Spring 2018 Indian Epics

"Grandmother, tell me a story!" The winter sun sunk beneath the horizon as the ship approached. The village was cold for that time of year, and several fires burned although the night was not yet full. Soldiers and townfolk lounged alike, casting dice together while others ate and drank the chill away from their bones. The army had occupied this territory for nearly two years, and the enmity between the villagers and the soliders had mostly evaporated this far from the capitol. The troops had grown comfortable and soft; this was why they died so quickly. Her ship was silent and grey, difficult to make out against the coastline. The only sound before the attack was the screaming of a banshee in the wind. "Now, for Lanka and my Lord!"  Armored figures poured from the boat; the attack was over in minutes. Soldiers half-drunk and freezing were chopped down by angry, screaming women swarming across the town. The women returned to the boat. The ...

Burning Man Festival Display Image Source:  Trey Ratcliff The story of Promila, wife of Indrajit, eldest and greatest son of Ravana, and the story of Sakuntala, daughter of Menaka and Bishwamitra, were infinitely more satisfying than Sita's story in the Ramayana. These are women who, unlike Sita, actively pursued their goals. Promila shows so much nerve and determination, even threatening to fight the troops of Rama in her goal to see her husband during the Rama-Ravana war, and choosing to die on the funeral pyre of her husband. Ravana himself is moved by her dedication when she dies, so much so that he erects a giant empty tomb ( cenotaph ) and the site of her death is made holy forever. Promila strikes me as a strong and independent woman, who allows no room for fear within her heart; this feels very different from Devee's depiction of Sita, who seems timid and frail in comparison. This could be in part due to the family she married into, as Ravana's family doe...

"Save our Sisters"  A Taproot ad campaign targeted at reducing violence against women; the campaign was pulled after significant controversy involving several Hinduism websites arguing that this type of imagery was a debasement of the Hindu faith, and that women, and injuries to women, should not be compared or related to the goddesses they worshiped. The argument for Rama's just exile of Sita to the jungle hinges upon the premise that his kingdom's honor retains a higher value than of his pregnant wife. The theme of sacrifice is strong within this text, and Sita's unflinching obedience to her husband is admirable, even as his own sacrifice (saying goodbye to his wife and unborn children) is lauded as a noble and honorable decision. Honor and chastity seem to be the highest attainable virtues for women; they are not strictly treated as property, but they are expected to conform to a set of ideals which are laid out by fathers and husbands. I am aching t...