Sita: An Illustrated Retelling of Ramayana is written by an Indian mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik.
Ramayana, one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India which seeks to give various answers by giving the importance of virtue, in the life of a citizen and in the ideals of the formation of a state or of a functioning society.
This epic was written by Maharishi Valmiki who has narrated the life of Rama, a legendary prince of Ayodhya city in the kingdom of Kosala. The story follows his fourteen-year exile to the forest urged by his father King Dasharatha, on the request of Rama’s stepmother Kaikeyi, he travels across forests in the Indian subcontinent with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana, the kidnapping of Sita by Ravana – the king of Lanka, that resulted in war. After defeating Ravana, the story continued by Rama’s eventual return to Ayodhya to be crowned king amidst jubilation and celebration.
Ramayana is still loved by millions of people but what exactly did Devdutt Pattanaik changed which made his book one of the bestsellers!
The very interesting part about this book is that it is written through the perspective of Sita. This book brings out the best examples of women empowerment.
From the perspective of Valmiki’s Ramayana, Sita was an innocent woman who prayed for the wellness of her husband. She was a devoted wife who calmly waited for Ram’s victory over Ravana.
But here, in this book, Sita is portrayed as an intelligent woman. Over the course of the tale, the Sita who questions grows into the Sita who understands and accepts unquestioningly.
Devdutt Pattanaik’s Sita seeks to provoke thought, to inspire, to expand one’s mind and realise one’s potential. The author points out the delusion of human nature – humans value things over thoughts, judge instead of understanding another’s point of view, live in fear not faith. What is implicit in the epic is made explicit.
Sita is not a victim but a warrior. She has grown up listening to the sages discussing the Upanishads.
She lifts Shiva’s mighty bow with ease. ‘Still it needs to be cleaned,’ said Sita, effortlessly picking up the bow with one hand and vigorously wiping its under surface with the other.
Not only strong, she is fierce as well. She is the one who killed Ravana’s twin in a fierce battle. “She ripped out his entrails,chopped away his limbs, crushed his heads, broke his knees and drank his blood.”
She is portrayed to be a wise and strong mother. A single mother to her sons, she is independent, not abandoned. It is Ram who is seen struggling to come to terms with what he must do as king. He remains devoted to Sita, and walks into the river Sarayu chanting her name.
Sita: An Illustrated Retelling of Ramayana is beautifully written by Devdatt Pattnaik who turned the tables as a new whole concept.
As a reader, this one really changed my whole perspective of Ramayana.
This book will not only teach you about the journey of Sita but also will give you a broader view of what whole Ramayana is.
As the book itself said, “What we possess is temporary, but what we become is permanent.”
