‘The Legend of Meneka': A fun and feminist retelling of a mythological heroine's story

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01-06-2025

The Legend of Meneka by Kritika H Rao is a tale of a celestial seduction artist, an apsara who finds herself torn between the chains of duty and the pull of love as she must seduce a sage, Kaushika, who threatens the influence of Indra over common people. Meneka answers to Indra (a Hindu deity who presides over the heavenly city of Amaravati and wields a vajra) and must conquer the heart of this prince-turned-maharishi, who is on a mission to make Indra right all his wrongs and mend his ways. Meneka must not only win his heart but also render him apathetic to his tapasya and mission, leaving him obsessed and seduced by her ethereal beauty. This sage, if you happen to have picked up one or two Amar Chitra Katha or Nandan in your childhood, is none other than Vishwamitra.
Meneka's story
Years ago, I pored over countless Hindi storybooks during summer vacations (and the rest of the year as well), and the story of Meneka and Vishwamitra always featured in a slightly patriarchal way, subtly degrading Meneka for being an instrument of lust. Her seduction of a rishi is also shown with a comedic tint in skits and movies. The sage is made to bow to his 'base instinct' and thereby jeopardise his tapasya. Of course, when I was a kid, I had no inkling there could be another side to this mythic legend. Rao, with a swooping flourish, rights these wrongs, restoring the grace of Meneka and the respect of the rishi.
Meneka is quite reluctant to this seduction mission. The more time she spends in the mortal world, the more she finds fault with her demeanour. Her devotion to Indra (he is described as 'the first of all devas, ancient and impenetrable. He is a power that formed and became sentient at the dawn of creation') begins to dwindle. Rao writes: 'My sari belt constricts around my waist. The necklaces tighten, and my hand rises to skim against my collarbone, trying to loosen their leash. What will Rambha say if I tell her this is how the jewels have felt for so long? That wearing them has been no blessing but a prison sentence? The boon I intend to ask of the lord today will surely catch her unaware-but the lord himself will see that it comes from a desire to be more pious. The jewels are wondrous, but they take me away from him each time I leave Amaravati. All I want is to be untainted in my devotion, close to him, worshipping him.'
In addition to being quite racy, this is also a 'queernormative' (found this quote in a Goodreads review) world where a man can love a man and a woman can have affection for another woman without having to explain the whys behind their nature or behaviour. In the ashram of Kaushika, there are such pairs who freely express their love. It was brief but a refreshing change nonetheless. Meneka, too, is smitten with Rambha, who is her mentor and handler.
A headstrong woman
Rao's Meneka is headstrong and doesn't shy away from arguing with an angry sage. Rambha says about her, 'She is unique. She prides herself on never becoming involved with a mark, a failing I have tried to stamp out, yet it has only made her more creative with her missions. Her wits and resourcefulness cannot be denied, and it is because of those that she accomplishes her missions so successfully. While her illusions are rawer than other apsaras, she has been successful so far because she has learnt not to rely only on her magic and beauty. Instead, she studies her enemy deeply, carving her illusions based on who they are and what they fear. In a few years, I would have her seduce more challenging marks, and with more training, she could one day become heaven's greatest weapon.'
The profuse use of Hindi words is delightful, but I felt some words (adrenaline, handler) were alien to the story. 'Adrenaline' is a common word in the novel's vocabulary but 'vagina' is alluded to as an 'opening'. It was a bit frustrating to see the author skirting around it. But these are minor issues and who am I to object to a woman writing about a woman?
Rao has normalised what is described as 'amorous behaviour' in Hindi storybooks. I have read countless stories where humans or celestial beings are cursed with shraap because they were either indulging in lovemaking or going skinny-dipping in the lake. Meneka says, 'One time I arrive at the small pool near the hut to bathe, and Kaushika is already there. He is submerged to the waist, his dark skin glistening, performing prayers while in the water. I hesitate, then remove my clothes to enter the same pool. So what if he is praying? The pool is mine as much as his.'