Ramanujam Short Note

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Valmiki and kampan: Two Ahalaya Jain Ramayana : Vimalasuri South Indian Folk Ramayanas: Rame Gowda Thai Ramakriti: Santosh Desai.

These Variant of Ramanaya differs in intensity of focus on major characters. Valmiki focus on Ram and his history; Ramas character is not that of god but of a good man who is constrained by his body while on the other hand Kampan portray Ram as pure God. Vimalasuris Jain Ramanaya focuses on Ravanas adventures; Kannada village telling focuses on Sitas life events, her birth, and her exile. Some Tamil telling even give Sita a heroic character. In Valmikis telling one may notice a rhythmic reoccurrence of an animal being killed and separation of loved ones. On the other hand Kampan introduces all his themes and characters through similes and allusions, each aspect of water being in form of rain, flood or sea symbolise an expect of Ramanaya. In Kampan telling of Ramayana he has included regional folklore tradition and weaved them in story of Rama in such a way that these folklore seems a part of the epic. In comparison to Valimikis version Kampan is much more dramatic and has used vivid and meaningful symbols throughout his telling. Another variation into two text is seduction of Ahalya, Valmiki showed Ahalya willingly being seduced by Indra while on the other hand Kampan shows Ahalya realizes that she was doing wrong but could not resist herself of forbidden joy. Jains telling focuses more on Ravana being a noble and devotee person on the other hand Valmikis version talk more on Rama being God and Ravana a ten headed demon. In Jains telling Ravana is not a demon, cannibal and flesh-eater rather a noble, learned and a great devotee of Jain masters unlike Hindus who according to them he is a villain, a Ten Headed demon who eats flesh and drinks blood. Ravana who has been depicted as the eight incarnation of Prativasudeva, who had been destined to fight against Vasudeva. He is great devotee of lord Shiva and had gained magical powers and weapons through tapas. He even takes a vow that he will not touch any unwilling woman and so he didnt even touch Sita, he kidnapped Sita for taking revenge of her sister insult. Sitas roles emerges from a secondary character in Valmiki telling which focuses more on Rama, his birth and history to main heroine in South Indian folk telling of Ramanyana which much more focuses on Sitas life events and her exile. In all the telling Sita is shown as a loyal wife who follows her husband to 14 years of exile and moreover she is shown as a seed who rose from furrow where she was found and grown up by Janaka and finally returned to the earth when she learnt she has been tricked.

Submitted by: Rohit Gothwal 2010ME20796