Maya Vidya, the Power that Rewrote Destiny: An Eco-feminist Study of Seeta in the Graphic series Ramayan 3392 AD

Abstract

Literary environmentalism is an ideology that emerged out of an academic interest towards a post-humanist understanding of the earth.  The graphic series Ramayan 3392 AD, published by Graphic India, offers a rich context for exploring environmental themes and gender dynamics through the lens of ecocriticism and ecofeminism. The setting of this retelling of Ramayana is a speculative futuristic world characterized by advanced technological capabilities, after a nuclear third-world war/mahavinash or apocalypse. Seeta, the iconic woman of Hindu mythology, the epic Ramayana, forms the core of the study. After the Mahavinash, the spirit of the dying earth distils all its energy to bring forth a girl child who is prophesized to be their messiah who would end the world's misery by ushering in a new dawn. This story of Seeta’s magical birth aligns her with ecofeminist ideals. Neither man nor machine, Ravan is a “singular artificial being”, a soulless abomination that can never synthesize emotions. He desires to possess Seeta, in the hope that she will fill the void and help him achieve perfection. The series highlights the intrinsic influence of the feminine and its presence in nature, humans, and technology. While Seeta exemplifies the Earth's regenerative power, Ravan represents the destructive predisposition of human dominance.  The study aims to demonstrate, through an ecofeminist approach, how the series establishes the superiority of the natural elements embodied by Seeta against the artificial technology symbolized by Ravan.