In ancient literature androgynous figures often convey a powerful symbolism of harmony and perfection, because they embody details of both sexes in an archetypal way. In the Ambopākhyāna parvan (MBh 5.170-197.21) is represented a case of gender transition about the Kaśi’s princess Ambā being granted a boon by the often marginalised god Rudra. Several scholars devoted their inquiries to the Ambopākhyāna parvan with regards to the point of view on women’s status. Firstly, Jamison (1996) stated that the narrative core of the Ambopākhyāna’s concerning the prototypical bond between Rudra and Ambā could date back to the Vedic period. Later, Hiltebeitel (2011) agreed with her in acknowledging Rudra’s involvement in Ambā’s ascetic path, for what concerns women’s Dharma on the epic. Analogously, Custodi (2007) aligns his interpretation with these readings, but only to deal with the transsexuality theme which is also the main subject of Chakravarti’s study, even if he interprets Ambā’s austerities as “an attempt to return autonomy to a woman” (2018: 174). As far as I know, however, no one did pay attention to the ambiguities arisen from Ambā undertaking the ascetic path, despite her status of a castaway woman and the crucial detail of how she managed to be granted a very special boon by Rudra himself (cf. Scheuer 1982). Therefore, I suggest some tentative issues to further reconsider the Ambopākhyāna’s episode: even if Ambā’s purpose to perform tapas is consistently hampered, might she be considered a female alter ego of the god Rudra? Why if Ambā’s tapas is deviant, crooked (jihma), still it obtained merits? Finally, could her ascetic merits be related and compared to the boon obtained by Draupadī from Śiva? As regards the cultural milieu of gender subject in the itihāsa, Scheuer (1982) firstly established Śiva’s appearances towards virtuous female characters throughout the MBh, as for example his granting a boon to Draupadī in her previous life.

A quête for vengeance Rudra’s involvement in Ambā’s ascetic path and gender transition / Falqui, Diletta. - (2019). (Intervento presentato al convegno International Seminar Liminal Spaces, and Identity Transformations in Indian Cultural History tenutosi a Milan; Italy).

A quête for vengeance Rudra’s involvement in Ambā’s ascetic path and gender transition

Diletta Falqui
2019

Abstract

In ancient literature androgynous figures often convey a powerful symbolism of harmony and perfection, because they embody details of both sexes in an archetypal way. In the Ambopākhyāna parvan (MBh 5.170-197.21) is represented a case of gender transition about the Kaśi’s princess Ambā being granted a boon by the often marginalised god Rudra. Several scholars devoted their inquiries to the Ambopākhyāna parvan with regards to the point of view on women’s status. Firstly, Jamison (1996) stated that the narrative core of the Ambopākhyāna’s concerning the prototypical bond between Rudra and Ambā could date back to the Vedic period. Later, Hiltebeitel (2011) agreed with her in acknowledging Rudra’s involvement in Ambā’s ascetic path, for what concerns women’s Dharma on the epic. Analogously, Custodi (2007) aligns his interpretation with these readings, but only to deal with the transsexuality theme which is also the main subject of Chakravarti’s study, even if he interprets Ambā’s austerities as “an attempt to return autonomy to a woman” (2018: 174). As far as I know, however, no one did pay attention to the ambiguities arisen from Ambā undertaking the ascetic path, despite her status of a castaway woman and the crucial detail of how she managed to be granted a very special boon by Rudra himself (cf. Scheuer 1982). Therefore, I suggest some tentative issues to further reconsider the Ambopākhyāna’s episode: even if Ambā’s purpose to perform tapas is consistently hampered, might she be considered a female alter ego of the god Rudra? Why if Ambā’s tapas is deviant, crooked (jihma), still it obtained merits? Finally, could her ascetic merits be related and compared to the boon obtained by Draupadī from Śiva? As regards the cultural milieu of gender subject in the itihāsa, Scheuer (1982) firstly established Śiva’s appearances towards virtuous female characters throughout the MBh, as for example his granting a boon to Draupadī in her previous life.
2019
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/1344422
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