अधम ते अधम अधम अति नारी―The Woman of Tulsidas's Dream
बिधिहु न नारी हृदय गति जानी। सकल कपट अघ अवगुण खानी . "Even Brahma himself cannot understand what lies in a woman's heart―the seat of all sorts of vices, depravities, and unscrupulous conduct!" ―Ayodhya Kanda, Ramacharitamanas. Ramacharitmanas is a popular 16th century retelling of the Ramayana. While it draws its content primarily from the original Ramayana (probably the manuscripts that do not contain the Uttar Kandam), its emphasis on devotion to Rama as Godhead incarnate, discussion of narratives not central to the original Ramayana, and attempts at bringing closer Dvaita and Advaita Vedanta indicate that Tulsidas incorporated stories from Puranas and other existing Ramayanas—particularly the Adhyatma Ramayana. Given that women feature prominently in Shri Rama's life, I think it becomes pertinent to ask how Tulsidas portrays women in his Magnum Opus. After all, Shri Rama's fidelity to his wife and his zeal to rescue her at all costs is extolled as a virtue ev...
