Four Views of Sita's Abduction
by Sara Pyle
Abduction of Sita by Ravana. Web Source: Exotic Indian Art.
Introduction
Ravana's abduction of Sita is a
tragic event that ruins Sita's life.
Not only is she brutally kidnapped, but she is also held captive and
tormented
by rakshasas. Her abduction is the catalyst for the deaths of many,
either in her defense, at the hands of her husband, or during the great
war between the rakshasas and the allies of Rama. Even when she is
returned to her husband, Sita's abduction and captivity ruin her
reputation and her happy life with Rama: their subjects gossip about
her, claiming that she must have been unfaithful to Rama, even though
she passed a trial by fire to prove her loyalty. Eventually, Rama is
pressured into exiling her and she, heavily pregnant, is sent into the
wilderness alone. At the end of her life, Sita proves her loyalty once
and for all, but instead of growing old with her husband, she retreats
into the earth from which she came. All the worst parts of Sita's life
directly result from her abduction by Ravana.
Interestingly, the effects of her abduction can also be seen in the lives of many other characters throughout the story. In this storybook I hope to let four characters explain how Sita's abduction changed their lives, whether for better or for worse. This method will help us see not only various details of the abduction that may have been overlooked, but will also illuminate the effects Ravana's crime had on other major characters. For example, one story will feature Jatayu. His battle with Ravana in defense of Sita ended with his mutilation and death. In his story, Jatayu highlights the battle he fought against Ravana, describing an aerial dogfight to the death. As a direct witness, Jatayu's account is full of detail and very clear about the sequence of events he saw. Jatayu casts himself as a hero, which he legitimately is; one weakness of his story is that he does not know how the abduction took place.
The story told by Mandodari, the wife of Ravana, is very different from Jatayu's story. She has only heard about Sita's abduction third-hand, overhearing another of her husband's lovers talking about hearing it from Ravana. As she goes to meet and care for Sita, she mulls the tale over in her mind, relating what she has gathered from palace gossip and her own theories about Sita's personality and the situation at hand. Unlike Jatayu, Mandodari faces an internal struggle, not an external one. She is searching for a reminder of the self she left behind, the proud warrior who saved Ravana's life and married him for love; she hopes to find that in Sita, to whom she attributes Ravana's new wounds and attitude. Although she does not know it yet, Mandodari's life, too, will be ruined by the kidnapping: in the approaching war, she will lose her husband, her son, and her status as a queen.
The third story, told by the deposed monkey king Sugriva and his friend Hanuman, starts after Jatayu's story ends but before Mandodari's begins. The monkeys hear a scream, see something flitter overhead, and find themselves holding precious jewels. Sugriva is suddenly thrust into a conflict he wants no part of--he has enough problems of his own. For Sugriva, Sita's abduction eventually brings him both joy and unimaginable pain: he regains his lost kingdom and wife, but loses his dear brother and, eventually, many of his friends. This story offers only a brief snapshot of Sugriva at a critical point in his life. His decision to pick up the jewels will alter his future in unforseeable ways; of course, he does not know this at the time, but his faithful friend Hanuman sees the possible danger in getting involved.
The final story is quite different from the others. Told by Trijata, a demon in Ravana's city, this story describes the impact Sita had on the city itself, and the prophetic omens of catastrophe her presence there brought forth. The demon Trijata eventually becomes close friends with Sita during her captivity and the ensuing war; in this story Trijata and Sita first meet and the seeds of this friendship--a bright spot in an otherwise bleak storyline--are sown.
In these four stories, I hope to explore the resonance of Sita's abduction by Ravana and the ways in which this event affects even the relatively minor characters in the Ramayana. I also hope that by placing the stories in the mouths of those relatively minor characters like Jatayu and Mandodari, I can explore their personalities and learn more about them. Although some of these characters are not talked about at length, they, like the event of Sita's abduction, play an important part in the overall story.
Back to the coverpage
Forward to The Hero's Death
Forward to The Wife's Decision
Forward to The Monkeys' Discovery
Forward to The Demon's Dream
Interestingly, the effects of her abduction can also be seen in the lives of many other characters throughout the story. In this storybook I hope to let four characters explain how Sita's abduction changed their lives, whether for better or for worse. This method will help us see not only various details of the abduction that may have been overlooked, but will also illuminate the effects Ravana's crime had on other major characters. For example, one story will feature Jatayu. His battle with Ravana in defense of Sita ended with his mutilation and death. In his story, Jatayu highlights the battle he fought against Ravana, describing an aerial dogfight to the death. As a direct witness, Jatayu's account is full of detail and very clear about the sequence of events he saw. Jatayu casts himself as a hero, which he legitimately is; one weakness of his story is that he does not know how the abduction took place.
The story told by Mandodari, the wife of Ravana, is very different from Jatayu's story. She has only heard about Sita's abduction third-hand, overhearing another of her husband's lovers talking about hearing it from Ravana. As she goes to meet and care for Sita, she mulls the tale over in her mind, relating what she has gathered from palace gossip and her own theories about Sita's personality and the situation at hand. Unlike Jatayu, Mandodari faces an internal struggle, not an external one. She is searching for a reminder of the self she left behind, the proud warrior who saved Ravana's life and married him for love; she hopes to find that in Sita, to whom she attributes Ravana's new wounds and attitude. Although she does not know it yet, Mandodari's life, too, will be ruined by the kidnapping: in the approaching war, she will lose her husband, her son, and her status as a queen.
The third story, told by the deposed monkey king Sugriva and his friend Hanuman, starts after Jatayu's story ends but before Mandodari's begins. The monkeys hear a scream, see something flitter overhead, and find themselves holding precious jewels. Sugriva is suddenly thrust into a conflict he wants no part of--he has enough problems of his own. For Sugriva, Sita's abduction eventually brings him both joy and unimaginable pain: he regains his lost kingdom and wife, but loses his dear brother and, eventually, many of his friends. This story offers only a brief snapshot of Sugriva at a critical point in his life. His decision to pick up the jewels will alter his future in unforseeable ways; of course, he does not know this at the time, but his faithful friend Hanuman sees the possible danger in getting involved.
The final story is quite different from the others. Told by Trijata, a demon in Ravana's city, this story describes the impact Sita had on the city itself, and the prophetic omens of catastrophe her presence there brought forth. The demon Trijata eventually becomes close friends with Sita during her captivity and the ensuing war; in this story Trijata and Sita first meet and the seeds of this friendship--a bright spot in an otherwise bleak storyline--are sown.
In these four stories, I hope to explore the resonance of Sita's abduction by Ravana and the ways in which this event affects even the relatively minor characters in the Ramayana. I also hope that by placing the stories in the mouths of those relatively minor characters like Jatayu and Mandodari, I can explore their personalities and learn more about them. Although some of these characters are not talked about at length, they, like the event of Sita's abduction, play an important part in the overall story.
Back to the coverpage
Forward to The Hero's Death
Forward to The Wife's Decision
Forward to The Monkeys' Discovery
Forward to The Demon's Dream