Amba-The Victim of Patriarchy

AMBA-THE VICTIM OF PATRIARCHY

Mahabahartha is a saga of victimization of women rather than the saga of heroism and velour. Its consider to be a great epic that reflects the epitome of culture and grandeur. This tale has en number of characters that depict various kinds of exploitations and humiliation which constantly makes the reader think on the existing paradigms of the society. The society has claimed itself to be the followers of the great culture. I keep wondering about women being the cultural queen of this country when she is being constantly and continuously harassed. In this essay, I have tried to analysis the character of Amba: The princess of Kasi and the victimization that she goes through in the name of patriarchy, being the princess she had to undergo a lot of subjugation. I wonder the status of the ordinary women and amount of ill-treatment that they might have gone through this period. The first instance that depict injustice and torture is the scene of swayamvara were in the bride has all the right to choose her groom but we have the great Bhishma intervening and declaring the fact that he is going to abduct all the three princess of Kashi for his brothers Vichitravirya and Chitraviraya who were at hastnipura and not even present at swayamvara which created a great furore amongst the assembled kings as the kings challenged bhishma threw the war open to the kings and asked them win the war and accept their brides. During the whole process Amba was never asked to what she is willing to do and whom she is willing to marry. Her father and her lover: The king Shalva both of them failed to protect the dignity of the ladies and never asked them their choice neither did bhishma asked the ladies their choice and willingness to marry his brothers. Instead he abducted all the three princess and attacked the other kings and brought the three princesses to hastnipura. As all the three princess are asked to get ready for their wedding with Vichitravirya and Chitraviraya Amba denies to marry them as she is in love with king Shalva and without her permission and wish she was abducted to hastnipura. She questioned the credibility of bhishma and is values and discloses the fact that she wants to marry king Shalva and request bhishma to send her safely back to her beloved to which there is a great disagreement by the members of the court she tolerates all the brunt and sticks to the point that she wouldn’t marry anybody other than her beloved. This indicates the strong willpower of the lady but all her dreams are shattered when king Shalva questioned her virginity after all the struggle that she takes for him for the second time she is being humiliated and victimized by the male dominated society. Disheartened Amba wanting for grace comes back to bhishma and tells him that he is responsible for her disgrace and he had spoiled all her life and hence he have to marry her and give back her dignity in the society they lived for which she is denied which once again increases Amba ‘s wrath . All the three instances highlight the fact that women had no identity and dignity in the so called great tradition and culture. Amba decides to avenge Bhishma for all her miseries and shattering all her dreams without her consent. Hence she declares that she would be the main reason for Bhishma’s death. Amba goes in seek of help so that bhishma could be defeated and destroyed by the stronger one but everybody denies to help the lady as she was the weaker one and had no power when compared to bhishma and nobody wanted to go against bhishma and accept his rivalry and his wrath has he was the reknowned prince who have set a lot of trends and ritual for the common people of the society. This also reflects the fact that women and her existence was never consider worth fighting for….. Parsuraman being the guru of Bhishma wages a war against Bhishma for twenty four days in favor of Amba but the war futile and the great guru tries to convinces Amba to accept her life has the fruit of her pervious life karma which becomes even more humiliating for Amba has she craving for justice and feels that she is being disgraced for no mistake of her in this life. She keeps pondering has to why she has been bestowed to such ill treatment and in justice and decides to fetch justice for herself and get involved into a deep penance with no food and water for more than six months for which she is blessed by lord Shiva that she can kill Bhishma by being born has a man in her next life. The above paragraph makes me think that the male dominated society never appreciated a women standing for her dignity and self-respect and they always consider that her life is not worth living but its only worth being a slave to have man in this male dominated society. As a women she tried seeking justice from her father, from her lover, and the righteous Bhishma, and the teacher, and finally from the god but unfortunately she seeked justice from the male gender and she denied justice in the current life. It is very ironical that god gives her a boon of justice in her next life when she is born has a son to king drupada, which once again signifies the fact that the man only can defeat a man a women has nothing to say in it. The blessing that is being given to her his no less than a curse because she has to wait for justice till the next life and finally Amba decide to jump into the funeral pyre which is nothing but suicide hence it is clear that Amba was a clear cut victim of male dominated society and till the end of her life she doesn’t get justice. Amba can be compared to Sita in the last stage of her life has both of them had to go through the dominance of the society All human life ends in frustration was the Mahabharata written to drive home this lesson? While reading Mahabharata we can see that everyone knows their end. Stories like Mahabharata give much more food for thought.

JETIR1810030 Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR) www.jetir.org 133

Though the description and story of Amba appears to be limited, in the context of Amba’s story, one can see the shades, positive and a negative aspect in her character. Few incidents related to her explore her as an honest person and few instances as an angry women and revenge taker. Women always had to earn their freedom on earth. Right from the ancient times. Courage does not roar always, sometimes it the quiet voice and turn out to be who you are. Considering what Bhishma did was immoral, Amba appeared for justice before him. One can say that how bold she was and when it is a matter of justice she didn’t step back. An attitude gives you power over your circumstances. Though Amba approached various kings for help to defeat Bhishma but none were ready to help knowing Bhishma’s potential. But still Amba did not give up and fought for justice. Finally Amba couldn’t get justice from any of the men mortal and immortal in her life hence she is an appropriate example of victimization and patriarchy

JETIR1810030 Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR) www.jetir.org 134