Revisiting The Ramayana

    • Mahesh Rao | TNN
    • Publish Date: Oct 3 2016 12:06PM
    • |
    • Updated Date: Oct 3 2016 12:11PM
Revisiting The Ramayana

"I loved it from the moment I heard it -who wouldn't? Flying monkeys, kidnapped princesses, handsome princes, 10-headed demons, wicked step-mothers. Everything that would excite a child is in there..." Arshia Sattar

Author and scholar Arshia Sattar is no stranger to Valmiki's Ramayana, having previously translated it into English. She is also the author of Lost Loves: Exploring Rama's Anguish and three books for children: Kishkindha Tails, Pampa Sutra and Adventures with Hanuman.



Now Sattar has decided to put those two areas together and adapt the story of Ram, Sita, Laxman and Ravana into a book for kids -Ramayana for Children (Juggernaut). She spoke about adapting adult themes from a classic text for young readers, trying to write with a child's voice, and why she expects Hanuman to be her audience's favourite character.
Edited excerpts:

Did you come to the Ramayana as a child? If so, what do you think your early impressions of its stories were?
Like all Indian children, I came to the Ramayana as a child. Or rather, Ramayana came to me. I loved it from the moment I heard it -who wouldn't? Flying monkeys, kidnapped princesses, handsome princes, 10-headed demons, wicked step-mothers. Everything that would excite a child is in there.

How does the process of interpretation and writing change when you reproduce a classic text for children that you have already translated for adults?
Actually, very little changes, I was surprised by that. The big change is the language -you use a smaller vocabulary to express the same ideas and tell the same story. With children, you end up not interpreting. More accurately, I should say that I didn't interpret. I told the story in the most straightforward manner I could. Children will do with it as they please though I imagine parents will do a fair amount of interpreting and explaining for them.Ideally, I'd like children to be able to think about it on their own. What they think is right, what troubles them, what they might do in a similar situation.

The Ramayana contains many varied 'adult' themes, for example, the danger of caste politics or dharma. What are the considerations you weighed up in deciding whether or not to tackle these themes in a children's version?
As I said, I tried to tell the story as honestly as I could. The uncomfortable parts remain uncomfortable, the fun parts remain fun. I use the word dharma, but I also use words like duty and responsibility, often in a speech to or by a character, rather than as an editorial or commentary note. It works. A 10-year-old boy who interviewed me about the book the other day said the only thing he wanted to change in the story was Sita's banishment. He didn't want her to be sent away. He may not be negotiating ideas like assault or misogyny, but he certainly knows that Sita being sent away made him uncomfortable. And sad. That's more than enough for me ­ that a 10-year-old boy responds to the story in the same way that I do, albeit with a different intellectual and emotional vocabulary.

Many writers have their first readers to whom they present their first drafts for comments. Are there child readers who have seen the work, or parts of it, at earlier stages?
I have to confess that there were no early readers. I wrote this at a stretch. But I did think of my nieces as I wrote and looked for a voice that they would understand. And be excited and intrigued by. It was a hard voice to find and sustain, so I didn't want to be interrupted once I had found it. And now, that the book is out, I'll know if I've passed the writing test. It's scary, because children pull no punches.

Are there certain parts of the Ramayana that you think children of different ages would be more drawn towards?
Everyone's going to be drawn to Hanuman, everyone loves a talking, flying monkey, even me. I'm sure some little girls would respond to Sita -they already know other stories about delicate, beautiful princesses who suffer, who are locked up in castles and eventually rescued. Boys would be attracted by Indrajit, maybe even by Ravana. I think older children might be excited by the adventure of the forest, by the monsters and by the battle. The bridge building is always a magical moment. And there's some humour as well. I'm certain there's something in the story for everyone. 

The Ramayana, among many other texts, continues to be a battleground in the culture wars in India. Is it tempting to address this and make it explicit in some way that children can understand?
Absolutely not. It's adults who create and perpetuate cultural differences and decide who can read Ramayana and who can write Ramayana and which one is the `real' Ramayana. Fortunately, children have the freedom to simply enjoy a marvellous story. How lucky they are -that's a pleasure that has been taken away from the rest of us since the Ramayana became politicised.


This story made us wonder how many of you have already read the Ramayana? Do you remember your first impression of it? Tell us about it in the comments section.

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Comments

P.S Geethanjali Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan Sri Venkateswara vidyalaya,T

I have heard Ramayana from grandmother.Everynight I used to hear stories from her.I felt it equal to a fairytale as I was very small at that time.I used to believe it.I thought it would be nice if all the humans on earth are like Ram.I heard everyone saying this frequently as a joke -"After reading all the Ramayana asking what ram becomes to Sita".I used to laugh at this sentence everytime.I still remember the last time I read Ramayana is in my 6th class in Hindi for an exam.

Himanshi Dhawan Saffron Public School

Yes, I do remember. My father told me about Lord Rama and his wife Sita when a promo of "Ramayana" had been displayed on T.V. I pestered him with questions and he told me to watch the mythological series everyday so that O could find the answers of my questions. I loved the way the characters'' acting. It was a great treat to watch "Ramayana" daily.

Vandana Subash City International School Wanowrie

Yes,I read both the Ramayana and Mahabharata at a young age itself.Thankfully, I had very supportive parents who always told me about my religion and narrated many religious stories. I think in today''s world this is needed because there are so many children who dont even know the main characters of Ramayana.

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