 "Sita, myth, hanuman, painting")
Speaking up to the powerful has never been easy nor has it been without consequence but that has not stopped heroes across civilisations from doing so. And if we are to glean life lessons from the annals of world myth (apart from knowledge about the sexual practices of peacocks or the holiness of cows) it is far more rewarding to jump into these stories and shake them down for some hard talk.
Take a look at Sumerian hero Gilgamesh; one of the oldest mythical characters, he does not hesitate to tell off a vengeful goddess or even take on the bull of heaven. He was the king of Uruk (in present-day Iraq), a cruel and powerful ruler. He and his soul mate/alter-ego Enkidu go through many adventures, which included a particularly demanding and exhausting battle with the monster guardian of the cedar forest, Humbaba. Gilgamesh slayed the invincible demon to bring back cedar logs to his kingdom where, enticed by his victorious form, the goddess Ishtar propositioned him.
Ishtar was a ruthless goddess with many lovers. Every king in and around Uruk had gone out of their way to be subservient to her. But Gilgamesh spurned her, saying he had no wish to suffer the same fate as her previous lovers (all dead and buried). His insubordination prompted sky god Anu (Ishtar’s father) to despatch the bull of heaven. But Gilgamesh and Enkidu defeated and then butchered the bull; they taunted Ishtar and flung parts of the carcass at her. Those who told Gilgamesh’s story some 4,000 years ago did not endorse his behaviour but never questioned his right to stand up to the goddess.
Almost every myth in every culture celebrates the heroic individual who stands up to tyranny, autocracy and injustice. This act of heroism is even more dramatic when it is performed by the underdog. In the Mahabharata, Amba, a woman stands up to the all-powerful figure of Bhishma, darling of the gods and humans. Bhishma’s vow of lifelong celibacy was heralded as an act of ultimate selflessness and the gods had bestowed upon him the right to choose the time and place of his death. Even so, Amba and those who told her story were not bullied into submission by the gods or by the heroes of the epic. Amba was abducted by Bhishma from a swayamvara organised by her father. She challenged Bhishma, refusing to comply with his wish that she wed his step-brother Vichitravirya because she had loved another man. However, when her lover refused to take her back because she was now another man’s woman, she sat in penance to seek death for Bhishma who had led to her abandonment. Her wish was granted and she was rebornas Shikhandi, Draupadi’s brother, and was responsible for Bhishma’s death in the battle
of Mahabharata.
Take a look at Sumerian hero Gilgamesh; one of the oldest mythical characters, he does not hesitate to tell off a vengeful goddess or even take on the bull of heaven. He was the king of Uruk (in present-day Iraq), a cruel and powerful ruler. He and his soul mate/alter-ego Enkidu go through many adventures, which included a particularly demanding and exhausting battle with the monster guardian of the cedar forest, Humbaba. Gilgamesh slayed the invincible demon to bring back cedar logs to his kingdom where, enticed by his victorious form, the goddess Ishtar propositioned him.
Ishtar was a ruthless goddess with many lovers. Every king in and around Uruk had gone out of their way to be subservient to her. But Gilgamesh spurned her, saying he had no wish to suffer the same fate as her previous lovers (all dead and buried). His insubordination prompted sky god Anu (Ishtar’s father) to despatch the bull of heaven. But Gilgamesh and Enkidu defeated and then butchered the bull; they taunted Ishtar and flung parts of the carcass at her. Those who told Gilgamesh’s story some 4,000 years ago did not endorse his behaviour but never questioned his right to stand up to the goddess.
Almost every myth in every culture celebrates the heroic individual who stands up to tyranny, autocracy and injustice. This act of heroism is even more dramatic when it is performed by the underdog. In the Mahabharata, Amba, a woman stands up to the all-powerful figure of Bhishma, darling of the gods and humans. Bhishma’s vow of lifelong celibacy was heralded as an act of ultimate selflessness and the gods had bestowed upon him the right to choose the time and place of his death. Even so, Amba and those who told her story were not bullied into submission by the gods or by the heroes of the epic. Amba was abducted by Bhishma from a swayamvara organised by her father. She challenged Bhishma, refusing to comply with his wish that she wed his step-brother Vichitravirya because she had loved another man. However, when her lover refused to take her back because she was now another man’s woman, she sat in penance to seek death for Bhishma who had led to her abandonment. Her wish was granted and she was rebornas Shikhandi, Draupadi’s brother, and was responsible for Bhishma’s death in the battle
of Mahabharata.
Sita with Hanuman in Ashokvan. In an Odiya version, Sita ticks off Rama for bragging
