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Ashes of Lanka: Subaltern Ramayana Insights on Dharma, Civilians, and War Ethics
This essay reframes the burning of Lanka in Sundara Kanda through a subaltern, ethically rigorous lens that centers the ordinary people of the golden city. It retains reverence for Hanuman’s strategic brilliance and Sri Rama’s cause while probing the moral costs of urban fire on artisans, traders, elders, and children. Drawing on Dharmayuddha norms and…
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Why Ravana Took Sita to Lanka: Exploring a Protective Motive Across Dharmic Perspectives
This article examines why Ravana took Sita to Lanka by engaging both the Valmiki Ramayana and alternative interpretations that emphasize restraint and honor. It highlights how Sita’s inviolable dignity becomes the ethical fulcrum of the narrative across Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh perspectives. Readers gain a nuanced understanding of motive, vow, and dharma without displacing…