Shreya Banerjee
Independent Researcher
West Bengal, India
Abstract
This comparative study delves into the depiction of women as divine agents within the Tamil and Sanskrit epic traditions, examining how key heroines—namely Sītā and Draupadī from the Sanskrit corpus, and Kannaki and Pattini from the Tamil canon—embody and enact divine authority. While Sanskrit epics often present their female protagonists as embodiments of cosmic order and moral rectitude, Tamil epics illustrate women wielding miraculous power to challenge social injustice and restore dharma through extraordinary means. By employing feminist literary criticism, mythological hermeneutics, and cultural analysis, this research elucidates the complex interplay between gender, divinity, and narrative agency. The methodology involves close textual readings of primary epic texts—Valmiki’s Rāmāyaṇa, Vyāsa’s Mahābhārata, Ilango Adigal’s Silappatikāram, and Tiruttakkatēvar’s Cīvakacintāmaṇi—complemented by thematic coding of passages illustrating divine intervention, moral discourse, and social negotiation. Results indicate that while Sītā’s trials affirm her passive endurance under patriarchal pressures, Draupadī’s vocal assertiveness and public curses effect tangible cosmic consequences. Contrastingly, Tamil heroines like Kannaki exercise overt supernatural wrath to obliterate tyranny, and Pattini’s nurturing benevolence fosters communal well-being. These findings underscore divergent narrative logics: Sanskrit traditions valorize obedience tempered by episodic protests, whereas Tamil traditions celebrate direct, dramatic expressions of feminine wrath and grace. The conclusion synthesizes these insights to argue that across both literary spheres, epic heroines serve as pivotal mediators between mortal communities and the divine realm, simultaneously reinforcing and subverting established norms. This study advances our understanding of gendered divinity in South Asian epics and invites further exploration of regional variations and contemporary receptions.
Keywords
Divine Agency, Epic Heroines, Tamil Literature, Sanskrit Literature, Gender Studies, Mythological Criticism, Cultural Comparison
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