Ideals , Icons and Reality

Dr Neekee ChaturvediLecturer in History

Govt. P. G. College,Dausa, RajasthanIndia

Enormous cultural value of the Mahabharata Pan-Indian significance Perpetuation through regional variations and

modern interpretations Crucial to the ‘woman question’ Implications for social history

To appraise the historical record through the women characters and their roles as viewed by the writer of Mahabharata and also as perceived and perpetuated by the society

To identify the general constituents or traits of women within the epic - strisvabhava

To elaborate upon the norms of conduct for the woman – stridharma

To understand their interplay and bring out the dichotomy between societal norms and individual action

Mahabharata is a revolutionary epic that provides women with an alternative course within and despite the constraints of rigid patriarchal norms, the premise for which lies in a belief in the harmony of personal and societal needs.

Certain ideas were formed about the ideals Projection of women images conforming to

these ideals Appeal to scriptural-historical past Tool for patriarchal subordination Religious sanction to subordination of women

Attempts to challenge & analyse androcentric assumptions and gender stereotyping

Yuganta by Irawati Karve Nathawati Anathawat and Katha Amrita Saman by

Shaoli Mitra Queens of the Mahabharata by Kavita Sharma The Women of Mahabharata by Badrinath Chaturvedi Stri – Women in Epic Mahabharata by Kevin McGrath The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Bannerjee Divakaruni

1. Inherent thought stream in the Mahabharata is totally subordinate to the patriarchal norms

2. The women characters have been interpreted as strong, independent and crucial players and therefore challenge patriarchy

Religious scriptures right from the vedic period accorded a low status to women.

Aitereya Brahman, Maitreyi Samhita,Tattiriya Brahmana, Shatpath Brahman, Bhagvada Gita

Mahabharata – Anushasanaparva, Shantiparva, Vanaparava

Buddhist Jatakas also portray concurring opinion

Source of evil causing disasters, vices and sins Barriers to spiritual life Fickle minded, selfish and false Unreliable and unable to keep a secret Possess uncontrollable sexuality

“Women are the edge of a razor, poison, snakes and fire, all rolled into one”

Totally devoted and subservient to her husband

Sahdharmini – To be a pillar of srength and support to her husband

Such ideal woman are the standard of women

“A husband alone is woman’s god, her friend, her support; there is neither support nor god like her husband”

Shakuntala,Uma, Damayanti, Kapoti Show strength and self-respect Yet actions and aspirations totally in

congruence with patriarchy The portrayal of iconic women mainly in the

upakhyana (sub stories)Therefore, they represent contemporary norms

and not necessarily a rigid view of the epicCan also be regarded as character-specific

property rather than prevalent societal practice

Many of the women characters in the Mahabharata reflect an alternative approach e.g.

Kunti – Unwed mother, NiyogaDraupadi – PolyandryAmba – Love and revenge

Correct perspective by marking a distinction between dialogues and deeds

Draupadi – very assertive and independentYet at the normative level conforms to patriarchyAlso does not stand for collective feminismChallenges completely the notion of external

sexual purity

Kunti – Becomes an unwed mother but abandons the child

Copulates with other men through levirate or niyoga to beget children

Manipulates political forces to place her own progeny on the throne

Yet she is totally devoted to perpetuating the kshatriya code without even a fleeting reference to her personal desires

Victory of women who challenged the external norms e.g. Kunti vis–a–vis Gandhari

Internal values were more important than external purity

Societal issues were prominent in place of personal feelings

Access to an alternative course The epic strives to strike a balance between

social norms and individual desires