Epics of India Storybook

Two scenes from the Ramayana have involved one character describing Sita to another character. The similiarities and the differences between these two scenes made a strong impression on me. These scenes do no exactly depict what kind of a character Site is; rather, they depict the affect she has on others.

As an incarnation of Lakshmi, she was no doubt beautiful. Rama could not sleep after the first night he saw her: he longed for just one more glimpse of her (p. 26). Rama describes her to Hanuman so that he will be able to identify her, but it also brings about a “peculiar relief” as he recalls her features (p. 126). Soorpanka’s first sight of Sita filled her with deep admiration; Soorpanka sensed Sita’s radiance before seeing Sita emerge from the cottage (p. 69). She almost forgot her own infatuation with Rama! Both characters were deeply affected by Sita’s beauty and commanding presence.

Both Rama and Soorpanka describe Sita in ways that paint complete pictures of her for their hearers. It’s as if her presence were so strong and as if it impacted the speakers so deeply that they could inject that presence into their descriptions. Hanuman, after hearing Rama’s description, feels that he is looking for someone whom he already knows. Ravana, after hearing Soorpanka’s description, falls obsessively in love with her. Even in a description, Sita’s commanding presence and beauty lit an “all-consuming flame” (p. 81) in Ravana and caused him to hallucinate about her (p. 83).

These two scenes present Sita as I would expect: an awe-inspiring incarnation of the goddess of beauty and fertility who invokes either faithful love and devotion or obsessive lust and jealousy. Opposite these two scenes, however, we have some clear examples of her acting like a silly and fickle mortal woman—the clearest example being her behavior toward the golden deer (p. 88-91). I find it difficult to grasp how the poet views Sita as a character and how I am as a reader supposed to understand her.