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Maryada: Searching for Dharma in the Ramayana
What does it mean to be good? ‘Maryada’ is a commonly used word for ‘boundary’ in Sanskrit which also means ‘propriety of conduct’. In the context of the Ramayana, the word carries special weight because it comes to be used as the defining virtue of Rama, the ‘maryada purushottama’. But despite the fact that Rama is regarded as the epitome of dharma in his thoughts and deeds, the Ramayana does not provide us with one single template for right action. Nor does it tell us that dharma is beyond the reach of human understanding and human action. On the contrary, it holds out the promise that everyone can and should search for a dharma they can believe in, a dharma that is vulnerable but all the more precious because it has been sought and found rather than given and received. In her thought-provoking new book, renowned Ramayana scholar Arshia Sattar writes with compassion, tenderness and insight about dharma as a multiplicity of appropriate choices, showing us that when we choose one way of being and doing over another, we will be as often wrong as we are right.
- GenresMythologyNonfiction
213 pages, Hardcover
Published October 1, 2020
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131 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 12, 2021
Maryada: Searching for Dharma in the Ramayana by Arshia Sattar is filled with different and intriguing revelations. The author holds 35 years of experience in studying Valmiki Ramayana, and it shows in her writing. The only thing I don't like is the repetitiveness. The narration is in the form of discussion and analysis. The book works best for those who are studying Ramayana or open to have a new perspective towards Rama and the other characters of this epic.
Read the detailed review here -https://www.bookscharming.com/2021/02...
Read the detailed review here -https://www.bookscharming.com/2021/02...
January 16, 2021
I love how Arshia Sattar, herself a PhD in South Asian languages from the University of Chicago, refuses to look at the Ramayana as either a self-help or spiritual book. She looks at it as a literary text, and her essays try to bring in the historic context in which it was written (coinciding with the birth of Buddhism and Jainism, moving away from the rigorous and bloody rituals of the Vedic Period, towards asceticism, and the ponderous texts of the Upanishads), and the current cultural context, where Rama is seen as a fountainhead of perfection, the ideal man.
She takes the word Dharma, which itself a word shrouded in doubt, and shows how the Ramayana negotiates it. Dharma is often about choosing between options, equally painful, and equally virtuous. Dharma becomes a slippery term that can come to mean anything from caste-based allegiance to lust-based allegiance. Sattar teases all these implications without producing a Grand Theory Of Dharma. (Which I hoped she would, but I quickly realized that this would mean a flattening of the Ramayana. The fact is that the Ramayana, composed by many authors over man centuries, itself isn't sure of what Dharma is and isn't. So how can an academic impose meaning on a text that deliberately eludes it.)
There are moments where I felt her readings were too myopic, or that she was over-reaching in analysis. Her differentiation between Samanya Dharma and Sanatana Dharma was lacking in clarity but also felt under-thought. Some of her sentences are constructed to not give but elude clarity. Every essay ends on a very abrupt note, that feels too conclusive for such an open-ended essay. Often at the risk of completely derailing the essay's point.
If you are not familiar with the Ramayana, this book doesn't offer much by way of context, so come in prepared. But do come in, for the text offers something most discussions of the Ramayana don't - flawed characters in search of literary ends, even as they flirt with God-hood.
She takes the word Dharma, which itself a word shrouded in doubt, and shows how the Ramayana negotiates it. Dharma is often about choosing between options, equally painful, and equally virtuous. Dharma becomes a slippery term that can come to mean anything from caste-based allegiance to lust-based allegiance. Sattar teases all these implications without producing a Grand Theory Of Dharma. (Which I hoped she would, but I quickly realized that this would mean a flattening of the Ramayana. The fact is that the Ramayana, composed by many authors over man centuries, itself isn't sure of what Dharma is and isn't. So how can an academic impose meaning on a text that deliberately eludes it.)
There are moments where I felt her readings were too myopic, or that she was over-reaching in analysis. Her differentiation between Samanya Dharma and Sanatana Dharma was lacking in clarity but also felt under-thought. Some of her sentences are constructed to not give but elude clarity. Every essay ends on a very abrupt note, that feels too conclusive for such an open-ended essay. Often at the risk of completely derailing the essay's point.
If you are not familiar with the Ramayana, this book doesn't offer much by way of context, so come in prepared. But do come in, for the text offers something most discussions of the Ramayana don't - flawed characters in search of literary ends, even as they flirt with God-hood.
November 13, 2020
It’s the book of mythology genre. And as it is my favourite genre, I had to pick it up as soon as I laid my eyes on it. The tagline or the concept of the book is “Searching for Dharma in the Ramayana”. In between Ramayana and Mahabharata, I always liked story or concept if the Mahabharata most. But this author changed my point of view. When I picked it up, I thought author can’t include the entire Ramayana in this little book. But author has skill fully covered almost everything. As we all know story of Ramayana, I won’t discuss that nut I will discuss the key features of the book that makes it different from other. First of all I liked the division of the book concept and story. It’s a unique way and the storyline didn’t shift a bit. The book starts from Rama’s birth and Baal kand. Starting from story of Dasaratha, author has included all the key incidents. I liked certain concept the most like when author explained that Rama chose to have only one wife as he had seen consequences of many wives in case of his father. I never knew Dashrath has a daughter. That I read first time in this book. There are similar little facts here and there like the prophecy about Sita’s life that she will have to live in forest. I liked mentions of theories here and there such as there are incidents of oedipal conflicts between father and son in Indian stories that was fascinating for me. I liked how author has portrayed Kaikeyi’s point of view and how destiny played role in all the events. I liked the part “The women outside” the most. Author has given references so it shows author has done ample amount of research. I liked the writing style. Author has used amazing vocabulary and language. I loved reading his point of view in this book and I am really impressed by his views on this mythological book. Author has never shifted his focus from “Dharma” as it’s the core concept. Overall good one. A must read and strongly recommended from my side.
January 9, 2023
Arshia Sattar's 'Maryada: Searching for Dharma in the Ramayana' is a collection of essays by the author analysing the choices made by the major and (so called) minor characters of the epic to extract what the text says about dharma.
Her fundamental premise is that Ramayana does not provide us with a single, ready-made template for right action - rather, through its narrative and ethical dilemmas that its characters face, the epic shows us that dharma is difficult but not impossible to find. This is in direct contrast to the popular and conventional understanding of Ramayana as a manual for 'right conduct'.
This is the first time I have come across such a critical reading of the Ramayana - with the author treating the epic purely as a literary text - and the essays were enlightening. They do require some familiarity with the overall epic narrative though.
However, her use of the same arguments multiple times across essays as well as use of long winded sentences (when the same thought could be conveyed in fewer words) made it difficult to remain engaged while reading.
Overall, would recommend for anyone willing to know and understand the Ramayana more closely.
Her fundamental premise is that Ramayana does not provide us with a single, ready-made template for right action - rather, through its narrative and ethical dilemmas that its characters face, the epic shows us that dharma is difficult but not impossible to find. This is in direct contrast to the popular and conventional understanding of Ramayana as a manual for 'right conduct'.
This is the first time I have come across such a critical reading of the Ramayana - with the author treating the epic purely as a literary text - and the essays were enlightening. They do require some familiarity with the overall epic narrative though.
However, her use of the same arguments multiple times across essays as well as use of long winded sentences (when the same thought could be conveyed in fewer words) made it difficult to remain engaged while reading.
Overall, would recommend for anyone willing to know and understand the Ramayana more closely.
July 23, 2022
Very nice and insightful book. However, the repeated occurrence of same instances from Ramayana and same arguments in various essays seems repetitive and oftentimes boring.
April 1, 2023
One of the most complex and elusive concept in Hindu philosophy is the concept of “Dharma”. In fact, there is no English word that captures the all-encompassing intended essence of “Dharma. It is defined variously as Duty, Truth, justice, being true to one’s nature, etc., depending on the context. All the Hindu epics including Mahabharata and Ramayana explore and elaborate the various facets of Dharma through the narration of the epic dramas in all their complexities. These epics are not only interested in the establishment of Dharma but are also interested in the situations where it is contested and where it faces its limitations. While Mahabharata is complex in its plot and subtle in its arguments, Ramayana with its linear narrative tries to portray the ideas that underpin individual ethics and moral action at a human level. Arshia Sattar in this thought-provoking book indicates that the actors in Ramayana are presented with more than one equal and legitimate choice of action consistent with Dharma. She says that whoever we are, dharma is always and everywhere about a multiplicity of appropriate choices, that when we choose one way of being and doing over another, we will as often be wrong as we are right. In this light, she analyses the actions and motivations of all the important characters including Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Dasharatha, and Keikeyi - what were the choices before them, whether their actions are consistent with their dharma and whether they are mere actors in a scheme destined to happen. She explains how some of these characters are redeemed or absolved of their actions by invoking their helplessness in the face of their haunting past curses. At one point she says that Hindu epics are driven by four ‘operators’, as it were: dharma, karma, vidhi (fate), and daiva (intervention by the gods). Thus we are told that Dasharatha is bound by his past karma when the blind parents of an ascetic, Shravan, curse him when he inadvertently kills him. Similarly, Rama tells Lakshmana that since he has done nothing to deserve this crisis in his life, it can only be vidhi (fate) that is at work and Keikeyi is only the instrument in the larger scheme of things. Thus Dasharatha and Keikeyi are absolved of any moral responsibility for their actions.
When they start their life in the forest Rama and Lakshmana quickly realise that the social norms or Dharma of Ayodhya (the city) are different from that acceptable in the lives of the forest communities. They are sure that the sanctioned behavior of the beings who live outside the city constitutes ‘adharma’ and that the transgressors deserve punishment. The mutilation of Shurpanakha and the killing of Vali and Ravana are all predicated on what Rama and Lakshmana perceive to be violations of dharma, and they decide that the perpetrators of these violations need to be punished. In the same way, Rama realises the agnipariksha that Sita undergoes after the war before the Rakshasas and Vanaras will not hold good in Ayodhya and banishes his pregnant wife to the forest. This appears to be a stretched and weak argument to justify Rama’s actions because the dharma of Ayodhya is never fully or completely defined, nor is the dharma of the forest. Most ascetics in the forest want to live as per the commonly understood dharma. Further one’s actions should be as per Dharma even putting down adharma.
Ms. Sattar says when Rama is called ‘Maryada Purushottama’, the larger tradition tells us to understand the phrase simply as ‘ideal man’. More accurately, it could be translated either as ‘the best of all men who know the limits of moral action’ or ‘the best of men who is the limit of moral action’. By the latter definition, dharma is what Rama does – that becomes axiomatic when we know Rama to be god. But the former explanation is more interesting because it is closer to the human condition and opens up a wider discussion on the moral dilemmas we confront.
In another book ( Lost Loves) Ms. Sattar quotes David Shulman, a famous Indologist, as saying “Rama is a portrait of consciousness hidden from itself”- meaning that Rama forgets that he is God and that is what makes him susceptible to human emotions and thereby human failings. His amnesia for divinity is what makes him human. Ms. Sattar proposes to turn this around. What if Rama is constantly aware of his divinity and realises in flashes that he is human? Is it possible that he must have killed Vali when he was aware of being human and acted according to the usual human frailties? Either way, it depends on the reader’s amnesia, What does he choose to forget about Rama when he thinks about his behavior. Does he forget his divinity or does he forget his humanness? Which will disturb him most – Rama the God acting the way he did or Rama the human acting the way he did?
Sattar says that Rama’s continued significance lies not in the perfection that the tradition has thrust upon him, but in his failure to rise above human emotions and weaknesses. Further, she goes on to say that a god who can forget his divinity in order to show us the enormously tragic consequences of our frailties is surely far more compelling than one who remains unreachable in his distant righteousness and perfection. It is precisely in his failure that we learn, it is in his crushing personal defeats that we understand the meaning of our lives. If we see Rama as one of us, the Ramayana becomes more poignantly a story that explores the human condition rather than one that stridently declares the unimpeachable nature of divinity.
We may not agree with all that Ms. Sattar has explored in the book but it’s a compelling read for sure. In fact, it is Valmiki who made Rama encounter moral dilemmas and made him choose from the available legitimate options. He never made him look divine. Had he decided to create an unimpeachable Rama he would have done so and no one would have had any argument. But then Ramayana would have ceased to be the great and immortal epic that it is. Apparently, Valmiki wanted the posterity to discuss, reflect and change, if necessary, the social norms, traditions, and moral codes to suit the times we live in.
When they start their life in the forest Rama and Lakshmana quickly realise that the social norms or Dharma of Ayodhya (the city) are different from that acceptable in the lives of the forest communities. They are sure that the sanctioned behavior of the beings who live outside the city constitutes ‘adharma’ and that the transgressors deserve punishment. The mutilation of Shurpanakha and the killing of Vali and Ravana are all predicated on what Rama and Lakshmana perceive to be violations of dharma, and they decide that the perpetrators of these violations need to be punished. In the same way, Rama realises the agnipariksha that Sita undergoes after the war before the Rakshasas and Vanaras will not hold good in Ayodhya and banishes his pregnant wife to the forest. This appears to be a stretched and weak argument to justify Rama’s actions because the dharma of Ayodhya is never fully or completely defined, nor is the dharma of the forest. Most ascetics in the forest want to live as per the commonly understood dharma. Further one’s actions should be as per Dharma even putting down adharma.
Ms. Sattar says when Rama is called ‘Maryada Purushottama’, the larger tradition tells us to understand the phrase simply as ‘ideal man’. More accurately, it could be translated either as ‘the best of all men who know the limits of moral action’ or ‘the best of men who is the limit of moral action’. By the latter definition, dharma is what Rama does – that becomes axiomatic when we know Rama to be god. But the former explanation is more interesting because it is closer to the human condition and opens up a wider discussion on the moral dilemmas we confront.
In another book ( Lost Loves) Ms. Sattar quotes David Shulman, a famous Indologist, as saying “Rama is a portrait of consciousness hidden from itself”- meaning that Rama forgets that he is God and that is what makes him susceptible to human emotions and thereby human failings. His amnesia for divinity is what makes him human. Ms. Sattar proposes to turn this around. What if Rama is constantly aware of his divinity and realises in flashes that he is human? Is it possible that he must have killed Vali when he was aware of being human and acted according to the usual human frailties? Either way, it depends on the reader’s amnesia, What does he choose to forget about Rama when he thinks about his behavior. Does he forget his divinity or does he forget his humanness? Which will disturb him most – Rama the God acting the way he did or Rama the human acting the way he did?
Sattar says that Rama’s continued significance lies not in the perfection that the tradition has thrust upon him, but in his failure to rise above human emotions and weaknesses. Further, she goes on to say that a god who can forget his divinity in order to show us the enormously tragic consequences of our frailties is surely far more compelling than one who remains unreachable in his distant righteousness and perfection. It is precisely in his failure that we learn, it is in his crushing personal defeats that we understand the meaning of our lives. If we see Rama as one of us, the Ramayana becomes more poignantly a story that explores the human condition rather than one that stridently declares the unimpeachable nature of divinity.
We may not agree with all that Ms. Sattar has explored in the book but it’s a compelling read for sure. In fact, it is Valmiki who made Rama encounter moral dilemmas and made him choose from the available legitimate options. He never made him look divine. Had he decided to create an unimpeachable Rama he would have done so and no one would have had any argument. But then Ramayana would have ceased to be the great and immortal epic that it is. Apparently, Valmiki wanted the posterity to discuss, reflect and change, if necessary, the social norms, traditions, and moral codes to suit the times we live in.
February 14, 2024
The study on the concept of dharma, faces issues due to limited sources. It mainly uses the author's own translation of Valmiki's Ramayana, which (from a glance) is reported to lack context and detail, making it a questionable reference source.
The book mentions other authors and versions of the Ramayana but doesn't analyse them at teh same detail that she explores analysis of her own transaltion of the Ramayana, which limits its depth and undermines its credibility.
The book was interesting in highlighting how Dharma is subjective and varies depending on perspective, status, situation and environment, similar to themes in the Mahabharata. I appreciated the (nearly) secular discussion on conflicting Dharmic principles within the Ramayana, where adherence to different conceptualisations of dharma did contradict each other.
However, the book's introduction is somewhat misleading. It suggests the Ramayana focuses on dharma versus adharma (good vs evil), but the book fails to satisfy this early claim and led to my conclusion that Dharma of the Ramayana is as conflicted as the Dharma of the Mahabharata.
It discusses Svadharma (individual duty), Varnadharma (duty by caste), and Samanya Dharma (universal principles) effectively. I was particularly interested in Samanya Dharma, as i purchased this book in the hope to clarify the concepts of dharma to understand right and wrong better and apply academically indetified Dharmic principles to my own personal behaivour.
The fact that Dharma fails to be defined, and lacks the ability to be codified, is not the author's fault... however my main issue is the author's failure to reach the conclusion (and explore) that dharma is not specific and is subjective, more often praticed by whim.
This also suggests dharma is personal and subjective and possibly precedes inevitable conflict, something I would have loved to hear the autohor explore.
As a result, book serves as an easy read and a good inital exploration of the different forms of Dharma, and allows us to identify these in practice (or non practice) through memorable stories on with iconic characters but is ultimately frustrating and unsatisfying due to its lack of external research and failure to provide a conclusive analysis.
The book mentions other authors and versions of the Ramayana but doesn't analyse them at teh same detail that she explores analysis of her own transaltion of the Ramayana, which limits its depth and undermines its credibility.
The book was interesting in highlighting how Dharma is subjective and varies depending on perspective, status, situation and environment, similar to themes in the Mahabharata. I appreciated the (nearly) secular discussion on conflicting Dharmic principles within the Ramayana, where adherence to different conceptualisations of dharma did contradict each other.
However, the book's introduction is somewhat misleading. It suggests the Ramayana focuses on dharma versus adharma (good vs evil), but the book fails to satisfy this early claim and led to my conclusion that Dharma of the Ramayana is as conflicted as the Dharma of the Mahabharata.
It discusses Svadharma (individual duty), Varnadharma (duty by caste), and Samanya Dharma (universal principles) effectively. I was particularly interested in Samanya Dharma, as i purchased this book in the hope to clarify the concepts of dharma to understand right and wrong better and apply academically indetified Dharmic principles to my own personal behaivour.
The fact that Dharma fails to be defined, and lacks the ability to be codified, is not the author's fault... however my main issue is the author's failure to reach the conclusion (and explore) that dharma is not specific and is subjective, more often praticed by whim.
This also suggests dharma is personal and subjective and possibly precedes inevitable conflict, something I would have loved to hear the autohor explore.
As a result, book serves as an easy read and a good inital exploration of the different forms of Dharma, and allows us to identify these in practice (or non practice) through memorable stories on with iconic characters but is ultimately frustrating and unsatisfying due to its lack of external research and failure to provide a conclusive analysis.
June 22, 2021
Arshia Sattar is one of the most nuanced thinkers of Ramayana. I have read two of her books and they left so many evocations for me. This one is no different. I’d say Rama of Valmiki’s Ramayana (not Hindutvas) is an extremely complex character to understand. There were times he left me extremely angry and frustrated with his thought process.
To me the highlight of this book is the chapter where she compares Rama’s thought process along with that of Yudhishtira’s (from Mahabharat). I had never thought of these two in the same vein. But as I read more, understand more I see a lot of commonalities. How they both deal with circumstances is another topic altogether. They lived in completely different times and contexts. But the parallels were fascinating.
This book is for someone who wants to understand the nuances of Dharma and look at this great epic through the deep lens of the author. Politicos – please stay away!
To me the highlight of this book is the chapter where she compares Rama’s thought process along with that of Yudhishtira’s (from Mahabharat). I had never thought of these two in the same vein. But as I read more, understand more I see a lot of commonalities. How they both deal with circumstances is another topic altogether. They lived in completely different times and contexts. But the parallels were fascinating.
This book is for someone who wants to understand the nuances of Dharma and look at this great epic through the deep lens of the author. Politicos – please stay away!
May 13, 2021
The book, first and foremost, demands from its readers to treat it as not a religious holy book but as a literary text and its characters, including Rama, as fictional characters. It also makes the reader take a deep look from different perspectives to the way the characters of Ramayana behaves, takes decisions and choices, according to their own knowledge of their right Dharma.
Sattar has attempted to examine and explore, the meaning and definition of Dharma within the complex, chaotic world of Ramayana. She is successful in her endeavor to present Ramayana as not a manual for how to live by Dharma, by presenting the multiplicity of choices that were presented for Ramayana's characters, instead of further establishing its originally perceived role of serving as a code of conduct, both ethically and morally.
Sattar has attempted to examine and explore, the meaning and definition of Dharma within the complex, chaotic world of Ramayana. She is successful in her endeavor to present Ramayana as not a manual for how to live by Dharma, by presenting the multiplicity of choices that were presented for Ramayana's characters, instead of further establishing its originally perceived role of serving as a code of conduct, both ethically and morally.
April 18, 2023
Enjoyed reading this commentary on dharma in the Ramayana, especially the bits about Rama's dilemmas and the various interpretations of dharma. A must-read for anyone considering vexing questions about how to live and whom to cheer for during anxious times in India's politics.
November 28, 2020
Written with objectivity and compassion..even in critique, much leverage has been left to the narrative subjectivity
February 11, 2022
A real good perspective on how Maryada is defined basis the victor, while th vanquished have no say in their version of Maryada.
A good book for a perspective to put forth in cocktail parties
A good book for a perspective to put forth in cocktail parties
September 7, 2022
Apart from the lovely cover design, the thing which attracted me to this book was that someone rightly questioned the epic #Ramayana and broke it down into fundamentals.
📖 Lakshmana says to #Rama- “How can a man like you, who stands so strong and proud in the dharma of the Kshatriya, sing praises of this thing called #destiny?…It is your attachment to dharma that confuses you!”
#Dharma, is the basis of this instalment by #ArshiaSattar in different context w.r.t the events narrated in the Ramayana. How Rama perceives this dharma and how diff characters (from Dashratha, Kaushalya, Bhartha, Sita, Vibhushan, Sugriva, Hanuman etc) change their stance as per their convenience & nature.
#Maryada caught my attention at the right time as we see so many devotees around, chanting the name of Rama, without actually questioning his beliefs.
Personally, this book has given me a new perspective of the entire narration and how conveniently, through generations, we have moulded Rama’s persona to suit our image of him- ‘maryada purushottam’!
This book draw parallels with #Mahabharata, comparing the demeanour of Rama with Yudhisthira, how they both forgo the duties of a Kshatriya and adopted a higher ground to base their actions from.
👩🏽🎓 (my two cents) Rama tried to apply the laws of #Ayodhya in the land of the forests and Rakshasas and punished them judging by his limited knowledge of princely life. However, each land has its own rules and people are expected to follow the rule of the land they are living in. Rama, was not the epitome of dharma; Rama was a lost prince who was trying to make sense of the world, step by step, sometimes giving in to his preconceived notions about an ideal life.
I look forward to reading more works by Arshia Sattar and hope to question age old biases; using research and example!
📖 Lakshmana says to #Rama- “How can a man like you, who stands so strong and proud in the dharma of the Kshatriya, sing praises of this thing called #destiny?…It is your attachment to dharma that confuses you!”
#Dharma, is the basis of this instalment by #ArshiaSattar in different context w.r.t the events narrated in the Ramayana. How Rama perceives this dharma and how diff characters (from Dashratha, Kaushalya, Bhartha, Sita, Vibhushan, Sugriva, Hanuman etc) change their stance as per their convenience & nature.
#Maryada caught my attention at the right time as we see so many devotees around, chanting the name of Rama, without actually questioning his beliefs.
Personally, this book has given me a new perspective of the entire narration and how conveniently, through generations, we have moulded Rama’s persona to suit our image of him- ‘maryada purushottam’!
This book draw parallels with #Mahabharata, comparing the demeanour of Rama with Yudhisthira, how they both forgo the duties of a Kshatriya and adopted a higher ground to base their actions from.
👩🏽🎓 (my two cents) Rama tried to apply the laws of #Ayodhya in the land of the forests and Rakshasas and punished them judging by his limited knowledge of princely life. However, each land has its own rules and people are expected to follow the rule of the land they are living in. Rama, was not the epitome of dharma; Rama was a lost prince who was trying to make sense of the world, step by step, sometimes giving in to his preconceived notions about an ideal life.
I look forward to reading more works by Arshia Sattar and hope to question age old biases; using research and example!
July 2, 2024
Interesting analysis of the Dharma followed by different characters of Ramayana https://www.anuradhagoyal.com/maryada...
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