Mandodari
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 also 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 her husband and loved him despite all of this.
Then, he set his eyes upon a married woman named Sita. She was incredibly beautiful and Ravana felt that he must add her to his collection no matter the cost. He used trickery to isolate and kidnap her from her husband, Rama. Ravana dragged her back to his domain to rape and defile her. This was too much for Mandodari. His other lovers consented to their relationships, but Sita obviously did not. Mandodari begged Ravana to let the girl go and return her to Rama. He refused to listen to her. When Sita persistently refused to be with him, he continued to pester and threaten her. Sita remained strong and faithful to her husband. Mandodari developed a respect for the girl and continued to plead with her husband to release Sita. Again, he ignored her requests.
At this point, Mandodari began to doubt her husband. One night, she disentangled herself from Ravana and all of his lovers before sneaking out of the palace. She went to the grove where Sita was being kept. The girl slept surrounded by a circle of Ravana’s rakshasis. She looked so innocent and kind. Mandodari felt a tug at her heart and an immediate urge to free Sita, but tore her watery gaze away. She wasn’t ready to betray her husband for a girl she did not know. She’d already stood by her husband so long. How could she turn on him now? 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 her husband, yet again, to give up Sita. In response, he sent his own army and eldest son, Indrajit, into battle. Ravana’s men were winning for a while. But then 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 over Sita. Though skeptical, they listened to the queen’s order. Once alone, Mandodari explained her plan to Sita.
Sita looked at her thoughtfully for a moment and then asked, “You are one of Ravana’s wives. Why would you betray your husband for me?”
“When Ravana gets something in his mind, he does not stop until he has it. He wants you to be with him, and he will destroy this kingdom along with everyone in it in order to achieve this. I don’t wish to be with that kind of man– one with no respect for anything. Please, come with me so we can end this pointless fighting,” Mandodari pleaded. Sita saw that the queen was genuine, so they rushed through the palace grounds together and crept around the raging battle.
Shortly after reaching Rama’s camp, a monkey warrior 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 Sita asked Rama to call an end to the fighting. He wanted to continue the battle to defend his wife's honor, but she insisted there was no need for more unnecessary death. He agreed and 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 finally felt the love and respect she deserved.
Author's Note:
In the original stories, much is the same. Ravana cheats and ignores Mandodari's suggestions. He kidnaps Sita and tries to sleep with her. Rama comes to the rescue. Though Mandodari did plead with Ravana to release Sita, she never steps in or stands up to her husband. She supports Ravana until the very end when he dies in battle. She even mourns his death despite his infidelity, stubbornness, and lack of respect for her and their marriage. I wanted to write a story where Mandodari stands up for herself and gets a happier ending. I really felt bad that she had done nothing wrong but lost everything. 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. Her son still died because I felt like this would be a strong push for her to betray her husband. Ravana survived in my version because I really did feel that Rama's continuing the battle would be a waste of life since Sita had been freed. 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:
The Battle, Source: Wikimedia Commons
Ravana and Mandodari, Source: Wikimedia Commons
Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana, Source: Wikimedia Commons
Bibliography:
"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)