Tapasya of Epic Changemakers

Women in the Ramayana inspire fascinating leadership trends

- Koral Dasgupta

TAPASYA—a spiritual discipline that involves deep meditation, austerity, restraint and efforts for self-liberation— holds great relevance in the Indian mythoverse. It refers to practising rigorous penance and aiming for miraculous returns. Those who performed tapasya chased divine secrets, which manifested in the form of momentous knowledge for sages and celestial astras (weapons) for warriors. Every kind of tapasya demands great sacrifices and hardships of tapasya demands great sacrifices and hardships. The path to spiritual transformation is paved depending upon what one seeks to achieve. The results inspire masses rather than affecting just one.

Indian philosophy proposes that tapasya is a conscious choice for all leaders. It is a personal investment for social resurrection It is motivation and training, both!

While popular narratives have viewed tapasya in the form of predominantly male fancy, women’s culture in Indian epics reflect upon it as brave contemplations by fierce changemakers. The Ramayana (and also the Mahabharata) shows an interesting trajectory of feminine leadership with abundant kindness, progressive decision-making, constructive protests and furious fights. No leadership sustains only on the pillars of virtues. The women make ‘mistakes’ as does everyone. Owning up the failures leads to their tapasya.

Sita’s Tapasya