Context
An important distinction to make here is the fact that what is being analysed here is the role of women in the context of when these books were written not the time period in which the text is set. This text was composed in between the 5th and 4th centuries. The analysis of this text will not be on the writing or the way the texts are written but rather on the ideas surrounding the roles of women presented by the texts.
The Author
Valmiki was an Indian poet in the first millennium BC who is celebrated as being the 'Adi Kavi' (First Poet). He invented the 'sloka' ( a couplet of Sanskrit verse) which became a defining factor of Sanskrit poetry. Not much is known about Valmiki's life other than what Goswami Tulsi Das( author of Ramcharitmanas which is a version of the Ramayana that is translated into Awadhi) writes in the Uttar Kand. The widely adhered story is that Valmiki was a robber known as Ratnakar who killed and then stole from people to support his family but then one day tries to rob the sage Narada and then asks him for salvation and forgiveness when he realizes his family would not share the burden of his sins. Narada tells him him chant 'Mara' which is a phonetic anagram for 'Rama' ( seventh avatar of the god Vishnu). He meditates for so long that ant hills grow around him and so he is named 'Valmiki' (one born out of ant-hills).
Ramayana
Ramayana is an epic poem that consists of 24000 verses in seven books. It tells the story of Rama's life who is believed to be an avatar of the god, Vishnu. It explores dharma which does not have an English word equivalent but can be described as a combination of culture, laws, responsibilities , right way of living, virtues and cosmic law and order. It is often told in the form of song or as a play/musical.
The Characters
In Ramayana there is a diverse portrayal of a large no. of women characters; goddess of knowledge - swaraswati to very lowly characters - mantra. I have chosen two noble women (Sita and Mandodari) who share the same status in the story line from different sides of the conflict. While the choice of two noble women may add a bias , they have been chosen because noble women weresupposed to be representations of the ideal women in society ; an example to common women , which will reflect how women were expected to behave in between the 5th and 4th century BC.
-Sita is the wife of Rama, daughter of Goddess of the Earth and King Janak. Sita was found on farming land while King Janak was ploughing (as a prayer) for the people of his Kingdom. For this Sita is known as the Goddess of wealth(among many other things)
-Mandodari is the senior wife (Polygamy was permitted) of the pandit Ravana and the daughter of a great saint from Himalayas. She is highly religious and virtuous and for this she is seen as a highly elevated being.
At a later time after the wedding, their husbands turn into two opposing characters where one is portrayed as the ultimate god (Rama)and another as an ultimate evil (Ravana).
The Characters
In Ramayana there is a diverse portrayal of a large no. of women characters; goddess of knowledge - swaraswati to very lowly characters - mantra. I have chosen two noble women (Sita and Mandodari) who share the same status in the story line from different sides of the conflict. While the choice of two noble women may add a bias , they have been chosen because noble women weresupposed to be representations of the ideal women in society ; an example to common women , which will reflect how women were expected to behave in between the 5th and 4th century BC.
-Sita is the wife of Rama, daughter of Goddess of the Earth and King Janak. Sita was found on farming land while King Janak was ploughing (as a prayer) for the people of his Kingdom. For this Sita is known as the Goddess of wealth(among many other things)
-Mandodari is the senior wife (Polygamy was permitted) of the pandit Ravana and the daughter of a great saint from Himalayas. She is highly religious and virtuous and for this she is seen as a highly elevated being.
At a later time after the wedding, their husbands turn into two opposing characters where one is portrayed as the ultimate god (Rama)and another as an ultimate evil (Ravana).
REPRESENTATIONS OF WOMEN : EASTERN SOCIETY
Within the text Ramayana we see that women in 5th to 4th century India were incredibly mistreated and their roles were determined by the patriarchal and misogynistic standards of society yet this text points out many (but not all) the flaws within this society.
How women are viewed within the text (and presumably within the society) was mostly determined by religious factors and this was true for both men and women yet women seemed to have been subject to more judgement.
How women are viewed within the text (and presumably within the society) was mostly determined by religious factors and this was true for both men and women yet women seemed to have been subject to more judgement.
In the Ramayana , the role of women seems to be predominantly broken into two of the following : submissive and good e.g. Kaushalya ( Rama's mother), or dominant/courageous and evil e.g. Soorpankha (Ravana's Sister) and Manthara, and they are viewed as only property (first of their father , then their husband) . Sita and Mandodari seem to be an exception to this which is an important fact as they would've been role models for women in their respective Kingdoms.
At a young age Sita picked up the Shiva Dhanush (bow of the God Shiva) unknowingly which was something that was impossible for anyone in the kingdom (which establishes her as more than human and sets her up to be revered) and so her father decided that she would only be married to someone who could do the same. We can interpret this as King Janak advocating for equality in his daughter's marriage.
As a Queen Mandodari had full freedom within the palace ; but she did not have any right to talk on matters of politics. People in the court used to praise Ravana but did not praise her , despite her being the most senior queen of the kingdom . However Sita was held at the same footing as Rama as Rama and Sita were considered to be halves of one soul.
Mandodari could exercise her free desire within the walls but her presence within the kingdom was forced. Sita however enjoyed freedom right from the time of the wedding; It was her choice to marry Rama and it was her own choice to leave to the forest when Rama had to leave . Mandodari's life was constricted to one city but Sita had the freedom to travel.
Mandodari enjoys the wealth amassed by her husband. Sita (being the goddess of wealth herself) creates wealth wherever she goes with her consort Rama. When she was kidnapped in Lanka the wealth poured into that garden as well.
Just before she was kidnapped there was a fair consultation between the husband and the wife and both exercised their free choice to take a very risky journey by engaging into a real life drama by sita being kidnapped.
She took the role of a warrior as well as Rama which is a true reflection of what the Pavitrstree (literally 'pure girl/women but actually is a women who holds her husband and family above everything) . Sita would risk her life for Rama but this does not mean she would stop living her life for them .
Mandodari does not have much power in her situation yet she does make her opinion against war clear (to Ravana).
Sita has an equally important role within her marriage as Rama but Mandodari does not. This is a reflection on their husbands more than themselves - Rama is the epitome of goodness and therefore he treats his wife respectively as an equal where as Ravana becomes the epitome of evil therefore reflecting qualities that would be bad in a husband - disrespectful , egotistical , a rapist.
At a young age Sita picked up the Shiva Dhanush (bow of the God Shiva) unknowingly which was something that was impossible for anyone in the kingdom (which establishes her as more than human and sets her up to be revered) and so her father decided that she would only be married to someone who could do the same. We can interpret this as King Janak advocating for equality in his daughter's marriage.
As a Queen Mandodari had full freedom within the palace ; but she did not have any right to talk on matters of politics. People in the court used to praise Ravana but did not praise her , despite her being the most senior queen of the kingdom . However Sita was held at the same footing as Rama as Rama and Sita were considered to be halves of one soul.
Mandodari could exercise her free desire within the walls but her presence within the kingdom was forced. Sita however enjoyed freedom right from the time of the wedding; It was her choice to marry Rama and it was her own choice to leave to the forest when Rama had to leave . Mandodari's life was constricted to one city but Sita had the freedom to travel.
Mandodari enjoys the wealth amassed by her husband. Sita (being the goddess of wealth herself) creates wealth wherever she goes with her consort Rama. When she was kidnapped in Lanka the wealth poured into that garden as well.
Just before she was kidnapped there was a fair consultation between the husband and the wife and both exercised their free choice to take a very risky journey by engaging into a real life drama by sita being kidnapped.
She took the role of a warrior as well as Rama which is a true reflection of what the Pavitrstree (literally 'pure girl/women but actually is a women who holds her husband and family above everything) . Sita would risk her life for Rama but this does not mean she would stop living her life for them .
Mandodari does not have much power in her situation yet she does make her opinion against war clear (to Ravana).
Sita has an equally important role within her marriage as Rama but Mandodari does not. This is a reflection on their husbands more than themselves - Rama is the epitome of goodness and therefore he treats his wife respectively as an equal where as Ravana becomes the epitome of evil therefore reflecting qualities that would be bad in a husband - disrespectful , egotistical , a rapist.
It is important to establish the fact that both couples were on pretty much equal standing in their marriages (Rama and Sita both children of royalty , Ravana and Mandodari both children of saints ) and how each marriage changes can be seen as a result of the different circumstances and different choices made.
In Ramayana Sita was subjected to much mistreatment in the time she is married with her abduction ,trial and exile . She is treated much like a maiden in distress in the fact that Ravan (the main antagonist) is even able to kidnap in the fact that she has strength comparable to Ram (an actual incarnation of God) himself .
It is implied that Ravan and his followers are killed becuase they wronged Sita but then Sita has to go through a trial by fire after she comes back from her years of abduction in order to prove her 'faithfulness' .
Besides the fact that Rama does not get questioned at all by Sita about his faithfulness , Sita was abducted. Even if she had not been 'pure' it wouldn't have been her fault at all but rather a case of rape.
In saying this we it is important to mention that Sita was never questioned by Ram himself , but the people of the Kingdom bad mouthed her . This is a commentary on society's misogynistic tendency to blame and judge women who are raped.
This contrasts with Mandodari's case , where when she had been raped by Ravana she peacefully leaves her home to become his wife which asserts the claim that a women can only have relations with her husband therefore rape victims should marry there rapists .
Yet we see that this marriage once again becomes a commentary on society's beliefs and values as Ravana is properly established as the villian of the story .
Mandodari's marriage to Ravana is not once portrayed as a positive thing yet we see that she does care about his safety .
This can be accounted to the fact that she is an extremely virtuous women and this concern for Ravana's safety can be seen more as an attempt to save him from becoming even more of sinner than he already is .
To many Sita is seen as the ideal women , wife and mother which may be interpreted as an assertion to women to stay underneath their husbands but it is important to note that she leaves by her choice , for the good of the kingdom because she could not bear to see Rama being hurt by the words of the people in the Kingdom. Obviously this is not a very good message to be sending out to women and sends the message to women that they should sacrifice everything for their husbands.
Yet we do see that Sita does finally have enough of the world's sin and go into the earth with her mother (Goddess of the Earth) and she does this for herself. This return to the Earth could be seen as a suicide but since she is a depiction of a goddess rather than a human she is not literally going back into the earth (dying) but merely becoming part of it and once again regaining her heavenly disposition . This would not really be sending a message to (heterosexual) married women to commit suicide but to men in those relationships to value and hold their wives above all things just as women are told to , otherwise you will regret it in the long run and this is demonstrated by Rama's grief.
Sita's struggle throughout the story is a reflection of how women are treated in society and how they are excepted to deal with the abuse that is thrown at them. with Sita being a form of God, this is an assertion to people within the society to realize women should be treated as incarnations of Gods , with respect . Although this does mean that women should only be respected if they are virtuous but this applies to men as well.
Sita's struggle throughout the story is a reflection of how women are treated in society and how they are excepted to deal with the abuse that is thrown at them. with Sita being a form of God, this is an assertion to people within the society to realize women should be treated as incarnations of Gods , with respect . Although this does mean that women should only be respected if they are virtuous but this applies to men as well.
Ramayana is a reflection on the sexist state of 5th to 4th century India and aims to elevate women by contrasting the ways men of different moral standing treat women. It presents both Sita and Mandodari as important individuals , deserving of respect but potentially only does this as both women are highly religious.
People in the 5th to 4th century were judged based on how religious they were yet women also had the added pressure of the patriarchal and misogynistic standards of society. Representations of women within this text are mostly a commentary on the sexist standards of society and aim to take down these standards so women can be viewed equally yet they are hugely biased by the religiousness of the women represented which is a societal factor of the period.
People in the 5th to 4th century were judged based on how religious they were yet women also had the added pressure of the patriarchal and misogynistic standards of society. Representations of women within this text are mostly a commentary on the sexist standards of society and aim to take down these standards so women can be viewed equally yet they are hugely biased by the religiousness of the women represented which is a societal factor of the period.