‘The Renunciation’ by Pragya Agrawal: Sita’s final act of assertion

Pragya Agrawal’s ‘The Renunciation’ is a poignant retelling of the Ramayana through the eyes of Sita — a voice often overshadowed in the grand narrative of dharma, kingship, and sacrifice.

Agrawal dismantles the misconception of Sita as a passive figure. From the moment Sita effortlessly lifts Pinaka, the divine bow of Lord Shiva, as a young girl — a casual yet remarkable act that foreshadowed her destiny — she is portrayed as a woman of will and agency. Her love for Ram is both physical and spiritual, deeply human yet transcendent. Yet she feels a quiet displeasure, even anger, when Ram, in jest, goads Surpanakha, and later when — after his victory over Ravan — she is subjected to agni pariksha before being accepted by her husband.

The story moves beyond the grandeur of the palace walls as Sita, once an ecstatic bride, steps into the harsh wilderness. Her years of vanvas — a life of exile shared with Ram and Lakshman — mark the beginning of trials that test her spirit. From the serenity of forest life to the terror of her abduction by Ravan, the formidable king of Lanka, Sita’s journey unfolds with unyielding resilience. Confined in the Ashok Vatika under the watchful eyes of rakshasis, she endures isolation and despair with a stoic strength that becomes her defining grace.

Even after Ram returns to Ayodhya to claim his crown, with Sita as queen, her trials do not end. The most poignant moment comes when a pregnant Sita is cast away to uphold royal honour. From here, Agrawal traces Sita’s transformation into Vandevi, the ascetic in Valmiki’s ashram, where she accepts her fate and raises Luv and Kush, heirs of the Ikshvaku dynasty.

One of the most compelling aspects of the book is Sita’s questioning of honour. She draws a parallel between Ram’s decision to banish her based on a dhobi’s crass remark and Dasharath’s earlier oath that sent Ram into exile. Both acts, though rooted in the ideals of kingship, expose the fragility of a woman’s position when weighed against public perception. ‘The Renunciation’ questions the societal norms that compel women — even those equal in virtue and strength — to submit to patriarchal dictates. Agrawal’s restrained yet evocative prose gives Sita a quiet, powerful voice, prompting readers to ask — What is honour? Who defines it? And why must its burden fall on women?

Agrawal does not criticise Ram; she presents him as a ruler bound by rajdharma, whose personal anguish is subsumed by the greater good. Through Sita’s eyes, however, we confront the cost of such ideals. The book reminds us that the epic is not merely about wars fought on physical terrain, but about the profound moral and emotional struggles within. It is a narrative that blends lyrical prose with a strong moral core, exploring themes of choices that shape families, the complexity of forgiveness, and the lasting consequences of a single irrevocable act.

The narrative ends with Sita’s final renunciation, a moment of quiet strength and sorrow. After raising Luv and Kush in Valmiki’s hermitage, she relinquishes them to their destiny as the heirs of Ayodhya. Her return to the lap of Mother Earth is both an assertion of autonomy and a quiet surrender — a final, dignified act that brings her long journey of trials to a resolute close.

— The reviewer is a contributor based in Chandigarh