The Ramayana Revisited
Mandakranta Bose
The Ramayana is one of India's foundational epics, and it demonstrates a continuing power to influence social, religious, cultural, and political life. Brought to textual life in Sanskrit by the legendary "first poet," Valmiki, over the ensuing centuries the tale has been recycled with extraordinary adaptability and diversity through the varied cultural heritages of India and other parts of Asia. The basic tale of the Ramayana is continually adapted to new contexts, forms, and media. It is read, recited, sung, danced, and acted in one form or another, and renewed so constantly by changing times and values that it demands constant revaluation. The Ramayana Revisited presents the latest in Ramayana scholarship. Fourteen leading scholars examine the epic in its myriad contexts throughout South and Southeast Asia. They explore the role the narrative plays in societies as varied as India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia. The essays also expand the understanding of the "text" to include non-verbal renditions of the epic, with particular attention to the complex ways such retellings change the way the narrative deals with gender. This volume will be invaluable to students and scholars interested in mythology, Hinduism, Asian studies, and anthropology.
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Contents
Introduction
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3 |
Dharmic Debates on Gender and Hierarchy and the Work of the V257lm299ki R257m257yana
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19 |
Gender Space and Narrative Structures in V257lm299kis B257lak257nda
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47 |
3 R257m257yana Textual Traditions in Eastern India
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87 |
4 Reinventing the R257m257yana in TwentiethCentury Bengali Literature
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107 |
5 Why Cant a Shudra Perform Asceticism? 346ambuka in Three Modern South Indian Plays
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125 |
The Narrative Logic of a R257m257yana Interpolation
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149 |
The Wedding of R257ma and S299t257 Past and Present
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165 |
Home and Abroad
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259 |
11 Mysticism and Islam in Javanese R257m257yana Tales
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275 |
Where Cartographies Collide Silent Vessels Tell in Full
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293 |
13 The R257m257yana in the Arts of Thailand and Cambodia
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323 |
14 The R257m257yana Theme in the Visual Arts of South and Southeast Asia
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335 |
Appendix 1 The R257m257yana in Asia
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355 |
Appendix 2 Variant Names of Main Characters
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359 |
361 | |
8 When Does S299t257 Cease to Be S299t257? Notes toward a Cultural Grammar of Indian Narratives
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219 |
9 Representing the R257m257yana on the Kutiy257ttam Stage
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243 |
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Common terms and phrases
Ahiravana Asia Asian audience Ayodhya Balakanda barat Bengali bhakti Bharata brahman bride century characters conflict cultural dance Dasaratha daughter Delhi demon depicting dharma doha drama East Timor edited epic episode father female fight figure final finally find fire first forest gender Gita-Ramayana gods Goldman groom guru Hanuman hero Hindi Hindu husband Ianaka Iavanese India Indonesian influence Islamic Kannada katiyattam Kausalya killing king Krttivasa Kuvempu Laksmana Lanka literary Mahabharata male Marathi mayana Mithila monkey mystical narrative performance play poem poet popular Press Purana Rama and Sita Rama's Rama’s Ramakien Ravana Reamker recitation reflect religious retellings Richman ritual sacrifice Sagar sage Sambuka Sanskrit sastrajendra scene Sekar sexual shudra significant Sita Sita’s Siva song South specific story Sudhir Phadke Sugriva Sukesi Sunayana Surpanakha Tamil tells Telugu temple theater theme Tulsi University Uttarakanda Vali Valmiki Vasistha verse Visnu Visvamitra wedding wife Wisrawa women Yasadipura