Charisse S.

Sarroca
II 2 BSE English

The Hindu Ideals of Man and Woman in Selected Literary Couples

Regardless of country or religion, ancient texts offer a glimpse at history, establish the
standards and rules of society which one must adhere to, and give the truthful recommendations
on how a person should live. The three literary couples Sita and Rama, Savitri and Satyavan,
and Shakuntala and Dushyanta are portrayals of the ideal characteristics and roles of men and
women, and of the relationship between them, in accordance to the Hindu culture.
Although the relationships of the couples are significantly highlighted in the stories, their
individual traits are emphasized just as prominently. The protagonists from the particular literary
selections share common qualities that make them the primary examples of an ideal man and
woman. Rama, Satyavan, and Dushyanta were all described as good-looking men with superior
strength and exceptional ability in combat. They are also depictions of men who give utmost
importance to their duties a quality that is considered to be essential in the representation of a
righteous man in the Hindu culture.
The Hindu standards for an ideal woman are exceptionally high as well. An ideal Hindu
woman possesses incomparable beauty, is unsullied and virtuous, and is aware of her duties and
responsibilities. These attributes can all be found in the female protagonists of the selected Hindu
texts. In The Ramayana, Sitas beauty is exalted during her wedding with phrases such as the
sweet-eyed Sita (Valmiki, 64) and Janaks beauteous daughter. During the wedding vows,
when she was given to Rama in marriage, Sita was also pronounced as the best of women
(Valmiki, 64). Savitri was also praised and was much-admired because or stunning beauty. In

Shakuntala, King Dushyanta described her as the peerless pearl of womankind (Ryder, 21).
He also suggested how her splendor is far more superior to the human standard of beauty by
saying the quivering lighting flash is not a child of earth (Ryder, 14). All of these descriptions
indicate how their beauty is truly one of a kind and thus, cannot be rivaled.
For Hindus, chastity is also an essential factor in determining the essence of an ideal woman
because engaging in premarital or extramarital sex would be considered a disgrace to the
womans reputation and to her family. In The Ramayana, after Sita was rescued from being
imprisoned by Ramana, she had to undergo a ritual test involving fire in order to prove her purity
and even after that, she was still banished to the wilderness because the populace was not
convinced of her faithfulness to Rama. This demonstrates the consequences of people having
doubts on a womans chastity in the Hindu culture. On the other hand, Shakuntala was praised by
Duhsyanta because of her innocence or purity (Ryder, 14).
As couples, they also uphold the significance of sacrosanct affairs, specifically marriage.
Although she her chastity was being questioned, Sita still remained firm on her testimony that
she had always been faithful to Rama and was able to eventually prove it. Shakuntala also
persisted to be a faithful wife to Dushyanta despite his rejection by not seeking for another man.
The historical and religious Hindu texts are not just mere fiction but literary works which set
the standard for acceptable traits which people follow even in current times. The views on their
duties and on marriage were in line with the traditional Hindu beliefs. All of the qualities of an
ideal man and woman were embodied in the characters of these great Hindu classics.

References:

Kessler, G. (2000) Eastern Ways of Being Religious. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield
Publishing Company.

Ryder, A. (1999) Kalidasa: Shakuntala. Cambridge, Ontario: In Parenthesis

Publications.

Rajhans, G. Ideals of Hindu Marriage. Retrieved from

http://hinduism.about.com/od/matrimonial1/a/idealsofmarriage.htm

Jayaram, V. Hindu Marriages: Purpose and Significance. Retrieved from

http://www.hinduwebsite.com/marriage.asp