She requested Rama to be her husband. But going back to the hegemonic narrative, where the nose is actually cut leading to defacement, not only is the punishment justified through popular retelling of the epic but also legitimised which perhaps, internalised over centuries, has become a part of our collective unconscious and is so deeply entrenched that the tradition of defacing women who resist, snub or antagonise men in some way or the other continues to this day even as one woman every day in India becomes the victim of an acid attack. So she was punished because of her brutal perception where she did not care for another womans life and made advances to kill her so she can satisfy herself sexually n later eat up all three of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana. Therefore, whether the core issue was of Shurapankhas honor is itself questionable. Ithihasa and mythology are not the same. He was confident that Rama is invincible and the voice was only a fake. Her ears and nose are hanging from her face and as Ravana sees this state of his sister, he gets angrier! Shurpankha had come to know of Ravanas role in making her a widow and wanted to take revenge. A vertical division cleaves the two armies. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2022 ReadAndRipe.com. Very soon Rama realized that the deer is not a real one. Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act1976, allowance is made for \" fair use\" for purposes such as criticism, comments, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Soorpanakha is a woman who dares to make advances towards a man. 8 years ago. Abduction of Sita Surpanakha, the sister of Ravana, lived in Panchavati. So he agreed to help Ravana in the abduction of Sita. B. lol you say it is not mythology and then bring in a demonic woman. Through this blog, I'm trying to bring out the richness of Indian culture & values and I request your support and feedbacks in making this humble effort a success!! Maricha took the form of a beautiful golden deer and began to graze near Ramas cottage in Panchavati. Upon investigation, Soorpanaka reveals the plan Mother Sita is a beautiful woman and Ravana should somehow abduct her. Now Kara and Dhushana, along with some 14,000 Raakshasas try to invade Bhagawan Rama and Lakshmana. About The Author. Very nicely explained to people who consider Ramayana as mythology and misrepresent it. The folio depicts the final battle between Rama and Ravana, the demon king who had abducted Sita, Ramas wife. Sita said, "Ram look at that golden deer, I've never seen anything like that, please get that deer for me." And Ram said, "I think this looks like a trick." Soorpanakha has always been described as ugly, probably because she took her mothers rakshasini (demon) gene more than her fair skinned brother Ravana who is also the son of rishi Vishwashrava, the stepbrother of Kubera and therefore has rishi and dev blood in him. He fell in love with her instantly. The donkeys are an allusion to Ravanas cupidity and ignorance, and Pahari painters have traditionally associated donkeys with Ravana underlining this aspect. Ravana made a plan and went to see Maricha. And what do the myths want us to learn? One day Surpanakha happened to see Rama and instantly fell in love with him. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statutes that might otherwise be infringing. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. Ravana, mostly known as the person who kidnapped Sita and was later killed by Lord Rama.Lets look at other aspects of him and try to find out the exact reason behind the abduction of Sita. In the previous episode, we had witnessed Sage Maarkandeyas narration to Yudishtra on how Bhagawan Ramas divine Paadhuka ruled Ayodhya for the fourteen-year period and how Bharata discharged the duties of the kingdom on behalf of Bhagawan Rama. They all died after being exploited sexually! Initially she did not know who Bhagawan Rama is, but upon seeing His charm and handsome nature, Soorpanaka immediately falls in love with Him! Even if it takes a thousand years, someone will get it. After one of them he was granted a boon of immense power. Given to him by the sage Agastya, it had the wind in its feathers, in its apex were the fire and the sun. Otherwise the conclusions, phsyc analysis, and social analysis drawn from it would be simply wrong. You people have only academic knowledge, instead you should learn Ramayana as scriptures from the authorised source instead of giving your own interpreted remarks, that too with your imperfect knowledge, because we dont have perfect senses. It tells the journey of prince Rama, from his banishment from the kingdom of Ayodhya, to his triumphant return. Realising the prowess of Rama, Ravana decided to enlist the help of Maricha, a demon-ascetic, whose brother and mother had been killed by Rama, and who had once himself tasted defeat at his hands. Imtiaz Mahmood . The Maya Sita motif is considered as the "most important instance of an addition" in the Ramayana. If he had been really in the mood of a brother wanting to revenge his sisters dishonor, he should have challenged Rama or Lakshmana to a duel and defeated his opponent in a fair fight. Rama loved Sita very much and could not live without her. He got power-drunk and decided to invade heaven it. Thus, both Bhagawan Rama and Lakshmana started passing the buck and Soorpanaka becomes a joker in the middle of both of them! Better known as the. 2 Some sources such as images, and videos are sourced from the Internet. Angry Ravana drawing his sword rushed at her to kill Sita.jpg, Brooklyn Museum - The Abduction of Sita Page from an illustrated manuscript of the Ramayana.jpg, COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Bas-relif op de Candi Lara Jonggrang oftewel het Prambanan tempelcomplex TMnr 10028338.jpg, COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Beeld van gebakken klei voorstellende de roof van Sita door Rawana TMnr 2679-1.jpg, COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Relif op de aan Shiva gewijde tempel op de Candi Lara Jonggrang oftewel het Prambanan tempelcomplex TMnr 10016191.jpg, Fentre peinte du Vat That Luang (Luang Prabang) (4331050818).jpg, Illustration of the Ramajana, 18th century.jpg, India, Calcutta, Kalighat painting, 19th century - Jatayu Hinders Ravana's Chariot, Trying to Prevent the Abduction of Sita - 2003.109.a - Cleveland Museum of Art.tif, Jatayu Attacks Ravana to Save Sita and Shatters his Chariot - early 18th-century.jpg, Jatayu Confronting Ravana to Save Sita.jpg, Killing of Jatayu Bird Painting by Balasaheb Pant Pratinidhi.jpg, Le temple Hazara Rama (Hampi, Inde) (14303527662).jpg, Rama During his Search of Sita Meets Wounded Jatayu and Comes to Know that Ravana Abducted Sita - late 18th-century.jpg, Ravana comes in disguise with a begging bowl to abduct Sita.jpg, Ravana deceiving Sita with the illusion of Rama's severed head MUGHAL INDIA, 1594 AD.jpg, Ravana killing Jatayu while the monkeys watch from below as Ravana then carries Sita off the Lanka..jpg, Ravana shows Sita the Counterfeit Head of Rama.jpg, Ravana slaughtering Jatayu the vulture, while an abducted Si Wellcome V0045092.jpg, Rawana approaches Sita in the garb of mendicant.jpg, Sita Haran or the abduction of Sita, in a calendar cover, c.1950.jpg, Sita in captivity in Lanka being tempted by Ravana. What does it indicate? The Ramayana is the most celebrated epic poem in South and Southeast Asia. FII Media Private Limited | All rights reserved. Another fact that should be considered in this equation is that Lakshman was married. Meanwhile, the only survivor from the army at Janasthana, a warrior named Akampana, fled to Lanka and informed Ravana about the destruction of his army. I heard the story of an acid attack survivor, which led me to write a poem, which in turn led me to write this article. Ramayana and Mahabharata convey Dharmic values to the society at large and both have an eternal significance for all the man, woman, child, King, warrior everyone. Help! Assured lines and light modelling defines the forms. Ramayana Part 3 - Abduction of Sita. It is at this place, all three of them spend a lot of time together In fact, more than ten to eleven years. Post that incident even Sita called laxman out on his mistake. He tried to influence her. We are all raised on a Bollywood culture of song and dance where the man chasing the woman and the whole notion of street harassment is naturalised and even glorified with the woman eventually giving in to the mans persistent chasing. This could have several implications: but lets take the popular lore first: we always imagine Soorpanakha as a defaced woman with a missing nose and a blood smeared face. After her abduction by the demon king Ravana, Sita is brought to Lanka and held captive in the Ashoka garden, where Ravana orders some demonesses to keep watch over her. Rama killed several of Ravana's brothers and then Rama confronted him. According to some retellings of the Ramayana, Shurapanakha had her own axe to grind. The transformation from seductress to demoness is interesting. Then she further spun a story saying that she had approached the humans just to get Sita for Ravana, while actually she had had no thought of Ravana at all at that time she was simply lusting for Rama and had even tried to murder Sita when she had perceived that Sita was the obstacle to her getting Rama. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- P.S: Her name was never Meenakshi! The diagonal movement attenuates the flow of the ocean across the painting, whose waters barely seem to be contained, and threaten to spill over the pale yellow register below. All apps based on Perhaps you never managed to actually read the entire story before you bothered to go about writing an article destroying the true essence of this situation in Ramayana! Ravana entered the battlefield and rushed towards Rama in his chariot making a tremendous sound that "filled the entire earth' and made the "rivers, mountains and forests tremble'. It is at this moment, Lakshmana, with the approval from Bhagawan Rama, chops off Soorpanakas nose and ears off her face! The self-assurance of the winning side is reiterated in the composed countenances of the monkeys that form the army of Rama. Seated opposite Sita, the ten-headed Ravana is an imposing and fearsome presence, while Sita presents a picture of steadfast resolution. Lol even people who consider it as mythology would never write this pseudo-woke stuff. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thanks For Watching --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#indianmythology #hindumythology #indianpriest #indianhistory #hindu #dharma #hindustories #mythology #ramayan #ramayana #ram #sita #ravana #ravan #ravanstatus #ravanfacts #dussehra #lordrama #diwali #laxman #history #historyofindia #dussheraspecial #epic #mythologyexplained #ravandahan #ravanvadh #mahabharat #hinduism #hinduismexplained #hanuman #hanumanji #bhagavadgita #worldfacts #hindufacts #vedas #rigvedas #ramayanchaupai #ramayanstory #ramsiyaram #lordhanuman ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Music Credit - Youtube Library -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright DisclaimerThis video is for Educational purposes only. I understand the point that you have made and agree that stalking and harassing women to woo them is completely wrong and SHOULD be condemned, but in the context of this article, isnt it wrong of the author to conveniently overlook a key detail in the Ramayana, just to paint two men who were acting in defense as the equivalent of acid throwers? But when he heard that Rama and Lakshmana were the cause, his inclination to take revenge subsided visibly. Ravana knew of this and devised a plan . Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Thank you! Then you are at the right place. Also read: The Poetry Of Meena Kandasamy: A Tool of Political Dissent. Professor of Human Resources management at Bharatidhasan Institute of Management (BIM) Trichy, India Sita was attracted towards the golden deer and requested Rama to get the golden deer for her. Disclaimer: This article does not intend to hurt anyones religious feelings or sentiments. She can be found on LinkedIn and Twitter. When you take an example, please take care if it actually fits the issue you want to discuss. You need to holler from the rooftop and tell the world, you need to create a media hype about it even if it means having to undergo humiliation, incessant targeting, character assassination and prolonged and universal vilification and even if it means insinuating a war. For this, she takes the form of a beautiful young girl and approaches Bhagawan Rama. Finally Lakshmana agreed. Sign up below. So its alright for a woman to force herself on a man even after he says no! If Ramayana is read like reading a Harry Potter book, this is how you would end up interpreting it. It teaches you that men/women alike should learn to live with better values and forego of obsessive behavour(which in this case was destructive and could lead to hurting another woman). On the contrary, it is celebrated. Also read: Revisiting Ramayana And Its Relevance Through A Feminist Lens. Ravana was a great scholar, a devout devotee of Lord Shiva. Ravana entered the battlefield and rushed towards Rama in his chariot making a tremendous sound that filled the entire earth and made the rivers, mountains and forests tremble. . Explore museums and play with Art Transfer, Pocket Galleries, Art Selfie, and more. Ravana flattered Sita eulogising her beauty, attempted to awe her with his immense wealth and fortune, as one of incomparable valor, strength, fame and brilliance, and enticed her with the wealth of the world, gifts of spectacular gems, ornaments, perfumes, garments, unimaginable luxury and comfort. He decided to kidnap Sita and bring her to Lanka. The Kurma Purana (c. 550-850 CE) is the first text where Maya Sita appears. It contains 24,000 verses divided into seven sections [viz., Aranya-kanda]. Though Ravana didnt like this advise, he abided by it remembering that the boon he had from Brahma didnt guarantee him protection from humans. Chaitanya Charan. Writing is therapeutic for her and makes her feel awake and alive. Isnt that exactly what the movie Pink almost does? The shift in the focus from one body part of Soorpanakha to the other from eroticising the eyes to weaponising the nails and embedding it in a name which is a kind of permanent labelling, speaks of a politics of its own which the article seeks to analyse. Pearls of Management from ancient Indian Scriptures. He got power-drunk and decided to invade heaven itself and take the throne of Indra. The following 37 files are in this category, out of 37 total. When the abducted Sita was not the real Sita, why was Rama distressed by her abduction? He is young, handsome and is alone without his wife. Surpanakha took Ramas word seriously and approached Lakshmana. Kidnapping Sita was the only crime, Ravana could have done to invite the wrath of Lord Rama. Ravana was interested when he heard that Sita is the most beautiful woman in the world, Ravana decided to abduct Sita. Chromoli Wellcome V0045021.jpg 3,300 2,275; 3.33 MB Sita kidnap by Ravana.jpg 3,406 4,857; 2.29 MB Sita ontvoerd.jpg 311 480; 50 KB Sita Ravana Cambodia.jpg 551 852; 323 KB Mythology would probably want us to internalise and normalise the passivity and docility expected of a woman to make her acceptable and desire worthy. Ravana is furious after hearing this and vows to bring Shiva himself down to earth for his mother to pray. He still could not get over the experience he had when Rama shot an arrow that hurled him far into the sea. This can be clarified from the statements of Ravana in the following passage from Valmiki Ramayana. Later, when Shurapankha came to him and insulted him publicly for doing nothing to protect his own sisters honor, Ravana became outraged at the insult, resolving to take revenge. Just because one is vocal doesnt mean she has the right to break up a marriage. However, Bhagawan Rama refuses Soorpanakas proposal and instead, points fingers towards Lakshmana! Title: The Abduction of Sita Artist: Hazra Chitrakar Dimensions (cm): 207 x 56 Ram Prince of Ayodhya and hero of the Ramayana, he is depicted as a human hero and as an avatara or incarnation of Vishnu, usually counted as the seventh incarnation in a list of ten. During the course of her captivity in the Ashoka grove, Sita was wooed and persuaded by Ravana to accept him as her husband employing various stratagems and ruses. The reason is the fear of the curse received by him from Brahma that the his (Ravana's) head will break into hundred pieces if he tries to force a woman for pleasure. Can you really paint her as a passive woman? Jesus. I could go on, but I retire now. The pink colour of his attire strikingly attenuates his grey blue skin, and the weapons rendered in the same colour as his skin appear as they are a part of his body. One day Surpanakha happened to see Rama and instantly fell in love with him. Seen thus, she could be even judged for being someone who instigated and started a war but so did Draupadi when she was insulted, which again implies two things. This channel provides you knowledge about Ancient India, untold stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata, and much more. She immediately flew to Lanka to seek her brother Ravanas protection. Sign up below. Hideous looking ogresses guard and wait upon the demon king, one holding a fan and another a chowrie, while the others simply hang about, awaiting any orders from Ravana. She was the ultimate root of the kidnapping of Sita. However, in the Ramayana text, it is quite the opposite Bhagawan Rama goes in person to visit all the sages one after the other. The artist depicts the epic battle brimming with agitated figures that fill the picture space. Is this what feminism is all about? Eventually, after a long war, Bhagawan Rama successfully destroys 13,999 Raakshasas, only to leave one Raakshasa by name Akampana alive! Audio Icon QA Audio : 2018 Ramayana. As Rama mounted the arrow on his bow and pulled its string taut, all the beings were frightened and the earth trembled. (Valmiki Ramayana, 6-107-15) This inviolable arrow pierced the chest of Ravana, and the mighty demon fell upon the earth, dead. The ten-headed Ravana, the ruler of Lanka, devised a plan to abduct Sita and sent a magical golden deer which Sita desired her lover to hunt. Sita's Abduction Ravana the king of demons, was the ruler of Lanka. The lavish use of gold in his many crowns and ornaments that he wears, his luminous large eyes, tinted pursed lips and slight shading in red in the area around the eyes and the upper cheek present him as an arresting figure. This article lacked basic knowledge and fell flat. though mythology is a matter of subjective perception but can you really call Draupadi a victim and blame her to be passive? Seen thus, she could be even judged for being someone who instigated and started a war but so did Draupadi when she was insulted, which again implies two things. She does not remain quiet, as is expected from an acid attack survivor or someone whose modesty is violated. Now all said, she was not killed but punished and precisely so by mutilating her face as a reminder for herself and a warning sign for fellow individuals to not be enamored by her self inflicted, non human looking beauty! Further, if the issue had been of honor, what honor was there for him to abduct Sita behind Rama-Lakshmanas back? She is defaced and on top of it vilified. Subsequently, the news that the Raakshasas are getting destroyed by Bhagawan Rama reaches Kara and Dushana. Click here, to participate in our online writing competitions (100% online), and win big prizes. Surpanakha, the sister of Ravana, lived in Panchavati. On the other hand, if the slaying of the nose is considered to be a euphemism, the whole narrative is turned on its head. Perhaps, this is the difference between the Treta Yuga and the Dvaapara Yuga! This is where we are today! The use of bright hues of stringent oranges are balanced by the soft mauves, stark white architecture, the pale blue sky and the delicately rendered flowering blossoms that make up the background. A scene from the Ramayana, the Indian epic that follows Prince Rama's quest to rescue his beloved wife from the demon King Ravana By National Museum - New Delhi Ravana forcibly abducting Sita. 3. Help! Sita heard the voice and asked Lakshmana to run and rescue Rama. Dear reader, this article is free to read and it will remain free but it isnt free to produce. So for today, let us understand up to this point, and in the next episode, we shall witness how Ravana executes his plan to perfection! When an eye for an eye will make everyone blind, why does the Gita teach that? Ravana told the reason for not forcing Sita to Mahaparsva. Listen to Season 3 on Apple, Spotify and Google podcasts. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); How can we distribute our time between hearing and chanting? This is because all the city residents now know that Bhagawan Rama is here and with this, everybody will start coming often to see Him. During the course of her captivity in the Ashoka grove, Sita was wooed and persuaded by Ravana to accept him as her husband employing various stratagems and ruses. Soorpanakha does not cringe and hide in shame. This happened in Vashishthas hermitage. She plans an action-oriented approach to teach a lesson to the perpetrator of what is unmistakably a crime, which is obviously presented as otherwise. 1 Answer Sorted by: 6 Firstly let's note that the abduction of Devi Sita by Ravana was informed to Shri Rama by a dying Jatayu, much before the meeting with Hanuman: Oh, boy Rama, blest is your eternality, for whom you are searching as with the search of a rejuvenescent herb in the vast of forest, Ravana stole that lady and my lives, too Soorpanakha was not mutilated for flaunting her sexuality or her erotic obsession for either Rama or Lakshmana but because she is on the verge of attacking Sita as she realizes Sita is the reason she cannot lay her hands on Rama! She was the one who instigated her brothers to wage a war against Rama. Dear Dr ignorant Shyaonti, It is impressive how you gave the whole story a complete spin and demonized the actual feminist Lakshmana! Because the idea of a woman with agency and will is intimidating. Her losing face or defacement could have been an immediate trigger for Ravana to abduct Sita, resulting eventually in the great battle which is the epicenter of the Ramayana. What do we finally learn from Soorpanakha? A few hundred rupees or a few thousand would go a long way in helping us stay free and keep serving you the fresh feminist content that you love! His abduction of Sita and eventual defeat by her husband Rama are the central incidents of the popular epic the Ramayana ("Rama's Journey"). Ravana ruled in the kingdom of Lanka (probably not the same place as modern Sri Lanka), from which he had expelled his brother Kubera.The Ram Lila festival, an annual pageant popular . Insulted and wounded by Lakshmana, Soorpanaka straightaway runs to Kara and Dhushana and spreads the vengeance! Though, The new writers like Amish tripathi are rewriting the epics in different style for new generation,we should not transform any story just on the name of feminism .You should better tell about knowledge and skills of sits. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. He knew about the scriptures. Ravana's brother Maricha takes the form of a golden deer and bounds past Rama's hermitage. If you want to support the work that goes behind publishing high-quality feminist media content, please consider becoming a FII member. By continuing to browse this site, you agree to our, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Green Willow and other Japanese Fairy Tales, Child-Life In Japan and Japanese Child Stories, Myths And Legends Of Our Own Land Volume I: The Hudson And Its Hills, Myths And Legends Of Our Own Land Volume II: The Isle of Manhattoes and Nearby. A professional South Indian classical musician (singer) performing concerts. But it is also strange, since she was initially called Meenakshi believed to have eyes as beautiful as fish and only later called Soorpanakha because of her sharp nails. Btw, can we know which version of Ramayana was referred to for writing this article? Rama then took out a blazing arrow fashioned by the God Brahma. This Akampana is the person who runs all the way to Ravana to convey the news of the destruction of all the Raakshasas. Thus this may contain certain inaccuracies from exact texts. Change). Nose is the symbol of female honour in many cultures and the slaying of it could suggest the losing of female modesty. Maricha had the power of changing himself into any form he wanted along with the appropriate voice imitation. Visit the virtual exhibition for "Tell the Whole Story from Beginning . The only escape from ruin would be to honourably return her to Rama. Lakshmana slays her nose. C. A mighty battle took place. The shift in the focus from eroticising the eyes of Soorpanakha to weaponising the nails and embedding it in a name as a permanent labelling, speaks of a politics of its own. Its simple, did she get the punishment based on her gender or based on her being a demon(rakshasi)? Taking parallels between demons and humans, male or female is not logical, in any interpretation unless you have a clear explanation of the same, which clearly does not exist in the article. Rama, on the left, riding on his chariot depicted in a stance of single minded focus and unwavering concentration pulls at his bow about to shoot the arrow that would pierce Ravanas heart.