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Book Review: Demystifying Sita

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Reading Sita An Illustrated Retelling Of The Ramayana by Devdutt Pattanaik is like diving into an ocean and collecting priceless gems of historical and cultural significance. The author resensitises our mind to the significant and often overlooked values of the iconic epic which has been re-written and reinterpreted by scholars from different parts of the world belonging to different eras since the last seven thousand years. However, there’s still so much which hasn’t been clearly understood or explained.

After transfixing us with Jaya, Pattanaik once again paints an enchanting canvas where a princess spends most part of her youth in forest with her husband who had to be a celibate ascetic. He transports us through the unheard and unravelled crevices of this gigantic epic which has baffled thinkers from every generation. Is it fair to consider Ramayana less complex than Mahabharatha? Who was Sita? Was she Ravan’s daughter? Was she an incarnation of Kali? What does the word brahmin actually mean?

In one chapter, Devdutt makes some acute observations about Sita when she is abducted by Ravan in Panchvati. He writes, “Sita felt a mixture of fear and sorrow. Not for herself but for Ram and Lakshman. Her absence would make them anxious, fill them with guilt and shame. They were warriors after all, proud men who would feel they had failed in their duty.” He notes that “Sita is not shown here as helpless but as alert and resourceful. Realising she cannot escape, she thinks of a way to let her husband know her whereabouts.”

In this bewitching creation, Devdutt paints a stunning and soul searing visual of one of the most iconic and inspiring characters of Indian history by juxtaposing references and writings from different versions of Ramayana. It’s fascinating how over the years certain authors tend to overlook some aspects of this epic in their retelling while others highlight those parts prominently?

Presenting a collage of references of Ramayanas written in Sanskrit, Marathi, Tamil, Thai, Odiya and many other regional languages and also scriptures penned by Jain and Buddhist scholars — one soaks in a 360 degree view of this surreal epic. The chapters revolving around Ahilya’s curse, Lakshman’s chastity, the rivalry between Vashishtha and Vishwamitra, Shiva’s bow and Parashuram’s axe make for a terrific read. Transporting us to that age of innocence and valour, Pattanaik explains the stature and the roles of men and women in society in that era, the importance of family’s honour, a hermit’s harsh life in the forest etc. He also makes this significant observation that how Western scholars see the epic ‘only in terms of certain emotions, races, communities and gender’.

All in all this literary masterpiece is a must read for all the lovers of mythology and history.

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