‘Rāmāyaṇaṁ – Vol. 1’ by Dushyanth Sridhar: A Critical Analysis of a Modern Retelling

Bharatha, the land of Santana dharma, worships the itihasas like the Paramatma as it offers the path to dharma. Since time immemorial Ramayana holds a very high place in the hearts and temples of this divine land. The legendary life of Sri Rama inspires generations even today with lessons on life, Satya and Dharma. Sri Rama’s Prāṇa Pratiṣṭhā has revived this blessed land and infused new energy in the general populace. In such a context, this book by a celebrated speaker had attracted immense readership interest before its publication. With a much talked about event with celebrities launching this book, there was a lot of intrigue built around the book. In such a backdrop, I received my copy and this is my review.

In the preface of the book, the author cites multiple references such as Adhyatama, Adbhuta, Ananda Ramayana, various Puranas and commentaries by various Acharyas. The list cited in the preface is quite exhaustive and overwhelming. However, the author does make one specific claim. Quoting from the book: “Interesting aspects of the above works have been incorporated into this book in such a way that there is no digression from Valmiki’s text”. This review will be based on this principle, i.e. what is the extensive information compared to the original Valmiki Ramayana and how does it help the overall reading experience, especially of an English-speaking reader with no background in Itihasas and Puranas.

The book begins in the Uttara Kanda, where Sita is enjoying her pregnancy with Sri Rama, just before the catastrophe befalls her in the form of her banishment to the forest. Valmiki’s back story is also given to set the context for the next story. Ramayana is found to have been composed by Valmiki in consultation or discussion with Narada. The dialogue between Valmiki and Narada is a recurring feature of this book. In fact, there are many parts of the book which are explained in the form of dialogues. The book explains the events leading to the birth of Sri Rama and his illustrious brothers along with a back story of Shanta & Rishyashringa. The exploits of Sri Rama along with Lakshmana during his time with Vishwamitra followed by Sita – Sri Rama vivaha form the next part of the book. The book records the events leading to his banishment, Dasaratha’s death and ends with Bharatha bringing padukas back to Ayodhya. From a classical perspective, it fully captures the essence of Bala Kanda and Ayodhya Kanda, along with a background story from Uttara Kanda.

In the following paragraphs I will try to describe the striking and less positive aspects of the book.

Notable features

Right from the beginning, there are some striking features of the book. The author has deliberately used Samskruta words like Rakṣaka, Candra, Candana, etc. This makes the reading much more authentic, though it may be a bit different for those who are not used to IAST terminologies. However, it must be noted that many terminologies are quoted without translation or meaning, leaving the reader puzzled. For example, the word “prappati” is used extensively throughout the book. However, the meaning or rather the definition of this word is not explained so that the reader can understand the overall meaning or ascertain the context.

While the use of Samskruta words is excellent, the proximity of a few words like rakṣaka and rākṣasa can be easily missed if not read carefully. In these situations, the anglicized version or the meanings might have been more helpful.

Keshav’s illustrations are masterful and a delight to look at. This is in fact one of the better parts of this book. The inscriptions and illustrations of temple carvings are yet other highlights of this book. The depth of research in this section is exemplary and must be commended. The reading experience could have been enhanced by providing the translation of the Samskruta verses from these inscriptions. The lack of translations could be a turn-off for those unfamiliar with Samskruta.

Disappointing aspects

I had very high expectations for this book, but unfortunately found too many disappointing aspects. Originally I had planned to give a detailed explanation for each of the specific cases, but I fear that this would make this review very long and might discourage the reader from reading. Perhaps it deserves a separate specific discussion where the focus would be mainly on the differences between the reviewer’s version and the author’s version. However, I will record the most critically disappointing aspects of the book.

Ramayana dates

There has been quite a bit of controversy in the social media world regarding the dates of Ramayana being around 5100 BCE. In Skanda Purana – Prabhasa Kanda, it is clearly stated that Sri Rama was born in the 24th Chatur Yuga, which would put the time quite far back and nowhere near 5100 BCE.

caturvinśē yugē rāmō vasiṣṭhēna purōdhasā
saptamō rāvaṇasyārthē jajñē daśarathātmajaḥ

I think the divinity of the book would not have been lost if the dates were not included. However, by introducing the dates, unnecessary confusion and distraction is created in the minds of the readers, which should have been avoided.

Deviations from Valmiki Ramayana
The author has introduced many stories and anecdotes from Srimad Bhagavatha Purana as part of the story/dialogue between various characters of the epic. These stories are not part of the traditional narration of Valmiki Ramayana and hence the book would have benefited from references that inspired these additions to the flow. Many stories that are part of the original Valmiki Ramayana have been condensed into the flow while leaving room for additions from other sources like Bhagavatham.

In one of the earlier chapters, Sri Rama is quoted as begging Brahma to record his biography and write it in verse. I assume this could have been taken from Adhyatma Ramayana, but the author does not clarify the source of such discrepancies. Such instances leave the reader in a state of confusion, which I personally believe is a drawback of this book.

In the chapter on “Vishwamitra’s Guardianship” the author quotes Vishwamitra waking up Sri Rama by saying that Kausalya is fortunate to have a son as illustrious as Rama and makes him perform the daily duties. However, a very critical point has been missed in this context. The verse from Bala Kanda, sarga 23 is as follows:

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This verse is the opening line of the very famous Sri Venkateshwara Suprabhatham, which is a common feature in Hindu households. I am quite surprised and shocked that the author forgot to add this reference.

Sampradaya Views

In the story, there are many references where the author tries to propagate the views of a specific sampradaya, with convenient statements like Shiva, a Bhakta of Narayana, or Shiva realized Narayana through his inner eye. When the author claimed that this version of Ramayana is close to the original, it should have been written in a balanced manner without any bias or specific views of a particular sampradaya. If this was indeed the aim, the author should have mentioned the same. By introducing these nuanced references, the author may have deviated from his stated aims. One should not forget the timeless wisdom of Yajurveda, i.e. Shiva and Vishnu are one and the same and those who try to find differences between them do not really understand them.

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Language

Our itihasas often describe unconventional births and methods of reproduction among kings and Rsis. These practices of old require delicate wording to maintain their dignity. Unfortunately, the author’s choice of words is not ideal in certain cases. For example, while describing Kalmashapada’s inability to have a son and his request to Vasishta, the author uses rather blunt language, stating “Vasishta has impregnated Madayanti”. This could have been handled better compared to other books on the same subject. This can significantly affect the reader’s experience.

The author’s tendency to explicitly describe intimate acts is also somewhat surprising. While coitus is undeniably an integral part of human evolution, the use of overly direct terminology such as “ejaculation of retas” may be off-putting to some readers. A more nuanced approach would have been more appropriate to discuss these sensitive topics.

Incoherent references

Throughout the book there are many instances where Rama and Sita are made self-conscious or identified with Narayana and Lakshmi. This is extended to Rama’s brothers who are identified with Sudarshana, Adi Sesha and Shanku. I assume that these references are mainly from Adhyatama Ramayana where Sri Rama’s divinity is established and Sri Rama is self-conscious.

Towards the end of the book, i.e. the culminating sections of Ayodhya Kanda where Rama contradicts the philosophical propositions of Jabali, the author introduces the reader to Buddha and Baudhas. In Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 109, there are several instances of the terms “Buddhyaya” or “Buddhim” referring to intelligence or rather deceptive aspects thereof. However, it was a bit jarring to read the concept of Buddha in the stream of Ramayana. Perhaps the author could have included references from where these sections are derived.

Possible political preferences?

If you step back and look at the overall construction of the book, you can’t help but notice a recurring pattern in the book. Most of the inscriptions quoted are from Tamil Nadu. The verses quoted from inscriptions are also from Tamil Nadu. There are multiple references to Dravida desha or Dravidian women throughout the book. The climax of this undercurrent comes in the context of Gajendra Moksha, where the author records the story of Rsi Agastya but extends it to the establishment of the Tamil language, Dravida desha is called Tamilakam and the grammatical treatise, Agattiyam.

While the author is free to take his own stand and expand the story as deemed fit, the above does not augur well in the context of the stated aim of being an amplified version of Valmiki Ramayana. These casual references in the story reek of a more political motive to establish Tamil Nadu’s deep connection with Ramayanam. While this is a noble aim, the same should have been clearly mentioned in the preface instead of the nuanced positioning within the epic.

Conclusion

The book had very high expectations based on the high profile launch and the celebrity status of the author. The differences could have been better explained with adequate and informative references. However, I find this book too disappointing in many ways and would not recommend it, especially to first time readers.

References:
Srimad Valmiki Ramayana – Gita Press
The Valmiki Ramayana (Critical Edition) – Bibek Debroy
http://valmikiramayan.pcriot.com/
Srimad Bhagwatham – Gita Press
Sanskrit Ramayana other than Valmiki’s – Dr. V. Raghavan
The Ramayana in Classical Sanskrit and Prakrt Mahakavya Literature – Dr. V. Raghavan
Skanda Purana – Sri Jayachamarajendra Grantaratnamala series

Gee Vee is an engineer and a great lover of itihasas, puranas and books.

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