রূপরামের ধর্মমঙ্গল আখ্যানের অংকিতচিত্র DharmaMaṅgala and Human Rights

Abstract

This essay explores how DharmaMaṅgala, a seventeenth-century Bengali epic by Rūparām Cakravartī, intersects with contemporary human rights discourse. Centered on the deity Dharma Ṭhākur and his earthly representative Lau Sen, the narrative reflects enduring concerns with justice, dignity, and social inclusion. Though framed as a devotional text, the poem gives voice to marginalized figures—women, lower-caste individuals, and the poor—highlighting their agency and moral strength within a deeply hierarchical society. Rebecca J. Manring examines how characters like Lau Sen’s loyal companion Kalu Dom, a pig-herder from a stigmatized caste, and brave women such as Rañjabatī and Lakṣyā, challenge traditional power structures through acts of courage, sacrifice, and compassion. The epic’s setting in rural Bengal and use of vernacular language ground it in the everyday lives of ordinary people, offering a counterpoint to elite literary and religious narratives. Engaging Martha Nussbaum’s “capabilities approach,” which defines human rights in terms of enabling individuals to live fully and freely, Manring argues that DharmaMaṅgala anticipates a vision of human dignity rooted in empathy, cooperation, and ethical responsibility. While the poem does not overturn caste or class hierarchies, it presents a complex moral universe in which communal well-being and mutual respect take precedence over dominance. Ultimately, this essay positions DharmaMaṅgala as both a literary and ethical resource—an example of how traditional narratives can inspire reflection on justice, shared humanity, and the moral obligations of privilege. In doing so, it reaffirms literature’s role in shaping and sustaining human rights consciousness.