The Ramayana and Mahabharata
There seems to be an infinite number of ways to digest the two major stories we will studying this fall, and I had a fun time poking into different corners of the internet to find various versions and offshoots for each of them. I already ordered my R.K. Narayan copy of The Ramayana, however, I am choosing instead to read the Public Domain Editions of The Ramayana. Honestly, Narayan's translation seemed too streamlined and modernized for my liking, and while it perhaps would be easier (faster?) to digest, I would prefer to stick closer to the original languages as possible. I have very briefly studied Sanskrit and am familiar with Hindi, and I find a comfort in oddly worded phrases in English, because I understand the depth that the original language was trying to give to the phrase, even though I could not digest the Ramayana in Hindi or Sanskrit myself. Over the course of a few years in India, I began to understand the undertones of life perspective that was shaped from the framework of the language itself: life happens to you, not you to life. Fate, and the gods, determine more what will happen in a day than you can try to control. Time is a loose concept. From that framework of understanding the difficulties in full, round translations, I'd rather read the bulkier, more awkward, or ancient, sounding English version than the modernized one. Also, a big bonus is that I can listen to it as an audio book -- woo!
I already own the illustrated Ramayana by Sanjay Patel, however I am not wholly familiar with all of the characters nor am I wholly familiar with the Mahabharata. My time in India was focused mostly on language, culture, and volunteering, with limited internet access and not an overwhelming interest in understanding the Hindu pantheon (though, I kick myself now for having missed out on several opportunities for temple visits). However, visually, I feel comfortable identifying several of the gods. I lived within traveling distance of Rishikesh, and was greeted by Shiva often.
Ganesha easily warms my heart anytime I see him, however, I always held a soft spot for Hanuman, whose giant statue alongside a highway in Delhi never failed to startle me. I'll definitely be reading the graphic novel by Prakash of Sundarkaand: The Triumph of Hanuman and relating this to it!
While I did become accustomed to seeing images of the deities on a regular basis, I didn't pursue interest in their stories to the extent that I should have. I am now very, very excited to do that and to synthesize their stories into a story-weaving-tale of my very own! From the images at the Indian Epics Images Sites, here are a few that I recognized:
I've studied yoga, the Bible, am delving into Arabic and Middle Eastern studies now during my time here at the University of Oklahoma and have visited Hindu and Buddhist temples, including Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu. I love mythological type story tales, although I did not take any official myth or folklore classes during my K-12 years (I was forced to read the Hobbit by a friend's father, to whom I am grateful!). I am drawn to epic, creation, and origin sagas as a ways to explain the behaviors and mindsets of myself as well as those around me. I think stories that are passed down from generation to generation help to frame one's perspective of the world and shapes the way one chooses to interact with the world.... Along with the way that language frames the world's interactions.
To round out my understanding of the Ramayana, I am looking forward to chasing down the rabbit trail of Sister Nivedita and her version of the PDE Ramayana, as well as Sita Sings the Blues in easy-to-digest video format! Not to mention, Nina Paley's blog inspired Sanjay Patel and led him to finding the written version of the Ramayana that he illustrated ... and I now own a copy!
