Week 4 Story: Mandodari

Edit: This story has been transferred to my Portfolio. Click here to view the most up to date version.
        When Ravana and Mandodari were young, they fell in love at first sight. She was beautiful and he was strong. As time went on, Mandodari noticed her husband’s weakness for other women. Though she was lovely and good, he wanted to be with more than one woman. So he married a second wife. But this was not enough. He married a third and a fourth. Ravana could never have enough wives and lovers despite the fact that his queen was the most beautiful, kind, and intelligent of them all. She stood by him and loved him despite all of this.

        Then, he set his eyes upon a married woman–Sita. He kidnapped her from her husband, Rama, and brought her to his domain to rape and defile her. This was too much for Mandodari. She begged Ravana to let the girl go and return her to Rama. He refused to listen to her. When Sita consistently refused to be with him, he continued to pester and threaten her. Sita stood strong and faithful to her husband. Mandodari developed a respect for the girl and continued to nag her husband to release her. Again, her requests were ignored.

        At this point, Mandodari began to doubt her husband. That night, she disentangled herself from Ravana and all of his lovers before sneaking out from the palace. She went to the grove where Sita was being kept. The girl slept in a circle of Ravana’s rakshasis. She looked so innocent and kind. Mandodari felt an immediate urge to free the girl, but tore her watery gaze away. She wasn’t ready to betray her husband for a girl she did not know. She returned to the palace to find one of Ravana’s lovers had taken her place and the king had not missed her in her absence. Mandodari maintained hope in Ravana that he would do the right thing eventually.
        The following day, Rama arrived with an army to fight Ravana and take Sita back. Mandodari urged him, yet again, to give up Sita. In response, he sent his own army and eldest son into battle. Ravana’s men were winning for a while. But then, Mandodari’s son, Indrajit, was struck down. This infuriated Ravana, but it was also the last straw for Mandodari.
        Weeping for her lost son, she decided she would not stand for her husband’s treatment any longer. Ravana stormed off to battle to avenge his son, but Mandodari stole away to the grove from the night before. She told the rakshasi guards that Ravana needed their assistance in battle and said that she would keep watch of Sita. Though skeptical, they listened to the queen’s order. Once alone, Mandodari explained her plan to Sita. They rushed through the palace grounds and crept around the raging battle. 

        Shortly after reaching Rama’s camp, a monkey recognized Mandodari as the wife of Ravana. He charged at her, but Sita stopped him with a gentle hand. She explained who she was and how the queen had saved her. The monkey immediately retrieved Sita’s husband from battle. The lovers were joyfully reunited and Rama called an end to the fighting. To avoid unnecessary deaths, they organized a retreat.
        Ravana obviously saw this as a sign of victory. He jeered at Rama and laughed at his weakness. Shortly after, he realized that not only was Sita gone from the grove, but his first wife and queen was missing as well. At first he wondered if the dreadful Sita had murdered or kidnapped Mandodari. But then, one of his many wives told him how she had seen the queen leading Sita away from the grove and palace. Ravana had lost his most precious wife, eldest son, and valuable prisoner in one day. He wailed for his losses and vowed to get revenge on Rama. Mandodari remained with Rama and Sita for a long while before finding a kind man from Rama’s ranks to remarry. This man did not cheat or ignore her and she was finally happy here.

Author's Note: 

        In the original story, Mandodari stands by Ravana until the very end when he dies in battle. She even mourns his death despite his infidelity and stubbornness. I wanted to write a story where Mandodari stands up for herself and gets a happier ending. I added all of the internal conflict for Mandodari as well as her going to see Sita that night before battle. I wanted the reader to feel how badly this was ripping her apart. In the Ramayana, the focus was mostly on the men, their feelings, and their honor. I wanted this to be about the women instead.

Image Information: 

        Ravana and Mandodari, Source: Wikimedia Commons

        The Battle, Source: Wikimedia Commons

Bibliography:

        Ramayana PDE

       "Hanuman in Lanka" and "Sita and Ravana" from Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita (1914)

       "The Ashoka Grove" from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913)

       "Lakshmana and Indrajit" and "Mandodari's Lament" from Ramayana, The Epic of Rama, Prince of India by Romesh Dutt (1899)