| Summary: | The stories of the epics have gained a sense of timelessness. They have established the codes of culture and values in the society. The myths are replete with the account of women adhering to ‘pativrata dharma’. Such pseudo queens have become the cultural icons as they safeguard the patriarchal conventions. In the Mahabharata Kunti , the mother and the widow is the symbol of eternal suffering .Though she is much revered and glorified, the epic legitimizes the subjugation and exploitation of a widow caught in the gyres of patriarchy. In performing a signifying function myth hides nothing and flaunts nothing: it distorts; myth is neither a lie nor a confession: it is an inflexion. Referring to Saoli Mitra’s Katha Amritasaman this paper explores the sufferings of Kunti, the widow and the mother. It retells Kunti’s story by unravelling the gaps and silences in the epic. All alone Kunti creates an entity of her own, devises original ways to meet the challenge and the best of all is that, although she respects social norms she is not a slave to them and can override them if necessary. She stands as an integrated woman who performs her duties without being influenced by other considerations. She died as she lived. Unbending.
|
|---|