Describe the impact of the mahabharata and ramayana on indian females
Answers
If I am allowed, I'd like to make some corrections to the words used in this question, so as to project the culture in the light it ought to be seen.
"Ravana abducting Sita, the Kauravas publicly undressing Draupadi suggest women were portrayed as lustful fancies of powerful men" :- Incorrect
Correct: The lives of Ravana who abducted Seetha and Kauravas who misbehaved with Draupadi show what happens to men who dare to outrage the modesty of woman.
"A lady is considered defiled if another man touches her; reeks of male-dominant culture." :- Incorrect:
Correct: "A pathivratha is so devoted to her husband that she considers herself defiled (even though not) if another man touches her; reeks of a culture that owes its greatness to the women who bore the mankind."
Hinduism is perhaps the only religion (besides Pagan) that treats woman as the manifestation of Shakti or Goddess. Hinduism lays extreme emphasis on this. Some intricacies regarding the same:
Paathivrathya
Hinduism has given such importance to women that it prescribed pathivrathyam as the only duty of a woman. Any other form of worship is only optional. As opposed to this, according to dharma man should wake up early in the morning, perform japa, tapa, and various vedic rights with extreme caution to get good results. Whereas for a women, all this is not required. If she serves her husband, knowingly or unknowingly, it accounts to serving God only. This is told in the Vedas itself that NO other form of worship is necessary for women. Besides this, whatever the merit earned by the husband by performing such strict rituals and practices, half of it is sanctioned to his wife irrespective of whether she participates in the daily pooja or not. This is because the husband cannot perform any of his religious activities if the women does not take care of his basic necessities. Since the women is indirectly responsible for his worship being a success, half of the merit is accounted to the wife. Beyond her daily chores, if the women does any other form of worship the merit remains untouched, it is not accounted to the husband, it belongs to her alone.