Lakshman by Toru Dutt

 Hello everyone this blog is responding to a thinking activity task assigned by Megha Ma’am which is based on Indian English Literature - Pre independence Unit 3 poems by  Toru Dutt (Lakshman), Sri Aurobindo (To a Hero-Worshipper, R. Tagore (Dino Daan). Here I discuss a poem by Toru Dutt’s ‘Lakshman’.

#About Poet: Toru Dutt

Tarulatta Dutta a Bengali poet and translator from British India popularly known as Toru Dutt, who wrote in english and French. She is among the founding figures of Indo-Anglian Literature, alongside Henry Lousi, Manmohan Ghose and sarojini Naidu. Her famous works are volumes of poetry Sita, A sheaf Gleaned in french fields, Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan, her poems explore themes of loneliness, longing, patriotism and nostalgia. She died at the age of 21 because of tuberculosis.

1) Write a critical note on Lakshman by Toru Dutt.

1.1 Introduction

Toru Dutt’s Lakshman is one of her most celebrated mythological poems, drawn from the Ramayana. The narrative centers around the crucial moment when Rama chases the golden deer and Sita, hearing his cry, compels Lakshman to leave her side. Through this episode, Toru Dutt explores themes of duty, love, loyalty, suspicion, and destiny. The poem shows how human emotions, even among divine figures, can lead to tragic consequences.

1.2 Contextual Background

The poem belongs to Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan (1882), a collection where Toru Dutt retold Indian myths in English. Writing as a young Indian woman educated in Europe, she felt compelled to revive her cultural heritage for a global audience. Lakshman thus becomes more than a retelling: it is an act of cultural translation, fusing Indian narrative with Victorian poetic sensibilities.

1.3 Theme of Conflict Between Duty and Emotion

At the heart of the poem lies Lakshman’s dilemma: to obey Rama’s command to guard Sita, or to heed Sita’s desperate plea to rescue her husband. His loyalty is tested as Sita accuses him of indifference. This tension dramatizes the moral conflicts inherent in dharma — the duty to a brother, a husband, and a protector.

1.4 Sita’s Misjudgment and Emotional Intensity

Sita’s voice dominates the early stanzas. Toru presents her as a deeply human character: fearful, impulsive, and emotional. She accuses Lakshman of cowardice, selfishness, and even harbors suspicion that he secretly desires her or Rama’s throne. This exaggeration reveals the destructive potential of fear. It also highlights how even noble characters may falter when overwhelmed by emotion.

1.5 Lakshman’s Loyalty and Forgiveness

In contrast, Lakshman’s character is calm, loyal, and forgiving. Though wounded by Sita’s harsh words, he patiently explains that Rama is invincible and that the cry must be a trick of demons. Before leaving, he draws the protective circle around her, a symbol of his faithfulness. His endurance and forgiveness elevate him as an epitome of dharma.

1.6 Foreshadowing and Tragic Irony

The episode foreshadows Sita’s abduction by Ravana. Toru Dutt, with dramatic irony, makes the reader aware of the impending tragedy that Sita herself cannot foresee. The urgency of Sita’s cries and Lakshman’s reluctant departure heighten the tension and prepare for the climactic fall.

Poetic Style and Technique

• Dramatic Dialogue: The poem unfolds as a heated dialogue between Sita and Lakshman, resembling a miniature drama.
  
  

• Imagery and Similes: Toru fuses Indian myth with Romantic imagery — eagles, lions, serpents, and natural scenery reinforce the grandeur of Rama and the fear surrounding Sita.
  
  

• Victorian Echoes: The structure of rhyme and rhythm resembles English ballads, but the content is rooted in Hindu epic. This hybrid style marks Toru’s unique poetic voice.
  
  

1.7 Psychological Realism

What distinguishes Toru Dutt’s retelling is her psychological insight. Rather than presenting mythic characters as flawless, she emphasizes their human vulnerabilities. Sita’s tears, doubts, and accusations make her relatable; Lakshman’s wounded loyalty reveals the pain of being misunderstood.

Symbolism of the Circle

The “magic circle” Lakshman draws is rich with symbolism. It is both a literal safeguard against demons and a metaphor for the protective bounds of duty and virtue. Sita’s eventual crossing of it becomes symbolic of human error and destiny’s inexorability.

2. Conclusion

Thus, Lakshman is more than a retelling of the Ramayana. It is a study of human psychology under duress, a moral reflection on duty and misunderstanding, and an artistic bridge between Indian myth and English poetics. Toru Dutt succeeds in presenting a familiar legend with emotional freshness, ensuring that Indian mythology resonates with Victorian readers and continues to appeal to modern audiences.

2) Critical Note on Toru Dutt’s Approach to India myths.

Introduction
Toru Dutt (1856–1877) is a pioneer of Indian English literature who creatively reinterpreted Indian mythology in poems like Lakshman, Savitri, Sindhu, and Buttoo. Her approach to Indian myths is not mere retelling but reinterpretation: she humanizes the characters, universalizes their themes, and conveys India’s cultural richness to a global readership.

Myth as Cultural Revival
In colonial India, myths became a way to affirm national identity. Toru Dutt, though educated in France and England, felt deeply connected to Indian tradition. Her poems revive Hindu myths as literary symbols of resilience, virtue, and spirituality. By writing in English, she opened Indian epics to readers unfamiliar with Sanskrit or vernacular traditions. (Sen #)

Humanization of Mythic Figures
Toru’s genius lay in rendering divine characters as psychologically complex and emotionally relatable. For instance:

• In Lakshman, Sita is not just the ideal wife but a fearful woman who doubts.

• In Savitri, Savitri’s determination embodies wifely devotion, but Toru stresses her human courage in confronting Death.
  This humanization brings myths closer to modern sensibilities.
  
  

Fusion of Eastern Content and Western Form
Toru Dutt skillfully blended Indian subjects with Western literary conventions. She adopted English ballad and sonnet forms, Romantic diction, and Christian imagery, yet narrated Hindu legends. This fusion created a unique Indo-English poetics, making her a “cultural translator.”

Moral and Didactic Dimension
Her choice of myths often carried moral undertones:

• Savitri emphasizes fidelity and faith.

• Buttoo (Ekalavya) illustrates sacrifice and loyalty to one’s guru.

• Lakshman highlights duty, misunderstanding, and destiny.
  Through these, she demonstrated that Indian epics embody universal values. (Barahate #)
  
  

Indianism in Her Poetry
Critics often note the “Indianism” of her verse: vivid landscapes, forest imagery, serpents, Rakshasas, and gods firmly root her poetry in Indian soil. Even while using English, her imagery is distinctly Indian. This was her way of countering colonial assumptions that India lacked a literary tradition equal to Europe’s. (Sen #)

Christian and Western Influences
Toru’s bicultural upbringing also meant her approach to myths was not purely traditional. She occasionally infused Christian morality or European sensibility into her retellings, creating a layered meaning. For example, her tone of forgiveness and sacrifice often echoes Christian ethics.

Critical Reception
Contemporaries like Edmund Gosse praised her for “Hindu themes in English garb.” Later critics argue she anticipated the postcolonial task of reclaiming myths to assert cultural pride. She gave Indian literature in English its earliest prestige.

Conclusion
Toru Dutt’s approach to Indian myths was characterized by reverence for tradition, psychological depth, cross-cultural fusion, and national spirit. By retelling epic stories in English poetry, she preserved Indian cultural heritage while universalizing it. Her mythological poems remain foundational to Indian English literature, proving that myth, when reimagined, transcends time and culture.

References:

Barahate, Dr.Maithili S. “Indianism in The Poems of Toru Dutt.”

Sen, Swarnadeep. “An analysis of Toru Dutt’s approach to the ancient Indic mythological characters in her corpus.” vol. 02, no. 12, 2018.

Thank You!