First off, I found the PDE version of the Ramayana a harder
to follow than I thought it would be. That being said, before I move onto Parts
B or C I might be swapping this online version for either the Kindle or bound
book version of R. K. Narayan’s Ramayana with the hope that a less stylistically
varied reading might improve my comprehension. In my very choppy summary, I
will point out the most prominent parts of the story's elements that pertained
to either the plot, characters, themes, or styles.
The myriad of characters creates something of a maze when
trying to connect family lines and their histories. The plot is very much
propelled by these relationships, with any given action seemingly associated to
the nature of and context of these networks. The main story surrounds the
immediate and extended family of King Dasharatha. After divine intervention,
his barren wives bore him children—the most adored of which is Rama, an avatar
of Vishnu. Rama then weds Sita, who he fell for, wooed, and won over in two tests
of worthiness. Within the stories of their courtship and wedding are themes concerning
gender, which I expect to be expanded on in Part B. His new wife is most loyal
to her marital commitment and accompanies him after he was denied his position
as Prince and exiled into the wilderness for fourteen years. Lakshmana, his
(half?) brother also chooses tag alongside them and suffer banishment. Maharaja Dasharatha is left broken-hearted. He
felt that these events that deprived him of his most beloved son was karma for
killing a blind family’s only child. This theme of consequences shows up a
couple of times, in this main story most notably but also as part of a minor
story told by Vashvamitra about a sage, Gatama, his wife Ahalya, and the God
Indra. After being caught for crimes of passion, they were punished harshly for
their infidelity. This theme of fate, whether chosen or inflicted, is one that
I intend to be ongoing throughout the Epic. So far, the PDE Ramayana has two
most distinct styles: prose and poetry. The more poetic form was more fun to
read-- something to think about for the re-writing assignment.
Title: Ramayana
Source: Public Domain Edition, Web
(Image Source: Pixabay Stock Photos)
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