I am free to choose.Two thousand years ago, the poet-sage Valmiki wrote the Ramayana.It was the Buddhist and Jain scholars who chose the written word over the oral word, leading to speculation that the Jain and Buddhist retellings of Rams story were the first to be put down in writing in Pali and Prakrit.
The Girl Who Chose Devdutt Pattanaik Free To ChooseRegional Ramayana s were put down in writing only after 1000 CE, first in the south by the. It is the story of Ram, the sun-prince of Ayodhya, who is bound by the rules of family and kingship and so, makes no choices. And of Ravana, king of Lanka, who does not care for rules or others choices. Over the centuries, hundreds have retold the epic in different languages. About a thousand years ago, a remarkable thing happened in India. We find a rapid rise of regional languages and scripts giving rise to the modern languages of India. And the first, and most popular piece of literature to be composed, and recomposed, by several poets in most of these languages, happens to be the epic, Ramayana. Here, the nayaka (ideal protagonist) of earlier Sanskrit plays, the avatar (abbreviated form of the infinite divine) of the Sanskrit Puranas, becomes bhagavan, or God. Every one of these poets claims to be inspired by Valmiki Ramayana, composed over 2,000 years ago, but each one gives the story a twist of their own. What is consistent is the regal nature of Ram, his nobility and augustness. ![]() ![]() Viewed through this template, all Hindu gods appear inadequate, especially Ram, the God-king. Writers on the Ramayana are obliged to play a courtroom game, where Ram is being constantly prosecuted for being problematic. ![]() But, as we have heard so many times on the streets of Mumbai: nazar badlee to nazara badla, when the gaze changes, the world changes. Time to break free from this Right-Left game of those who love to dominate. Then a new Ramayana emerges, or rather the older one, one of Valmiki Ramayana. It explains why Ram was admired albeit for different reasons by Hindus, Jains and Buddhists as well as the people of South East Asia, in Camodia and Thailand and Bali and Burma. The Girl Who Chose Devdutt Pattanaik How To Be DecentSuddenly, you realise the many conflicts of the narrative: how to be decent in an unfair world How to love a man who will follow the family rules, even if the rules are unfair How to love a woman who has her own mind How never to deny dignity to the man who does not respect any rules or choices How to accept suffering that follows when you punish someone How to accept misfortune that is not of your own making How to raise children with love, not hatred for the father who abandoned them How to let go without taking away the dignity of those who are rejected. Why Wherefrom came this template, or this desire to turn humans into hero, villain, or victims. From Christian mythology From Greek mythology. Where there are only rules, choices, consequences, and no guarantees. How do we then live our life with responsibility, and without blame This is the divine world of the Ramayana, where a girl who could choose fell in love with a prince who was bound to follow rules.
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