Book: Sita — An Illustrated Retelling of the Ramayana
Author: Devdutt Pattanaik
Book Size: 328 pages
Book available: Amazon, For Free PDF You can contact me.
Sita: An Illustrated Retelling Of The Ramayana by Devdutt Pattanaik integrates storytelling, poetry, and art from many versions of past Ramayanas.
“But you are innocent,” Lakshman continued, tears flowing down his cheeks.
‘And what if I wasn’t?’ Is it then socially acceptable and legally permissible for one husband to kick his wife out of the house? In such an intolerant society, a jungle is preferable.’
Sita, the Goddess and daughter of Mother Earth, was subjected to her husband’s unjust act of abandonment, known as the ekam-patni-vrata (devoted to a single wife.)
Author ponders Sita by highlighting the various phases of her life, including her early years as Janaka’s child, her time spent in the wilderness with her spouses, her coercion by Ravana, her conversations with Lankan women, the meals they shared, and the emotions they shared, as well as her transformation from the delicate goddess Gauri to untamed Kali.
Furthermore, the book stimulates reflection on the concepts of integrity and self-image.
#1 Sita — A warrior, not a victim
People have frequently viewed Sita as a sufferer. When we tell the Ramayana stories, we generally sympathize with or pity her. People seldom call their daughters Sita because they believe she suffered greatly.
However, the book attempts to modify this perception. Sita is not a victim or a victimizer. She is a lady who is not afraid to make her own decisions. When Sita declares, “Fear not, I will not be a trouble; I can keep hold of myself,” she is referring to her strong determination to follow her husband in exile. You will have nothing to worry about as far as I am alongside and behind you.” She opted to spend 14 years in the woods so that her spouse would never feel incomplete.
She does not feel powerless when Ravana kidnaps her. She remains vigilant, and recognizing she is unable to flee, she devises a method of informing her husband of her location. She might have easily let Hanuman rescue her and transport her to Rama. But she refused since her husband’s “honor” was at risk. Her patience was born from her faith.
Sadly, People demanded her innocence. But, how can one demonstrate purity or chastity? Those who believe require no proof, whereas those who don’t believe reject all evidence. As a result, when the time came, she stood up for her dignity. She is not frail. She is a powerful woman. She embodies dignity. She is a patient person. She has elegance. She is flawless. That is Sita, who is unwavering in her ideas and actions.
Sita proves that she does not require societal systems to offer her social standing by refusing to go back to Rama. Instead, she chose the Earth, which has no rules or limitations.
Her self-esteem inspires her confidence and determination. Sita proves that she does not require societal systems to grant her social standing by not returning to Rama. Instead, she chose the Earth, which has no rules or limitations.
“He had long since freed her from the weight of being Ram’s wife.” He would, however, always be Sita’s husband.”
#2 Ideas about integrity and self-image
By emphasizing the lives of many women who’ve been punished for adultery, this book raises concerns about faithfulness. Renuka was executed for having adulterous thoughts. Ahilya was doomed for being an adulterer. However, Sita, who went through the trial by fire, was still criticized and seen as a stain on Rama’s character.
Even though she was abandoned through no fault of her own, Sita remains loyal to Rama and accepts his choice without complaint. However, Rama’s unwillingness to remarry and devotion to a lone wife implies the story’s complexities. It raises the possibility that it is a statement of love for certain men and women.
Devdutt Pattnaik pulls together many Ramayana narratives from different parts of India and beyond. Narratives from throughout the nation, folklore, dramas, art, and poetry by many authors from various eras and locations have been masterfully woven together.
Both a single work and a collection of passages are not the Ramayana. Through narrative, music, plays, art, and puppetry, it has been embodied, ritualized, and celebrated as a belief or notion. Every location and culture has its own story to tell. Every retelling is distinctive in some way. The Ramayana may be viewed from several angles. Devdutt Pattanaik asserts,
There is an everlasting truth hidden among countless mythologies. Who sees everything? Varuna just has a thousand eyes. A hundred, Indra. There are just two of us.
You are taken back in time to a time when its existences of God and people were still intertwined in book. Patnaik does a fantastic job of developing Sita’s personality. But it falls short in comparison to masterpieces like The Palace of Mystery, where the tale is told from the perspective of a woman.
Pattanaik’s innovative approach and captivating style throughout the tale are commendable.
