Paper Title: Mahākāvya o Smṛtiśāstrer Darpaṇe Nārīḥ: Prācīn Bhārater Prekṣit o Ādhunik Yuger Tulonātmok Somīkṣā
Author:
Abstract:
In the history of Indian social evolution, the position of women has always remained a contested and significant subject of inquiry. The primary objective of this research paper is to analyze the social, political, and familial status of women during the eras of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, and to undertake a comparative evaluation of that status in the context of the twenty-first century. The study draws upon primary sources such as the Valmiki Ramayana, the Mahabharata attributed to Vyasa, the Manusmriti, and relevant Sanskrit verses and aphorisms from Kautilya’s Arthashastra.
The epic age reflects a dichotomous position of women, characterized by both reverence and restraint. Female figures such as Sita and Draupadi, despite possessing strong individuality, moral strength, and intellectual agency, repeatedly experienced the curtailment of their autonomy due to rigid social norms and prescriptive codes, particularly those articulated in the Manusmriti. Although Kautilya’s Arthashastra acknowledges women’s rights over stridhana (women’s property), the overarching ideal of pativrata (devotion to the husband) and subordination to male authority was upheld as the supreme duty of women.
In contrast, the contemporary era has witnessed significant legal empowerment of women through constitutional provisions and legislative reforms such as the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005, which affirm women’s rights to equality, education, and economic independence. The paper concludes that while modern legal frameworks have substantially enhanced women’s formal status and rights, patriarchal values rooted in epic narratives and classical legal texts continue to persist within the social subconscious, posing enduring challenges to the realization of women’s complete emancipation.
Keywords:Ramayana, Mahabharata, Women’s Empowerment, Manusmriti, Arthashastra, Stridhana, Indian Constitution, Patriarchy.
DOI Link – https://doi.org/10.63431/AIJITR/2.VI.2025.100-105
Review By – Dr. Basudev Das