Rakshasas. Once
again, like Kaikeyi's story, Mandodari grew up in the world of men, though not
as strong. She had two brothers, Mayavi and Dundubhi, and was often recognized
as the voice between the two feudal brothers.
There
is an episode of Mandodari's life around the age of ten, in which his brothers
are engaged in an epic battle with each other. Legend has it that she went to
him in peace, stripped him of hair, and educated him that there was already a
lot of evil in the world and brothers are pillars of each other against these
forces of destruction. Her words were so influential and intense that it is
said that Mayavi and Dundubhi never fought again and were also recognized for
their laziness.
Being
the only daughter in the family of four (extremely young at the time),
Mandodari was brought up with a lot of love and care on behalf of Mayasura as
well as the love and protection of her two doting brothers.
She
was a remarkable woman who came to Panchakanyas
of Hinduism (five women along with Kunti, Tara, Draupadi, and Ahalya)
Mandodari married Ravana and after that Mayasura greeted her on Maha
Shivaratri, and impressed by Ravana's many tricks and vast empire, gave the
consent of the union. Sources say that he came to know of Ravana's infidelity
and he had a lot of ego since marriage.
Mandodari
and Ravana had three sons, Meghnath, Atikaya, and Akshayakumara, all of whom
became formidable warriors, especially Meghnath, who later became Indrajeet.
She is said to have been a devout and pious wife, always a pillar of strength
for Ravana, but she never supported his principles and always warned him
wrongly.
Mandodari
is said to have saved Sita's dignity and life on several occasions, the first the time when she prevented Ravana from bringing Sita to her palace, resulting in Ashok
Vatika, and for the second time Ravana expressed his patience with Sita continually
rejected and almost beheaded him.
She
was a logo of intelligence and silent power, the bold and traditional sly
heroine, we are familiar with seeing. Mandodari recognized her husband's faults
and quietly accepted that they would be her ultimate downfall, yet she never
tried to save her husband.
It
is famously said that at one point in the fight between Rama and Ravana, they
had not been able to kill Ravana, because Mandodari's pure and eccentric
devotion and love towards her protected her, as well as her being a widow.
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| Mandodari |
Thus,
to remedy this, the gods send Hanuman to sleep with him under the guise of
Ravana, and Mandodari, like Ahalya, do not recognize the difference. The moment this incident happened, Mandodari's protective shield for Ravana was
shattered and, therefore, Rama was finally able to kill Ravana.
In
this, we see that Mandodari was never blind and like Ravana's character was
unaware of the issues, he only accepted him as he never tried to exchange him
and stop his destruction. He is said to be one of the very few characters in
the Ramayana who realized that Rama and Sita were the incarnations of Vishnu
and Lakshmi.
Mandodari
was sensible beyond her years and unconditional Parganas, but not the love and
blind sacrifices she had made to ensure the happiness of her family.
The Pancha Kanya are five women whose wisdom, might, and restraint set them above
all else, as the hymns of their names (Kunti, Draupadi,
All
are women who have survived unprotected sexual abuse or women who are
stigmatized for various reasons.
His
stories are told by Valmiki and
Tara's
birth is reported to have been mired in debate, with some stating that she was
the daughter of monkey doctor Sushena, and others saying she was an apsara
brought from the churning of the ocean of milk. He married
Vali
was challenged by the demon, Mayaavi, to fight at the city gates. However, upon
seeing Vali and
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| Tara-Angada-vali-Rama-Ramayan |
Ascended
the throne, accepting
In this story, one can see the anger and mistrust of Vali, the wrong accusations
of Sugriva, or the beginning of a quarrel between the brothers. However, this
episode confounds
She
reveals that she and Sugriva have got married. Agreed, as Vali's death is
confirmed and tries to convince Vali not to kill Sugriva. There are some
versions of the epic, which say that Vali was not able to kill Sugriva because
he ran into Rishyamuka, a place on earth where Vali could not walk. Others say
that this was
Thus,
he saved Sugriva's life through his righteous counselor.
After
Sugriva and Vali's epic battle, in which Rama kills Vali, Tara appears unhappy,
but at the same time, she is one of the few to realize her husband's fatal
flaws, but also that Rama was Vishnu, incarnated to be killed Vali by divine
forces.
Some
versions state that
Later,
Very
guilt-ridden, he played an important role once he stepped into the world and a
story in which men had decisive powers as well as havoc in their peaceful
lives. This ensured that Rama was helped to cross the sea and reach Lanka.
Ahalya:
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| Ahalya wife of Gautama Rishi |
She
was the prized creation of Brahma, the Creator. She was the most beautiful
woman ever created, putting all her creativity into it, and she named her
Ahalya, which means "she who has no ugliness" in Sanskrit.
Knowing
that Indra would always cover him, Brahma sent Ahilya to be the sage of ‘
Indra
escapes from Ahalya and thus he jilted when she marries
After
centuries, Lord Rama, on his way to Mithila for the Swayamvara of Sita, passes
through Dharamshala, the dust of his feet touches the stone which is Ahalya.
The curse breaks and Ahalya returns to her human form. Lord Rama touched his
feet, proclaiming him naive. Gautama Rishi is moved when he hears Lord Rama
proclamation,
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