various versions of the Ramayana

[Guest guest]

Smt. Krishnamachari writes:

>1. I have been told that there are some differences in the description of the

>instances between the the major Ramayanas - the ones by Sri Valmiki, Sri Tulsi

>Das, and Sri Kambar (may be there are others of which I am not aware of).

>One example of this is the time that Sita Devi first looked at Sri Rama.

>In Valmiki's Ramayana, she sees Rama only during the bow incidence, and in

>Kamba Ramayana (Annalum nokkinan, Avalum nokinnal) it happened prior to the

>breaking of the bow itself (is that true?).

>

>Given that Sri Valmiki, Sri Tulsi Das, and Sri Kambar were all sincere

>devotees of the Lord, and were representing the events of Ramayana, how do we

>account for the differences?

>Is it possible that there are different versions of Ramayana because of the

>different kalpas during which slightly different incidents took place?

 

There are a number of different interpretations of Adi Kavi Valmiki's

rendering of Our Lord's Avathara that can be found throughout India and the

rest of Asia. While much of the differences among them can be attributed to

the fact that they were written in different kalpas, it should also be noted

that each rendering is intended to reflect or invoke different moods, in

accordance with the moods of the particular author.

 

For example, references to Sri Rama being an avathara of the Lord are

mentioned only in a few verses of the famous original rendering. This is,

perhaps, an indication of Sri Valmiki's intent to emphasize the deeply human

qualities of the Lord and His Consort, in an effort to provide an example of

the ideals of Dharma and the qualities of those that adhere to it.

 

But, in the mystical vision of both Sri Kambar and Sri Tulasidas, Sri Rama

and Sita Piratti are revealed in their full splendour as Perumal and Thayar.

Consequently, their renderings are filled with heartfelt devotional

outpourings, and also include popular stories and legends local to their

respective parts of India. The romantic incident of Sri Sita and Rama

exchanging glances before the Svayamvara is one such local legend that was

known to both these sages.

 

It is interesting to note that both Sri Kambar and Sri Tulasidas' renderings

seem to draw heavily from another Sanskrit version of the Ramayana known as

Sri Adhyatma Ramayana. This devotional work of the 14th century is

attributed to Sri Ramananda of Benares, whose teachings directly reflect the

philosophies of Sri Pillai Lokacharya and Sri Periavaccan Pillai.

 

I can only speculate about the questions relating to Sri Anjaneya, so I will

leave these to others in the group.

 

Daasanu Daasan,

 

Mohan

[Guest guest]

On Fri, 31 Jan 1997, Mohan Sagar wrote:

>

> It is interesting to note that both Sri Kambar and Sri Tulasidas' renderings

> seem to draw heavily from another Sanskrit version of the Ramayana known as

> Sri Adhyatma Ramayana. This devotional work of the 14th century is

> attributed to Sri Ramananda of Benares, whose teachings directly reflect the

> philosophies of Sri Pillai Lokacharya and Sri Periavaccan Pillai.

>

 

Kambar's date is much earlier than the 14th century. The direction of

influence could well be the other way round, with the Adhyatma Ramayana

drawing heavily from Kamba Ramayanam. Sri Ramananda was well known in

north India as a Tridandi sannyasi of the Ramanuja sampradaya, and it is

quite likely that he had read the Tamil Kamba Ramayanam himself.

 

Vidyasankar

[Guest guest]

On Fri, 31 Jan 1997, Sri. Mohan Sagar wrote:

>

> There are a number of different interpretations of Adi Kavi Valmiki's

> rendering of Our Lord's Avathara that can be found throughout India and the

> rest of Asia. While much of the differences among them can be attributed to

> the fact that they were written in different kalpas, it should also be noted

> that each rendering is intended to reflect or invoke different moods, in

> accordance with the moods of the particular author.

 

For an interesting survey of many versions of the Ramayana available

please see the book

Many Ramayanas : the diversity of a narrative tradition in South Asia

published by University of California Press, Berkeley.

 

Though from a slightly academic viewpoint, it is very interesting.

Along with excellent articles about the usual well known versions, it

also looks at some not so famous ones. For example there is a discussion

of a Jaina Ramayana. And that the Thai Ramayana may have been influenced

by Buddhism. On the modern side, there is even an essay about Periyar's

"version".

 

The initial essay by A K Ramanujan is very good.

 

Yours,

 

Shrikanth

[Guest guest]

This is a very interesting question. I like to think that

each poet experiences Rama and the Ramayana in his or her

own way, much in the same way each interpreter of the

aazhvaar paasurams experiences the beauty and meaning

of the poems in his or her unique way. In fact, it would

be no exaggeration to say that each reader recreates the

poet's experience in some sense each time the work is read!

 

Earlier Srivaishnavas have used this notion of ``anubhavam''

to explain why different acharyas understood the paasurams

of the aazhvaars differently. Thirukkudandhai Andavan

(Kannan Swami), whenever he referred to Kamban in his

Ramayanam discourses, used to preface them by saying,

``enna aaScaryamaana anubhavam paarangO!'' He would use

the same phrase in describing nammaazhvaar or kulasekhara

aazhvaar's aruLiccEyals.

 

I suppose the underlying question is, does it really matter

what the ``original'' or ``true'' Ramayanam is? Each poem

serves uniquely as a vehicle for experiencing the grandeur

of the Divine Lord Rama, sometimes in his descent as a

human, other times as the supreme Brahman. As long as we

also derive a joyous anubhavam in reading and contemplating

upon the poet's words, I suppose it does not matter!

 

adiyEn,

Mani