Rāmāyaṇa, having a multifaceted impact on the culture of India, it becomes fundamental to make clear that this paper looks at only those aspects of the characters which are as described by the poet, with the impact caused on the storyline without the undertones of other philosophies attached while trying to learn from it.
Thus there is something to learn from and enjoy at the same time, making it possible to materialize them in one’s own life. The characters of the rākśasīs or ascetics or queens or goddesses, etc is not just meant to be a source of enjoyment (that being a valid and ultimate purpose), but when viewed as depictions of magnified versions of shortcomings or strengths in human nature, the story turns didactic. Though the physical situations as such might differ, the questions and challenges faced at different stages of one’s life, whether it is pursuing one’s own ambitions, or finding a common ground while interacting with one’s family and friends or whether it is making an impact on the society around, these characters when assessed in comparison with one another and having recognized the similarities, the modern woman can not only learn from the blunders, but take right decisions at the right time. Coming to the aspect of finding a common ground between the “characters” as depicted in the Rāmāyaṇa and the life of a common woman in current society, these characters are not that far away, either in an Indian setting or at a global level. What needs to be taken or rejected is evident from the outcome of the events in the story as it progresses. The purpose of this study is to get a glimpse of the range of human nature conveyed through these women. Thus the story line is set with complex entwinements, which should be analyzed without prejudices. It is interesting yet important to note that these characters have not been painted with any prejudiced notions based on a status in the society or a class of people but on human nature. Ūrmilā) is not just one-sided “characters” with a set list of few traits, but they, with multidimensional traits, cannot be labeled as one wholly evil or one with no blemishes. But for their names and relationship to other characters and some location in time and space where they lived, nothing is explicitly stated.Įach of these characters (with the exceptions of those that have not played a role but for their name mentioned –e.g. They are mentioned just for the ensuring completeness of the story. e) Some are just mentioned with no story or incidents attributed to them.
They play a certain role – in either reinforcing or opposing the character’s actions, thus influencing the characters in the main storyline or just as part of incidents narrated in the main storyline. d) Though not explicit characters in the main story, there are some that appear within the work as part of stories narrated by the characters. c) Characters that bring no major twist in the storyline but exist with a life of their own and cause an impact deep enough to be universally associated with the story (For e.g Śabarī, Ahalyā). Or it could be akin to groundwork done to the storyline – making its presence felt while building the story but not seen again in the story (For g. Mantharā) or that they might appear as a welcome change of mood from an existing intense storyline. But their presence could be one to change the entire storyline (For e.g. Their impression on the story is made and the character exits. b) Characters that stay for some part of the story. “Sītāyāḥ caritaṃ mahat” is proof enough for that. No other character spans the entire storyline. The only one in the Rāmāyaṇa in that sense is Sītā. For ease of study, a five-fold classification has been made –Ī) Characters that stay throughout the story.
The impact of the characters is multifold depending on their presence in the long story encompassing a long period in time with many generations and many races. The women characters can be classified in a number of ways, since there is no barbed line dividing the characters as such. It is through the acts and speech of his characters, the poet reaches the audience and imparts those ideals to be emulated.
Irrespective of the angle from which the work is studied, it presents a completeness of human thought, emotion and existence, thus widening its effect on the populace of India as well as the entire world. With specific study of women characters, it is observed that none of the values or ideals that should not be left unnoticed is left unsaid. Rāmāyaṇa is one of the first works in the history of Sanskrit literature to have introduced such a wide all-encompassing vision into life through family and societal ideals.