Author(s)
S.Bala kumari, Dr. B.V. Ravana Murty
- Manuscript ID: 140815
- Volume: 2
- Issue: 7
- Pages: 19–25
Subject Area: Engineering
Abstract
This paper undertakes a feminist-philosophical re-reading of Queen Mandodari in the Ramayana, foregrounding her counsel as a silenced yet ethically profound voice within the epic narrative. While the Ramayana has traditionally been interpreted as a tale of divine justice and dharmic order, Mandodari’s interventions reveal an alternative moral discourse—one that critiques unchecked ambition, patriarchal arrogance, and the tragic consequences of ignoring wisdom. Her repeated warnings to Ravana, urging restraint and adherence to dharma, embody a conscience that is systematically marginalized within the masculine power structures of Lanka.
Through textual analysis and comparative hermeneutics, this study situates Mandodari alongside other epic women such as Sita, Draupadi, and Gandhari, highlighting a continuum of feminine ethical consciousness across Indian epics. Drawing upon feminist hermeneutics and Vedantic ethics, the paper argues that Mandodari’s voice represents a dharmic ideal of balance—an insistence on justice, foresight, and ethical governance that challenges patriarchal silencing. Her character thus becomes emblematic of the suppressed intellect within epic traditions, offering a counter-narrative to the dominant valorization of conquest and masculine ego.
By reclaiming Mandodari’s counsel, the paper contributes to broader debates on gender, ethics, and narrative authority in Hindu studies. It demonstrates that the Ramayana is not merely a text of divine retribution but also a site of moral plurality, where silenced voices articulate alternative visions of justice and governance. In contemporary contexts, Mandodari’s wisdom resonates with the urgent need for women’s intellectual inclusion in leadership and ethical decision-making. Her portrayal underscores the tragic cost of ignoring conscience, while simultaneously offering a timeless paradigm for reimagining dharma as inclusive, dialogical, and ethically grounded.