Revisiting Mythology

 “Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is”

― Bhagavad Gita

I have always believed the history of my country to be fascinating. Indian history is so vast and divine that any connection with it leaves you with a complete sense of purity. From the Indus Valley Civilization and the coming of the Aryans before 2000 BC to India’s war of independence in the 19th century, Indian history is packed with events.  From the Golden era of the Gupta Dynasty to being called the Golden Bird before the British invasion, India was always a land of prosperity and divinity. From being the birthplace of Hindu Gods and Goddesses to giving birth to deiform soldiers, India was always the home of warriors. 

The part of history that holds my attention the most is the time of the epics -  The Ramayana and The Mahabharata. Ramayana is about the cost of rule-upholding and Mahabharata is about the cost of rule-breaking. We all know that breaking the rules will have consequences but abiding by the rules can sometimes have consequences too, the consequences Lord Ram had to face when he stood by the rules of Dharma. Born to the eldest wife of King Dashrath, the king of the Kosala Kingdom, Lord Ram was the scion of Ikshvaku (the Solar Dynasty). But I’m not here to narrate the story of Lord Ram from being the exiled prince to becoming greater than the greatest man. My afflatus was Sita, the warrior princess and the trialled wife of Ram. 

“In Search Of Sita - Revisiting Mythology” Edited by Malashri Lal and Namita Gokhale, is the book that connected me to my history. This book changed the way I looked at the events of the Ramayana and glorified the image of Goddess Sita that I had in my mind, increasing my respect and devotion towards her even more. Sita was the ideal woman and the ideal wife that ever existed in the holy land of India. Still, the patriarchal society that has always lived in the roots of India glorified Ram as “Maryada Purushottam” or the ideal and greatest man to ever exist on earth. It was Sita who left her lavish life at the palace to fulfil her wifely duties and followed Ram on his exile, it was her who had to go by the Fire Trial to prove her purity after her kidnapping by Ravana, the demon King, it was her who was exiled even after she had walked through fire to prove her purity. It was Sita who had to go through everything to prove her purity and duties as an ideal wife all while Ram was abiding by Dharma, following his duties as an ideal King, but never a husband. 

Reading this book altered my beliefs in the Ramayana and lowered my respect for this patriarchal Indian society. The analysis of the different versions of the Ramayana in this book made me feel like I am looking at this part of History from 300 different perspectives. In today’s world, women are still oppressed in all sections of society, especially in India from female foeticide. Being a part of this patriarchal Indian Society, this book plays a huge part in my life. It would in any other Indian woman’s life, by glorifying a female figure and the importance of her roles in everything.