Against the Current: Sita and Her Foils in - Bad Request
Against the Current: Sita and Her Foils in - Bad Request Against the Current: Sita and Her Foils in - Bad Request
Ahalya involves herself in adultery with Indra, who visits her disguised as her husband. In contrast, Sita is said to be the epitome of a dutiful and self-sacrificing wife. Yet the four short stories analyzed below depict bonds of affection and mutual understanding between Surpanakha and Sita or Sita and Ahalya. Some women’s Ramkatha songs depict a solidarity between women not found in male-authored versions. For example, a Telugu women’s song depicts Sita and Kausalya uniting to curb Rama’s arrogance, while another portrays the wives of Rama’s brothers threatening to leave with Sita if Rama banishes her to the forest. 24 Solidarity among women in the household is one thing, but solidarity between Sita and stigmatized characters is another, and entails complex consequences. Bharati’s Tale of Reversals Scholars of Tamil literature deem C. Subrahmaniya Bharati (1882-1921) the greatest Tamil poet of the twentieth century. Over the course of his short life, Bharati served as court poet for a zamindar, high school teacher, journalist, and translator. In addition, he pioneered the use and design of political cartoons as editor of the Tamil weekly, India. An assembly of poets bestowed upon him the title by which he is commonly known, "Bharati" (a Tamil name for Goddess Sarasvati), in recognition of his literary talent. His notoriety in fighting colonial rule led to nearly a decade’s exile in Pondicheri after the British government cracked down on his “seditious” writings. During exile, he wrote many innovative plays and short stories, among them his unique treatment of Rama’s story, titled “Horns of the Horse.” 25 “Horns of the Horse” appropriates the narrative format of an animal fable, depicts Surpanakha as an ally of Sita, and reverses standard expectations about gender. Bharati designed the story for a collection that he envisioned as an updated version of an ancient 14
anthology of Sanskrit animal fables. 26 Although “Horns of the Horse” bears some generic markers of didactic fables that provide an etiology for the appearance of a certain animal, satire is its primary motivation. For example, instead of explaining how horses got horns, the story recounts how horses lost their horns. Similarly, in the fable’s frame story, which explains how the story came to be told, the narrator is identified as Pandit Crooked Face, a name in Tamil that suggests doubt about the narrator’s unreliability. 27 Most central to Bharati’s satire, however, is turning familiar events on their heads and reversing dichotomies. For example, most of the major roles in the plot are reversed. Rama tries to usurp the crown from Dasaratha, flees to Mithila when his father drives him and Lakshmana from the kingdom, and then Rama abducts Sita to the Dandaka Forest. When Surpanakha Devi, ruler of the region learns Rama is harassing the local forest people, she commands her troops to capture Rama and Lakshmana bring them to her court. Gracious and compassionate, she cautions them never to perform such actions again, then allows them to stay as her guests. Sita then draws her aside and reveals she has been abducted, asking to be returned to her father’s house. Sympathetic Surpanakha sends her to nearby Lanka, so her brother (Ravana) can arrange an escort for her back to Mithila. Thus, Bharati portrays Surpanakha as saving Sita from Rama’s clutches. “Horns of a Horse” forcefully satirizes the peculiar logic of stereotypes about romantic love through Bharati’s acutely depicted portrayal of the famous mutilation scene. While authoritative tellings of Ramkatha portray Lakshmana disfiguring Surpanakha at Rama’s command, Bharati depicts Surpanakha disfiguring Lakshmana and, thus, mocks gendered notions of male prowess and female sexual attraction. The mutilation results when Surpanakha tells the two princes that she has sent Sita to Lanka. 15
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Ahalya <strong>in</strong>volves herself <strong>in</strong> adultery with Indra, who visits her disguised as her husb<strong>and</strong>.<br />
In contrast, <strong>Sita</strong> is said to be <strong>the</strong> epitome of a dutiful <strong>and</strong> self-sacrific<strong>in</strong>g wife. Yet <strong>the</strong><br />
four short stories analyzed below depict bonds of affection <strong>and</strong> mutual underst<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
between Surpanakha <strong>and</strong> <strong>Sita</strong> or <strong>Sita</strong> <strong>and</strong> Ahalya. Some women’s Ramkatha songs depict<br />
a solidarity between women not found <strong>in</strong> male-authored versions. For example, a Telugu<br />
women’s song depicts <strong>Sita</strong> <strong>and</strong> Kausalya unit<strong>in</strong>g to curb Rama’s arrogance, while ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />
portrays <strong>the</strong> wives of Rama’s bro<strong>the</strong>rs threaten<strong>in</strong>g to leave with <strong>Sita</strong> if Rama banishes her<br />
to <strong>the</strong> forest. 24 Solidarity among women <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> household is one th<strong>in</strong>g, but solidarity<br />
between <strong>Sita</strong> <strong>and</strong> stigmatized characters is ano<strong>the</strong>r, <strong>and</strong> entails complex consequences.<br />
Bharati’s Tale of Reversals<br />
Scholars of Tamil literature deem C. Subrahmaniya Bharati (1882-1921) <strong>the</strong><br />
greatest Tamil poet of <strong>the</strong> twentieth century. Over <strong>the</strong> course of his short life, Bharati<br />
served as court poet for a zam<strong>in</strong>dar, high school teacher, journalist, <strong>and</strong> translator. In<br />
addition, he pioneered <strong>the</strong> use <strong>and</strong> design of political cartoons as editor of <strong>the</strong> Tamil<br />
weekly, India. An assembly of poets bestowed upon him <strong>the</strong> title by which he is<br />
commonly known, "Bharati" (a Tamil name for Goddess Sarasvati), <strong>in</strong> recognition of his<br />
literary talent. His notoriety <strong>in</strong> fight<strong>in</strong>g colonial rule led to nearly a decade’s exile <strong>in</strong><br />
Pondicheri after <strong>the</strong> British government cracked down on his “seditious” writ<strong>in</strong>gs.<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g exile, he wrote many <strong>in</strong>novative plays <strong>and</strong> short stories, among <strong>the</strong>m his unique<br />
treatment of Rama’s story, titled “Horns of <strong>the</strong> Horse.” 25<br />
“Horns of <strong>the</strong> Horse” appropriates <strong>the</strong> narrative format of an animal fable, depicts<br />
Surpanakha as an ally of <strong>Sita</strong>, <strong>and</strong> reverses st<strong>and</strong>ard expectations about gender. Bharati<br />
designed <strong>the</strong> story for a collection that he envisioned as an updated version of an ancient<br />
14
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