Prof. Dr.Satya Vrat Shastr's Thai Ramayana 05. A pause

Rajini Seethram asked me, 'why not Valmiki Ramayana?'  Raghu also had suggested earlier when I broached the subject 'Go first to the original and you can deal with variations later!'

I wish I had studied Sanskrit enough to write my own version of Valmiki Ramayana. But there are already 300 versions of Ramayana as A K Ramanujam said in an essay. The essay, part of Delhi University syllabus, upset ABVP and they took action! They vandalised the history department and so its Academic Council thought about it and scrapped the essay from their syllabus!

Then I see this mail from Sriram, amazing coincidene!

'...Especially interesting to me was the second article in part 1, written by Prof. AK Ramanujan, who was here at Univ of Chicago for a very long time, and had an untimely demise. It has references to Kannada folklore about Sita, literally "he sneezed" in our language, I will let you read the article! Apparently it became very controversial when included in a text in India, http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-10-22/edit-page/30310742_1_valmiki-epic-java - perhaps you are already aware.'

We all know how easily our people are provoked when they perceive an insult to their icons! There are many examples. Too many! I am reminded about an article by Nayanatara Sehgal years ago in a newspaper . She speculated on whether Sita could really resist the charming Ravana! I would have saved the article, if I had a premonition that I would later blog on Ramayana. However, the article surprised me and has stayed in my mind. The fact that there was a conjecture that Sita could be tempted was astonishing. It is possible no one took offence as she was Pt. Nehru's niece or we were not so sensitive!

If you know Valmiki Ramayana, you may not enjoy the way this version differs in its sequence.
In the original it begins with: (Adapting from Kamala Subramaniam's version)

Valmiki wonders if there is in this world, a single individual, a man blessed with all the many good qualities one can think of.

He asks the visiting  sage Narada; 'Is there one such; with integrity, bravery, righteousness, gratitude, truthfulness, dedication to one's principles, character without blemish, concern for all living beings, learning, skill, beauty, a pleasing appearance, courage, radiance, ability to keep anger under control, perfect control, a lack of jealousy at all times, undaunted heroism which can frighten even the celestial. Whether it is possible for a single man to have all these qualities?' He asks Narada again, 'While even gods have not been able to possesses them, how can a human being aspire to perfection? Hope there is such, a perfect man!'

Narada tells Valmiki that there is such a man and narrates the story of Rama. Then there is the incidence of a hunter shooting the happy and singing Krauncha bird and Valmiki's anger at this killing. His admonition to the hunter comes out in the form a couplet. Later as he wonders about its metre, he realises that it can be sung to the drone of a veena. As Valmiki keeps thinking about the story of Rama, Lord Brahma appears and tells Valmiki 'I want you to compose a great poem in the same metre. Relate the story of Rama'

Brahma also grants him a boon 'You will know everything that happened and every thought in the mind of each of them. In short nothing will be withheld from you! Your composition will not have a single word of untruth spoken.Your name will be immortal because of what you are going to do!'

The sage Valmiki composes an epic poem and in the Anushtup metre which he had created. It is the story of Rama as Narada had narrated and names it Ramayana. Once it is complete, two youngsters appear at the ashram. Valmiki teaches them the mahakavya. They have attractive voices, they blend well and sing like the gandharvas. They later travel from ashrama to ashrama singing the story of Rama. It so happens that the young singers, Lava and Kusha, appear at the site where Rama is performing Ashwamedha and Rama hears them sing.

'Rama sits spellbound as he listened; as though it was the story of someone else and not of himself. Tears were flowing from his eyes. He sat still as if he was a sculpture carved out of a block of marble as he heard the youngsters sing.'

I guess my friends were right. I  needed to create, install as it were, a picture of Rama, a reference before I ventured to examine the many intrepretations of Rama and his lore! Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!