Faith or Feeling
Dharma; the code of conduct followed by Hindi’s the world over. In the story Ramayana Valmiki uses his character’s epic journey to afford his readers a great insight into what it is and how to follow it. Women prior to this story were largely excluded or undermined in the text. Historically he introduces us to one of the first female protagonist. Sita, wife of our princely main character, should play a key role here story by demonstrating how Hindi women should conduct themselves within Dharma. It could be expected that she would hold herself to great esteem to uphold this ideal. The text should support this idea. Although reading the text a very different guiding force seems to be at play.
Valmiki introduces Sita as her husband briskly but sternly tells her that he has been banished to the forest for fourteen years and she cannot accompany him. In this situation the command from her husband should be followed but only if it did not interfere with a basic dharmic rules. His command does and dharma dictates that Sita stay by her husband’s side. This she does and fervently argues to insure this saying, “You mentioned the righteousness of serving your people: but, your father’s command that you should go to the forest demand I should go, too; I am your half: because of this, again I cannot live without you.” Her argument here leans on a major rule in Dharma; a wife should not part from her husband for any reason. This should begin to establish her devotion in following Dharma as she uses it to borrow power convincing her husband she should go with him.
At the end of the story our princess has been returned to her prince after the god king Ravana has been killed. He attempted to steal then woo her into being his wife but Sita resisted. As Dharma would stipulate she should not fall faint on her commitment to her husband for the power, beauty, and domination that is at her fingertips. Rama based, on the custom, told her that she was tainted due to her forced interaction with Ravana. She refutes this claim and argues: “That which was under my control, my heart, has always been yours.” Not only does she love her husband but she followed her dharmic path by resisted the advances of her godly suitor within her abilities.
The most telling part of this epic occurs midway through our story. Sita crosses paths with the most beautifully adorned deer roaming she had ever laid eyes on. “It is superlative in all respects… it would be a wonderful feat if could be caught… all your brothers and mothers would just adore it… I have lost my heart to that deer” she says pleading with her husband to retrieve this creature so that she may bask in its beauty; fawn over it; and parade its pelt throughout their household. This almost completely contradicts her initial personification as a model Hindu wife. A woman so committed to Hindu beliefs would never allow herself to fall victim to something a trivial as physical beauty. Dharma just doesn’t allow for such things, but the human heart and mind do. Finally we gain sight of her obscure yet dominant motivation.
Dharma and it’s cosmic radiance seems to have been shaded falling short of Sita’s inner dwellings. This woman has never been directly motivated by Dharma. She sought approval or belonging with those she loved and amidst her love. Her personal feelings coincidentally fall in line with her Dharmic path. She took no authority from Dharma, instead she followed her own desires siting this spiritual force as a means to acquiesce the minds of others. Sita has been, from beginning to end, governed by her feelings; making her her own authority.
Kareem Wright
3 responses so far
It’s interesting how you picked up on that. That had never crossed my mind, especially since one of the points we discussed in class was how Sita was the one that kept Rama on track with Dharma. In Ramayana, we see how Rama is taken over by his feelings; instead of acting he reacts. Rama’s decisions were based on his impulses. Similarly, I can see how her feelings, as you say, “coincidentally” had her on track with dharma. However there is a case where her feelings drift form dharma. A great example that you mentioned was that of the deer, her instant reaction in seeing the animal was to get a hold of it. If it weren’t for her impulse in wanting to possess that creature, none of the conflicts would have happened. Both Rama and Sita are guilty in drifting from Dharma. One of the focuses in Dharma is to plainly do the action and not react, like how we saw Rama obeying his father, he says “I cannot swerve from the path of dharma which demands that I should implicitly obey our father” (p.1179). However that is the only important case where she falls short with her dharma. The other instances in which she was put to the test, her feelings were in accordance to her dharma. What makes me wonder now is, did Sita only feel like that because that’s what she was supposed to feel, as in to only follow and love her husband? What if she started to like Ravana, would she still object and follow her dharma or just act accordingly to her feelings?
Jenny Redrovan
I find your explanation intriguing as you divide what Sita is actually following, whether is her feelings or her faith of Dharma. I think it’s interesting how you argue that Sita is actually following her feelings. Throughout the story, Sita has been the guiding force for Rama when he forgets his Dharma. However, we can see that Sita as a guiding force for Rama fails at a point. As you stated, this happens precisely in the scene where Sita, Rama, and Laksmana encounter the beautiful deer. By using this scene, I think you give an convincing argument that she is acting on her feelings instead of her belief in Dharma. However, in other cases, I think it’s difficult to argue that she acts entirely on her own feelings without the influence of Dharma as in the case of convincing Rama that she will go with him in exile. I think Sita is still acting in accordance to Dharma, following her duties as a wife.
Aiying Chen
#j.redrovan and #a.chen7 it was just something that bugged me during the story. If you think of Sita as an individual she is a woman who gets married off and leaves her family to become one of many wives of a prince or king. Rama is pretty much the only deep relationship she is allowed in this situation unless she bears a child. With that in mind I, to me, many of her decisions and actions seem to become more of a situational response rather than a devote reverence for the Hindu dharmic way.
Like you said Jenny Dharma is the action of and It does not consider options or react. Although to Aiying’s point you I believe you can most definitely adhere to dharma’s path without necessarily following it. Similar to how I may prefer to always cross at a crosswalk not because I’d like to follow the law but because I believe it benefits my safety far more than crossing against the light or in the middle of the road.