Ramayana

"When Tara' heard the words he said Within the town he quickly sped, And brought, on stalwart shoulders laid, The litter for the rites arrayed, Framed like a car for Gods, complete With painted sides and royal seat, With latticed windows deftly made."

"Son of Queen Tara, Angad ran To parley with the godlike man. Still fiery-eyed with rage and hate Stands Lakshman at the city gate, And trembling Vénars scarce can fly Scathed by the lightning of his eye. Go with thy son, thy kith and kin, The favour of prince to win And bow they revered head that so His fiery wrath may cease to glow."

"Again the hapless Tara wept As to her husband's side she crept, And wild with sorrow and dismay Sat on the ground where Bali lay."

"They praise thy valour, patience, ruth, Thy firmness, self-restraint, and truth: Thy hand prepared for sin's control, All virtues of a princely soul. I thought of all these gifts of thine, And glories of an ancient line, I set my Tara's tears at naught, I met Sugriva and we fought."

"Nala and Nila came behind With Hanuman of lofty mind, And valiant Tara, last in place, A leader of the Vénar race. They gazed on many a tree that showed The glory of its pendent load, And brook and limpid rill that made Sweet murmurs as they seaward strayed."

"The well-known Sanskrit hymn that defines the Panchakanyas (five iconic heroines of Hindu epics) runs:"

"English translation: Ahalya, Draupadi, Sita, Tara and Mandodari One should forever remember the Panchakanya who are the destroyers of great sins."

"Mahari dance tradition in which the Oriya verse goes: Pancha bhuta khiti op tejo maruta Byomo Pancha sati nirjyasa gyani bodho Gomyo Ahalya Draupadi Kunti Tara Mandodari totha Pancha kanya..."

"The profiles of eleven women who have been clearly referred to as ideals or given enough importance are Ahalya, Draupadi, Tara, Kunti, Mandodari, Sita, Savitri, Parvati, Damayanti, Maitreyi and Shakuntala. Evidently, all of them were not held in the same degree of esteem and reverence. The first five women, known as pancakanya, may be recommended for daily prayers but none of them is regarded as an ideal woman, at least not recommended by anyone for emulation by others. The only exception is Draupadi who was praised by Gandhi for her wisdom and courage."

"In spite of several plus points to their credit – like the wisdom, courage, and sagacity of Draupadi, Tara and Damayanti, the keen and lively interest they evinced in their surroundings and also the part played by the former two in the management of their respective realms, the strong sense of duty, love and loyalty to their respective husbands as shown by Kunti, Mandodari and Shakuntala, the carving for knowledge as expressed by Maitreyi – none of them is a model for Hindu women."

"Ahalya “for her forbearance is likened to the freshness and active nature of the wind Tara (all the three women of that name, that is, Harishchandra’s queen, Vali’s wife and Brihaspati’s wife who is Chandra’s beloved) is associated “with space and has the quality of intelligence, compassion and large-heartedness; Mandodari with the element of water, turbulent on the surface yet deep and silent in her spiritual quest."

"Thus by the mighty Sire addressed They all obeyed his high behest, And thus begot in countless swarms Brave sons disguised in sylvan forms. Each God, each sage became a sire, Each minstrel of the heavenly quire, Each faun, of children strong and good Whose feet should roam the hill and wood. Snakes, bards, and spirits, serpents bold Had sons too numerous to be told. Báli, the woodland hosts who led, High as Mahendra's lofty head, Was Indra's child. That noblest fire, The Sun, was great Sugríva's sire, Tára, the mighty monkey, he Was offspring of Vrihaspati: Tára the matchless chieftain, boast For wisdom of the Vánar host. Of Gandhamádan brave and bold The father was the Lord of Gold."

"I thought of all these gifts of thine, And glories of an ancient line, I set my Tara's tears at naught, I met Sugriva and we fought. O Rama, till this fatal morn I held that thou wouldst surely scorn To strike me as I fought my foe And thought not of a stranger’s blow."

"And hapless Tara sank below The whelming waters of her woe, Looked upon Bali's face and fell Beside him whom she loved so well, Like a young creeper clinging round - A tall tree prostrate on the ground."

"In vain my Tara reasoned well, On dull deaf ears her counsel fell. I scorned her words though sooth and sweet, And hither rushed my fate to meet. Ah for the land thou rulest! she Finds no protection, lord, from thee, Neglected like some' noble dame By a vile husband dead to shame."

"Though stayed by Tara's fond recall, By thy dear hand I longed to fall. Against my brother rushed and fought, And gained the death I long have sought. Then Ruma thus the prince console'd From whose clear eyes the mists were rolled."

"Lover of wail beloved by me, Why hast thou fled away and left Thy Tara of all hope bereft? Unwise the father who allows His child to be a warrior's spouse, For, hero, see thy consort's fate, A widow now most desolate. For ever broken is my pride"

"Prepare with Tara and her son That Bali's rites be duly done. A store of funeral wood provide Which wind and sun and time have dried, And richest sandal fit to grace The pyre of one of royal race. With words of comfort soft and kind Console poor Angad’s troubled mind, Nor let thy heart be thus cast down, For thine is now Vanara’s town."

"About thee stands in mournful mood; A sore-afflicted multitude, And Tara and thy lords of state Around their monarch weep and wait. Arise my lord, with gentle speech, As was thy wont, dismissing each, Then in the forest will, we play. And love shall make our spirits gay, The Vanar dames raised Tara, drowned In floods of sorrow, from the ground;"

"With royal Ruma by his side, Or Tara yet a dearer bride, He spent each joyous day and night In revelry and wild delight, Like Indra whom the nymphs entice To taste the joys of Paradise."

"He ceased: and Tara starry-eyed Thus to the angry prince replied : Not to my lord shouldst thou address A speech so fraught with bitterness: Not thus reproached my lord should be, And least of all, O Prince, by thee. He is no thankless coward – no- With spirit dead to valours glow."

"She ceased: And Laksmana gave assent, Won by her gentle argument So Tara's pleading, just and mild, His softening heart had reconciled. His altered mood Sugriva saw, And cast aside the fear and awe, Like raiment heavy with the rain, Which on his troubled soul had lain. Then quickly to the ground he threw His flowery garland bright of hue."

"Far southward, as his lord decreed, Wise Hanumén, the Wind-God's seed, With Angad his swift way pursued, And Tara's warlike multitude. Strong Vinata with all his band Betook him to the eastern land, And brave Sushen in eager quest Sped swiftly to the gloomy west."

"But Hanumén, while Tara, best Of splendid chiefs, his thought expressed, Perceived that Bali's princely son A kingdom for himself had won. His keen eye marked in him combined The warrior's arm, the ruler’s mind And every noble gift should grace."

"Rama himself makes no effort at conciliation and hears no testimony from Vali. He simply passes judgment and assassinates him for taking Sugriva's wife even though Sugrlva had taken his wife Tara after blocking the mouth of the cave and assuming the throne in Kiskindha."

"Sanskrit transliteration IAST: sugrivah prapya kiskindharh nanadaughanibhasvanah; nasya tanmamrse vaii tam tara pratyasedhayat. sugrivah prapya kiskindham nanada."

"Sanskrit transliteration IAST: cintayitva muhurtarh tu tara taradhipaprabha; patimityabravltprajna srnu sarvam kapisvara."

"Purport in English: Look, you [Tara] knowing the speech of all beings, endowed with intelligence! With whom as support this pseudo-brother of mine arrived?"

"A faithful friend untouched by blame. May look upon another's dame. He passed within, by Tara pressed, And by his own impatient breast. Refulgent there in sun like sheen Sugriva on his throne was seen."

"Of the five kanyas, none quite measure up to the standard of monogamous chastity, commended so overwhelmingly in our culture. Each has had either an extra-marital relationship or more than one husband. Of this group three – Ahalya, Tara, and Mandodari – belong to the Ramayana, the epic composed by Valmiki, the first seer-poet."

"After Vali’s fall, Tara not only rallies the fleeing subjects, but also shows great political sagacity. When Hanuman asks her to stop grieving and place her son Angada on the throne, she refuses, since, with his uncle Sugriva alive, this would be inadvisable. Then she rushes to Rama and, in an extremely forceful speech, demands that he kill her too. The strength of her personality in facing up to the prince of Ayodhya is strikingly portrayed. In Krittibas’ Bengali Ramayana, Tara curses Rama to be slain by Vali in a future birth. This is confirmed in the Mahanataka and the Ananda Ramayana where the hunter who causes Krishna’s death is Vali reborn. In several vernacular versions of the epic, Tara also curses Rama that he will not be able to enjoy the company of Sita for long. Tara’s upbraiding elicits Rama’s assurance that Sugriva will protect both her and her son’s rights. To ensure that her son Angada is not deprived of his father’s throne, she becomes her brother-in-law Sugriva’s consort."

"After suffering countless insults and rejections, Sita finally takes revenge on Rama in the most aggressive manner she knows. In carrying out her characteristic and oft repeated threat of self-immolation, she brings to a culmination her passive-aggressive response to Rama."

"Rama undertakes this Sacrifice traditionally sanctioned to confirm a monarch’s hegemony. During the sacrifice, Rama’s two sons, Lava and Kusa, recite the Rama story as composed by Valmiki. At the end of the recitation, Rama is so moved by the story of his own adventures and of the suffering of his beloved wife. Sita, that he decides to take her back, despite the rumors and slanderous talk of his subjects. He gives orders to have her brought before him and to have her once more attest to her fidelity. Sad and forlorn, Sita appears before the citizens and vows that she has always been faithful to her lord Rama. She takes an oath:"

"Sita is an apparently innocent victim of fate. She has suffered numerous horrors for no other reason than that she is Rama’s wife. Faithful to her lord, she has little choice but to follow him into exile. Deprived of the privileges of royalty, Sita lives in the forest, suffering the hardships of an ascetic life. As a result of a plot to take revenge upon her lord, she becomes the victim of a brutal and humiliating abduction, which brings shame and dishonor to her and her family."

"Since I have never thought of any man but Rama, let the Goddess Madhavi [the Earth] split open before me."

"Crushed by his words, Sita undertakes an ordeal by fire, so that she might prove her faithfulness to her lord. She calls upon Agni, the god of fire, to testify to her purity, and casts herself into the fire. But Agni, recognizing her purity, refuses to consume her. The gods then descend from heaven to testify to her purity and faithfulness. Rama, commenting that he knew all along that she was pure and only wanted the citizens to be satisfied, takes her back. Reunited once again, they return to Ayodhya where Rama takes up his rightful position as king."

"What illustrious man of good family would take back a woman who had lived in another’s house even though he longs to? How can one who has pretensions towards a great family take you back, when you have sat upon Ravana’s lap and have been looked upon by his lustful eyes? The reason I won you back was to restore my fame. l have no attachment to you. Leave here as you wish! This is what I have decided: choose Laksmana or Bharata as you please. Choose Sugriva, the lord of the monkeys, or the raksasa king Vibhisana. Make up your own mind as you like. Sita."

"The two live happily for some time; however, Sita’s ordeal is not over. Doubts as to Sita’s fidelity are circulating among the common people. Unable to endure the rumors, Rama orders Laksmana to take the pregnant Sita to the desolate forest and abandon her, which he dutifully does."

"Sita takes an oath."

"Sita is taken by Ravana to the Ashoka grove where she is confined. She refuses his advances and is given one year to yield or die. Ravana makes various threats as do the demonic women who guard her. Sita bravely counters these threats, preaching the virtues of a true wife, and reviling the demon."

"Sita is abducted as soon as she is left defenseless. Sita acknowledges Ravana only because she knows that social proprieties require respectful treatment of a brahman. She is also afraid that he will curse her. The respect that Sita feels she owes the brahman, again an authority figure, is clearly based on fear."

"As the year passes, and the taunts and threats become more intense, Sita gives way to despair. She wonders why Rama, the husband to whom she is so devoted, has deserted her and not come to her rescue, and how she has survived without her beloved lord. Sita’s lamenting is turned inward. She blames herself for her condition."

"Sita’s unusually demanding behavior; initially we see her insist that Rama capture the deer alive. Laksmana realizes that the deer is, in fact, Marica, and Rama decides to kill the animal and take its skin. Sita’s strong will is again her most striking trait. When she begged Rama to accompany him to the forest Sita used virtually all of her persuasive talents on her husband, although her exact motives were difficult to determine, and now again her demanding nature emerges. Even though the stated motive—her mothers-in~law would enjoy possessing the deer—clouds the issue of her own interests, the action appears to be largely self-centered."

"You are a very wicked person, and alone followed Rama, all alone, to the forest, concealing your (real) motives for the sake of (getting) me or spying for Bharata."

"Sita next plays a prominent role in the Aranyakanda. The first of two events in which she figures, which must be considered a harbinger of the later, is the abduction by the demon Viradha. Immediately Rama and his brother slay the aggressor, freeing Sita."

"Her deference to Anasuya, her grateful acceptance of advice from an elder, her speaking only after having been addressed — all these create in the mind of the audience a feeling that Sita is not only a devoted, loving, and self sacrificing woman, but a deferential and unassuming one as well, despite her earlier behavior."

"In the second episode, we see Sita again abducted this time by Ravana. In this famous scene, we learn much more about her. Ravana has decided to abduct her for revenge. He has devised a plan: Marica is to take the shape of a golden deer and prance about in front of the ashram. Sita upon seeing the deer will want it and send Rama after it. Rama will go, leaving Laksmana behind, and then through a trick of voice, Marica will call out for Laksmana’s help, and Laksmana too will be lured off. This happens, leaving Sita alone, and Ravana abducts her."

"Sita’s aggressive and cruel behavior towards her brother-in-law, is a heretofore unseen part of her character. She convinces Laksmana to leave her and go to Rama’s defense. Her outburst, again under the pretext of concern for her husband’s safety, is revealing. She accuses Laksmana of being a spy for Bharata or having designs on her."

"Sita, alone and worried about Rama, is approached by Ravana in disguise. Thinking him a brahman and fearing a curse, Sita initially treats him respectfully. Ravana reveals himself and propositions her. Repulsed at the thought. Sita castigates his impudence. Ravana, mad with infatuation and desiring revenge abducts Sita, and as he carries her away in his magical chariot she cries out “Rama, Rama.”"

"Without doubt, right in front of you Saurnitri, I will kill myself: even for a moment I cannot live on this earth without Rama."