Somadeva’s “The Red Lotus of Chastity” presents several instances of women disguising themselves in order to deceive others either as a means for good or evil. Devasmita, the nun, and the nun’s pupil Siddhikari all utilized disguises to achieve their desired goals, with the latter two using deception to commit acts of crime against other individuals -- male and female. The nun and Siddhikari are motivated by monetary gains, whereas Devasmita is motivated by love and loyalty.
To begin with, the corrupt nun entertains the four merchants’ lecherous intentions to test the validity of the red lotus’ powers. She uses a more direct presentation when confronting Devasmita; however, she disguises her intentions, seeking to fool the young woman into believing this nun experienced a previous life as a promiscuous wife. The nun seeks the reward offered by the merchants (1275).
Next, the nun’s pupil Siddhikari also uses disguise and deception for dubious purposes. First, Siddhikari fools a man in order to steal his gold. Next, she fools the drummer into believing she was attempting to commit suicide and catches him while he demonstrates using the noose. She also fools the servant into believing she was enamored by him in order to cause him to fall out of the tree and frighten away her jilted lover. The nun’s pupil creates an image that women seek to deceive men for their own profit, while also illustrating that men also possess weaknesses to such deception. (Somadeva 1276.)
However, Devasmita’s acts of deception and disguise are meant to punish the four merchants, the nun, and Siddhikari, while also protecting her husband and marriage. Devasmita portrays a pure, chaste woman who loves her husband enough to remain loyal even in his absence. The nun and her pupil receive harsh punishment (1278), whereas Devasmita remains pure and protects her husband from harm.
Works Cited
Somadeva. “The Red Lotus of Chastity.” The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Gen. ed. Martin Puchner. Shorter Third edition. Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2013. 1272-1279. Print.
