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The Lakshmanrekha

*Religion often subtly changes our worldviews about gender relations. Read how Dadi’s bed time story widens the horizon for little Anu.**

///WARNING: Heavy Sarcasm, might be offensive if you're too touchy about religion.This piece contains heavy references to Hindu mythology. If you're a Hindu, I did not mean to be blasphemous to offend you. So no death threats please, chill. it is an objective take on the gender discourse prevalent in stories of religion, from a sociological viewpoint.///

Why does Mama insist on brushing teeth every night? Mia said that she doesn’t have to do so.

Little Anu found this mundane task terribly annoying. Especially when she couldn’t wait to go to bed today, as her Dadi ( Grandma) had come from the village to stay with them. Dadi usually stayed in Anu’s room whenever she came to visit and she knew a lot of stories which Mama didn’t. Anu believed that maybe Mama’s class teacher had not told her good stories like Dadi’s had. Anu quickly brushed her teeth and rushed back into the room to find Dadi changing the sheets.

‘ Anu, Did you brush your teeth’?, Mama was at the door.

‘Yes Ma’, Anu replied in a resigned voice.

‘ Good girl. Don’t trouble Dadi too much and go to sleep fast, okay?', Mama said, as she closed the door softly.

Anu climbed into the bed and watched as Dadi swallowed a bunch of multi coloured pills in all sizes and shapes. She decided that when she would be old, she would eat only green pills which was her favourite colour.

‘ Dadi, Dadi, tell me a story’ , Anu chirped excitedly.

‘ Haan, haan*, my dear. Shall I tell you the story of the ever kind Lord Sriram’? (* Hindi word for Yes, showing agreement.)

‘But I wanted to hear stories of animals’, Anu could not help but pout.

‘ Haan dear, this one has plenty of animals in it too’ Dadi reassured her.

‘ Okay then, Dadi’ Anu hoped this story was as good as the story her teacher had taught in class today. It was about a fighting priness called Jhansi Rani whom Anu had grown to admire very much.

‘Ah, so where was I the last time? ‘ Dadi ‘s brows wrinkled, matching her face as she tried to remember.

‘ Lord Sriram, Sita and his brother Laksham were living in the forest now!’ Anu remembered exactly where Dadi had stopped the last time, when she had come to stay with them for Diwali holidays.

‘Lakshmana dear, not Laksham. ‘ Dadi smiled kindly. Anu could never imagine her sweet Dadi ever being angry as her Mama would sometimes.

‘ One day, Sitadevi saw a beautiful deer as she was sitting outside their hut in the forest. It had the most innocent eyes and the grace of an apasaras as it pranced about.'

‘ What's an apsaras, Dadi?’

‘Apsaras are beautiful women who dance and sing in heaven. They are well known for their beauty which has been said to have tempted even the most strong willed men.'

‘ Tempt men?’ Anu was confused as she looked at Dad’s troubled face. What she would be tempted by was when Mama brought a family pack of icecream and not let her have it whenever she wanted. How can women tempt anyone like icecreams? They were not something to eat.

‘How can beautiful women tempt anyone, Dadi?’ Anu was determined to know. Dadi looked a little troubled and unhappy with all the interruptions Anu made.

‘Anu, dont interrupt me like that child! Your cousin, Tina does not do that when I tell her stories. So where was I?’ Dadi’s tone was a little harsher than Anu was used to. Could Dadi get angry if she asked many questions. She could not imagine how someone sweet like her Dadi could get angry and yell at her.

‘But when Sitadevi got too close to the gentle creature, the deer pranced away into the thick forest. So Sitadevi asked her husband Lord Sriram to catch that deer for her.’

‘ But Dadi, why couldn't she go and catch the deer herself?’, Anu piped up.

‘ Because it was a large and thick forest with roaring lions, tigers, jackals, elephants and slithering snakes. It was very dangerous for her to go alone.’

‘ But why was she afraid, Dadi? You said she was the avatar of Goddess Lakshmi. And God made all plants, animals and us. Dadi, you said that Sitadevi was a brave, smart and beautiful princess.’, Anu said as her little brow clouded in her confusion.

‘ Haan dear. But at present, she was human.’ , Dadi continued. 'So she asked Lord Sriram to get her the deer.’

‘ But Lord Sriram was also human. Why wasn’t he afraid?’ Anu asked.

‘ Because he was the avatar of Lord Vishnu, dear. He was the brave prince of Ayodhya. Hai ram*, Hai ram’, Dadi chanted, as she closed her eyes in devotion, touching her prayer beads.( *Hai ram – Hey Lord Ram).

'But Dadi', Anu protested, 'You said before that Sitadevi was a brave lady as well.'

Dadi sighed, closing her eyes. ‘ Listen dear, Men are brave and courageous. They go out into the world and get things done. The duty of an ideal woman is to be faithful to her husband and help him discharge all his worldly duties, as she is dependent on him. Women cannot go out like men do. Its too dangerous. ‘ Dadi tried to impart some wisdom to her grandchild that she had inherited from her own Dadi.

‘ But Dadi, My Mama gets everything done here. She buys all household stuff, water all the plants, takes care of me and our cat,Loopi. She goes to the clinic like Papa goes to the office. She can also drive like Papa.’ Anu did not understand what Dadi was talking about.

‘ Haan, haan dear. Now the times have changed. Women who are brave enough can do some things that men do too. But don't forget that our religion and scriptures put the duties of women as what I have told you- To her husband. All these things women do now are fine, but not as important as being an ideal woman and wife like Sitadevi.'

Anu looked unconvinced. ‘ You will understand when you grow up, my dear.’ Dadi resorted to her ultimate weapon to avoid anymore questions.

‘ So Lord Sriram decided to go and catch that deer. She left Sitadevi in his younger brother Lakshman's protection. But hours passed by and there was no sign of Lord Sriram or the deer. Sitadevi got worried. She asked Lakshmana to go look for her Lord. But Lakshmana did not wanted to leave her alone in the jungle. What if somebody came while he was away and kidnapped Sitadevi.'

‘ They could go together Dadi. Why should she be left alone at their home. Like my Mama takes me with her to clinic if our Auntie doesnt come for work one day.’ , Little Anu was sure that Lakshmana would have done exactly what her Mama did.

‘ No dear. I told you it was a dangerous forest. So Lakshmana, drew a circle around Sitadevi and asked her to stay inside that circle. It was called the Lakshmanrekha. As long as Sitadevi stayed inside the circle, she would be protected from any kidnappers.’ Dadi explained.

‘But what if Sitadevi wanted to go to the bathroom?’, Anu was troubled with this arrangement. Even her strict class teacher who let them go to the bathroom whenever they wanted seemed kinder than Lakshmana.

‘Anu! Don’t ask silly questions my child. ‘ Dadi said sharply.

'So anyway, as Sitadevi sat alone inside the circle, an old man came begging for some food. Now Sitadevi, the most ideal woman could not help but feel compassion to the poor man. But if she had to go in to get the food, she would have to breach the Lakshmanrekha. But she was too kind to let the man starve. So as she stepped out of the circle, there was a loud cackle of laughter.', Dadi paused dramatically.

'Who was it? Who was it?', Anu could not contain her excitement.

'The old man transformed into the hideous Demon King Ravana who captured her and flew away in his flying chariot.', Dadi said.

‘Why didn't Sitadevi fight Raavan like Jhansi Rani fought the men who came to take her kingdom? She was also a princess.'

Anu was outraged, as she sprang up from the bed.

'Sitadevi was not strong enough to fight a hideous and powerful demon like Ravana. She was just a woman. What could she do all alone, with no one to protect her?’ , Dadi asked.

‘ But Jhansi rani fought men alone and..'

Anu! What did I tell you about interrupting me often. ‘, Dadi’s brow clouded in anger. So even Dadi can get angry, Anu thought silently.

‘Where was I? Ah, yes. So you see, all the terrible things that would later happen in the story was because Sitadevi did not heed Lakshmana’s warning and stayed within the Lakshmanrekha.’ Dadi spoke softly, as she turned to face Anu’s troubled expression.

‘ So now do you understand my child, why women should always obey men. You don’t want to be in trouble like Sitadevi did, do you?'

Anu frantically shook her head. Kidnappers were frightening, but demon king kidnappers were much worse.

‘So what did we learn today, then?’ Anu did not want the story to end there. She was not sleepy as yet and was a little worried that demon kings might come to kidnap her while she was asleep.

‘That men know better and women should be like Sitadevi, the ideal woman except when she disobeyed. If women disobey, bad things could happen to them’ , Anu replied in a soft voice as she laid back down.

'Goodnight my child', Dadi turned off the bedside light. Little Anu tried to sleep, a little bit shaken but intrigued by the new knowledge she had acquired. She asked Dadi if she could ever be as good as Sitadevi.

‘Yes, my dear. You would grow up to be a beautiful and well behaved woman like her’, Dadi reassured her.

Little Anu went to sleep a little wiser than she was before.

Author Notes: The piece was a satirical take on sexist ideologies fed to us when we are children in the form of stories. It tries to explore the messed up world from the innocent view of a child. No blasphemy intended. Primarily written as a subtle and satirical feminist discourse. How victims of sexism creates more victims. Also, don't question the logic of the mythological story. It's not my creation and yes, people make all those interpretations that Dadi did.

#feminism #sociology #story #religion #satire #sarcasm #hinduism

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