GENDER AND PERFECTION IN THE EPIC HEROINE: EXAMINING WHAT SITA MEANS FOR WOMEN IN INDIA TODAY
A THESIS
Presented to
The Faculty of the Department of Religion
The Colorado College
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree
Bachelor of Arts
By Rebecca Manning
Advisor: Professor Tracy Coleman
May 2014
Abstract
Sītā, the heroine of the Rāmāyaṇa, is a remarkably prominent figure in Hinduism. She has made an impact on women of all different types in India. From young girls to older women; from women in rural regions to those in urban centers; from women of the lower class to those of the upper class, Sītā’s presence in India has no boundaries. Sītā as a model has been interpreted variously. On one side, Sītā is held as the ideal Hindu wife and woman. She is always loyal to her husband, Rāma, and sacrifices her own needs for his; she is the pativratā (ideal wife) in this way. However, despite her label as the ideal wife, numerous feminists have viewed Sītā as a destructive model for women to look up to. Sītā is devoted to Rāma always, even when he treats her cruelly. By using Sītā as a model, women can be subjected to mistreatment from their husbands, and lose their own sense of self-identities. However, whether one accepts or rejects
Sītā, the fact that she holds such a large presence today shows that Sītā has something valuable to offer contemporary women. Shown through interviews with contemporary Hindu women and folk songs, it is clear that Sītā is highly revered for her self-sacrificing nature. She undergoes repeated suffering due to Rāma, yet maintains her dignity and continues living with devotion.
For contemporary Hindu women, Sītā is a powerful example. Many of these women are also defined by their husbands, and undergo suffering and mistreatment due to them. For these women who identify with the suffering and hardship that Sītā undergoes, by channeling her example of living with fidelity, devotion, and self-sacrifice, they can find meaning and self- respect in their own difficult lives.
2 Introduction
The Sanskrit Rāmāyaṇa, attributed to the poet Vālmīki, is one of the great Hindu epics.
Although the date of origin is speculative, the Rāmāyaṇa has been around since roughly the fourth century B.C.1 Regardless of when Vālmīki wrote the Rāmāyaṇa, the impact of this story on the people of India is profound. Nearly every person in the densely populated country of India knows the tale of the Rāmāyaṇa, and the main characters, Rāma, the king, and Sītā, his wife, are popular figures in India as well.2 People accept the story at different levels: “as a mere tale with impressive character studies; as a masterpiece of literary composition; or even as a scripture.”3
Regardless of one’s perspective, it is a tale of significance to nearly everyone in contemporary
India.
In addition to the Rāmāyaṇa itself being a significant aspect of Hinduism, Sītā, the heroine of the Rāmāyaṇa, is equally as significant in India as the epic itself. Not only is she a character in the Rāmāyaṇa, but she is also a highly revered goddess in Hindu culture, considered an incarnation of the goddess Lakṣmī.4 The presence Sītā evokes today has been interpreted variously. On one side, Sītā can be understood as the ideal Hindu wife and woman. She is always completely devoted and loyal to Rāma, even when he is cruel towards her. She exemplifies bhakti (devotion), pativratā (spousal or wifely fidelity), and strīdharma (duty of a woman).
However, despite this perception of Sītā as the ideal wife, various westerners and Hindu feminists have critiqued her for the very qualities that make her the pativratā. Many feel that despite Sītā’s complete devotion to Rāma, she offers contemporary women a destructive model.
1 R.K. Narayan, The Ramayana (New York: Penguin Books, 2006), xxiii. 2 Narayan, xxiii. 3 Narayan, xxiii. 4 Lakṣmī is the goddess of prosperity and wealth, and embodies beauty.
3 She is said to simply enforce the patriarchy that is embedded in Hinduism; thus the idealization of Sītā can be seen as negative.
Despite such feminist claims, however, even today she is a remarkably prominent figure in Hinduism and in India in general. She is a goddess that women in India almost unanimously admire and revere. She has made an impact on women of all different kinds in present-day India.
From women of rural regions to those living in metropolitan areas such as Delhi; from college- aged girls to women in their fifties; from women of lower classes to women of economic prosperity; Sītā has been esteemed and admired by Indian women of all different walks of life.5
Such popularity is demonstrated through interviews with contemporary Indian women and regional folk songs.
Given that Sītā is so revered in modern-day India, and Indian women continually express admiration for her, it seems safe to conclude that Sītā must have something valuable to offer modern-day Indian women. After a careful analysis of her, it is clear that Sītā lives for Rāma.
Even when she is subjected to cruel mistreatment at the hands of her divine husband, she remains loyal and devoted to him; she epitomizes self-sacrifice in this way. The meaning of her life comes from the various sacrifices she makes for Rāma, and her willingness to make his will her own. Sītā suffers due to Rāma throughout her short life; she is put in perilous conditions and treated poorly by him. Yet, she maintains dignity and, today, is highly revered because of the suffering she has endured. Similarly to Sītā, contemporary Hindu women today are also frequently defined in terms of their husbands. Wives rely on their husbands for meaning in their own lives, yet they are still often subjected to mistreatment from them. In such circumstances,
Sītā provides a helpful model for these women. Sītā herself suffers endless hardships throughout
5 Madhu Kishwar, “Yes to Sita, No to Ram: The Continuing Hold of Sita on Popular Imagination in India,” in Questioning Rāmāyaṇas: A South Asian Tradition, ed. Paula Richman (Los Angeles: University of California Press 2001), 286.
4 her own life due to her husband. Yet, today she is revered because of the complete self-sacrifice she exercises throughout her life. Thus, contemporary women who identify with Sītā’s suffering and unjust treatment can feel dignified, morally powerful, and respected by following her example of devotion, fidelity, and self-sacrifice. Through the reverence that Sītā possesses today, due to her suffering in devotion for Rāma, contemporary Hindu women are able to find meaning and self-respect in their own difficult lives.
The Normative Sītā, Sītā as Pativratā
When Hindu women are asked who the ideal woman is, an overwhelming majority responds with Sītā, the heroine from the Rāmāyaṇa.6 The fact that this figure from over two thousand years ago is still viewed as the ideal woman is clearly significant. There have been countless other goddesses, literary and film heroines, and other famous Indian women since the
Rāmāyaṇa. Yet, no one even comes close to reaching the pedestal that the goddess Sītā has been placed on because of her classification as the ideal woman in India. To understand why Sītā has been classified as the ideal woman for such an extended period of time, it is first important to understand what qualities women in India are expected to possess in order to be classified as
‘good women.’ Once these qualities that represent ideal womanhood in Hinduism are understood, it can be shown how Sītā exemplifies these qualities, through various examples of her behavior in the Rāmāyaṇa.
First, it is important to understand strīdharma and what it means for Hindu women.
Dharma signifies ‘one’s duty’ or ‘code of conduct,’ and strīdharma refers to the dharma of women specifically. It is significant that this word strīdharma even exists, because there is no
6 Sally J. Sutherland, “Sītā and Draupadī: Aggressive Behavior and Female Role-Models in the Sanskrit Epics,” Journal of the American Oriental Society 109, no. 1 (1989): 63.
5 separate word for men’s dharma; it is simply dharma. Establishing a separate word for women’s dharma indicates that women have an entirely different dharma than men, based simply on their difference in gender. ‘Strī’ refers especially, but not only to, ‘wives,’ thus implying that all women should eventually become wives in order to encapsulate this sense of ideal womanhood.7
For women, their strīdharma means that at every point in their lives, they are defined in terms of men, and are often controlled by them. They exist for the men in their lives, and do not have much independence themselves. For example, according to the sources in which strīdharma is defined and elaborated, as children, girls are controlled by their fathers, as young women, they are controlled by their husbands, and if their husbands predecease them, they are controlled by their sons. Even in her own personal home, “a female—whether she is a child, a young woman, or an old lady—should never carry out any task independently,” which enforces this idea that the ideal woman exists for the men in her life, and she does not have needs or desires of her own.8
Instead, her focus is on men and respecting their wishes and desires: “A wife should always listen to her husband. This is the best dharma of a wife.”9 If a woman seeks to separate herself from her father, husband, or sons, and in turn, she pursues independence, she “brings disgrace on both families.”10 An ideal woman is expected to stay with each man in her life until the subsequent stage of her life arises: first her father, then her husband, and finally, in the last stage of her life, her son(s).
According to the text, Dharma: Its Early History in Law, Religion, and Narrative by Alf
Hiltebeitel, in terms of strīdharma, an ideal woman should never be controlled by her own nature.
7 Alf Hiltebeitel, Dharma: Its Early History in Law, Religion, and Narrative (New York: Oxford University Press , 2011), 338. 8 Hiltebeitel, 338. 9 Mandakranta Bose, Women in the Hindu Tradition: Roles, Rules and Exceptions (New York: Routledge, 2010), 106. 10 Hiltebeitel, 338.
6 Since she is not self-oriented, it would seem that the ideal woman does not have any desires in terms of her own destiny; however, this is not exactly the case. A text by Kim Knott, “Hindu
Women, Destiny, and Stridharma,” explains how ideal women desire saubhagya, which denotes the ‘highest good’ and ‘good fortune.’ For ideal Hindu women, saubhagya means “good fortune which manifests itself in a woman by virtue of her wifehood: marital felicity,” which shows how for ideal women, wifely duties are absolutely essential.11 Saubhagya and moksa, or liberation from saṃsāra, are intertwined for women, with saubhagya being a key for eventual moksa.12
According to this text, the ideal woman is expected to always focus on the success of her family.
Even from the moment of birth, a girl is expected to learn how to address the needs of her future family: “the family considers it their responsibility to prepare her for her role as wife and mother.”13 Thus, when she is older and has a family, she will be able to focus on the success of her family: “If her family does not thrive, she is not a successful wife; if they do not thrive, she will not thrive.”14 A woman with an unsuccessful family may “suffer loss of reputation, domestic victimization and violence…these are not good signs for her family or for her own chances of liberation.”15 Not only are women supposed to focus on the success of their husbands and families, but they are also expected to have families in order to earn respect from their communities. Married women have much higher social value than unmarried women, especially women who have sons.16 In short, strīdharma dictates that for Hindu women, maintaining the family is not only the duty of an ideal woman, but it is in fact a woman’s destiny, and the key to achieving moksa. According to these texts, it is in women’s best interests to live for their
11 Kim Knott, “Hindu Women, Destiny and Stridharma,” Religion 26, no. 1 (January 1996): 20. 12 Knott, 20. 13 Archana Pathak Bhatt, “The Sita Syndrome: Examining the Communicative Aspects of Domestic Violence from a South Asian Perspective,” Journal of International Women’s Studies 9, no. 3 (2008): 162. 14 Knott, 20. 15 Knott, 20. 16 Bhatt, 162.
7 husbands and families, and to leave their personal needs and desires at their sides; their existences are defined strictly in terms of their husbands and being seen as ‘good’ wives to them.
In addition to strīdharma, another important component of the ideal Hindu woman is the understanding of the pativratā, or the loyal and devoted wife. These two concepts directly intertwine with each other, as a pativratā follows her strīdharma, which will in turn allow her to be seen as the ideal woman and wife. A pativratā is completely devoted to her husband at all times: “every thought revolves around her husband…She is always steadfast in her loyalty to him. His welfare, reputation, and wishes are uppermost in her mind.”17 Despite the husband’s behavior or character, a pativratā will always remain loyal to him, which shows how the pativratā is less concerned about her own well-being than that of her husband. For her, “the husband is god…There is no goal, no deity, like the husband.”18 For the ideal wife, her husband is viewed as a divine being in need of constant worship; thus, it is partly the divinity of a husband that makes a wife’s devotion to him salvific. In this way, a wife’s devotion to her husband relates to her duty as a wife, as well as saubhagya, and eventually, liberation from samsara.
Given these concepts of strīdharma and pativratā, it is important to understand why Sītā is considered to be the ideal woman, based on how she exemplifies these outlined qualities. First, from the beginning of the Rāmāyaṇa, Sītā proves her utmost devotion to her husband Rāma, the king of Ayodhyā. This devotion is an essential quality of the pativratā. Early on in the
Rāmāyaṇa, Rāma is exiled to the forest for fourteen years by his stepmother so that her own son can take Rāma’s place as king. After her orders, Rāma goes to Sītā’s chamber to tell her goodbye; however, Sītā has other plans, and says she wishes to accompany him into the forest.
17 David Kinsley, Hindu Goddesses: Visions of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Tradition (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1986), 70. 18 Bose, Women in the Hindu Tradition, 106.
8 She has already even “dressed in the rough tree fibre—her finery and jewels discarded and laid aside, although she had decorated and dressed herself as befitting a queen little while ago,” as if ready to head into the forest for fourteen years at that very moment.19 Rāma, initially averse to the idea of Sītā accompanying him, says, “It was never my father’s intention to send you along with me. This is not the life for you.”20 Rāma is hesitant for her to accompany him, and fears it will be a life of discomfort for her, but Sītā shows her complete loyalty to him by not giving in.
She cries, “I’m coming with you; my place is at your side wherever you may be…It will be living death for me without you. I am alive only when I am with you; a forest or a marble palace is all the same to me,” and Rāma finally succumbs to her wishes.21
In this situation, Sītā could have stayed home in the palace and lived a life filled with luxuries. However, she abandons that life without a second thought to enter into a life of simplicity in the forest, filled with many uncertainties, all so she can stay with Rāma. Her behavior here encompasses both the pativratā and strīdharma. A pativratā is expected to stay loyal to her husband no matter what, and Sītā exemplifies this ideal in this situation. She even compares her loyalty to Sāvitrī, who followed her husband to the realm of the dead, saying, “To be with thee is heaven, to be without thee is hell, this is the truth.”22 In terms of strīdharma, when Sītā accompanies him, her choice also reflects saubhagya, and her desire for marital felicity. Without Rāma, Sītā’s life is meaningless; the meaning of her life is based completely on
Rāma, so when he is exiled to the forest, she has no choice but to sacrifice everything she knows and accompany him there. Sītā is the epitome of self-sacrifice in this instance; she easily gives
19 Narayan, 53. 20 Narayan, 53. 21 Narayan, 53. 22 Kinsley, 72.
9 up a luxurious life to remain completely devoted to Rāma, even when it takes her to a life full of uncertainties.
Another important example of how Sītā represents this ideal is when the evil demon
Rāvaṇa abducts her from the forest, and he holds her captive in his home. Rāvaṇa gives her two months to live, and threatens her, saying, “if she does not come to love him the Rākṣasīs will prepare her for his breakfast or eat her themselves.”23 However, Sītā never falters under
Rāvaṇa’s threats or succumbs to his wishes. Instead, she remains completely devoted to Rāma; he is always on her mind, despite the fear and suffering she endures. She says, “How, in my great suffering, shall I do without him…At such a time as this I can wish only to die.”24 When she believes she will not see Rāma again, life is simply not worth it, and she wishes for death. Sītā is even envious of others who are able to simply see Rāma, and she creates a shaky image of him in her mind. In this example, Sītā exemplifies the ideal Hindu wife. She is separated from Rāma for a full year, but instead of accepting defeat and moving on with her life, she remains loyal to him the entire time. As Rāma is her reason for existence, she has no option but to keep her mind on him, and just hope to see him again. Even in times of hardship, the ideal wife must remain loyal to her husband, as he is the essence of her life. Remaining loyal is exactly what Sītā does: she focuses on nothing except for Rāma, even amidst suffering.
Lastly, a third instance that demonstrates Sītā as the ideal Hindu wife is when Rāma eventually finds Rāvaṇa and defeats him. After Rāvaṇa is killed, Rāma and Sītā are reunited publicly. Once reunited, Sītā is overjoyed at seeing Rāma; however, Rāma is cold and moody, which is confusing for Sītā. Rāma explains himself, saying, “My task is done. I have now freed you…I must tell you that it is not customary to admit back to the normal married fold a woman
23 Hiltebeitel, 499. 24 Hiltebeitel, 503-504.
10 who has resided all alone in a stranger’s house…There can be no question of our living together again. I leave you free to go where you please…”25 He believes he cannot take Sītā back because she has lived with another man, and he does not know if she has been faithful to him. Sītā’s purity is essential in this situation because, as a king, it is important that the public knows that he will not take back a woman who has been with another man. A betrayal on Sītā’s part would reflect poorly on Rāma if he were to take back a woman who had not remained faithful to him; the town would disrespect him for doing so. To prove her purity to him, Sītā says that she will jump through a fire; if she has been unfaithful to him, the flames will consume her. However, if she has indeed remained faithful in thoughts and deeds, she will return from the fire unscathed.
She then orders Laksmana to build a fire; she says, “O Agni, great god of fire, be my witness,” and then jumps into the fire.26 She comes out from it unscathed, which demonstrates her purity to
Rāma, who then welcomes her back into his arms.
This situation greatly tests Sītā’s loyalty to her husband. She has spent a year in perilous conditions, held captive by a stranger. Yet, she has somehow managed to make it out alive, all while remaining pure. However, when Rāma finally finds her, he insults her character and orders her away; she must undergo humiliating measures to officially reunite with Rāma. In this instance, Sītā is the perfect embodiment of the pativratā. Despite his cruelty towards her, “she does not say a single sharp word to her husband. Through her dutiful action, she shows that doing her lord’s will is dearer than life for a woman…”27 Sītā always exemplifies unconditional loyalty to Rāma, even when he unjustifiably treats her harshly and she endures extreme hardship; that is the essence of a pativratā, remaining loyal and devoted to a husband in good times and in
25 Narayan, 148. 26 Narayan, 149. 27 Linda Hess, “Rejecting Sita: Indian Responses to the Ideal Man’s Cruel Treatment of His Ideal Wife,” Journal of the American Academy of Religion 67, no. 1 (March 1999): 14.
11 bad. Even when a husband does not reciprocate these qualities to his wife, she is still expected to actively remain loyal and devoted to him, because women are defined in terms of the men in their lives. However, even though women are defined in terms of men, to some extent, men also depend on women. A wife’s behavior affects the reputation of her husband; a seemingly misbehaving wife reflects poorly on her husband, which is why Sītā must prove her purity to all of Ayodhyā in order to be accepted back by Rāma. This relationship between husband and wife is why it is so essential that the ideal Hindu wife acts according to her strīdharma, and expresses all of the qualities of a pativratā; she must remain loyal to her husband even if cruelly treated, and she must sacrifice her own needs and desires for his.
After understanding what defines the ideal Hindu woman, it is clear how Sītā, for thousands of years, has held this title. Sītā exemplifies every quality that the ideal woman and wife are supposed to possess. Every action Sītā takes is because of Rāma, and without him, her life is insignificant. She abandons her luxurious life to live a life of discomfort in the forest, all to be with him. Even when Rāma treats her poorly, Sītā’s loyalty and devotion to him never waver even slightly; she holds him on a pedestal, and exemplifies the label of ‘ideal wife’ always. Just as Sītā exemplifies the ideal woman, the ideal woman herself exemplifies the qualities of Sītā.
The ideal woman and Sītā are not independent entities; they are one of the same. It is not simply that Sītā is considered the ideal woman because she exemplifies these outlined qualities; instead, the qualities that make up the ideal woman stem from Sītā herself, such as the devotion she always has for her husband, as well as her complete self-sacrifice. Sītā is considered to be the ideal woman, but also, the ideal woman is one who embodies the qualities that Sītā possesses.
12 Critiques of the Model Sītā Presents, in Terms of Enforcing Patriarchal Hindu Culture
Despite the fact that Sītā essentially defines the pativratā, it is precisely because of such selfless devotion to Rāma, and the lengths she will go to remain loyal to him, that Sītā and the model she presents have earned her criticism from both western and Hindu feminists. They view
Sītā as subservient, passive, and defined strictly in terms of the men in her life. Sītā submits to
Rāma, and will go to any length to fulfill her duty as pativratā, despite Rāma’s frequent mistreatment of her. In this way, the same qualities that have given Sītā the title of the ideal wife in Hinduism have been reinterpreted in a negative way; instead of devotion, her actions have been understood as complete submission to Rāma’s at times cruel behavior. From the perspective of these feminist critiques, looking up to Sītā is negative for women; Sītā gives little agency to women themselves, and she simply enforces the patriarchal structure found in normative expressions of Hinduism.28
One aspect of Sītā that feminists take issue with is the fact that Rāma often treats Sītā very cruelly, yet she never seems to protest, at least in the Sanskrit Rāmāyaṇa by Vālmīki. Sītā not only allows Rāma to treat her poorly, but she often takes the blame for his cruel actions, and she takes measures, even humiliating ones, to appease him. One example of Rāma’s mistreatment of Sītā and her acceptance of this behavior occurs when Sītā and Rāma are finally reunited after a year apart. During her year in captivity in Rāvaṇa’s home, Sītā endures
“seduction, imprisonment, terror, and threats to her life.”29 However, despite the misfortune and utter terror she endures, she still manages to keep her mind on Rāma, “to whom she bears
28 See for example: “Sītā and Draupadī: Aggressive Behavior and Female Role-Models in the Sanskrit Epics” by Sally J. Sutherland; “Rejecting Sita: Indian Responses to the Ideal Man’s Cruel Treatment of His Ideal Wife” by Linda Hess; and “The Sita Syndrome: Examining the Communicative Aspects of Domestic Violence from a South Asian Perspective” by Archana Pathak Bhatt. These articles have provided helpful information concerning these feminist perspectives of the model Sītā presents. 29 Hess, 5.
13 unwavering devotion.”30 The entire time as a prisoner, Sītā looks to the future to when she will see Rāma again: “every moment’s delay [of reuniting with Rāma] is agony for her.”31 Thus, when she finally reunites with Rāma, Sītā is unpleasantly surprised when he acts so dismissively towards her. Instead of embracing his loyal wife who has endured complete horrors for a year,
Rāma scolds Sītā, and never even acknowledges the perils she has endured. He acts as if it was her idea to be captured by Rāvaṇa, as if it was her fault she lived in the home of another man, and as if she had asked for this unfortunate fate. He speaks cruelly: “I’ll have nothing more to do with you. What man of honor would indulge his passion so far as to take back a woman who has dwelled in the house of another?”32 Rāma unreasonably holds Sītā accountable for being held captive in Rāvaṇa’s home. He believes she is no longer pure after her year away from him, and does not wish to take her back. Rāma’s actions towards Sītā in this instance are harsh and seemingly unjustified. He accuses Sītā of not remaining faithful to him, even though she has exemplified the meaning of devotion to him for the entire year held in captivity.
Despite Rāma’s cruelty towards Sītā, she accepts him without protest, and goes above and beyond to prove her purity to him through humiliating and very public measures. She demands that Laksmana raise a pyre for her, and says that she cannot go on living. In front of the entire town, Sītā says, “If in thought, word, and deed I have never allowed anyone but Rama to enter my heart, then let this fire, which knows everyone’s true state, be cool sandalwood paste to me.”33 She jumps into the pyre, and since Sītā has been completely faithful, she does not burn.
She returns from the fire untouched, and Rāma accepts her again.
30 Hess, 5. 31 Hess, 5. 32 Hess, 5-6. 33 Hess, 10.
14 However, even though she is physically unharmed, Sītā has undergone unimaginable trials for Rāma. She has been subjected to cruel treatment. Her purity has been publicly tested through extreme measures. Sītā has been subjected to inconceivable horrors, such as having to hurl herself on flames, but Rāma never acknowledges her suffering. Instead, he scolds her repeatedly, and wants to send her away for allegedly not remaining chaste, even though his perception is false. However, despite Rāma’s mistreatment of Sītā, she remains with him. Her loyalty shows qualities of a pativratā, yes, but it also shows a wife who is oppressed by her husband, yet does not protest this mistreatment. She accepts this unfortunate fate because for the ideal Hindu wife, husband is god, regardless of his behavior. She must therefore sacrifice her own personal wellbeing to please her husband, which enforces the patriarchy embedded in
Hinduism. Patriarchal ideology says that saubhagya for a woman is marital felicity. However, feminist critique identifies this self-sacrifice as a loss of identity. Two famous Indian feminists,
Kamla Bhasin and Ritu Menon, say that Sītā as a model simply reinforces the idea of “male superiority and female dispensability…[this model] accepts the silent violence against women that rages in practically every home across the country.”34 They believe that looking up to Sītā creates a destructive model for women. It limits women’s personal agencies and encourages them to listen to their husbands at all times, even when their wishes are cruel, as Rāma’s often are. There is even the term “doormat Sītā,” referring to how Rāma often mistreats Sītā, yet she simply accepts it without protest.35
Even after Sītā undergoes the trial by fire to prove her purity to Rāma, he still does not fully accept her. Their happy reunion does not last long before Rāma hears rumors of Sītā’s supposed infidelity from the people of Ayodhyā. With this “secret public suspicion about Sītā’s
34 Heidi Pauwels, The Goddess as a Role Model: Sītā and Rādhā in Scripture and on Screen (New York: Oxford University Press, 2008), 8. 35 Pauwels, 9.
15 living in Rāvaṇa’s country, Rāma got unsettled. His name as an upholder of Dharma was getting tarnished,” since alleged poor conduct of a wife reflects negatively on a husband, especially a king.36 Because of this rumor, the people of Ayodhyā think badly of Rāma, and view him as a king “who had taken back into his house a woman who had lived in the palace of Rāvaṇa.”37
Thus, to appease his people, while “knowing fully well that Sītā was ever-pure, noble, and ever- devoted to him,” Rāma banishes Sītā to the forest, even though she is pregnant with his twin sons.38 Sītā obeys him, as a pativratā should, and she lives in the forest. This instance shows how
Rāma repeatedly disrespects Sītā, yet she accepts it as her fate since he is her husband, and she must look to him as a god, even when he continually acts cruelly towards her.
Years later, after Sītā has given birth in the woods and the twins have grown into young men, Rāma realizes his mistake, so he calls her back to town. Like the pativratā she is, Sītā obliges, and returns to Ayodhyā. Rāma wishes to prove Sītā’s purity to all of Ayodhyā once again in a great assembly “so that he might take her back with the approval of his people.”39
However, this time, instead of once again submitting to a fire ceremony, Sītā realizes that she must rise above this life of suffering once and for all: “She prepared her mind to transcend life…With her great power of chastity she today snatched the power of death to overcome her.”40
She proclaims, “If in truth unto my husband I have proved a faithful wife, Mother Earth! Relieve thy Sītā from the burden of this life!”41 Sītā thus ends her life, and returns to Mother Earth. Rāma
36 Swami, “Sītā: India’s Ideal of Perfected Womanhood,” in Critical Perspectives on the Rāmāyaṇa, ed. Jaydipsinh K. Dodiya (New Delhi: Sarup & Sons, 2001), 255. 37 Dr. K. V. Surendran, “The Travails of Sītā,” in Critical Perspectives on the Rāmāyaṇa, ed. Jaydipsinh K. Dodiya (New Delhi: Sarup & Sons 2001), 273. 38 Swami, 255. 39 Surendran, 274. 40 Swami, 258. 41 Surendran, 274.
16 is left alone, realizing he has once and for all driven away Sītā, his wife filled with only love and devotion for him.
Various feminists have deeply criticized Rāma’s treatment of Sītā in these instances, and
Sītā’s lack of protest against this unwarranted mistreatment. For example, in 1983, a letter headlined with the title “No More Sitas” was published in Manushi: A Journal about Women and
Society concerning the potentially dangerous model Sītā provides. The writer, Saroj Visaria, says,
“The adjectives used to praise us have become oppressive…they have handcuffed us with modesty and chained our feet with loyalty…Now we must refuse to be Sitas. By becoming a Sita and submitting to the fire ordeal, woman loses her identity.”42 Visaria believes it harmful to accept Sītā as the ideal because it justifies the abuse and suffering she endures due to Rāma, and thus, it justifies the injustice that contemporary women also endure. Some feminists even compare Sītā to satī, the widow who enters her husband’s funeral pyre after his death. Two
Indian feminists, Kamla Bhasin and Ritu Menon, say about the idealization of Sītā, “With Sita as our ideal, can sati be far behind?”43 For Bhasin and Menon, viewing Sītā as the ideal is problematic. Placing her on a pedestal for women to emulate can rob them of their own self- identities, and can subject women entirely to men, to the point where they will jump into flames to show their devotion to their husbands, as Sītā herself did. Although she does not submit to flames the second time around, the suffering that Rāma causes her actually drives Sītā to the point of death. Rāma defines her existence, so when Sītā realizes she cannot live with Rāma anymore because of the repeated hardship she endures because of him, she chooses to not live at all anymore. The loss of Sītā’s personal identity and the fact that her existence blurs into Rāma’s
42 Hess, 16. 43 Pauwels, 8.
17 is why Hindu feminists such as Bhasin, Menon, and Visaria find her idealization dangerous to modern women.
Sītā has also been compared to other feminine figures in Hinduism to understand why she in particular is considered the ideal, and how this label can be potentially destructive for women. Clearly, there are many other heroines in Indian epics, but none are set apart from others like Sītā is. An important comparison is between Sītā and Draupadī, the heroine of the other
Hindu epic, the Mahābhārata. Sally Sutherland, respected scholar on epic literature and women’s studies, explores why Sītā is held in such high regard in comparison to Draupadī. For one, Sītā remains passive throughout the Rāmāyaṇa even when Rāma is harsh; she
“maintains…a submissive acquiescence to the whims of her often cruel husband.”44 Not only is
Sītā submissive, but she sometimes even blames herself for the mistreatment she repeatedly endures; she “feels she must suffer these insults—insults which, for some reason unknown to her—she must have deserved.”45 She undergoes hardship, yet believes it, for some reason, must be justified. In this way, she almost defends Rāma’s maltreatment of her, and does not question this fate. Thus, she remains entirely devoted to him, despite his capriciousness. She accepts this mistreatment, even though she has not actually done anything wrong.
In contrast to Sītā, Draupadī is often aggressive and opinionated. Thus, she is not held as the ideal; a woman with an outspoken personality is not normative in Hindu society. Whereas
Sītā never says an ill word about Rāma, Draupadī “rarely is able to pass up an opportunity to complain to her husbands…about her ill-treatment and ill-luck at having such a lot for husbands.”46 She has a strong personality, and fights for better treatment from her husbands.
44 Sutherland, 63. 45 Sutherland, 76. 46 Sutherland, 67.
18 However, despite her seemingly honest and at times aggressive actions, Draupadī herself denies acting in this way, since she recognizes that this behavior is not respected or ideal for Hindu women. She says, “I avoid excessive mirth or excessive vexation and anger and am always,
Satyā, engaged in serving my husbands.”47 Draupadī herself understands that it is preferable for a woman to act in a manner as Sītā does, always composed and subservient, rather than vengeful and aggressive, so she denies acting in these ways to appear more appealing as a Hindu woman.
Yet Draupadī is often assertive; she understands the victimization she endures, and she does not ignore it. Rather, she complains about her mistreatment, and even lashes out at her husbands.
Draupadī’s outspoken and aggressive behavior is part of the reason she is not idealized as the
‘perfect wife.’ She does not act as the ideal woman is expected to act; thus, she is not revered as such. Sītā, on the other hand, is not aggressive towards Rāma; she is faithful no matter how
Rāma acts, which is often cruelly. She understands her role as a normatively ‘good’ wife; thus, she is viewed as such.
The idealization of Sītā because of her submission and devotion to her at times cruel husband can be negative for women, according to these feminist critiques. It can limit women’s freedom, and define them solely based on their husbands. Looking up to Sītā can mean that
“Because Sita always obeyed….Rama’s orders, all wives of Hindustan must do what their husbands tell them to do.”48 The fact that Sītā submits to Rāma, in spite of his mistreatment of her, can create a dangerous cycle of wives believing they must concede to their husbands’ wishes, no matter how cruel they are. In this way, using Sītā as a model can put women in men’s shadows, with no way to get out. In terms of these feminist critiques, because of the idealization
47 Sutherland, 68. 48 Hess, 16.
19 of Sītā, women’s existences are based solely on their husbands, and their own self-identities are lost and forgotten.
What Sītā Can Offer the Contemporary Woman
Clearly, there are different perceptions of Sītā. The normative understanding of Sītā is that she is the ideal wife, and she is widely revered as such in Hindu culture. She embodies the qualities of the pativratā: sublime love for her husband, and loyalty no matter how cruelly he acts towards her. Sītā exists for Rāma, and without him, life is not worth it. However, these same qualities that Sītā possesses that make her the ideal pativratā have earned her criticism from various westerners and Hindu feminists, such as Saroj Visaria, Kamla Bhasin, and Ritu Menon.
They believe she defines the ideal pativratā, but almost to a fault. They believe that looking up to Sītā is destructive because it limits women’s freedom, and subjects them to cruel treatment at the hands of their own husbands, with no way to stand up for themselves in return.
However, whether one chooses to accept or reject Sītā, the fact that she remains such a presence in India, even after thousands of years, suggests that she has much to offer contemporary Hindu women. Sītā’s life is undoubtedly difficult, yet she sticks to her values through and through. She maintains integrity for her entire life, even at her death. She endures countless trials, and endless suffering; yet, despite the recurring suffering she endures, Sītā dies while maintaining her honor, a difficult feat. Today, Sītā is highly revered by the people of India, shown through folk songs, interviews with contemporary people, and other sources. Because of
Sītā’s reverence, women in India are able to find empowerment and inspiration in their own lives.
Many of these women relate to Sītā, in terms of the suffering and unjust treatment that they may undergo due to their husbands. The fact that the goddess Sītā herself endures such hardship
20 offers a strong example for them. Despite the suffering she endures, Sītā lives her life gracefully.
The choices she makes in her life show how she is loyal, devoted, and strong in her own right, despite Rāma’s treatment of her. Through Sītā’s example of living with dignity and selflessness, contemporary Hindu women are able to find self-respect, inspiration, and meaning in their own difficult lives.
First, to understand both Sītā’s reverence and how she affects the lives of contemporary
Hindu women, it is essential to look at interviews with these women; interviews offer a candid look at how she influences those who live in a place where the Rāmāyaṇa remains popular.
Madhu Kishwar, a Hindu activist, performed a study in which she interviewed Hindu women of all different classes, geographic locations, and ages about their feelings concerning Sītā and
Rāma. All of the women express admiration for Sītā, and believe her example to still be relevant to them today. Many say that “the example Sita sets will always remain relevant, even though they themselves may not be able to completely live up to it...they do try to live up to the Sita ideal to the best of their ability while making some adjustments in light of present-day circumstances.”49 Of course, the average contemporary Hindu woman is not a queen who must go live in the forest with her husband, where she will then be captured by an evil demon.
However, that does not mean that Sītā cannot still offer a strong example for contemporary
Hindu women. Despite her goddess status, Sītā is still a relatable figure for them in some ways.
She undergoes experiences that are applicable to modern day women, and in this way, she offers a helpful example for women in their day-to-day lives, which is shown through these various interviews with contemporary Hindu women.
49 Kishwar, 286.
21 From Kishwar’s study, it is clear that Hindu women almost universally recognize the suffering Sītā endures because of Rāma’s mistreatment of her. Not only do they recognize it, but they actively condemn him for it. For example, Abha, a woman in her late twenties from a
Brahmin family says, “Sita is undoubtedly an ideal wife according to the norms of our society….How dare Ram doubt her integrity in the first place…The condition in which he abandoned her, and the way he did it can be no means be called dharma. It was cruel and foolish.”50 Neerja, a college professor, agrees with Abha’s condemnation of Rāma, and holds
Sītā as the ideal woman. Concerning Rāma, she says, “so enamoured was he with the idea of being considered an ideal king that he did not even treat his wife with elementary consideration.”51 She describes Sītā as “a wife who was completely devoted to him, had surrendered herself so totally to him, and who was altogether flawless.”52 These Hindu women view Sītā as the perfect woman altogether because of the constant devotion she has for Rāma and the fact that she never wavers in her loyalty for him; she exemplifies self-sacrifice, and is revered by these women because of it. Because of them viewing Sītā as the ideal woman, they condemn
Rāma that much more for his mistreatment of her. Their condemnation of Rāma is significant because it relates to their own lives. Sītā is expected to act according to Rāma’s orders, even if they are cruel. Likewise, many contemporary Hindu women are held to this same standard.
Rāma’s condemnation and Sītā’s reverence can offer contemporary women hope for their own futures. If husbands mistreat their wives, perhaps they will also be condemned in the same way as Rāma. Likewise, contemporary Hindu wives’ sacrifices for their own husbands have the potential to be deeply admired as Sītā’s so clearly are.
50 Kishwar, 287. 51 Kishwar, 288. 52 Kishwar, 288.
22 These contemporary Hindu women have been able to use Sītā as a model for how to act in their own marriages. Neerja says she has a far from ideal marriage, with an unreasonable husband that “acts like a boss even at home.”53 However, outsiders believe her marriage to be a positive one; she says, “I feel happy that I have been able to maintain such a good façade. After all, social respect is very important for one’s survival.”54 She uses Sītā’s example, and understands that admiration from the community is essential, just as Sītā understands this concept when she undergoes a fire ceremony to prove her purity. Neerja also says that she will never lower herself to her husband’s level when fighting: “Sometimes he uses foul and abusive language…I will not stoop down to his level, not retaliate in the same demeaning way.”55 When her husband treats her cruelly, she channels Sītā’s example. She acts respectfully to him and shows loyalty; she does not act maliciously in return, even though that would be the easier option.
Sītā’s appeal even seems to transcend religious barriers. In addition to Hindu women, many Muslim women have cited Sītā as an example of the ideal woman. When asked about her notion of the ideal wife, Razia, a Muslim widow in her mid-forties, says, “Sita undoubtedly comes to mind first of all. She made it her aim to live for Ram and his children. She sacrificed her all for him.”56 Razia says that she has done exactly the same in her own life. Even after her husband’s death, she has remained devoted to him. She says that her husband was perfect, but that even if he were not such an ideal husband, she still would have acted in the same manner, because that is the duty of a good wife, to sacrifice her own needs for those of her husband. She says, “Even if I had not been lucky enough to marry such a good man, I still would have done the
53 Kishwar, 289. 54 Kishwar, 289. 55 Kishwar, 290. 56 Kishwar, 291.
23 same.”57 Razia uses Sītā as an example here; she believes that perfect wifely devotion is essential, even when the husband himself may not be perfect, such as Rāma. Despite the character of the husband, she believes it is the duty of a pativratā to remain devoted to him always, and sacrifice her own needs for his, just as Sītā does for Rāma.
From these interviews, it is clear that these contemporary Hindu women view Sītā as the perfect wife and woman because of her loyalty and devotion to Rāma, as well as her complete self-sacrifice for him. This self-sacrificing Sītā is the ideological ideal; she is glorified for sacrificing herself gracefully, in spite of Rāma’s cruel treatment of her. It is clear that many contemporary Hindu women strive to emulate Sītā in their own lives, often sacrificing their own needs in order to please their husbands, as pativratās are expected to do. The fact that Sītā sacrifices herself completely for Rāma, and today is highly revered and admired because of this selflessness, gives contemporary Hindu women hope for their own lives. Perhaps, like Sītā, they too will be admired for their self-sacrificing natures. For these women, emulating Sītā’s sense of self-sacrifice and living with devotion for their husbands can offer meaning and inspiration in their own difficult lives. If the goddess Sītā herself suffers at the hands of her husband, but still embodies dignity and thus, power, then women identifying with this suffering can feel dignified and respected through Sītā’s example.
In addition to interviews with contemporary Hindu women, various folk songs in India express Sītā’s reverence, as well as the condemnation of Rāma. These songs are especially prominent in Mithila, the parental homeland of Sītā. In Mithila, everyone views Sītā as their own daughter; thus, the suffering and injustice she faces throughout her life is especially difficult for them to fathom. Some folk songs in Mithila “depict women of different strata pleading with their
57 Kishwar, 291.
24 respective husbands to go and fetch her after Ram sends her away. However, Sita in her pride and dignity refuses to return and brings up her two sons all on her own.”58 These songs address the hardship Sītā endures because of Rāma’s mistreatment of her. Sītā sacrifices herself for
Rāma, to the point where she is exiled to the forest to raise her twin sons alone. However, she makes the most of this suffering, and moves forward from it. This is a positive example for modern day Hindu women. When exercising complete self-sacrifice, as Sītā does, suffering is almost unavoidable. However, for contemporary women, it is helpful at least to have the example of Sītā to look up to in order to understand how to face suffering, which is moving forward, remaining strong, and sticking to one’s values.
Also in Mithila, Sītā is the subject of many marriage songs, as she is seen as the wife to emulate. In these songs, people of Mithila repeatedly recite Sītā’s name, but Rāma’s name is typically omitted, expressing their aversion for the way he acted as a husband to Sītā. One popular marriage song in Mithila depicts a daughter discussing with her father qualities she wishes to find in her husband, and it is clear that she has no interest in finding a husband similar to Rāma. The daughter says to her father, “Go search in the north, go south, or get me a groom from the east. But don’t go westward.”59 Rāma is from Ayodhyā, which is west of Mithila. Not only does the daughter in this particular song want to avoid a husband like Rāma, but actually, in all of Mithila, families try to avoid marrying their daughters into families west of Mithila. They even avoid marrying their daughters off during the month of Marg-Shish, because that is the month Sītā was married in, and they do not want their daughters to be subjected to the same fate as Sītā, in terms Rāma’s mistreatment of her.60 In Mithila, Sītā has a much higher status than
58 Kishwar, 296. 59 Kishwar, 296. 60 Kishwar, 296.
25 Rāma; songs depict him as inferior and unworthy of her. His mistreatment is considered unacceptable, and it is deeply criticized. Contemporary women can find inspiration through these folk songs. Sītā’s self-sacrifice for Rāma is glorified, and Rāma’s mistreatment of her is criticized. For contemporary women who may face hardship due to their husbands, Sītā’s reverence shown through folk songs offers them hope that, in the future, they too will be respected for their sacrifices, and the cruel treatment by their husbands will also be condemned.
Outside the region of Mithila, there are other folk songs concerning Sītā as well, especially about the suffering she endures. One song depicts Sītā’s suffering once Rāma abandons her in the forest. She wonders what will happen concerning the birth of her sons, and who will take care of her: “Her eyes streaming with tears. Who’d make a fire for me? Who’d make the bed for me in the birthing room?”61 Despite this hardship she endures due to Rāma, she remains strong. At the end of the song, Rāma sends for Sītā once he recognizes his mistake in ever questioning her character. However, she says, “I’m not going with you. I’m going to live for my sons. May they live for a long time.”62 She rejects Rāma’s wishes to accompany him, because he has caused her too much hardship. This song highlights Rāma’s unjust treatment of
Sītā, and her vulnerability when she is abandoned. However, more importantly, it highlights the strength she possesses despite the pain she experiences. When faced with inevitable hardship, she accepts it gracefully, and moves forward. How she faces suffering caused by Rāma offers an inspiring example for contemporary women dealing with hardship. Yes, it is obviously difficult to be faced with pain, but by channeling Sītā’s example, contemporary women are able to find strength and grace in facing their own suffering.
61 Usha Nilsson, “‘Grinding Millet But Singing of Sita:’ Power and Domination in Awadhi and Bhojpuri Women’s Songs,” in Questioning Rāmāyaṇas: A South Asian Tradition, ed. Paula Richman (Los Angeles: University of California Press 2001), 150. 62 Nilsson, 152.
26 Another song, “Sita Enters the Fire,” by Gudipati Venkata Chalam, portrays the moment when Sītā and Rāma are reunited after Rāvaṇa’s death, and the suffering Sītā undergoes due to
Rāma’s rejection of her. In the song, Sītā expresses her love for Rāma upon reuniting: “Oh,
Rama! After all that you’ve sacrificed for my sake, you must be dying to feel my love. You must have been so worried about me and everything I’ve suffered through…I’ve been praying constantly for this moment, this blessed moment, when I would turn and see you again.”63 Sītā is devoted and loving towards Rāma, but Rāma is cruel in return. He says, “You were touched by another. You are impure…You are no longer fit to be the queen of this great empire.”64 He shames her for being abducted, as if it was her own fault. However, instead of simply taking his unwarranted criticism, Sītā talks strongly back to him in this contemporary song: “Of course, you want to be renowned as a perfect king, dazzling future generations with your deeds. But just remember, you will also be a role model for all the men who treat their wives like dirt and throw them out.”65 She insults Rāma’s character here, and then goes on to defend her own character, by explaining how she has never been anything but a faithful pativratā. She says, “So this is the respect a devoted wife, a pativratā, gets in this world…Shall I confess to wrongs I did not commit, and be expected to atone for all of them, accepting shame with a bowed head for anything and everything?”66
This song offers a different perception of Sītā. She does not simply accept Rāma’s treatment of her; rather, she renounces him for his harsh rejection of her since she has done absolutely nothing to deserve such mistreatment. However, even though she speaks strongly, she is still fairly respectful of him. She does not stoop to his level and say horrible things, or insult
63 Paula Richman, Ramayana Stories in Modern South India: An Anthology (Indianapolis, IN: Indiana University Press, 2008), 59. 64 Richman, 59. 65 Richman, 61. 66 Richman, 61.
27 his character as he did to her. She stands up for herself, while holding true to her values. This song depicts Sītā as a more forceful figure than her typical portrayal. Although it offers a different perspective, it is still relevant for contemporary women. It shows how Rāma’s mistreatment of Sītā is condemned, to the point where Sītā in the song renounces him. This song offers a middle approach for the modern day pativratā. If a husband unwarrantedly treats a wife poorly, she can stick up for herself respectfully, while still maintaining the core values of a pativratā, such as loyalty and devotion, which Sītā in this song clearly expresses that she possesses.
From these folk songs and interviews, it is clear how many different types of people revere Sītā throughout India. Through this reverence, Sītā has been able to provide a model for contemporary Hindu women dealing with difficult situations. One example of how she provides a helpful model is how she reacts when Rāvaṇa kidnaps her, as it is “a very real experience in ordinary women’s lives: being propositioned by an unwanted man and finding oneself in a situation where one is powerless.”67 Through Sītā’s example, women can find inspiration for how to deal with this threatening situation, while maintaining the values of a pativratā. When
Rāvaṇa abducts her, Sītā remains strong, despite the danger of the situation. She does not give in to Rāvaṇa’s demands, even though he is insistent with them. Sītā never uses violence against
Rāvaṇa; instead, she uses only her powerful words. She says to Rāvaṇa, “I, the lawful wife of a lawful man, firm in my vow, cannot be touched by a sinner, o vile demon,” showing him that what he wants from her is impossible, since she is the devoted wife of Rāma and will not allow another man to touch her.68 Even when enduring such hardship, Sītā remains devoted to Rāma;
67 Pauwels, 380. 68 Pauwels, 405.
28 she understands that she exists for him, and even amidst suffering, she must remain strong for him.
Also, the fact that Sītā remains unharmed while staying with Rāvaṇa is relevant for contemporary Hindu women. Many scholars have discussed the question of why Rāvaṇa does not rape Sītā, even though he holds her captive for a full year. The typical rationalization of how
Sītā escapes rape is that she is so pure, that Rāvaṇa literally cannot touch her; she is “protected by her own virtue.”69 Sītā even says she herself is capable of destroying Rāvaṇa, but Rāma has not given her permission to do so, so she does not, showing how Sītā exemplifies the pativratā even when held captive. She says to Rāvaṇa, “I won’t turn you to ashes by my burning glow, o ten-headed beast…because I did not get Rāma’s permission, and so as not to deplete my asceticism.”70 Another view of how she escapes rape comes from Hindi film director, Ramanand
Sagar, who created the televised Rāmāyaṇa. In Sagar’s version, when Rāvaṇa approaches Sītā, she lifts a blade of grass in front of her, and warns him not to cross that boundary. She says that the blade of grass is not simply grass: “it is the flaming arrow of a true woman’s virtue and truth…A screen of grass is sufficient to shield a loyal woman from a strange man.”71 Thus, Sītā is protected by her own loyalty to Rāma. Even a demon like Rāvaṇa cannot perpetrate a crime against a woman with such virtue as Sītā. Clearly, if the average contemporary woman were to try to fight off an unwanted man with a simple blade of grass, she would be unsuccessful.
However, Sītā’s blade of grass represents more than just grass; it represents the purity and loyalty that women are expected to maintain at all times, even in perilous situations, as Sītā does.
Despite the suffering Sītā endures, she remains entirely devoted and loyal to Rāma, and
69 Pauwels, 408. 70 Pauwels, 408. 71 Pauwels, 409.
29 understands that she exists for Rāma, so she cannot stray from him. These traits of loyalty and devotion are idealized here, and they supposedly allow her to leave Rāvaṇa’s home unharmed, which offers a positive example for the contemporary women who, like Sītā, live expressing loyalty and devotion for their husbands.
Because of Sītā’s avoidance of Rāvaṇa’s advances, Mahatma Gandhi singled her out as a successful example of non-violent resistance. Gandhi said that “the real strength of a woman was her ‘purity’ and ‘fearlessness.’ This ‘dazzling purity’ could disarm even the most beastly of men.”72 Gandhi believed that Rāvaṇa was no match for Sītā, and he could not have harmed her:
“even the great physical might of Ravana dwindled when pitched against Sita’s moral courage; he dared not to touch her against her will even while she was held captive by him in his own palace.”73 Gandhi idealized Sītā’s purity and loyalty to Rāma, believing it gave her enough strength and power to remain unscathed at the hands of Rāvaṇa. He stressed the importance of women exercising morality, as Sītā does. His view of Sītā offers contemporary women a positive example for how to face suffering, and the importance of sticking to values even in perilous situations. Also, the fact that someone as highly regarded as Gandhi endorsed Sītā, and honored her devotion and loyalty to Rāma, offers contemporary women a sense of empowerment and meaning in their own lives. Sītā is someone that contemporary women can relate to in some ways; by Gandhi revering her so highly, it offers them inspiration in their own lives.
Even when it comes to the people who have caused Sītā much suffering for an entire year, she is forgiving. During her time in Rāvaṇa’s custody, his guards caused her a lot of trouble.
After Rāma kills Rāvaṇa, Hanumān asks Sītā what kind of punishment he should inflict on them.
Instead of being vengeful, Sītā remains large-hearted and merciful. She says, “Do not punish any
72 Kishwar, 298. 73 Kishwar, 298.
30 of them. They were paid employees carrying out their master’s orders to secure their maintenance.”74 Sītā could have taken an easy revenge on these people, and had them killed for all they had done to her. However, she understands that they were simply following instructions, and they would have been punished if they had done otherwise. In this instance, when Sītā shows sympathy for the servants who have harmed her, perhaps she feels solidarity with them. Just as the servants have to obey Rāvaṇa’s orders, Sītā also has to obey Rāma. Both Sītā and the servants have limited control in regards to the decisions they make; instead, they make decisions based on their respective masters, and how to appease them. This instance is relevant for the contemporary Hindu women, who, like the servants and Sītā, often must obey the men in their lives in order to be seen as ‘good women.’ Despite the suffering these men cause them, they still are expected to live with fidelity and devotion to them.
The way Sītā deals with sorrow, how she accepts it gracefully while showing strength, has played a large role in the women’s empowerment movement. Besides Gandhi, many others have found Sītā’s example of how to react when faced with suffering inspiring. Rather than focusing solely on Sītā’s self-immolation, as had been done previously, some female activists have called for a reassessment of Sītā’s empowering characteristics. She does not succumb to suffering; she deals with it elegantly, which has proved to be an example for women: “Sita has lent dignity, even glamour, to suffering. When there is no escape from suffering, one prefers to accept it with grace. Sita helps one do just that. She is a victim who suffers in grandeur, without being vengeful.”75 Hindu activist Madhu Kishwar has even said that Sītā’s perfection in dealing with suffering shames Rāma; Sītā’s story is “a reminder that men need to be seriously reformed
74 Parmar, 190. 75 Pauwels, 514.
31 in order to become worthy of Sītā.”76 In this way, contemporary women are able to look to Sītā for a source of strength, as an example of someone who has endured misery and pain, yet has held true to her values, and is today a revered figure for everyone in India today.
Conclusion
After analyzing Sītā, it is clear that she is a multifaceted character, and can be interpreted variously. In one way, she has been widely viewed as the ideal wife and woman in Hinduism.
She exemplifies all the qualities of a pativratā and always follows her strīdharma. She is always devoted to Rāma, even when he mistreats her. She exists for him, and life without him is simply not worth living. However, these same qualities that have earned her the title of the ideal woman have also earned her criticism from various Hindu and western feminists. As an obedient and often submissive wife, Sītā accepts her mistreatment without much protest, even blaming herself for the suffering she endures. In these ways, various feminists, such as Saroj Visaria, Kamla
Bhasin and Ritu Menon find the idealization of Sītā to be a negative model for contemporary women, because it can subject them to unjustified mistreatment by the various men in their lives.
However, despite these varying views of Sītā, it is clear that she is still highly revered throughout India by women of all different ages, regions, classes, and even religions, shown through interviews with contemporary Hindu women and in regional folk songs. Through her reverence, it is safe to say that Sītā has much to offer contemporary Hindu women who admire her wholeheartedly. Sītā is a relatable figure for them in some ways. She lives her entire life with devotion and loyalty to Rāma; she sacrifices her whole self for him, despite the suffering that he repeatedly causes her. For the contemporary women that are also subjected to suffering and
76 Pauwels, 514.
32 unjust treatment at the hands of their own husbands, Sītā is an inspiring example, someone who gives meaning to their own lives as they follow her example of living with devotion and fidelity.
If the revered goddess Sītā can endure such suffering and sorrow throughout her life, yet maintain her values and leave the world with dignity, perhaps the contemporary Hindu woman can as well.
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