What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to explore the active roles of women in the Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata, challenging traditional interpretations that view them as passive figures.

July 1, 2026Open Access

Beyond Devotion and Defiance: Reassessing the Status of Women in the Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata as Contested Moral Landscapes

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Authors

SSShweta SinghLoyola University Chicago

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Implication

This analysis shows how women in ancient epics actively shaped moral landscapes, suggesting new interpretations of their roles.

Key Points

The aim is to explore the active roles of women in the Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata, challenging traditional interpretations that view them as passive figures.
Employed close-reading methodology to analyze texts.
Utilized comparative gender studies and subaltern historiography to reconstruct narratives.
Examined the lives of key female characters such as Draupadi and Sītā for deeper insights.
Demonstrated that women are not mere ornaments but active participants in shaping moral complexities in society.
Highlighted how women's economic dependency coexisted with their political influence.
Showed that women's transgressions were narrativized as significant events within the epics.

Cite This Study

Shweta Singh (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a44afb45cd2549c8bc44a59 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21040774

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Beyond Devotion and Defiance: Reassessing the Status of Women in the Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata as Contested Moral Landscapes

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Beyond Devotion and Defiance: Reassessing the Status of Women in the Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata as Contested Moral Landscapes

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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