AEGAEUM JOURNAL ISSN NO: 0776-3808

Urmila: The depiction of sacrifices of less known character of D R1 Dr. PREMALATHA. S2 Research Scholar Assistant Professor REVA University, REVA University, Bangalore. Bangalore. [email protected] [email protected] Ph.no-9986902244 Ph.no-8123730963

Abstract: The Ramayana and are two major epics. The characters of Ram, and Lakshman are very popular among people but ’s character is not highlighted though she sacrificed her whole life for the sake of family. She is known as Sita’s sister or Lakshman’s wife, she didn’t get any special treatment in even though she is a real princess of Mithila because her parents treated their adopted sister Sita and Urmila in the same way. Sita was very fortunate to have complete attention of her parents but Urmila never felt jealous or hatred with Sita. She loved her unconditionally. In the time of Exile Sita and Lakshman accompanied Ram to the forest but Urmila spent longest fourteen years in the absence of her husband in the doomed palace. She is very courageous and strong, she had taken a responsibility of family management when it needed her the most but her sacrifices and pain is never stressed anywhere in Ramayana. Urmila was a strong pillar in the palace, she used to convince and comfort her family members as they were very sad due to the exile of Ram. She has assisted her brother-in-law in administration as she is very intelligent and brave. She didn’t leave anyone if she finds something is bad and unethical. She has argued with even great sages when they didn’t consider women and their life as they were believed in their own rituals and practices.

Keywords: Urmila, Sacrifice, Boldness and pain.

Kavita Kane has highlighted Urmila’s character and provided voice to the unheard character. In early , Urmila didn’t get any major role but Kavita Kane tried to look at the Ramayana with the eyes of Urmila. It is the narration of Mahabharata in the perception of Urmila. She has played many roles, daughter, sister, wife and daughter-in-law, she was able to

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manage all the roles so easily. In Sita’s swayamwar, Ravan spoke vicious words as he was failed to succeed in Swayamwar but Urmila got outraged and irritated “She looked squarely up at him, her eyes sparkling with unsuppressed fury and loathing.” (Kane: 23)

Urmila has got many dimensions of woman, she is a scholar, an artist and also pivot holding everyone together. Her painting habit helped her to forget all her pain and sufferings. She did not stop her husband when he was ready to go to the forest in exile for 14 years. She thought that she may distract them in order to perform their duties and responsibilities moreover she didn’t want her to be a burden for her husband in the thick forest. Marriage didn’t hold much interest for Urmila but it’s a social custom she has to follow, more than she wants to seek for a suitor she wanted to seek for knowledge like her father who was well versed with all shastras and being called as Rajasri. She got married to Lakshman as she was in madly love with him though he loved her very much he was reluctant marry her because he didn’t want any disturbance in serving his brother Ram, as he considers Ram to be his God so as a husband he cannot perform his duty his wife so initially he was not ready to marry Urmila, later he got married since he didn’t ignore the fact that he too was in love with Urmila. Lakshman said,

“My marriage would be a lie, though an alluring one! She heard Lakshman say. It’s best if I don’t marry. I am saving everyone from heartache, don’t you understand, brother? ‘Tell her then she might understand, Ram sounded unconvinced. ‘How I supposed to tell her I cannot marry her?” there was a frustration in his voice. (Kane: 62).

In other versions of Ramayana Urmila character as portrayed as passive one. Where she is famous for her sleep and long bath. She used to take hours together to complete her bath. She was not given any prominence but in Kane’s narration she is the most active character she is a scholar, painter and a good administrator. She was very rude to , who was the ultimate reason of trio’s exile. She has shouted at her, “I don’t waste time ding idle talk with subordinates”. (Kane: 200). She orders, Mantara to be kept in darkest and smallest prison for fourteen years.

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For a woman, after her marriage, her husband will become her world, but for Urmila, her world shattered the moment she heard the news of her husband’s exile. At least for Sita, Ram was with her but Urmila spent longest and painful years without her husband, she lived the life of unmarried woman even though she is married, soon after the marriage it was very painful for her to spend fourteen years in the absence of her husband but she stood strong and managed to convince her family members and also she assisted Shatrugna in affairs of administration. She says,

“We are emotionally vulnerable right now but let us not unprepared for war. Keep the army ready. And it’s just a matter of another day or two”. (Kane: 180).

Urmila is a born fighter, she argues, questions even with the great sages if she finds something unethical, she argues with pandits in favor of in Ram’s hut in the forest, when Bharat decided to go to forest leaving Mandavi in the palace. The separation and pain of exile are same for both Urmila and Mandavi. Urmila has accepted the condition what destiny has bestowed upon her but Mandavi, it was not easy to digest and she had gone through many bitter situations. Being a queen and as Lakshman’s wife she has never expected Lakshman to be a king so that she can enjoy the power as Madavi expected Bharat to be a king and she can be a main queen so that she can get all the honors, when this didn’t happen she was devastated and lost hopes. Out of four sisters, she loved her sisters very much. Urmila is mentally very strong and matured lady she convinces and consoles them if they have any problem as a motherly figure. Sita is very gentle, good and soft hearted even being the elder sister she always listened and obeyed Urmila’s words.

“Sita, please I have a request. Don’t ever discuss me with Lakshman, don’t do anything that would remind him of me” said Urmila. (Kane: 153)

She has stood in favor of Sita when their in-laws wanted Ram to remarry, she questions them how can they replace Sita with other woman as if she some kind of a trophy. She also questioned Ram when he asked his wife to go through the chastity test. She taunted him for performing his duty as a king and not as a husband. She was raged because Sita had to go through the series of

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problems. She pleads Lakshman to take her with him to the forest, but Lakshman was deaf he didn’t listen to her so he blamed her husband very badly for not fulfilling his duties as a husband towards his wife. She confronted Lakshman with many questions. She was very much angered and irritated as she was unable to digest the truth that her husband will be no longer with her as he was decided to go to forest with her brother Ram.

“I knew you would refuse me, again, she said flatly. That is what your love is- hurtful and rejecting. You don’t love at all, Lakshman, you cannot love! You were right- you should have never married. You never id love me; even our marriage was forced upon you.” (Kane: 146)

For Urmila, it was very difficult when her two close buddies went for exile to the forest as she was too close to them. Sita was her soul sister and Lakshman was her soulmate. She had to leave them for fourteen years it was a biggest sacrifice of her life. Urmila angrily questions dharma of a husband towards his wife and duty of a son towords his mother when Bharat has decided to spend fourteen years in Nandigram. Urmila has always respected the relationship between Ram and Lakshman as they are inseparable and Lakshman had immense love with Ram.

“Urmila understood, their close bond was characterised by an unusual rationality based on mutual comprehension, discernment and empathy. She had learnt to accept that Lakshman was Ram’s eternal companion, his alter ego, but watching the two brothers, it became visible to both sita and her that Ram couldn’t do without Lakshman either. Lakshman seemed to be an extension to Ram-his brother, fellow, friend and confidant. Ram trusted and loved Lakshman the most, even more than Sita, urmila sometimes suspected. Like her Sita knew this and accepted it with dignified grace” (Kane: 126).

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She suffered throughout her life in spite of being the daughter-in-law of Raghu dynasty. She also tried to repair the relationships between the wives of Dashrath. Lakshman asks Urmila, “O Urmila will the world ever know of your inner suffering, your divine sacrifice?” (Kane: 158). Urmila asks Nidra, the Goddess of sleep to take away sleep from Lakshman so that he can take good care of Ram and Sita in the forest, so she would sleep behalf of him for the period of fourteen years, this is one of her great sacrifices. Being a biological daughter of ,, Urmila should be entitled as Janaki (Janaka’s daughter) and Maithili ( Princess of Mithila) but Sita has got both the titles but Urmila never felt bad about it. She respected her sister throughout the life.

Conclusion:

Kavita Kane has showcased the character of Urmila in a positive way, through her character she asked many relevant and contemporary questions against patriarchy. Her strong and bold character bind her family members together, her sacrifices are unforgettable. Kavita Kane actively portrayed the character of Urmila unlike other versions of Ramayana. Her quest for knowledge made her a great personality and intellectual. Urmila’s whole life is about sacrifices, in her childhood, she has sacrificed many things to her sister Sita, after marriage, she has to live without her husband for fourteen years. She was the only one who has taken the proper decision when Ram and Lakshman were in exile in order to control the problems in the palace. She has stood as strong, bold and loving person in the family.

References:

Kane, Kavita, Sita’s Sister, www. Rupa publications.com

G. Beena, Giving a Face to a Name – Urmila’s Identity Quest in Kavita Kane’s Sita’s Sister, Vol-II Issue-VI November – 2015.

Badrinath, Prakruthi, Hearing the Unheard: A Study of 'Sita's Sister'.

Mohanty Ayutha, Das, Puspita. "Urmila's Feminist Stance Against patriarchy In Sita's Sister."

International Journal of Advanced Research. Web. Vol.4, Issue 10, (2016): 1621-1623. Web. 22 Nov.2017.

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Rama , Dr. S, Marking a Muffled Murmur in Mythology: A Feministic Approach to Kané’s Sita’s Sister, Language in www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 18:2 February 2018.

Mohan, R. Lavanya, Giving Voice To The Voiceless: A Clash Of Dominant And Divergent Idea In Sita’s Sister And Menaka’s Choice By Kavitha Kane, Quest Journals Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Science Volume 6 ~ Issue 12 (2018)pp.:06-09 ISSN (Online):2321-9467

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