Author(s): Puspanjali Paikaray
Abstract:
The Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa is not only a story of Rāma and Sītā. It is also a large picture of ancient Indian life. It shows family life, social duty, moral choice, religious feeling, and human pain. This article studies the position of women in the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa in simple English. It uses the supplied chapters on the introduction to the Rāmāyaṇa and on the position of women. The study looks at women in six main roles: maiden, adopted daughter, wife, mother, widow, and ascetic. It also notices the difficult and mixed nature of the epic. Women are often respected. Sītā, Arundhatī, Anasūyā, and Śabarī are shown as noble and strong figures. Maidens appear in happy public and religious occasions. Wives are called close companions of their husbands. Mothers receive deep honor. Widows are not shown as impure, and women ascetics have a clear place in spiritual life. At the same time, the text also shows the limits placed on women. The desire for sons is stronger than the desire for daughters. A girl’s marriage creates anxiety for the family. A wife’s life is often centered on her husband. Sītā suffers greatly because of social pressure and royal duty. The article therefore does not present a one-sided view. It argues that the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa gives both honor and hardship to women. Its women are not silent shadows. They advise, suffer, love, choose, endure, and show moral strength. By studying them carefully, we can better understand the social world of the epic and the lasting value of its female characters.
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