www.tjprc.org editor@tjprc.org NALAYANI: AN IMMORTAL SAGA OF FEMININITY AND FEMINISM SAYANTIKA BOSE CHAKRABORTY 1 & SAPTORSHI DAS 2 1 Techno India College, Kolkata, India 2 KIIT deemed to be university, Bhubaneswar, India ABSTRACT Certain women in literature have never failed to intrigue us. The nuances of their personality, the myriad shades of their characters, the things they say and they do, everything about them paves the wave for their glory, and for the kind of fame which lasts not only for one lifetime but goes on to inspire generations and generations of women after them. What they leave behind is a legacy, a legacy of good deeds, good thoughts, brave acts. One such character - maybe not so well known, maybe not so extensively written about - is Nalayani from the Mahabharata, who is known to be the quintessential ‘pativrata’ woman of the Indian society. Nalayani is the ideal doting wife to a husband, who is handicapped and depends on her for all his needs, yet treats her harshly. And yet, she serves him with all her mind, heart, body and soul, going to the extent of carrying his broken week feeble form to the brothel for the fulfilment of his physical pleasures. This paper highlights why this woman is not only a doting quintessential wife, ‘pativrata’, but is also an epitome of feminism. This paper highlights both, femininity and feminism, in the character of Nalayani. KEYWORDS: Nalayani, Wife, Responsibility, Femininity & Feminism Received: Dec 22, 2018; Accepted: Jan 12, 2019; Published: Feb 01, 2019; Paper Id.: IJELAPR20191 INTRODUCTION Nalayani: An Immortal Saga of Femininity and Feminism Certain women in literature have never failed to intrigue us. The nuances of their personality, the myriad shades of their characters, the things they say and they do, everything about them paves the wave for their glory and for the kind of fame which lasts not only for one lifetime but goes on to inspire generations and generations of women after them. What they leave behind is a legacy, a legacy of good deeds, good thoughts, brave acts. We find such women right in the beginning of recorded literature: Grendel’s mother in Beowulf - ferocious, brave, determine; Judith, from the eponymous book in the Bible, who temporarily casts off the role of femininity society wants her to play and enters the camp of the Assyrians attacking her city and beheads the enemy general, Holofernes; and so many others like them. We find them in literature through all stages and ages across the globe. Antigone, so dedicated towards her family, going against royalty to give her brother a decent burial, all though he had been declared a traitor to the nation. Clytemnestra, for the way she avenges the death of her daughter in the hands of her husband. Portia, in the The Merchant of Venice for her sheer wit and presence of mind and the way she wins not just the case for Antonio but also wins our respect and our hearts; Juliet, for all the love and affection she freely expresses in Romeo and Juliet. Viola, in The Twelfth Night, so beautiful a woman, yet so different when she camouflages herself as a man and serves the duke, Orsino. Draupadi, one single woman who brought calamity on everybody who had done wrong to her and with her. Sita, who brings up her two children alone in the forest after being deserted by her husband; to name a few. These characters have never failed to amaze us or rouse admiration in us with their beauty, their courage, and the sheer force of their personalities. It’s like a legacy that Original Article International Journal of English and Literature (IJEL) ISSN (P): 2249-6912; ISSN (E): 2249-8028 Vol. 9, Issue 2, Apr 2019, 1-6 © TJPRC Pvt. Ltd.