Indian mythology in a revisionist mould: Ramayana’s Surpanakha reimagined

The timeless relevance that Indian mythological epics like the Ramayana have, lies in their profound exploration of the human psyche. As long as humanity exists, these narratives will continue to evolve and impact people worldwide. The Ramayana, to this day, serves as a moral compass for a global audience, shaping perspectives and influencing the way we think.

The original version of the text written by legendary poet Valmiki is a tale of protagonist Rama, the son of King Dasaratha of Ayodhya, who at the behest of his stepmother, Kaikeyi, endures a painful exile of 14 years. Together with his beloved wife Sita and loyal stepbrother Lakshmana, they establish their humble abode amidst the vastness of the forest.

However, their peaceful existence is shattered when Sita is cruelly abducted by Ravana, the formidable demon King of Lanka. Through arduous trials and tribulations, finally, on a sacred new moon night, he emerges triumphant against all odds. It is a victory of good over evil, as always.

However, it is crucial to acknowledge that the original version of the Ramayana written by Valmiki, marginalised female characters, depriving them of agency. 

To address this, we must engage in transformative storytelling — a concept known as revisionist mythmaking. By reimagining these stories and infusing them with fresh perspectives, we can create new narratives that provide powerful insights into gender and women's roles in history and culture.
 
Here we touch on a malevolent and crucial character in Valmiki’s Ramayana, called Surpanakha. She is the sister of Ravana, the evil king of Lanka and the central antagonist in the epic. She derives her name ‘Surpanakha’ from her distinctive feature of razor-sharp fingernails or nails resembling winnowing fans. 
 
Throughout the years, there have been various adaptations of the Ramayana with the most popular being Indian film director, Ramanand Sagar’s rendition of the epic in 1987.

Sagar's portrayal of Surpanakha in the Indian epic Ramayana (1987) is crafted as a diabolical character with a demonic shriek and hypersexual attributes, encapsulating the idiosyncratic traits of a classic 'rakshasi' or demoness. 
 
With each passing year, the televised rendition of this timeless saga has witnessed a noticeable improvement in video quality. However, the essence and fundamental nature of the characters have remained unaltered. Surpanakha has consistently maintained her sinister persona, while Sita has retained her revered status as an embodiment of devotion and selfless sacrifice. 

Most female characters in Indian mythology, primarily in the canonical texts are bracketed into two extremes — good and evil, victim and sinner, the immoral or the innocent. Valmiki’s Ramayana follows the same straight-jacketed approach of portraying Surpanakha as the cultural ‘other’. 

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Hop skip to 2023 and we choose to sit in a movie theatre and watch Indian cinema’s same repetitive representation of the Ramayana dubbed as Adipurush with a flashy dose of VFX. 

What we actually need now is a revisionist lens, a means to look past the solidified traits of this tainted character. 

Indian children dressed as Hindu deities Rama and Sita. Photo credit: Pixabay

The ‘asura’ vs’ non asura’ debate

Valmiki’s Ramayana, translated in English by Bibek Debroy, makes a clear distinction between the Aryan and the non-Aryan race in the following verses.

“On seeing someone who was like Indra, the rakshasi was flooded with desire. The one with the disagreeable face faced Rama, the one with the agreeable face. The one with a giant stomach faced the slender-waisted one, the one with malformed eyes faced the one with large eyes, the one with copper-coloured hair faced the one with excellent hair, the one with an ugly form faced the one with a handsome form, the one with a horrible voice faced the one with a pleasant voice, the hideous and ugly one faced the young one, the one who was harsh in speech faced the one who was sweet in speech, the one who was extremely wicked in conduct faced the one who was good in conduct, the ugly one faced the handsome one.” 

Over the years, numerous revisionist writers have made efforts to dismantle the false and misogynistic portrayal of Surpanakha by reimagining her from a feminist perspective. Adrienne Rich, a contributor to feminist revisionist mythology, defines "revision" as the act of retrospectively examining an existing text in order to reimagine it in a manner previously overlooked within patriarchal narratives.
 
Similarly, authors such as Sarah Joseph, Kavita Kane, and Kathleen M. Erndl endeavoured to redefine Surpanakha's flawed character as depicted in Valmiki's version of the Ramayana. Through their works, they delve deeper into the complexities of disfigurement, female sexuality, and self-assertion, shedding fresh light on these aspects.

Marginalisation of Surpanakha

Kavita Kane's book, titled Lanka's Princess, explores the inherently gendered and hierarchical familial space that Surpanakha inhabits. Here Surpanakha faces double marginalisation within her own household. Her own mother, Kaikesi, harbours dislike towards her for being a dark-skinned girl. In Kane's narrative, Kaikesi remarks, "How is this dark monkey going to bring us good fortune?" This highlights how Surpanakha is pushed to the peripheries both due to her gender and her skin tone.
 
Living under the shadow of her powerful brothers - Ravana, Kumbhakarna, and Vibhishana - Surpanakha is compelled to suppress .her individuality and true character. Kane's narrative empowers Surpanakha with a unique and compelling voice. In her story, Surpanakha transforms her limitations into possibilities. She becomes assertive and strong-willed and disbunks patriarchal norms that attach negative connotations to assertive women.

Mutilation of Surpanakha

The disfigurement of Surpanakha marks a significant turning point in the Ramayana, as it sets the stage for subsequent developments in the plot. In Valmiki's Ramayana, when she encounters Ram and becomes infatuated with his charm, she implores him to accept her as his beloved. However, Ram rejects her. This infuriates Surpanakha, leading her to attack Sita. In response, Rama’s brother Lakshmana forcefully drags her by the hair and mutilates her by cutting off her ears and nose.

A still from Indian director, Ramanand Sagar's Ramayana (1987) in which Surpanakha attacks Sita. Photo credit: YouTube

In many vernacular versions, her breasts were also mutilated as they were a symbol of femininity. Kathleen M. Erndl, in her article, “Mutilation of Surpanakha," elaborates on how Surpanakha was instigated by both Ram and Lakshman who ridiculed her unapologetic expression of sexuality. Erndl explores the societal dichotomy between chastity and overt sexuality by examining the characters of Sita and Surpanakha. 
 
Sita is depicted as pure, auspicious, and subservient, while Surpanakha is portrayed as evil, dark, and impure. This binary is influenced by the Manu Smriti, which states that a woman should be obedient and protected by her father in youth, her husband in married life, and her sons in old age, emphasising the importance of a woman's dependence. Surpanakha, with her strong and independent personality, becomes a significant threat to the patriarchal order due to her overt sexuality.

Revisioning is also what author Volga in her book, The Liberation of Sita, does. She dedicates a whole chapter to the encounter between Sita and Surpanakha that takes place in a forest where the former engages in a conversation with the latter, who has transformed her life in the forest and cultivated a beautiful garden, symbolising her own beauty. She has managed to overcome her anger and adversaries, channelling her pain into the creation of a masterpiece in her garden as a coping mechanism against the insults hurled at her. Through this interaction, Surpanakha teaches Sita that she can have an independent existence and not be confined to the shadow of Rama.

Bidding farewell to the ‘male gaze’

The Ramayana narrative has long been shaped by male dominance, perpetuating the elevation of male characters over their female counterparts. However, new writings, fresh perspectives and a view that is uncoloured by any prejudices is bringing about a powerful movement that is driven by the need to challenge this status quo and engage with the often ignored women of this epic tale. 

It's time to unveil these forgotten heroines and let them helm their powerful stories and that can only be achieved by a revisionist lens through which writers can look at new perspectives and rewrite accounts that have been entrenched in history and mythology. 

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.) 

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