The Non-Conventional Women's Roles in the Bharata Narratives of Saksri Yamnadda

Abstract

This research article aims to study non-conventional women's roles in the Bharata narratives of Saksri Yamnadda (Pharata Niyai). It is qualitative research that collects data from Sanskrit texts in Saksri Yaemnadda's fiction, using the concepts of roles, and literary and social concepts as a guiding framework for the study. The word “role” is used in the meaning of expectations of Hindu society towards women, with a form of expression, i.e., the character's actions, which are not related to the social structure, including the punishment that the characters must accept, which is arising from behavior outside the above norms. The study results were presented using descriptive and analytical methods.
From the study, it was found that there were 8 stories of unconventional women in Saksri Yaemnadda’s Bharata Narratives, namely, Devasamitā, Īśvaravarman, Devadatta, Maṇikaṇṭha, Devayāni and Kaca, Ahalyā, śabarī and śivaśekhara. It consists of four human characters and five non-human characters. There are two roles of unconventional women in fiction: 1) the role of the villain and 2) the role of an adulterer. It is considered a negative role for female characters in Sanskrit literature, in which the human female characters tend to be villainous, pursuing wealth according to the mundane ways of humanity. Non-human female characters are not interested in property because they are complete with images, properties, and wealth according to the state of divine happiness. However, they lack of love and mental stability, therefore playing a role of adultery. The unconventional feminism in the fiction is also a reflection of women in ancient Indian society, which did not honor women who were overflowing with lust, greed, anger and delusion, especially women who are adulterers, ill religious priests, and prostitutes.