Vimukta

by Volga

Award winning book

Genres: Mythology, India, Feminism, Fiction, Indian Literature, Short Stories, Historical Fiction

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

Popuri Lalita Kumari, popularly known by her pen name Volga, is Telugu poet and writer well known for her feminist perspective. She was born in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India. She won the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 2015 for her short story compilation 'Vimukta Kadha Samputi' in Telugu. Along with being a writer, she has also been a professor and head of scripting division in Tollywood. Her work initiated debates across the country about feminism, in times when the idea was hardly accepted. The Library of Congress has a collection of her most popular published works, including the English translations of selected short stories.

Reviews

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Most often, women don't realise that they are a part of the wider world. They limit themselves to an individual, to a household, to a family's honour."

"Conquering the ego becomes the goal of spirituality for men. For women, to nourish that ego and to burn themselves to ashes in it becomes the goal."

This whole passage is so damn liberating and uplifting to read. How I wish every girl child has someone to tell them this.

A must read not only for mythology lovers but for everyone specially for someone living in a patriarchal society where men are considered the supreme ones while the women suffer directly or indirectly because of this.

I would say this Hindu mythological retelling is the best I have read so far regarding a book by a woman for the women and for the generations of women to come.

I find the writing really hard-hitting and piercing because it's all that we ever needed to hear from a woman to a woman. We uplift ourselves; we empower ourselves.

I find this retelling so amazing as it focuses on both the mistakes and the misleading behaviour of both the male and female characters (basic feminism theory doesn't go on bashing men and what they do wrong). I find this read quite liberating as it dissects and elaborate the characters (whoever were involved in the life of Sita and other leading female characters) of the deeds done, things said and the consequences that happened.

Love this book so much!

If you aren't happy with the books you are reading these days, go for this one.

1. It's short.
2. No self-help or motivation will work like this book
3. Women and girls and men and boys and readers and nonreaders need a good read like this
4. Mythology doesn't only talk about fights and kings and male gods and devils like as told in the movies and TV serials and comics
5. More to women empowerment
6. Unique, fast-paced writing.
7. Moreover, let's focus on Hindu mythology and fantasy!
8. More love and support to Indian writers
9. More love and power to underrated women writers
10. I am recommending it 🙋

[Srivalli (Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars after much deliberation (Super Long Post Alert)

One Liner: Could have been wow, ends up okay (with a fair bit of ideology sprinkled in)

Important Note: Trolls will be blocked. I'll not respond to personal attacks and name-calling.

The book is a collection of five interconnected short stories leading to a common point- Sita’s Liberation from this world at the end of Ramayana. It was first written in Telugu as Vimukthi and translated into three Indian regional languages before being released in English.

In this book, Sita meets and learns from other ‘minor’ women characters like Surpankha, Ahalya, Renuka Devi, and Urmila, after being abandoned in the forest and raising her twin sons as a single mother. The book is supposed to re-produce the narrative to show Sita’s journey to ‘self-realization’ and, ultimately, liberation.

Now, the Goodreads blurb also calls the book Volga’s feminist best. The notes at the end emphasize that the book is not simply retelling but revisionist retelling, where the author makes up her own scenes to change the narrative to suit their ideas and viewpoints. The book doesn’t claim to be faithful to the original. I appreciate the move to make the stand clear, except that this could have been mentioned in the beginning (not many read notes at the end).

I realized that (some) retellings follow a similar pattern:
• Strip the original characters of their agency and turn them into empty shells
• Add attributes and traits based on personal opinions
• Rewrite scenes as required
• Give back a teeny % of their original characteristics disguised as someone new
• Call it an empowering revision or retelling from a unique perspective

Anyway, back to the book. This will be a long review, so be warned. I’ll do my best to structure it for better clarity.

The book starts with a story titled The Reunion, where Sita meets Surpanakha. However, I’ll start my review with the fourth story, The Liberated.

The Liberated

Sita is back in Aydhoya with Rama after the exile, war, and agni parikha. She is eager to meet her sister Urmila only to not find her in the welcome party. Sita goes to meet Urmila in her quarters ( not 'palace'. They lived in the same palace, with each wing belonging to different members of the household).

Urmila has locked herself in and refused to meet anyone for those 14 years. She and Sita have a conversation about Urmila’s ‘sleep’ throughout the period. This is by far the best story in the book. It uses the original premise of Urmila sleeping for 14 years straight so that Lakshmana can stay awake and guard his brother and sister-in-law.

Here, the author discusses the concept of sleep. Who said it has to be literal Zzzzz? So, Urmila explains how she went through a series of emotions when Sita left with Rama, and Lakshmana followed them and how locking herself in a room due to anger turned into introspection, acceptance, and self-realization.

I love how Urmila is very clear about what she expects from her husband. They weren’t the same people as 14 years ago. He would have to accept the new her to find peace because she is at peace with herself and is willing to offer the same to her husband if he was ready to accept it.

A great perspective, but somehow diluted by the lengthy monologue where Urmila’s journey is summed up in the driest way possible. What may have sounded heartfelt in Telugu reads like a script in English (and not for the first time). Also, Lakshmana doesn’t just go away with Rama. He informs Urmila. They have a discussion, and then he leaves.

I can’t help but wonder why Sumitra (Lakshman's mother) doesn’t get a single mention in the book (not even in this story).

Music of the Earth

This is Ahalya’s story, majorly revamped from the original. Here, Sita meets Ahalya twice- during exile and after being abandoned.

I like how Ahalya doesn’t want pity or to be treated as a victim of patriarchy. She talks about how truth and untruth don’t have clear-cut distinctions and cannot be generalized. Good again. She also advises Sita to not agree to a trial set by a man. Agreed again.

However, this story is marred by a few issues:
• Anti-Brahmanism
• Superimposing Aryan invasion theory
• All men are bad rhetoric (actually, only Brahmin and Kshtiya men are bad)
• A controlling and authoritative Rama (apparently this is the standard Marxist theory; not my words!)
• A meek, weak, and naïve Sita who sounds more like a petulant girl from finishing school in love with a Duke than the woman she is. (this must have influenced Sita’s character in Kaikeyi)

What’s the point in referring to her multiple times as the Daughter of the Earth if she is stripped of all the characteristics that make her who she is?

I don’t think I’ll understand why authors need to turn one character weak to elevate another. Why can’t two strong women co-exist and learn from each other? Isn’t that what feminism should be about? Strong doesn’t equate to flawless. It doesn’t mean the character doesn’t have any vulnerability.

And… the biggest issue is the rewritten version of Ahalya’s story. Why not use the original to initiate the all-important decision as it was done with Urmila’s story?

Imagine Ahalya and Sita meeting after Ahalya returns to her original form from being a stone.

Imagine Ahalya asking Sita, “why is that one man decided he could satiate his desire by tricking a woman, why is that another man decided he had the power to curse her for it, and why is that the woman had to lie as a lifeless stone until a third man arrived years later to relieve her from the curse? Why couldn’t the woman decide what she wanted to do after the incident? Why is it that she had to go back to normal after everything had happened?”

And then continue with Ahalya talking about how her time spent as a stone gave her a lot to think about and that she doesn’t owe an explanation to anyone. When there is enough in the original to raise questions (which is the true intention of the scriptures), I see no reason to create new scenarios.

Oh, before I forget. Sita referring to Ahalya as ‘sister’ in a couple of dialogues made me wince. It would be ‘mother’. Sisterhood in feminism doesn’t have to be so literal.

The Sand Pot

This story is about Renuka Devi, Parashurama’s mother. This one suffers from the same issues as the previous one. A needlessly rewritten version when the original could have delivered a greater impact.

This one also messes up Sita’s character arc to accommodate a discussion about ‘civilization’ and ‘forest life’. On one page, Sita is the Daughter of the Earth and someone who is the best when immersed in nature. On the next page, we have a Sita asking Renuka, ‘why should people be uncivilized and behave like animals’.

For goodness sake! Nature’s child wouldn’t go around insulting animals or questioning nature’s laws so that she can be lectured by another woman who is said to have opposed patriarchy.

And I’m tired of this Aryan invasion/ migration theory being forced on Ramayana. (More about this next) I don’t really care for the North-South divide some people are so determined to establish.

The Shackled

This is Rama’s monologue about his life and love for Sita. He reflects on his life and how being a king meant he had to sacrifice his personal life, and the time with Sita in exile was the best part… and you can guess the rest.

I’m not sure what to make of this one. Is it a genuine attempt to present Rama’s side of things (as I have been told the author is mature and balanced, unlike… well, you know if you know)? Or it is an attempt at damage control by trying to act balanced?

I don’t know.

I’m torn because even though this story gives Rama POV (and let’s consider it a genuine attempt), it comes at the end. So, the last chapter ends with Rama telling the readers that Sita attained liberation while he was still shackled to his Arya Dharma (whatever that even means).

Honestly, this is not what I want from feminist fiction. I want Sita to Show me how she liberated herself. The book has to end with Sita going back into the earth and showing that it isn't because she wants to get even but because she has truly freed herself from the bonds in the mortal world and is ready to move on to the next spiritual level. It means she has nothing to tie her to this world- neither love nor hatred.

Sita going back into the earth is my favorite scene in the epic, and the book, for all it does, alludes to it multiple times but doesn’t ‘show’ it to me. A wasted opportunity, IMO.

The Reunion

This is the first and weakest story in the book. The author mentions that she wrote it in response to protest Doordharshan’s denial of airing her drama, and it shows. This was meant to be played on stage, not read on paper.

On stage, dialogues aren’t just words. They are accompanied by the actor’s expressions, body language, voice, intonations, and setting. So when Surphnakha ‘tells’ her story to Sita, we aren’t just reading them. We’ll be feeling the words sink into our minds as our eyes watch the scene.

In the book, the story is as dry as parched earth despite having some powerful words to establish emotion. Was it an issue with the original, or did the translation mess it up? No idea.

That said, this one also suffers from the same ideological thrusting when unnecessary. For example,
• Rama and Sita are Aryans, and Rama wants to spread Arya Dharma in the south
• Demons are called aboriginals so that the rishis can be colonizers and invaders (nevermind the Brits & Portuguese, darling)

The author wanted a humane version of Surpanakha. I completely agree with the thought. Just because she belongs to the rakshasa clan doesn’t make her emotions any less valid.

However, Surpankha is what I consider a larger-than-life character (like her brother, Ravana). She has 1000mg potency and strong emotions. What we get is a diluted 50mg version. Though I like how she takes solace in nature, builds a wonderful garden, and even finds a man who loves her for who she is (after being disfigured), I don’t see the need to suppress her natural flair and sensuality to make her seem human.

Let her be flawed and still command empathy from readers. A single dialogue saying she loved her beauty and was proud of her nose doesn’t really suffice. Show her attitude and the change in her over the years. By the way, how many of you know that Ravan killed Surpanakha's husband because he was an enemy, and this is why she lived in the forests (and eventually came across Rama)?

In this story, Sita compares her ‘metal’ jewelry with Surpanakha’s flower jewelry. This one made me laugh as it reminded me of the extravagant gold ornaments we see in mythological Telugu movies. Looks like I found the source of inspiration for this. And, of course, yet another attempt to strengthen one character at the cost of another.

Sita’s Erratic Character Arc

The stories were written over the years and stitched together to form a book. This is way too evident in the overall structuring and character development. There are bits and pieces of Sita’s strength (when she agrees to angi pariksha, that too from Lakshman's POV) or when she is a single mother. However, she gets overshadowed by the desire to strengthen other women more and the need force-fit ideological narratives of Arya and whatever.

Come on! Here’s a woman who spent 13 years in a forest, one year in a captive, and multiple years as a single mother in a forest ashram. I wish there was more to show the grit and the strength of her will she inherited from her mother (earth).

I like that her archery prowess is mentioned. However, it could have been better utilized. Luv and Kush and Rama have a small but intense face-off in the forest (related to the Ashwamedha horse). Rama wonders who the ashram kids are as they display immense archery skills that almost equate to his own. Sita arrives at the scene when she realizes what’s happening. That’s when Rama knows how the twins are.

Moreover, Rama’s family, the ministers, and half of Ayodhya arrive to ask Sita to go back to the kingdom. Rama doesn’t send her summons (as if she’s an employee on a long leave). Sita gets the last word and goes into the earth in front of a huge audience, right in the middle of the forest. That is who she is.

The Illogical Arya Dharma Theory

Now comes the main issue with the book. It continuously tries to force the Aryan invasion/ migration theory in the Treta Yug. So if Parasurama and Rama (and Sita) were Aryans and Ravan, Surpanakha were Dravidians, which god is an Aryan, and which god is Dravidian?

Ravan was a hardcore Shiv bhakt (until his ego took over his wisdom and turned him into an arrogant man). So, does it mean Vishnu is an Aryan and Shiva is Dravidian? Furthermore, Ravan’s father was a rishi (sage). He was no aboriginal. Ravan regularly performed yagnas in Lanka and was known for his knowledge of scriptures.

Why does Rama pray to Shiva and Sita pray to Gowri (Parvati)? Why does Hanuman, who is Shiva’s essence, become a Ram bhakt?

If Shiva is also an Aryan, why does Ravan, a Dravidian, consider him his god? Does it mean that Ravan was an Aryan though somehow Surpanakha is a Dravidian? Did the aboriginals pledge loyalty to one Aryan over the other? Why?

And if Dravidians were true natives of the land, why is that nature give birth to an Aryan woman (Sita) and make her destiny’s child? Is it not unfair that she considered her ‘real worshippers’ less than Aryans (if she did)?

As a Dravidian with Dravidian ancestors, I’m having an identity crisis here (not really).

Long story short, Arya ≠ Aryans.

An Arya is ‘a true gentleman/ woman/ person’. It has nothing to do with their skin color, features, or region. Unarya is the opposite. Even Ravan is called Arya (or Aryaputra) and so is Vaali.

Check out Ami Gantara’s Ramayana Unravelled: Lesser Known Facets of Rishi Vālmiki’s Epic.

The End Notes in the Book

I agree with the author when she talks about the issues in the Telugu publishing industry and the lack of translations from Telugu to other national or foreign languages. Given the quality of this translation, I'm not confident of what we'd end up with despite the efforts.

Conclusion

The Liberation of Sita has a great concept and shows glimpses of philosophical understanding of the issues. However, it ends up as a below-average piece that doesn’t do justice to most of the characters. As with other retellings, this book, too, suffers from the presumption that the only way to challenge something is to rewrite a new story.

The purpose of scriptures is not to establish blind rules (contrary to popular assumption) but to encourage people to think, speculate, and take what is good for them. Scriptures are mirrors. They reflect the person who reads the words. If you look into an ocean and can’t see beyond your crooked eyeliner, it’s not the ocean’s fault, nor is it shallow and useless.

I can only hope the original is more intense, balanced, and critical than this weak translation in English. Words like machines, mechanical, charge, etc., sound rather odd in mytho-fiction.

***

P.S.: This is exactly why I don’t read so-called retellings and revisions. I end up writing a thesis instead of a review. If you read the entire review, thank you very much for your patience.

[Aditi · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it. ”

----Roseanne Barr


Popuri Lalita Kumari, who writes award-winning Telugu poems and stories under her pen name Volga, has penned yet another terrific and feminist tale revolving around India's most popular mythological tale Ramayana, called, The Liberation of Sita. In this book, the author meticulously weaves a story about the characters from Ramayana with their struggles, hardships and challenges that they underwent through during their life times and how that made them the way we see them now. Mostly revolving around Sita's life after abandonment with her husband and her ordeal with the test of chastity, among with other notable characters like Surpanakha, Ahalya and many more.


Synopsis:

Valmiki’s Ramayana is the story of Rama’s exile and return to Ayodhya, a triumphant king who will always do right by his subjects.

In Volga’s retelling, it is Sita who, after being abandoned by Purushottam Rama, embarks on an arduous journey to self-realization. Along the way, she meets extraordinary women who have broken free from all that held them back: Husbands, sons and their notions of desire, beauty and chastity. The minor women characters of the epic as we know it – Surpanakha, Renuka, Urmila and Ahalya – steer Sita towards an unexpected resolution. Meanwhile, Rama too must reconsider and weigh out his roles as the king of Ayodhya and as a man deeply in love with his wife.

A powerful subversion of India’s most popular tale of morality, choice and sacrifice, The Liberation of Sita opens up new spaces within the old discourse, enabling women to review their lives and experiences afresh. This is Volga at her feminist best.


Sri Ramachandra's wife, Sita endured a lot of pain and challenges all through out her life time, even though being the queen of Ayodhya and the daughter of Mother Earth. In this book, the author strikingly brings out the inner soul of the most popular female mythological characters whom people pray and follow till this day. Sita is an epitome of beauty and purity, but she is so much more than just a beautiful and law-abiding wife to Rama. This book traces her journey through motherhood, abandonment, salvation, kidnapped days and womanhood. Her sacrifices for herself as well as for her kingdom sets her apart from being a mere human being, thereby making her divine and immortal in the eyes of the common man.

This book not only revolves around Sita, but also around a Gautama Rishi's wife named, Ahalya, who was blindsided by a wretched man to make her think that the man is her husband in order to make love to her. After which, her husband abandoned her, but this incident never once deterred her immense beauty and grace that made many great men go weak in their knees. shunned by the society as a characterless woman, Ahalya grasped the knowledge of nature and enlightening herself with deep wisdom about life, which after meeting Sita in Valmiki's forest, she helped Sita see the inner meaning of life and nature without the support of any man. Though Sita initially never found any meaning to Ahalya's words, but at a later stage after her separation from her husband, it made Sita believe the words of Ahalya strongly be heart.

There's another lesser known character, whom the readers barely get to see or explore while reading the Ramayana and she is Surpanakha, the younger sister of the evil and ten-headed kind of Lanka, Ravana. Disfigured by the Kayastha brothers, Rama and Laxman of Ayodhya, Surpanakha, the proud woman of her beauty and charm, was left heart broken and depressed, but gradually she herself uplifted her spirit and learnt to embrace whatever beauty she is left with as well as with her fate too. She too came across Sita while Sita's stay in Valmiki's forest with her two sons, and Surpanakha's journey through self-realization gives Sita the much-needed strength and hope to lead her life alone.

There are also other two characters, Renuka and Urmila, the wife of Laxman, who too guides and enlightens Sita with their lives' struggling paths carved out by themselves. In the beginning, the readers will get an innocent image of Sita and gradually this character endures a lot of experience and pain, that ultimately turns her into a mature, thoughtful and self-enlightened woman. And most surprisingly, the Ramayana depicts Sita mostly as a damsel in distress with her prince and prince's brother always saving her from harm and danger. But in this book, she is the exact opposite of that damsel instead her thoughts and approaches her laced with feminism and bravery that makes her look inspiring in the eyes of the readers. Here she faces her challenges alone and boldly, unlike in Ramayana.

This book gives a partially flawed characterism of the great Lord Rama, whose each act during the 14 years of Banawas was to provoke the Lanka king in order to empower his kingdom. This provocation of his becomes his own enemy when Sita is abducted and never ever returns to him truly in a free body and mind. Rama's distress and fight to get his wife back will make the readers realize about men's basic nature to use women as pawns and to dominate over them.

In a nutshell, this is a compelling book surrounding the life and time of Sita along with some notable characters from one of the greatest Indian mythological tale, Ramayana.

Verdict: Thoroughly enlightening and poignant account of a woman who is worshiped even to this day.

[Resh (The Book Satchel) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Volga's The Liberation of Sita is a collection of short stories. Sita meets other famous (infamous?) women of the myths - Surpanaka, Renuka, Urmila, Ahalya. Through conversations, self reflection and quiet questions (that are often not asked), Sita finds herself in whole form, not as a manifestation of an image conferred upon her by a man's world. The stories pose questions of who is right and who is wrong; what is dharma; why women were always silenced; how men see women and so on. I particularly loved Sita's meeting with Surpanaka. Surpanaka is always described as a demon in the stories, but here she finds beauty and joy in nurturing her garden. Similarily, each meeting awakens a new thought in Sita which later threads into the actual story of Ramayana.

I love Ramayana and reading about different takes on the book. Moreover Sita is one of my favourite heroines, the other being Parvathy. So I was very enthusiastic to see Volga's interpretations. I loved the book for how the women were portrayed. I have always thought of Sita as a very strong woman and this book tells us the building blocks in her life that made her into what she is. All stories revolve around the theme of how unfair life is towards a woman.

The epics have never been very kind to women characters nor given them a voice. Which is why such interpretations that give a voice to the female characters in a man's world are so important. You don't need a knowledge about Ramayana or the epics to get the most out of the book. The characters are explained but a basic knowledge of the bare storyline is definitely helpful.

However I did think a lot of the essence of the book was lost in translation- it had a familiar, bumpy feel at many portions which often happens in translations from Indian languages into English. That said, I would recommend the read because it makes you think; it really does.

Rating :3.5 stars

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[The Bibliophile Doctor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The liberation of sita is retelling of fate of Sita through her own pov along with few other great women who are under represented but have a significant role to play in Ramayana. Being single in anyway, by choice or by abandonment carries a stigma in our society. Not just in Ramayana but even in current era, it is frowned upon especially if it is a woman. Our patriarchal society doesn't support a single woman.

Here in Sita's case her abandonment not once but twice by her own husband sets Sita on a journey to liberation but she needs the correct set of course to achieve so ,to overcome her misery which is provided by the women she meets before and after the exile. There's no chronological order but they are like short stories of women who were betrayed or humiliated by men in one way or another. Sometimes by their own husbands, sometimes even by their own sons.

Sita after Rama abandons her stays in Valmiki's ashrama with her sons Luv and Kusha. One fine day they tell her about a woman who is ugly in appearance but has a beautiful garden. Sita instantly knows they are talking about Shurpanakha. The story of shurpanakha goes as she approached the trio of Rama, Laxman and Sita when they were in adhnyatvasa. She was instantly smitten with Rama who rejected her , infuriated and dejected shurpanakha attacked Sita. Laxman cut her nose and ears.

Sita goes to meet shurpanakha and is mesmerized by the change she has brought even though her life changed drastically as her appearance did. When asked by Sita shurpanakha explains “I’ve realized that the meaning of success for a woman doesn’t lie in her relationship with a man. Only after that realization, did I find this man’s companionship.” Rather than cursing her fate, she changed her perspective, to realise her self worth and found happiness in the process.

Later in the story, she meets Ahalya Devi. Ahalya Devi's story goes as Indra disguised as her husband sage Gautama slept with her and enraged Gautama turned her into a rock. When her curse was broken by Rama, she returns to her original form. When her conversations start, Sita too wonders if Ahalya Devi was a victim or not to which she says it doesn't matter. “His property, even if temporarily, had fallen into the hands of another. It was polluted.”

When your own husband abandons you, you have to look for support in yourself. According to Ahalya Devi it is easier for society to forgive a woman for her misgivings if she is portrayed as a victim. But if she doesn't have an explanation to offer, society finds it difficult. A woman's place or identity in the society is first as someone's daughter, replaced with someone's wife after marriage and later on someone's mother after having kids. She does not have an authority on her own life but everytime a man in her life does. If a man abandons her that is where her life as someone's someone ends and The solitary life starts. But for that she has to move away from the sorrow and pain she might feel at the sense of loss. “Society gave him that authority, I didn’t. Till I give it, no one can have that authority over me.”

Ahilya Devi urges Sita not to agree to go through the trial if she faces any in the future.

Later on Sita meets Renuka Devi. Her story is no different. She was beheaded by her own son Parshuram on her husband's order who thought her thoughts were polluted. While Ahalya Devi offers liberation from bonds of marriage Renuka Devi offers Sita wisdom of how to not get invested too much in maternal bonds as well. "A woman thinks she doesn’t have a world other than that of her husband’s. True. But some day that very husband will tell her that there is no place for her in his world. Then what’s left for her? She thinks giving birth to sons is the ultimate goal of her life. But those sons become heirs to their father, and even before we realize it, they leave her hands and go under the wing of their father. They submit to his authority. Or they begin to legislate our lives. Why bear such sons?"


In the end Sita recalls meeting Urmila who also had experienced abandonment from her husband who chose to be with his brother rather than his wife which again is sort of betrayal. Will a woman be praised if she chooses he brother over her husband? Will same be allowed to her? Urmila first infuriated and hurt locked herself in her room but that led her to the discovery of her self worth and self reliance.“if you ever have to face the kind of trial I did, do not respond in a predictable manner. Do not allow the situation to force you into mundaneness, into nastiness. Do not let it burn you up in anger, hatred. Save yourself. Assert your right over yourself. Give up your power over others. Then you will belong to yourself. You will be yourself. It’s not easy to remain ourselves .”

Sita finds solace in these women and understands a different perspective about beauty (shurpanakha), self-worth (Renuka Devi), authority(Ahalya Devi), self-reliance (Urmila) and finds liberation from bonds of society and marriage and motherhood which were the root cause of her sorrow and pain. Her betrayal at the hands of her husband makes her realise her place in the world has not limited as just his wife. She was much more than that.

Lastly, few lines are added from Rama's perspective which balances out the rest of the book. His decisions of following his dharma first costed him his wife whom he loved dearly and his children and it pained him to do so. My exalted nobleness is my handicap. With this political power, I have lost power over myself. I have lost my Sita. I have lost my son.’It is not in Rama’s hands to give up his authority.
It is not Rama’s sole discretion to give up his kingdom.
The day Rama prepared himself, joyously and without any apprehensions, to wear the crown, it left him.

The explanations, the arguments are just terrific and spot on. The inner turmoil of every character has been voiced so well that I had to close the book several times to comprehend the meaning and to deal with it.

A must read if you are into Indian mythos.

[Janani · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the retelling I've been looking for. Not even a retelling, more so the POV. The Ramayana treats its female characters, amongst others, very poorly, so this was refreshing to read.

[Meghna (the_bookshelflife) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot NOT give this book a 5 star.
"Society gave him that authority, I didn't. Till I give it, no one can have that authority over me.
But he has disowned you.
Pity, that is his loss."
The Authority being spoken about here is the authority to judge, the authority to dictate her actions.
The Liberation of Sita is a book which I felt, everyone should read. I finished this book in one sitting; but it lingered in my mind, so much so that it didnt let me sleep. Its a collection of 5 different, yet connected stories of Sita meeting 4 extraordinary women, who have broken free from all that held them back; they have a profound impact on Sita and steer her towards an unexpected resolution, of her Liberation.
I wish I knew enough Telugu to read the book in its original language.
For the love of literature, please read it.

[Kaśyap · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, but i feel like some of the passion/intensity got lost in the translation. It felt much more profound when i read the original.

[Elsa Rajan Pradhananga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever wondered what happened to Laxman's wife when he accompanied Sri Ram in his 14yrs of banishment? Exactly!

Her name was Urmila. And in Volga's book, Urmila is shown to have shut herself from others in the palace to analyse her emotions. She realized that love, hate, jealousy and power are all signs of our dependency on others. She found inner peace in liberating herself from this dependency.

The Liberation of Sita is the story of four strong women freed from the shackles of patriarchy just like Sita was at the end of Ramayana. The book explores Sita's journey of self discovery through conversations with four poignantly overlooked wise and beautiful  women of the epic - Shurpanakha, Ahalya, Renuka and Urmila.

Of the four, I loved Ahalya's attitude the most. She wasn't willing to admit if she was indeed guilty of infidelity because she kept to herself the truth in wheather or not she was aware that it was Indra disguised as her husband she slept with that fateful day. She thought that the truth in this was insignificant and decided that truth is whatever gave people peace. She knew for sure though, that it was her husband's loss that he disowned her.

Ironically, the last story in the collection is titled 'The Shackled' and is about Sri Ram's dilemma. Torn between his duty towards his country and love for his wife, he is seen awaiting liberation.

The book emphasizes in the significance of sisterhood in feminism and the leading ladies are not shown as victims of patriarchy but women in pursuit of self realization. This is the Ramayana that I want my daughter to read because the feminist appeal in this retelling has a contemporary relevance. Absolutely loved it.

[Jyotsna · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘When I understood my relationships with others, I felt I understood everything. Power is the root cause of all sorrow, Akka. Do you know another strange thing? We must acquire this power. And then give it up. I shall not submit to anyone’s power. Nor will I bind anyone with my power. Then I will feel I have liberated myself. I will feel only joy within myself! Great peace! Much love! Compassion for all! ‘It’s a pity how people get bogged down by structures of power. Unable to see how they can liberate themselves, they rot in unrest, sorrow and hatred.

This is the best Sitayana I have read.

The book is written in a to-the-point, experimental format talking about the issues with the Ramayana in general. The patriarchy and misogyny is discussed in detal through dialogue between the four women of the original epic - Sita, Ahalya, Shurpanakha and Urmila.

As the author put it best in the idea behind the book -

Desire to expand the Aryan Empire
Ignited the Rama–Ravana war
It’s an Arya–Dravida clash
Women too became pawns.

The only pre-requisite is that you'll need to know the original Ramayana to understand the aspects being discussed here. Otherwise, everything is superb!

[Hrishikesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

My only complaint is that the writing (especially the translation) could have been far, far better. The subject discussed is serious, and its wisdom profound. It could've been dealt in with more deliberation.

[Anurag Vaishnav · Rating 4 out of 5]

As children, when the epic of Ramayana is first narrated to us, the focus is entirely on the events in the sundara kanda and the yuddha kanda, i.e. the period of exile leading to Ram's victory over Ravana. And for children, Ram's story is mostly over at this point. As it makes a happy ending - the victory of good over evil, for which we celebrate Diwali.

What is often skipped is the part which follows. The part where a woman is subjected to society's scrutiny on the grounds of female chastity. That's the part which adults are not comfortable talking about. Or perhaps that's skipped because that's the part where the god many worship doesn't come off as god. But that's precisely the part where this centuries-old epic portrays similarities to the postmodern society.

This book, written from Sita's perspective, is a great read for anyone looking for a revisionist female perspective on this and the other parts of the Ramayana. From this perspective, one could possibly argue that Ramayana was one of the first feminist texts.

[Ayushi Singh · Rating 1 out of 5]

Crap, Lies and manipulating the whole story for her perspective. I've other retellings which were from Sita's perspective but the stories were same. But here it seems less like Sita's retelling but more of criticizing Rama at every point, in a very unnecessary way. So here's one of the example it is said in the book that "Rama killed Ravan because he wanted to grew his empire". Like seriously? And then he handed that empire to his brother. So what I want to point out is that writer has manipulated whole Ramayan in order to justify her perspective.

[Bigsna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really really really liked this book.
I had been looking for modern re-tellings of Indian mythology, something beyond Devdutt Pattanaik and Ashwin Sanghi, that either brought a new perspective or told the story more objectively, and what I found was this slim, 100 page marvel, now a treasured addition to my favorites.

Written by a feminist, the book takes a completely fresh critical direction through a feminist point of view to Sita's story. Picking up at different points in her life, the author creates a narrative between Sita and several other female characters from the Ramayana, treating these key moments in her life with a new perspective to help her understand the implications of the trials she has borne or will bear. There are many many layers in what is such a simply written no-frills narrative.

Written originally in Telugu (titled Vimukta) through the late 70s and 80s, I find this book timeless in the message it ultimately seeks to convey and borrow a few lines from a critical review included at the end of the book, written by one of the translators, to describe what this book really achieves:
Volga's Vimukta not only belongs to this tradition of feminist re-visionist myth-making but it takes it further. Volga does not use re-visioning merely as a strategy to subvert patriarchal structures embedded in mythical texts but also as a means to forge a vision of life in which liberation is total, autonomous and complete.
.......Women are no longer a means to serve someone else's ends, nor are they merely the prizes in men's quests. On the contrary, they are questers seeking their own salvation.

Does liking this book so much mean I am a feminist? I couldn't say... but I do relate to and support this perspective wholeheartedly. I will definitely be re-reading this book a few times.

[Khyati Gautam · Rating 4 out of 5]

It consists of short stories, snippets from the epic Ramayana and retold in a mesmerizing manner. The stories portray Sita becoming a stronger woman through her ordeals and chance meetings with different other women who suffered a similar fate to hers.
It is both beautiful and poignant to read Sita's narration of Ramayana through these stories. It is disheartening to see how women are always mistreated and considered nothing more than objects of power play.
This book is a fresh take on the subject of women and feminism. Recommended!

[Ananthaprakash · Rating 4 out of 5]

மீட்சி - ஒல்கா  லலிதகுமாரி
மொழிப்பெயர்ப்பு - கௌரி கிருபாநந்தன்

மீட்சி - பெயர் அளவில் மட்டுமே புராணங்களின், இதிகாசங்களின் நாயகிகளாக - சத்தியம், தர்மம் என்கிற கோட்பாடுகளின் பெயரலாயும் அதன் வழி உருவாக்கப்படுகிற சம்பிரதாயங்கள் பெயரலாயும் இருட்டுக்குள்ளேயே நின்றுகொண்டே இருந்த இதிகாசங்களின் பெண்களை, அந்த மீளா இருளில்  தடம் தெரியாமல் அலைந்து திரிந்த பாத்திரங்களை அவர்களின் கரம் பிடித்து வழி நடத்தி அவர்களுக்கான மீட்சியை கொடுக்கிறது.

காலம் முழுமைக்கும் இதிகாசங்களின் நாயகர்களால் வெறுமனே உருட்டி விளையாடப்படும் பகடையாய் மட்டுமே உருண்டு கொண்டிருந்த பெண்களை, தன்னை அறிந்த, தன் சுயத்தை அறிந்த, தனக்கான மீட்சியை தன்னிலிருந்தே கண்டடைந்த சுதந்திர பறவையாய் சிறகுகளைச் சிலுப்பிப் பறக்க வைக்கிறது மீட்சி.

மீட்சி - எது மீட்சி? எதிலிருந்து மீட்சி? யாருக்கான மீட்சி ? என்கிற மூன்று கேள்விகளை முன்வைத்து அதன் வழி பாத்திரங்களைத் தன்னளவில் கதைக்குள் நகர்த்தி அதன் வழியா மீட்சிக்கான வழியைக் கதாபாத்திரத்திற்கு மட்டும் இல்ல வாசிக்கிற வாசகனுக்கும் கொடுத்து ஒரு புதிய திறப்பைக் கொடுக்கிறது.

எது மீட்சி - தனக்குள் அகப்போராட்டத்தை நிகழ்த்தி, தன்னை, சுயத்தைக் கண்டடைவதும், தன்னிலிருந்து தனக்கான மீட்சியை அடைவதும்.

எதிலிருந்து மீட்சி - சத்தியம், தர்மம் என சதா மாறுகிற ஆனாலும் விடாமல் இறுக்கமாய் பற்றிக் கொள்கிற கட்டுமானங்களிலிருந்தும், ஒழுக்கமும், பத்தினித்தன்மையையும் பெண்ணுக்கானது என்கிற கற்பிதங்களிலிருந்தும், இது இரண்டு மட்டுமல்லாமல் தான் நேசித்த உறவுகளால் தனக்கு ஏற்பட்ட துன்பங்களில், வேதனைகளிலிருந்தும் அதன் விளைவாய் தனக்குள்ளேயே நிகழ்த்திக் கொள்கிற அகப்போராட்டங்களில் இருந்தும்.

யாருக்கு மீட்சி - மூக்கும், காதும் அறுக்கப்பட்டு குறுபியாய் நின்ற இராவணனின் தங்கை சூர்ப்பணகைக்கு, பார்த்ததும் வணங்கக்கூடிய மதிப்பும், அன்பும், கருணையும், சௌந்தரியமும் உருவாய் இருந்தும் ஒழுக்கம் தவறியதாய் சொல்லி ஒதுக்கப்பட்ட கௌதம மகரிஷியின் மனைவி அகல்யாவுக்கு, பார்த்த மாத்திரத்தில் பத்தினி தன்மை குலைந்து விட்டதாய், தந்தையின் ஆணையால் தாயின் தலையைக் கொய்யவும் தயாரான பரசுராமனின் தாய் ரேணுகாவிற்க்கு, அண்ணனின் பொருட்டு தன்னை விட்டு நீங்கி வனவாசம் சென்ற இலக்குமணனின் மனைவி ஊர்மிளாவிற்கு, பூமியின் புத்திரி சீதைக்கு, இறுதியாய் ராஜ்ய, அதிகார வரம்புக்குள் சிக்குண்டு தர்மத்தை நிலைநாட்ட தன் அன்புக்குரியவளை இழந்த ராமனுக்கும் கூட மீட்சி.

பூமியின் புத்திரியான சீதை, வாழ்வின் இருவேறு கட்டங்களில் - முழு விடுதலை அடைந்துவிட்ட சூர்ப்பணகை, அகல்யா, ரேணுகா மற்றும் ஊர்மிளாவைச் சந்திக்கிறாள். இந்த சந்திப்பின் போது நிகழ்கிற உரையாடல்கள் முழுவதும் தான் மீட்சி.

முதல் சந்திப்பில் சீதைக்கும், இவர்களுக்கும் நிகழ்கிற உரையாடல்களில் பெரிதும் அர்தமற்றதாய் தோன்றுகிற தெரிப்புகள் - சீதைக்கும் கூட. இராண்டவது சந்திப்பில், வேறு ஒரு அனுபவத்தில், மனநிலையில் சந்திக்கும் போது அவர்களின் உரையாடல்களில் இருந்த உள்ளார்ந்த பொருளும், அவர்களின் பார்வையில் இருக்கிற கனமும் சீதைக்குப் புரியத் துவங்கி மாற்றத்தைத் தருவது போல வாசிக்கிற நமக்குள்ளும் அப்படியான மாறுதல்களை நிகழ்த்தி பார்க்கிறது மீட்சி.

குரூபியாய் ஆக்கப்பட்ட பின் எது அழகு எனத் தேடி அலைந்து, இயற்கைக்கு அப்படியான பகுப்புகள் ஏதும் இல்லையென்று இயற்கையின் வழியாக தன்னுடைய மீட்சியை அடைந்த சூர்ப்பணகை, நான் கொடுக்காத வரையில் யாரும் என்மீது அதிகாரத்தைப் பெற முடியாதென்று சொல்கிற அகல்யா, அவர் அவர் அனுபவத்திலிருந்தே சத்தியம் புலப்படுமென்று சொல்கிற ரேணுகா, அதிகாரத்தை எடுத்துக் கொள். அதிகாரத்தைத் துறந்துவிடு அப்போது நீ உனக்குச் சொந்தமாவாய்ன்னு சொல்கிற ஊர்மிளா இப்படி எல்லாருமாய் சீதைக்கு சகோதரித்துவமும், ஆதரவு கரமும், தங்களின் வாழ்வில் கண்டடைந்த ஞானத்தை உணர்த்துகிறார்கள் அவர்களின் சந்திப்பில், இறுதியில் சீதை தனக்கான விடுதலையை அடைந்தாளா இல்லையா ??

பொதுவா இதிகாசங்களை மீள் உருவாக்கம் செய்து அதை வேறொரு பார்வையில் வைக்கிற கதைகளை எல்லாம் பாக்கும் போது எனக்கு எழுகிற கேள்வி ஏன் திரும்பத் திரும்ப அது சமூகத்தை நோக்கிய கேள்வியாகவும், இல்லை அதன் நாயகர்களின் தன்மையை மாற்றி எழுதி முடித்துக் கொள்கிற போக்காகவும் மட்டுமே பெரும்பாலும் முடிஞ்சுறுது அப்படிங்கற எண்ணம்.

அப்போ மீள் உருவாக்கமும், சமூகத்தை நோக்கிய கேள்விகளும் முக்கியம் இல்லையான்னு கேட்டா, நிச்சயம் முக்கியம் தான் ஆனால் அதில் மட்டுமே முழு விடுதலைக்கான, மீட்சிக்கான இடம் இருக்கா அப்படிங்கிற கேள்வியும் இருக்கு.

ஏன் பெண்களின் வலியை, இன்னல்களை, போராட்டத்தை, அகக் குமுறல்களை, உணர்வுகளை, இந்த எல்லாவற்றிலிருந்தும் தான் பெற்ற ஞானத்தை - அதைக் கொண்டு தான் முழு விடுதலை அடைய துவக்கம் முதலில் தன்னிடம் இருந்தும், சமூகம், உறவுகளுக்குத் தான் அளித்து இருக்கிற அணுகல்களிருந்தும், அதிகாரங்களில் இருந்தும் தன்னைத் தானே பிரித்து தனக்கான விடுதலையைத் தானே தன்னுள்ளே அடைய முற்படுகிற முயற்சியாய் ஏன்  வைக்கல அப்படின்னு ஒரு சில கதைகளை படித்த பிறகு யோசித்தது உண்டு.

அப்படியான ஒரு குரலா தான் ஓல்காவின் மீட்சி ஒலிக்கிறது. தன் மீதான அதிகாரத்தைத் தான் எடுத்துக்கிற, அதன் வழி தன்னை, சுயத்தை அடைகிற குரலா.

இப்படி இதிகாசத்தின் பெண்களுக்கு மீட்சியை வழங்கிய ஓல்கா, அத்தோடு மட்டும் நிற்காமல் கதையின் இறுதியில் - ராமனும் ராஜ்ய, அதிகார வரம்புக்குள் சிக்குண்டு தர்மத்தை நிலைநாட்ட தன் அன்புக்குரியவளை இழந்தவன் தான் என அவனுக்கும் ஒரு மீட்சியைக் கொடுத்து வைக்கிற பார்வையின் வாயிலாக - நிச்சயம் இக்கதையை, அதன் உள்ளார்ந்த பொருளை அதன் அடுத்த தளத்திற்கு நகர்த்திச் செல்கிறார்.

மீட்சி - ஓல்காவின் வேறு சில படைப்புகளையும் தேடி வாசிக்கவேண்டும் அப்படிங்கிற ஆவலைத் தூண்டின ஒரு படைப்பு .

ஒரு வேளை தர்மத்தின், சத்தியத்தின் கண் கொண்டு மட்டுமே பார்க்க முடிகிறவர்க்கு மீட்சியைப் அடைந்த சீதை - வணங்குதலுக்கு உரியவளாய் இல்லாமல் இருக்கலாம், ஆனால் நிச்சயம் என்னளவில் வழிகாட்டுதலுக்கு உரியவள், தோல் சாய்ந்து ஆற்றாமையைப் போக்கிக் கொள்ளும் தோழமைக்குரியவள், கைப்பிடித்து மீட்சிக்கு அழைத்துச் செல்லும் சகோதரித்துவத்திற்கு உரியவள்.  

நிச்சயம் வாசித்துப் பாருங்கள் மீட்சி உங்களுக்கும் ஒரு மீட்சியைக் கொடுக்கலாம்.

[Srav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volga is my first Telugu author.

I've always been proud of my heritage and especially prideful of being a Telugu person- perhaps it comes from my not living in India. This form of longing to understand and be a part of Telugu cultural norms as best as I can be has always gnawed away at my being. It shows through my accent-marked fluent Telugu. But, reading this book has finally given me the understanding of what it really means to be a Telugu woman marked by the societal standards that I have only been half-exposed to my entire life.

This book is quite short- it's around 70 pages (on my Kindle Paperwhite) and is a very alluring read. Essentially, it is a short story collection in which Sita has various discourses with female characters with tragic backgrounds like her. To this day, I've probably read 20-30 different variations of the Ramayanam but after reading this- I finally can retire from searching for the feminist answers I kept asking throughout this book. This is a book that we need in these times. For women, this is an abandonment of old values that are impressed upon us from the Ramayana and it is a nod toward understanding the injustices that are served to the woman. Essentially, it's a feminist lens reading of the Ramayana. I won't get into the analysis because then the book will not hold its charm.

The interview at the end of my copy with Volga was equally mesmerizing. A marxist, feminist Telugu author and activist, she has set out to accomplish for this country what we have constantly failed to do. We need to start accepting Telugu and other Indian authors and need to bring them out into the public because their views and ideologies will help progressive ideologies prosper in this country. Women are slowly becoming aware of their status as an equal, but we need to pursue it on a more governmental, societal level. I absolutely admire the progressive ideas that these authors are putting out, and wholeheartedly thank Volga for writing this book: the Ramayanam that women need to read. No longer should Ramarajyam be the ideal. We should all strive to be the Sita at the end of this book: bound to nobody but herself.

[Namratha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple...a tad too simplistic at times. I somehow feel that the intensity got lost in translation.

[Krutika · Rating 5 out of 5]

| Book Review | The Liberation Of Sita.
•
‘I can protect myself. I can match you in archery,’ Sita had said, laughing. Rama’s face had fallen.
‘As long as I am alive, you will never have to protect yourself. Such a situation must never arise. You must look towards me for protection. You must turn to my strong arms for protection. If you take care of yourself, what am I for? Promise me that you will never do that'. - Volga.
•
Everyone knows the trials that Sita had to go through to prove her chastity and the unfairness of it all is truly heartbreaking. To begin with Sita's life was dedicated to her husband Sri Ram, in serving and loving him. It was after her abduction by Ravana that things began to unravel at a great speed. In this slim book by Volga (originally known as Lalita Kumari), she brings into light the lesser known characters who bring about a significant change in Sita. Originally written in Telugu and later translated to English by T. Vijay Kumar and C. Vijayasree, this book oozes feminism. This should come as no surprise considering how a fierce feminist and activist Volga was. I loved Volga's interview which is documented by Vijay Kumar in this book.
•
There are five small chapters in this book, each different and yet interlinked with each other. In each of these chapters, Sita meets a woman on whom stories are weaved and labels are pasted. Ahalya, who was turned to stone by her husband for being duped by Indra, goes to show Sita that her truth is different from the one that people claim to know. Suparnaka, whose ears and nose were cut by Lakshmana finds love in nature and makes peace with it. When Sita stumbles across her by chance years after the incident, she finds a bond of friendship unfurling inside her chest. Renuka Devi, famous for being known as the mother who's head was cut off by her own son Parashuram, tells Sita that in this life even sons cannot be considered as your own. Later her own sister, Urmila consoles Sita at the time of her trial. All these women have something to pass down to Sita. It is after all this that she attains liberation.
•
For as long as man has existed, it has always been clear that women were used as objects of desire or ridicule. Their lives even back during the mythological era were tales of woes. When Sita's chastity was questioned, she goes through a turbulent time during which she questions Rama's love for her. With the birth of her sons Lava and Kusha, she manages to find a brief sense of understanding before realising that they belong to the universe alone. From Draupadi to Madhavi, there were many unfortunate women who got caught up in unthinkable situations for no fault of theirs. Albeit Sita's story is well known there are many other women who were put through this misery with no way out.
•
When it comes to Sita, there's a clear transition in her personality. At the very end when she decides to go back to Mother Earth, she does it gracefully and with dignity. I especially liked how Volga decided to add Rama's perspective in this book. Between his role as a King and also as a husband, he struggles to grasp a middle ground. At the end his love for Sita wavers in front of his responsibilities of acting as a honorable King. This book reflects feminism like no other and I highly recommend it to everyone. Though some of the essence was lost in translation, this still is a very important book.
•
Rating - 4.5/5

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't remember who's review about this book I read, but it convinced me to order this book and I am so grateful. Nina Paley's awesome musical animated film, "Sita Sings the Blues," is what sparked my interest in the story of Rama and Sita and why the review caught my eye. The Liberation of Sita is a masterful feminist revisioning of the Ramayana, consisting of five short stories. Four imagine Sita's encounters with four "minor" characters in the epic and the wisdom they impart to her. The final story, "The Shackled," reveals how Rama's path leads to giving up personal freedom. Well thought out and beautifully written!

[Amara Bharathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

காப்பியங்களில் கதைகளுக்கு முடிவு இருக்கிறது என்று நினைப்போம்; சில முடிவுறாக் கதைகளுக்கு நாமே ஒரு முடிவையும் தருவோம். காப்பியங்களின் கதைகளுக்கு முடிவே இல்லை; அவை முடிந்த இடத்தில் இருந்து நம் வாழ்வுக்குள் ஊடுறுவிப் பாயும்! எண்ணங்களில், நம் பார்வையில் மாறாத தாக்கத்தை ஏற்படுத்தும்!

அத்தகைய ஒரு காப்பியம் தான் ராமாயணம். பலரால், பல்வேறு காலத்தில் எழுதி, இசைத்து, நடிக்கப்பட்ட கதை இது. இன்றைய நம் சமூகத்தின் விழுமியங்களைக் கட்டமைக்க முக்கியப் பங்கு வகிக்கும் நூலும் கூட! அத்தகையதொரு காப்பியத்தில் இருக்கும் பாத்திரங்களை பெண்ணிய நோக்கில் மறுவாசிப்பு செய்யும் கதைகள் அடங்கிய தொகுப்பு இது.

தெலுங்கு மூலப் பிரதியை ஓல்கா அவர்கள் எழுத, தமிழில் கௌரி கிருபானந்தன் அவர்கள் மொழிபெயர்த்து இருக்கிறார்கள். சூர்ப்பனகை, அகல்யா, பரசுராமனின் தாயாரான ரேணுகா, ஊர்மிளா, இவர்களுடன் சீதையின் சந்திப்பும் அதனால் சீதைக்கு ஏற்படும் குழப்பமும் தெளிவுமே ஒவ்வொரு சிறுகதையும்...

ராமன் மீது காதல் கொண்ட சாதாரண காரணத்துக்காக, அழகைத் தொலைத்து கானகத்தில் தனித்து வாழும் சூர்ப்பனகைக்கு அழகின் உண்மையை, இயற்கையில் உருவம் அருவம் என்பதே இல்லை என்பதை அறிகிறாள். தன் கணவன் போல் மாறுவேடத்தில் தன்னை வேறொருவன் நெருங்கினான் என்பதற்காக கல்லாய் சமைக்கப்பட்ட அகல்யா, தனக்குள்ளான தேடலை தொடங்கி, தெளிவடைகிறாள்; பின்னர் சீதையை சந்திக்கும் போது, "உன் கற்பை நோக்கும் விசாரணைக்கு அடிபணியாதே. விசாரித்தல் என்பதே அவநம்பிக்கை தானே?" என்று கேட்கும் கேள்வி, அக்கினி பரிட்சையின் போது சீதைக் காதில் ஒலிக்கிறது!!

அப்பன் சொல்லிவிட்டான் என்பதாலேயே, நியாயம்-அநியாயம் பாராமல் பரசுராமனால் தலை வெட்டப்பட்டுக் குற்றுயிராய் வாழ்ந்த ரேணுகா தேவியை பிறிதொரு காலத்தில் சீதைக் காண்கிறாள். ஆண்களுக்குக் கீழே அடிமையாய் பணிவிடை செய்து வாழும் சமூகக் கட்டமைப்பையே கேள்வி கேட்டு சீதையை நிலைகுலைய வைக்கிறாள் ரேணுகா. "மீட்சி" என்னும் கதையில், ஊர்மிளாவின் மனப்போக்கு நமக்குத் தெரியவருகிறது. ராமனுக்காக சீதையும், இலக்குவனும் செல்ல, அவன் மனைவி ஊர்மிளாவோ தனியாளாகிறாள். பதினான்கு வருடங்கள் அவள் ஆற்றிய பெருந்தவத்தில் வரும் தெளிவு இது: "சீதை, உன் மீதான அதிகாரத்தை நீயே எடுத்துக்கொள்; அது உன் கணவனுடையதோ, உன் மகன்களுடையதோ இல்லை!". பிறரது அதிகாரத்தில் இருந்து தன்னை மீட்டுகொண்டு அன்பும் அமைதியும் உருவானவள் ஆகிறாள் ஊர்மிளா!

நூல் வாசித்து முடித்த பின்னும் அகலாத வரிகள் அகல்யாவினது தான்: "தீட்டு, தூய்மை, பவித்ரம், அபவித்ரம், ஒழுக்கம், ஒழுக்கக்கேடு- இந்த சொற்களை புருஷர்கள் தான் எவ்வளவு பலமாய் உருவாக்கி வைத்திருக்கிறார்கள்!!" அகல்யா கூறிய அனைத்தும் பெண்களுக்கு மட்டுமே சார்ந்ததாக புராணங்கள் சொல்லுகின்றன. ஆண் பெண் உறவில் ஏற்படும் சிக்கல்களால், அவமானத்துக்கும், இழிவிற்கும் பெண்களே பெரும்பாலும் புராணங்களில் இலக்காகிறார்கள். இன்றைய நம் சமூகமும் அப்படியே!

மூலத்துக்கும் மொழிபெயர்ப்புக்கும் சாகித்ய அகாடமி விருது வாங்கிய நூல். அவசியம் ஒரு முறை வாசித்து விடுங்கள். இதே போல் நம்மூர் சிறுதெய்வங்கள் குறித்த கதைகளையும் பெண்ணிய நோக்கில் மீள்வாசிப்பு செய்ய வேண்டியுள்ளது!!

[Aastha Mehta]

I read "The Liberation of Sita" a few days back and it took me sometime to contemplate about it. I did not want to colour my interpretation because I read Forest of Enchantments by Chitra Banerjee recently. Both the books put "Sita" on the centre-stage.

The Liberation of Sita is a book which marries the idea of a feminist re-telling with individualism. The "liberation" in the title is depicted with Sita finding her individual identity, free from the shackles of outwardly designation of Ram's wife or mother of her children. Conveyed in the form of short-stories drawn from various episodes of Sita's life, one cannot help but notice one constant theme. The theme being, the transition of Sita and hence "liberation" from a woman who doesn't visualise her personality and identity any different from her husband to someone who learns through her experiences and conversations with other females about the importance of actively maintaining her individual sense of being. We see that her relationships with other female characters such as Surpankha, Renuka, Urmila, Ahalya etc. are borne out mutual respect and bonding, thus shattering the age-old notion of women being jealous and intimated of each other.

The brilliant depiction with which gender-sensitive issues in an era-specific context have been described, speaks volume for the author.

The complexity of this short-book lies in intricate and hard-hitting positioning of women in terms of their societal standards.
Ahalya, Renuka, Sita- they were all victims of mistrust and humiliation. . In my view the story makes a genuine effort to show the unfairness a woman has to face in a world heavily titled towards the dominance of man, but still brings out Sita and even other females as strong and independent woman living a life on their own terms.

[Tanvi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5!
I’ve heard so many people praising this book, about how “feminist” it was! But personally I think it’s overrated.
• The work has been translated into English & I didn’t like the writing style at all. It felt forced & childish.

• I didn’t really find the content to be particularly feminist in nature, sure it has elements, but it felt more philosophical than anything. Just another perspective of Sita & others from the Ramayan that wouldn’t have necessarily crossed your mind.

• Everyone can learn something from this... about coming into your own & letting go.

[Mridula Gupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Liberation of Sita takes us through the lives of 4 exceptional women in Hindu Mythology. These women have faced oppression from the society or their family for the crimes they never committed and were seen as mere casualties in a bigger operation/mission.

Some of the great men in Hindu Mythology have chosen the path of Dharma and made innumerable mistakes in the way. While these actions were for the greater good, women were seen to suffer the most.

“Whatever gives you peace of mind, consider that the truth.”

The Liberation of Sita is all about the lessons these remarkable, strong women learned through their journey and how they met Sita and tried to give her wisdom to not make those similar mistakes. But Liberation doesn’t come through wisdom. It comes through experience. As Sita is tormented again and again in the name of Dharma, she makes innumerable sacrifices and that’s how she realizes the meaning of the words told by these women.

“Did Ahalya know it would turn out like this? Rama has asked for my chastity test. Isn’t death better than this? Isn’t leaving me to my fate better? Why humiliate me like this? Why wage such a war if this is how I was going to be treated?
War is for demonstrating the valour of men. Rama has proved his heroism. He is awaiting the demonstration of his wife’s chastity. Isn’t this what Ahalya called distrust?
Wouldn’t accepting her in trust or rejecting her in distrust be better? What should be done now? Sita’s heart was like a volcano.”

The Liberation of Sita makes us believe that a woman is strong enough to protect herself, forgiving enough to forgive the gravest mistake by her loved ones, and kind enough to sacrifice her happiness for the greater good.

What I loved the most about the book is that the author has chosen to preach feminism without blaming the other sex. There is a chapter of Rama where we hear his ordeal and pain because of his separation from Sita. This states that the author wants us to understand feminism, but not as a competition with the other sex but as equals.

[Areeb Ahmad (Bankrupt_Bookworm) · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I am the daughter of Earth, Rama. I have realized who I am. The whole universe belongs to me. I don't lack anything. I am the daughter of Earth."

RATING: 3.5/5
The Harper Perennial keepsake series has been quite instrumental in increasing my reading of vernacular literature from across the country by making it easily accessible through an English translation. The treatment of Sita in Ramayana has been the centre of much debate, especially within feminist circles and it's quite interesting to see what Volga does with it while executing her own vision of the age-old story. Sita becomes centrestage and the narrative in all stories revolves around her desires and dilemmas. Other women from the margins of the Ramayana also become more prominent as they act in the capacity of guides to Sita to effect her liberation. Moreover, Volga humanizes her characters in such a way that the one cannot but empathise with all of them.

While the writing is drab, unadorned and awkward in places, which might very well be because it's translated into English, the actual innovation is the integration of several women characters into one single narrative. She takes revisionist feminist myth-making a step further than usual by merely using it as a way to subvert patriarchal structures. Volga chooses to create a "community of women and connecting women across ages and generations" by bringing in different perspectives and alternative points of view which stand beside the original limited tales. And as is quite clear to a reader by the end of the book, Sita emerges as the one who is liberated and Ram is the one who is actually shackled. I am now eager to explore mythic reinterpretations more.

[Lata · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like it when authors revisit myths, legends and the like with the aim of reconsidering the stories from a non-male perspective. Volga writes about Sita, whom I really never noticed in the Ramayana when I read a version in my teens. Sure, she’s the reason Rama went to Lanka with an army (yay, Hanuman!) and slaughtered Ravana, but I found Sita so passive to be almost invisible. So, yay to fleshing her out in a series of stories as Sita slowly realizes that she might love Rama but she doesn’t need to be subservient to him, especially after she was abandoned in the forest, pregnant, sometime after Rama’s victorious return home, even after proving her chastity to the whole Court (*gross*).

In this collection of stories, Sita meets various female characters who had minor roles in the epic. Sita and they discuss how their lives were adversely affected by the patriarchy, and gradually Sita comes to the realization that she’s all she needs.

I could appreciate what the author was trying to achieve, and though I’m always glad to see a feminist take on Indian myths, I found this treatment didn’t completely work. Sita is lectured to, and she is pretty late to seeing her life clearly, and how little control or power she ever had. And even then, the way her revelation was written didn’t feel weighty or mind altering enough to justify her choice to return to Bhoomi Devi. Yes, I know, Devi takes her back in the epic, but I like the idea that Sita makes the choice to return, and for it to be meaningful to her development as a person.
Consequently, I wanted more than an allusion to the hard work Sita did to say nope to all that was entailed in returning to Rama’s side.

I think this set of stories is more didactic instead of psychological, and missed the emotional payoff of Sita making a significant choice for herself after Rama says, “yeah, you’re allowed back to Court, but ya gotta prove your fidelity again.”

[Yuvashri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ramayana is this epic tale that most of the Hindu parents tell their kids to inculcate moral values. Be it via books or grandma's tales or televised series, we grew up on it.

I always found this epic tale uni dimensional and boring. Also I was mildly disturbed by the way Sita was treated. Never got a proper answer from any of my conventional elders for her mistreatment.

Chastity, Servitude, Submission, Piety, Devotion...These are the expectations on a woman. Sadly to this date, it almost is. A woman bears the honor of the family. A woman bears the burden and is also a burden to the society. Sadly, only these values are ingrained in and expected from a woman.

That's where these 're-visionist myth tellings' play an important role. Most of the mythological stories are about men and wars and women being used as pawns in their worldly games. It is extremely important to see the stories from every perspective. From that of the villian, the glorified, the vanquished, the destroyed and such.

This is a beautiful short story collection about different perspectives from characters in Ramayana we don't remember. This book relies heavily on introspection and sisterhood. How the so called justice and morality and stability caters to just the men ,is captured. I got a lot of insights from this one.

A much needed powerful and insightful read.

P. S : A prior knowledge of the story arc of Ramayana would be much helpful.

[Darshayita Thakur · Rating 5 out of 5]

In recent times there have been a handful of books that re-tell epics like The Ramayana and The Mahabharata from the point of view of a certain female character, and it is fascinating indeed.
I have read two such retellings, but this one stands out somehow.
This is also the first time I read a work translated from Tamil and it blew my mind. Imagine if I could read it in its original form; I'm pretty sure some of the "OOMPH!" was lost in translation.

Next time someone hypes up Circe ( and I loved Circe ), I'll hype up this book in return!

Sita, Surpanakha, Ahalya, Urmila, Renuka- all of them represent different aspects of womanhood, they pass on their wisdom to Sita, who doesn't get it at first, but when she is put under the spotlight, she realizes: "damn! that was some good advice"

As they say : This is Volga at her feminist best.
To prove my point:
"I’ve realized that the meaning of success for a woman does not lie in her relationship with a man. Only after that realization, did I find this man’s companionship."

"What does conducting an enquiry imply, Sita? Distrust, isn’t it? Wouldn’t it be better, instead, to believe in either your innocence or guilt?"

"War is for demonstrating the valour of men. Rama has proved his heroism. He is awaiting the demonstration of his wife’s chastity."

That's all folks, I'm in love!

[Smitha Murthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven’t actually read too many feminist revisionist versions of some of India’s most classic and famous myths and epics. But I had been wanting to read Volga’s works for a long time. A fiercely feminist writer, Volga writes without fear. Therefore, her work shines with the authenticity of truth.

These are stories that some of the lesser-known characters of the Ramayana - characters who have been shunted aside in the patriarchal version. Women like Surpanakha, Ahalya, Urmila who all had a different story to tell through Volga. I loved their stories and the quiet strength that exudes from this novel.

If you aren’t familiar with the Ramayana, then you won’t be able to grasp large sections of the book, though.

[Anupama C K(b0rn_2_read) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this retelling of Ramayana. It is a set of stories which are linked. Sita who has been abandoned by Rama is on a self realization journey. She meets Ahalya, Renuka, Shurpanaka and Urmila. I never did connect Ahalya's story with Sita and now I'm like why didn't I?
This was the BOTM for one my book clubs, it was a pretty short read. I'm glad I read it