The ramayana ramesh menon pdf download

Given such precedents, it is hardly surprising that early 21st century Ramayanas composed in the new Sanskrit—the international Father Tongue of English—will reveal if not explicitly identify a whole new set of influences, both cultural and literary, derived from Western literature and storytelling. These influences are understandable given the apparent Anglophone background of the two authors, yet since the influences come from far beyond the homeland of the Indian Ramayana tradition, they give rise to what may be characterized as a distinctive new sub-branch of its spreading tree, akin to though yet more alien than that of the Buddhist and Islamic- influenced Ramayanas of Southeast Asia.

The result of grafting this cultural baggage onto the Rama story is to me both intriguing and unsettling, particularly given the likelihood—the cachet of English in India being what it is—that not only Western readers but new generations of Indians may now get their primary exposure to the Ramayana through such texts.

As if to compensate for the Christianizing effect of such idioms, Menon peppers every page with Sanskrit words, sometimes oddly or inconsistently transliterated e. Their density will be off-putting to an Anglophone reader without prior knowledge of Indian culture, who will have to retreat frequently to an appended glossary that offers terse and frustratingly vague definitions e. At first glance, Ashok K.

Tolkien, David Eddings, and Terry Brooks…. There are approving allusions to indigenous-Aryan theory, e. Just a land occupied by different people. What was there to get so emotional about? Though Hindu gods periodically appear and are regularly invoked by Anglicized exclamations e.

The apocalypse is, we soon learn, the invasion of the Arya nations by the alien Asura hordes, led by the monstrous king of Lanka. Other innovations are more gratuitous and jarring. The idea of the avatara stems from the much older idea of reincarnation: that our souls may be reborn as gods, animals, people, or supernatural creatures. The avatara offered a powerful vision of an individual who drew his power from his identity as a deity, but also lived in a human form.

The Ramayana was also shaped by the social and religious context of the time in which it was written. Buddhism which focuses on individual spiritual effort rather than devotion to deities and Jainism which emphasizes non-harm to an advanced degree also began to compete with Hinduism at the time the Ramayana was composed.

Some of Rama's virtues particularly his mastery over his passions reflect a Buddhist and Jainist influence. The Ramayana has inspired a very large number of adaptions. The Ramayana has been condensed into books for children, and numerous schools of South Asian theater have adapted it for stage performances.

There have been dozens of film adaptations of the Ramayana , most recently the computer animated film, "Ramayana: The Epic. Numerous translations of the Ramayana exist in English. The poet vividly describes the opulence of the court of the demon king, Ravana, the beauty of his harem, and the hideous deformity of Sita's wardresses. After witnessing Sita's stern rejection of Ravana's blandishments, Hanuman reveals himself to the princess and restores her hope of rescue. The great monkey then wreaks havoc on the royal park and fights a series of hair-raising battles with Ravana's generals.

Permitting himself to be captured by the warrior Indrajit, Hanuman is led into the presence of Ravana, whom he admonishes for his lechery. His tail is set ablaze, but he escapes his bonds and leaping from rooftop to rooftop, sets fire to the city.

Taking leave of Sita, Hanuman once more leaps the ocean to rejoin his monkey companions. This is the fifth volume translated from the critical edition of the Valmiki Ramayana. It contains an extensive introduction, exhaustive notes, and a comprehensive bibliography.

A Book by Anonim. A Book by Ananda W. A Book by C. Goldman,Sally J. The epic of Prince Rama's betrayal, exile, and struggle to rescue his faithful wife, Sita, from the clutches of a demon and to reclaim his throne has profoundly affected the literature, art, and culture of South and Southeast Asia—an influence most likely unparalleled in the history of world literature, except, possibly, for the Bible.

Throughout the centuries, countless versions of the epic have been produced in numerous formats and languages. But previous English versions have been either too short to capture the magnitude of the original; too secular in presenting what is, in effect, scripture; or dry, line-by-line translations. Now novelist Ramesh Menon has rendered the tale in lyrical prose that conveys all the beauty and excitement of the original, while making this spiritual and literary classic accessible to a new generation of readers.

Media The Ramayana.