O beloved son of Kaushalya,
Dawn is about to break,
O lion amongst men,
Be pleased to open your eyes.
And perform the duties of the day
The legend of Ram is so vast that even one lifetime falls short to understand his greatness. The story of Lord Rama has passed from generation to generation through saints, temple singers, poets, writers and stage plays. I was introduced to Ramayana when Doordarshan telecasted director Ramanand Sagar’s mega TV series: Ramayana. Though there were several Hindi mythology movies based on Ramayana, it was the TV series that struck a chord with tele audiences in 80’s.
Every Sunday, the morning slot was reserved for watching Ramayana. As a kid, I recollect watching the episodes of Ramayana and marveling over the super hero abilities of Lord Hanuman. This mythology book: Book of Ram shows us the greatness of Lord Rama through various perspectives. Written in various languages by several writers like Kamban, TulsiDas and Eknath, Ramayan is still relevant in today’s times. In times of COVID, the TV series : Ramayan was retelecasted to strengthen the morale of people who were gripped by the fear of Corona virus. Such is the power of the epic poem written by Valmiki. Using simple words and beautiful illustrations, writer Devdutt Pattanaik gives you a glimpse of Lord Rama in various roles as an ideal son, brother, husband, father and a justice abiding king.
This retelling of Ramayana focuses on several other characters which includes Shanta, Lord Rama’s elder sister, Shravan Kumar, Jatayu, Jambavan, Vaidehi (She was later reborn as Sita) and the heroic bird – Jatayu. Very few people know that Lord Ram had promised Goddess Vaishno Devi that he will unite with her in Kaliyuga.
Coming back to the legend of Ramayana, Ram stood for his ideals, values and principles so much that he had to sacrifice lots of things on personal front. He had to spend 14 years of exile in forest to fulfill the promise made to his father Dashratha. He even abandoned Sita. Why Lord Rama abandoned Goddess Sita still remains a subject of debate and criticism. Even killing of Vali by unfair means was never justifiable. But one must not forget that Vali was a cruel king who banished his own brother Sugreev from the kingdom. Very few people must be aware that Vali was reborn as a hunter who killed Lord Krishna with an arrow. There are variations in avatar of Lord Vishnu. While Lord Parshuram was a warrior sage born to annihilate the corrupt Kshatriyas, Lord Ram was born to destroy the demonic supremacy of Ravana. While Parshuram was short tempered, Rama was calm and composed. It is in Ramayana that both avatars of Vishnu appear at one time. Both the avatars have the name ‘Ram’ common in them. Lord Rama’s bonding with his Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman is described beautifully in the book. Author Devdutt has also included the legend of Ravana in this retelling. There is so much written about Lord Rama that words fall short to describe his greatness. Recently Author Amish’s Ramchandra Book Series has created a lot of buzz for its engrossing storyline. ‘Asura’, ‘Vanara’, ‘Lanka’s Princess’, ‘Valmiki’s Women’ and ‘The forest of enchantments’ are refreshing retelling of Valmiki’s Ramayan.
Ram or Rama, Lord Rama’s name give one liberation from the vicious cycle of life and death. His name is enough to drive away negativity and fear from minds.
This mythology book – Book of Ram by Devdutt Pattanaik is a highly recommended read for those who are new to epic poem – Ramayana and a literary treat for those who love re-reading Ramayana.