Reading notes: PDE Ramayana, Part D
"Sita Vanavasa"
Sita in Exile, Ravi Varma
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Guilty until proven innocent seems to be fairly common in the world of the Ramayana, and treatment of females is no exception. Following her lengthy rescue, she is basically rebuffed by Rama and told only his honor is important. In fact, not until she literally walks through fire unconsumed will anyone take her purity seriously. Rama may be the divine embodiment of the just and perfect man, but his priorities are very clear: God(s) and country. Later, he basically tosses her out like garbage because he realizes that gossip is spreading in his kingdom. While the issue of gossip and the people's view of their ruler is important, could there not be a slightly more humane way to approach this issue? Something that shows that slander should not dictate the actions of a ruler?
I read the final stories realizing that something, for me, was definitely missing. There is such a bittersweet element to the entire epic once Ravana is dead. Domestic issues and gossip seem to become much more pertinent, and Rama himself changed into a weaker, hollow, pettier version of himself. What I would have enjoyed reading would be Sita giving Rama a decent piece of her mind. This is not consistent with the time period and culture, however. So, being a good wife, she silently makes her way off to raise his children alone in a hermitage.
So many honor-bound decisions caused Rama and Sita heartache. The adventures which lie between almost seem to happen to different people. I have difficulty visualizing the brave, loving Rama making an easy decision to send his pregnant wife away solely on the basis of gossip from day-laborers, and I have equal difficulty seeing an intelligent and self-respecting woman allow herself to be treated so.
If this were modern-era, this could be related as a series of news articles, tweets, and tabloids. Click-bait style ads and disenfranchised voters could spread rumors of Sita's possible boyfriends during her mysterious absence from the public eye. Rama would be shielded from the press, but "sources close to the couple" would provide unfounded rumors, and speculations on their potential separation would be met with mixed attitudes. Rama would eventually betray that he prefers the title and office he holds over the woman he loves. In my version, he would not win the next election. Sita would go on to become a great diplomat and ambassador while Rama worries over his dwindling likes, instagram followers, and public image.
Bibleography
Wow: I cant believe that he threw he out the house and she was forced to live on her own and raise the kids, that must have been hard to do that without any help. Its crazy that Rama let the people in their town gossip about his wife to a point where he kicked her out the house and left her to raise the kids by herself.
ReplyDeleteI Wonder: if she did not listen to Rama and went against he's wishes. In this story, the male is the one that you have to listen to the most. So, I wonder If she did what she wanted to do to make her happy what would happen.
What If: Nobody ever started the gossiping about their relationship and how they lived their life do you thinks things would have been different for them and she would not had to raise the kids by herself.