The enduring popularity of the Ramayana continues to propel various retellings and re-imaginings of the classic tale of the triumph of good over evil.
The Ramayana’s enduring popularity is evidenced by its journey across borders, regions, languages and cultures. The most definitive of them all, is Valmiki’s Sanskrit text, Ramayana, dating back to 7th century BCE which details the story of Prince Rama in six kandas or chapters. (The seventh kanda – Uttarakanda is considered a later addition to the text.) Initial ‘tellings’ of the Ramayana were mostly oral, and there have been many additions and omissions in the ‘versions’ that were finally written down. But the Ramayana has become part of the warp and weft of the tapestry of common life in India and elsewhere.
In Medieval Literature
Paumachariya in Prakrit is perhaps the earliest known of them. This Jain retelling, written by Bimal Suri in 4 C.E., is also the first known interlingual translation (Sanskrit to Prakrit). In 7 C.E., Bhattikaavyam, authored by Bhatti, retold the epic in Sanskrit itself. In the 12th century, one saw the epic retold by Tamil poet Kambar – his Ramavataram (Kamba Ramayanam), though there have been references to the Ramayana in Tamil literature much earlier. Nagachandra’s Kannada version, Ramachandra Charitra Purana, also written in the 12 C.E., portrays Ravana as a tragic hero in a departure from the Sanskrit text. In 15 C.E., Bengali poet Krittibas Ojha translated one of the available Sanskrit renditions into Bengali in his Krittibasi Ramayana (Shri Rampanchali), while Odia author Siddheshwar Das (also known as Sarala Das), subverted the tradition in Bichitra Ramayana. Jagamohana Ramayana (Dandi Ramayana) written by Odia poet Balarama Dasa, was most likely inspired by the Adhyatma Ramayana, a 13th-15th century Sanskrit text, attributed variously to Sage Vyasa and the Hindu saint Ramananda. Adhyatma Ramayana also inspired two seminal works: Tulsidas’s Ramcharitamanas in Awadhi in 16 C.E., and Adhyatma Ramayanam Kilippattu by Thunchaththu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan in Malayalam (early 17th century).
Mid-sixteenth century also saw one of the most subversive of Ramayanas – Bengali poet’s Chandrabati’s feminist retelling of the epic has her telling the story from Sita’s point of view. Meanwhile, in 19th century Bengal, Michael Madhusudan Dutta wrote Meghnad Badh Kabya, based on the episode in Valmiki’s Ramayana in which Meghnad/Indrajit (Ravana’s son) is killed in battle. Ravana is portrayed as a responsible king and a tragic hero, while Lakshmana is described as deceitful.
Modern Versions
Many of us from a particular generation were introduced to the Ramayana and the Mahabharata through C Rajagopalachari’s faithful retelling of the epics. Published in 1951, they gave us a condensed version of both epics.
Four years later, however, Periyar EV Ramaswamy Naicker authored his blistering interpretation of the Ramayana (Iramayanakurippukal (1955) – Notes on the Ramayana), from his viewpoint as a leading figure of the Dravidian movement. While Aubrey Menen penned his version, Rama Retold in 1956, in which Sita has more agency than she usually does.
Famed Malayali litterateur CV Sreekantan Nair wrote Lanka Lakshmi, part of his Ramayana trilogy, in which he wrote about the tragedy of power as he portrayed Ravana as a tragic hero, caught in a moral dilemma due to his one unthinking act.
In Popular Fiction
That the Ramayana has not lost its appeal over the centuries is evident in the slew of books that draw upon the epic and present modern interpretations of it from varying perspectives. Whether you are new to the epic or have read various interpretations before, these are some imaginative retellings that might whet your interest.
Series by Ashok Banker (2003-2012)
Possibly the series that spawned the expanding mythology genre in popular Indian literature in English, Banker’s eight volume retelling of the popular epic is both sprawling and imaginative.
Modern Retelling by Ramesh Menon (2004)
One of the best modern adaptations of the Ramayana, Menon succeeds in conveying the beauty of the original in simple, lyrical prose that captivates the reader.
Asura – Anand Neelakantan (2012)
Neelakantan attempts the impossible – making Ravana a sympathetic character instead of the monster he is, in popular consciousness. His Asura is not only of Ravana, but also of his people. He delves into the epic’s greyer areas, raising moral and ethical questions that persuade the reader to look at the epic from a different perspective.
Ramachandra series by Amish Tripathi (2015 -2022)
Amish’s four-volume series begins before the birth of Rama and follows a non-linear narrative throughout. It takes many liberties with the epic as we know it, but it is a one-time read for readers who want to read a different tale.
The Liberation of Sita by Volga (2016)
Telugu feminist poet Volga retells Valmiki’s Ramayana from Sita’s point of view. Beginning after Sita’s abandonment by Rama post their return to Ayodhya, it shows Sita’s journey towards self-realisation, helped along the way by a host of extraordinary women. Volga also brings the minor women characters of the Ramayana – Renuka, Ahalya, Urmila and even Surpanakha – to the forefront, while her Rama, left behind in Ayodhya, weighs his dual roles as husband and king.
Arshia Sattar and Sonali Zohra – Ramayana – An Illustrated Retelling (2018)
Sattar’s engaging retelling of the epic for younger readers is filled with lyrical prose and a deep understanding of the epic. Her Ram is not the divine super hero but a man with his own doubts, faults and foibles. Her nuanced take on beloved characters is beautifully complemented by Sonali Zohra’s fabulous artwork that adds deeply textured layers to the written text.
The Forest of Enchantments by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (2019)
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s novel also offers a unique perspective into the classic tale – that of Sita’s. Her Sita is not the passive character we have come to know from earlier versions of the epic – her Sita is more nuanced. She is also self-willed, strong and independent, and her journey from birth to her abduction by Ravana and her subsequent rescue by her husband is well narrated.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of the many adaptations/interpretations of the Ramayana. Books like Bhanumati Narasimhan’s Sita, Vaishnavi Patel’s Kaikeyi, Manini J. Anandini’s Mandodari: Queen of Lanka, Kavita Kane’s Lanka’s Princess, are all reimagined retellings of the epic from the perspectives of diverse characters. There’s even an exciting graphic novel called Sita’s Ramayana by Samhita Arni and Moyna Chitrakar that offers a view into the lives of women that are upended by men’s wars.
The Ramayana is more than a story; it enfolds within itself a multifarious and heterogeneous narrative culture. Each retelling of the Ramayana, therefore, only adds newer interpretations and fascinating perspectives, becoming many things to many people at once.
