Story of Ahilya
Read the Story of Ahilya first, in order to understand the full import of this article.
This story is a very popular one mentioned in the Indian Epic Ramayan. Whenever I read this story, it is more than evident to me that the perspective given is the author’s, ‘Sage Gautam’s’ or ‘Indra’s’. No where can we hear Ahilya’s voice,thoughts or sense her emotions. Even while Sage Gautam was cursing her, he does not ask for any explanation and does what he feels right and what he thinks she deserves. Some of the messages the story gives to its audiences are:
- A woman whether married or unmarried has very set rules and values to follow when it comes to her sexuality
- Ahilya was herself responsible for her plight and she got what she deserved.
- Women are men’s property, and sexuality fidelity to their husband is the most important virtue for a woman.
- The husband has a right not to own or disown his wife in case he is not sure about his wife’s “character and Loyalty”. But have we ever questioned, what happens when a wife finds out that her husband is having other partners too.
- After cursing Ahilya, Sage Gautam goes to the Himalaya to engage himself in austerities there and “purify himself“. The undertone of this statement suggests that a woman’s uncontrolled sexuality brings dishonour and ruin to her family.
Gender discrimination lies at the heart of every act we do and every thought we have. Even today if we look in our society all the above mentioned points stand true, girls and women are not allowed to talk freely about their own sexuality even with their partners. Even today, in the 21st century a woman’s honour is linked with her family’s and we see, hear and read about honour killings being prevalent not only in India, but the entire Indian subcontinent – countries where their are people staying from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Men make most decisions about women in their lives, be it as a father, a brother, a husband or as a son and no consultations happen before the final decision.
When men have relationships outside marriage, the women are asked to adjust as men are men and it is the women’s responsibility to keep the family from breaking apart. No matter what the man does outside his home, but from his wife he expects complete loyalty and faithfulness. Any let down in the wife’s sexuality fidelity leads to a big questions mark on her morality and she might be thrown out of her husband’s house. The society also looks down upon her as characterless person.
The last act of Ram coming and placing his foot over the rock (Ahilya transformed into a rock after the curse) to release her of the curse also seems very patriarchal in nature. The person who decided Ahilya’s punishment was a man and the person who set her free was also a man. What was Ahilay’s role in the whole story? Who are Gautam and Ram to decide what should happen to Ahilya?
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Sankalp SinghJuly 20, 2010 at 6:00 am
Dear admin
Whatever you have written it is absolutely true but you have narrated only the story of ahilya. Why donot you have not given any rules from Iranian government who are killing women by beating by stones and nobody is asking any questions even in 21st century.