The Indian Mythological Tale Ramayana" Synopsis and Impressions - Adventure myth of Rama and his beloved monkey god Hanuman, who struggles to save his captive wife Sita.
This time we will introduce "Indian Mythological Tales: Ramayana" written by Devadatta Patnayak, supervised by Mizuho Okita, and translated by Megumi Kamikyo, published by Hara Shobo in 2020.
Let's take a quick look at the book.
Retells the story of the Ramayana, one of the two great epics of Indian mythology along with the Mahabharata, in an easy-to-read narrative with illustrations. Background mythology and Indian culture are explained in columns. An excellent introduction to the Ramayana.
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The Ramayana is one of India's two most famous epics (the other was mentioned in the previous articleThe Mahabharata.(See Section 2.1.2.).
This great epic is also popular in modern India, and many movies have been made based on the heroes and deities mentioned here. The Indian movie "RRR," which recently became an explosive hit, is just one of them. One of the main characters, Bhim, comes from Bhima, the hero of the Mahabharata. Another hero, Rama, comes from Rama, the hero of the Ramayana. Rama's wife, Sita, is also from the Ramayana. In other words, "RRR" is a gorgeous work that is the ultimate expression of the Indian spirit, an amalgamation of two great Indian epics. I was also moved by this!
In the "Translator's Afterword" at the end of the book, the following is said about the Ramayana and this book.
This is the complete translation of "SITA an illustrated retelling of the RAMAYANA" (Penguin Books India, 2013) by Indian mythologist Devadatta Patnayak. The Japanese title of this translation is "Ramayana, an illustrated retelling of the RAMAYANA" (Penguin Books India, 2013), and although the original is in one volume, it has been divided into two volumes for the convenience of readers. This is a sister volume to "Indian Mythology: The Mahabharata," published by Hara Shobo in 1999. With the completion of this book, it is now possible to introduce to Japan the two great epics of ancient India as retold by Patnayak. The ability to convey Indian knowledge directly to Japan without going through the Western intelligentsia is a milestone, even in light of past trends in scholarship.
The Ramayana is a Sanskrit word meaning "footprints of Rama. The Ramayana is a seven-volume work attributed to the sage Varmiki. It is thought to have been written around the second century AD. Prince Rama, on the eve of his coronation as crown prince, is exiled from his kingdom and wanders through the forest with his brother Lakshmana and his wife Sita, but Sita is kidnapped by Ravana, the Raja king.
The story should have ended with Rama's recovery of Seetha, but a seventh volume was later added, in which, due to popular rumors, Rama banished Seetha to the forest as a matter of royal duty, and the story ends with their separation. How to interpret this tragedy will be a test of both the writer's and the reader's skill.
Hara Shobo, Devadatta Patnayak, translated by Mizuho Okita, under the supervision of Megumi Kamikyo, Indian Mythological Tales: Ramayana, vol. 2, p. 291-292
In my previous article.The Mahabharata.was the "Battle of Kurukshetra," a myth set in one of India's largest wars. This is exactly what the Greek mythologyThe Iliad.It is reminiscent of the "Trojan War" as told in
Along with the Mahabharata, the Ramayana is one of India's two greatest epics. The Ramayana is an adventure story in which the hero Rama goes to rescue his wife Sita, who has been taken prisoner by the Rusha king Raksha.
This is also interesting to note that the Greek mythologyThe Iliad., ,The Odyssey.The relationship is similar to that of
The Odyssey is a myth in which Odysseus, the general who played a great role in the Iliad, goes on many adventures in order to return to his own country.
Similarly, the plot of "Ramayana" is about a wife who is taken prisoner by a villain and goes to rescue him.
The Iliad and Mahabharata, which are set in huge battlefields, whereas The Odyssey and Ramayana are based on the adventures of the heroes. The parallels were very interesting to me. Moreover, the similarity is that the story itself is more interesting in "The Odyssey," which is full of strange and adventurous tales.
To be honest, the first half of the book was a little difficult to read because there was not much movement in the story, but it became interesting at once after entering the second half of the book. Hanuman, the monkey god, plays a major role in this rapid change.
Hanuman, as Rama's faithful friend, performs an eight-fold role in the rescue of Sita.
He is strong, wise, humble, sincere and a wonderful character that no one can help but love. His adventures to save Sita are told from the bottom of the book, which is interesting! He is not just macho strong, but his fighting style is also very unique. He can grow larger or smaller at will and transform himself into a bee. He can also stretch out his tail to save his friends, and his comical fighting style will never bore you. Each adventure is sprinkled with his wit and fantastic action and is full of entertainment. Even those of us living today, inundated with dramas and movies, find the story interesting, so it must have been truly shocking for the people of that time.
The exchange between Rama and Hanuman is a very profound dialogue that asks the question, "How should one live? The inclusion of life issues amidst the entertainment-filled fun of the myth allows the audience to receive the story with an open mind. I can see why this myth has been loved in India for so long. This is a very profound work.
The numerous illustrations in the book are cute and stimulate our imagination, which we appreciate very much. The upper volume is a little difficult to read, but once you get to the lower volume, it becomes very interesting, so I urge you to endure until that point. Of course, if you grasp the whole story and re-read it many times, you will be able to enjoy the fun of the upper volume. If it were not interesting, it would not have been loved for such a long time.
I have read the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, two great Indian epics in a row, and this was a wonderful experience. I was completely blown away by the depth and interest of India. I highly recommend this work.
The above is the "Indian Mythological Tales: Ramayana" Synopsis and Impressions - The adventure myth of Rama and the monkey god Hanuman struggling to save his captive wife Sita.
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