Name= Tanya
Course= History hons
Roll no= 220791
Sem= 4
[Link] a short account of the and its aftermath from Sita's perspective
Just as the Rama myth has been exploited by the patriarchal Brahminical system to construct an
ideal Hindu male, Sita too has been built up as an ideal Hindu female to help serve the
[Link] there are always alternative ways of using a myth. If patriarchy has used the Sita
myth to silence women, the village women have picked up the Sita myth to give themselves a
voice”.Nowday’s several women writer’s reinterpret Ramayan from feminist lense. Several
books like ‘forest Enchantements’, ‘sitayan’,’sita warrior of Mithila ‘ and many more have been
pulished by keeping in mind sita’s perspective of the [Link] of this book keep sita as the
main protagonist and presents Ramayan from a total different perspective.
Chitra Banarjee Divakaruni turns the ramayan around by telling it in the voice of [Link] story
begins when Valmiki handed the ramayan to Sita for review and further addition. Sita said that
the Ramayan was good but she didn’t kept anger away from her voice and finally ask
“ what occurred when I was alone in th darkness, under the sorrow tree,you don’t know , you
don’t know my depair… it must have been a god that bought it to you,then and not a goddess.”
The very first lines of the novel describe the less of importance given to sita’s story. The story
always talk about the velour and heroism of Ram rather than the grievance and individuality of
sita. Chitra Divakaruni brings a dramatic effect to this retelling of “Sitayan” through the
following lines:
“ I took a deep breath and touched the first palm leaf to my forehead, invoking Saraswati,
goddess of creativity serene on her white swan, though a part of me wondered what she could
know of my very human tribulations. I unplugged the inkpot and was startled to see the colour
the sage had chosen for me. Red. But of course. How else could I write my story except in the
colour of menstruation and childbirth, the colour of marriage mark that changes women’s lives,
the colour of the flowers of the Ashoka tree under which I had spent my years of captivity”
Sita here highlights the difficulties the women faced throughout his life often neglect by the
society. She also mentions the marriage rules prescribed by the society. She don’t wat to arry
soon and further there was difficulties I finding a perfect parter for her so she insist Urmila’s
marriage before her but her idea was rejectecd. Further she mentions that women were not
allowed to learn martial art but her mother secretly trained her for [Link] Beauvoir’s
concept of “one is not born a woman but becomes one” was very well portrayed I the
[Link] to Beauvoir gender difference is a social category rather than a merely
biological one and the women are socially conditioned, trained and prescribed to assume the
carved role of woman. In Valmiki’s Ramayana the character of Sita has been presented as an
ideal female who serves as an ideal beloved, wife, daughter-in-law and mother. She has been
chiselled by Valmiki as a harmonious embodiment of beauty, with tenderness of heart,
abundance of compassion, fidelity, wisdom of the truest type, courage of heart, and endurance,
that served her well in constantly surrendering her rights and interests as defined by her value
system.
She was abducted by Ravana after his sister was insulted by Ram and Lakshman but it was her
inner strength that enables her to protect her own self from Ravan. She was waiting for Ram to
rescue her and she kept the hope alive until victory. She was badly toutoured by Ravan’s
servants and his wifes with no one to ask for help. But she throughout remain one of the
strongest female character resisting Ravan. But after the war gets over as rumors and whispers
clouded her reputation, she found herself cast into the crucible of suspicion and doubt. Despite
her munwavering loyalty and purity of heart, she was forced to undergo a trial by fire to prove
her innocence and purity.
After returning to Ayodhya because of suspense of people there Ram abandoned her when she
was pregnant. She raises her kids alone in the forest with help of Rishi Valmiki . She also trained
them in kshatriya war tactics depicts her individuality and courage. Many authors and later
interpretations try to justify Ram’s action by giving various examples. Nabaneeta Dev Sen
mentions that during doing this interpretations many local folklores regarding sita had eeen
removed from the mainstream.
When Ram asks Sita to go through a second agni pariksha, she uses her inner fire to protect her
dignity. She is driven equally by her maternal disposition, even if her decision forces her to leave
her sons behind. Realising that her countless unborn daughters would be judged by the standards
set by her, she refuses to prove her innocence yet [Link] Sita here not only just thinking about
her but also about the other women who will be asked again and again to prove their innocence
after been right , refused to give any further agni pariksha and go in the earth where she came
from. Tripathi adds that in the original version of the epic, even though she’s not a warrior, she’s
depicted as a much stronger woman. “There are also ancient versions of the Ramayana, like the
Adhbuta Ramayana, where she’s a warrior who kills Ravana by taking the form of Maa Kali.
Again de;ict the strong character of her which can be take up as a inspiration to stand against the
evil.
Therefore from a feminist viewpoint, Sita's character in the Ramayana can be seen as complex
and multidimensional. On one hand, her unwavering loyalty and devotion to Rama can be
interpreted as reinforcing traditional gender roles, where women are expected to be subservient
to their husbands. However, Sita's resilience, courage, and intelligence also challenge these
[Link] decision to accompany Rama into exile can be viewed as an act of agency, as she
chooses to stand by her husband despite societal expectations. Additionally, her time in captivity
in Lanka can be seen as a reflection of the vulnerability and oppression faced by women in
patriarchal societies. Sita's refusal to be dishonored by Ravana's advances and her unwavering
faith in Rama demonstrate her inner strength and [Link], Sita's final act of self-
determination, where she chooses to return to the earth from which she emerged rather than live
under societal scrutiny, can be interpreted as a powerful statement of reclaiming control over her
own destiny. Overall, Sita's character in the Ramayana offers rich material for feminist analysis,
highlighting both the constraints imposed by patriarchal norms and the ways in which women
navigate and resist them.
