"I wanted to present it from this Western, global perspective, to try and capture something multicultural." Multicultural, sure – but this is Ramayan in verse with so much swagger. "I didn’t want to write it in OED English," London poet, Daljit Nagra, said in an interview. This is a very, very cool book – and a super audacious attempt at translation. And Sita’s Ramayana starts from the very end: a banished Sita tells the story of her life to the forest she now lives in. By the end of the book, you will feel like you know everything there is to know about Sita, carefully curated from several versions and interpretations from all over the country.Ī rather graphic novel – the art is in red and earthen panels of patua style. The 36 chapters are all quite interesting. And so, the four princes of Aryavarta must stop him from spreading his evil empire.īy Namita Gokhale and Malashri Lal (2009)Ī compilation of essays and interpretations of Sita’s life and her decisions. Raavan, the demonic ruler of Nark, threatens the other surviving land of Aryavarta. Set in a post-apocalyptic world after a nuclear third world war, this is oh-my-God, incredible.
#The ramayana rk narayan series
Plus, this is a series, so it’s even more fun to read – rakshasas, black magic and whatnot.īy Deepak Chopra and Shekhar Kapur (2006-07)Īn action-adventure comic series published by Virgin Comics. Ram must protect Ayodhya from the invasion of the demons. of a perfect man, the greatest in his noble line."īanker used the basic story of the Ramayan and turned it into incredible fantasy fiction. "Above all," wrote Menon, "the Ramayana is a love story, written more than a thousand years before romantic love became one of the defining themes of Western literature." Menon’s version is beautiful and with a lot of details – "This is the story, sang the twins, to the rhythmical plucking of their vinas. The Ramayana: A Modern Retelling of the Great Indian Epic by Ramesh Menon (2004) Sattar has also put together Lost Loves, a collection of interwoven essays "exploring Rama’s anguish." This is for anyone who, in addition to the essential story of Valmiki’s Ramayan, is also looking for some modern perspective and motivations about why the characters did what they did. and yet this very pain is ennobling, purifying and satisfying." In a preface to this one, she wrote that "Drama" is the first word when thinking of the Mahabharat, "Bhakti" for the Bhagvat but "‘Pain’ is the predominant emotion in the Ramayana. Subramaniam’s translations of the Mahabharat and Srimad Bhagvatam are also immensely popular. This abridged translation also stays quite close to Valmiki’s original, but it is more detailed than the earlier two. And there I prefer to end my own narration." Kamban does not take note of this sequel but concludes his tale on the happy note of Rama’s return to Ayodhya, followed by a long reign of peace. (In Kamban’s version, Ram says harsh things to Sita after the battle, and the battle scenes are rather violent.) Narayan also omits the eventual parting of Ram and Sita, writing, " a latter-day addition to Valmiki’s version. Also the most popular.Ī translation of the 11th century Tamil classic Kamba Ramayana, but milder. Pick what sounds the most interesting!Īn abridged translation of Valmiki’s Ramayan, by the last Governor-General of India, this is your best bet as a beginner’s guide to the Ramayan. So we decided to round up popular translations and adaptations. The Ramayan can make you think – and it is a great read, every single time. "Scorned, she sought refuge in spirituality, But that’s why you should read more adaptations of the text, to see what has been done with the essence of the Ramayan.Ĭase in point: Meena Kandasamy’s short poem titled Princess-In-Exile, here in its entirety: Yet, you probably aren’t as fascinated by the straightforward story of the Ramayan as you are by the complex Mahabharat. And in a version popular among Dalits in Maharashtra, Raavan is seen as a hero.īut most people were introduced to the story of Ram through television or the Amar Chitra Katha comics (they have the Valmiki version and the Tulsidas one too). In a Jain version, Raavan is a sympathetic character, and Ram and Sita end up as a monk and nun. The 16th century poet Tulsidas mourns the rise of lower castes to influential positions (as opposed to Ram Rajya, where everyone knew his place) in the Ramcharitmanas. It was only later that the prince of Ayodhya was presented as an incarnation of Vishnu. The oldest manuscript is a palm-leaf that was found in Nepal, dated 1020CE. Although the Ramayan may have existed in some form even before, his version is considered the standard for most translations into English. Sometime around the beginning of the Common Era, Valmiki wrote the first narrative of the epic in Sanskrit. RK Narayan once wrote that almost every Indian “is aware of the story of the Ramayana in some measure or other.”