After bathing in waters of the sea, those rakshasasnow headed back toward Lanka,wet still with water of their griefit was as if they had immersed the image of thegoddess on the lunar tenth day of the Durga PujaThen Lanka wept in sorrow seven days and seven nights.
This is how Michael Madhusudan Dutts take on Ramayana, titled Meghnad Badh Kavya, the 18th-century Bengali epic, ended in American writer Clinton B. Selees translation, The Slaying of Meghanada. Dutt, one of the icons of the Bengal Renaissance, equated Ravans grief on his son Meghnads death with that of the bisarjan (immersion) of Durga idols on Bijoya Dashami, which in West Bengal is not the celebration of Rams return to Ayodhya, but a day of mourning. On this day, Durga, along with her children, returns to her husbands abode in the Himalayas, after spending five days with the family of her birth.
The Bengal Renaissance, which began about the same time as the rise of Rammohun Roy in Calcuttas intellectual circles in the second decade of the 19th century and the Young Bengal movement, saw Bengals new intellectual class breaking away from Hinduism, discarding idolatry, among other practices, and questioning everything old, from worldviews to conservative ideas. It was the scene of a raging battle between rationalism and religious conservatism.
The Ramayana, too, did not escape scrutiny. Apart from Dutt, who was a Christian, Sukumar Ray and Abanindranath Tagore of the Brahmo Samaj presented the epic in quite unconventional ways.
Meghnad Badh Kavya, published in 1861, was written in blank verse that Dutt had introduced in Bengali literature a year before. The poem presented Ravan and his son, Indrajit alias Meghnad, as heroes. The tragedy is divided into nine cantos, ending with Meghnads death, pathos being the dominant tone.
It became a talking point soon after, drawing both appreciation and opprobrium in equal measure. Some showered it with high praise, calling it an unparalleled masterpiece, while some criticised it for the writers bias towards Ravan and Meghnad and still some others criticised it for its difficult-to-comprehend, highly Sanskritised Bengali.
The Bengal Renaissance saw the new intellectual class breaking away from Hinduism, discarding idolatry, among other practices, and questioning everything old, from worldviews to conservative ideas.
Rajnarayan Basu, a friend of Dutt and an important figure of the Bengal Renaissance, though, held the work as a masterpiece, compared it with John Miltons Paradise Lost. The poet has tried his best to show his empathy for Ram, Lakshman and Sita in order to entertain the native readers, but he failed to hide his bias for the Rakshasa clan. Miltons Satan is worthier of the title of hero than Christ. But there is a difference between Milton and our poetMilton blundered unknowingly but our poet did it willingly He expressed his devotion for the Rakshasas, he said.
Villains as heroes
In his review, titled Meghnad Badh Samporke Du-Ekti Kotha (One or Two Words About Meghnad Badh), published in 1881 in Bangadarshan, which was edited by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, editor and critic Shrish Chandra Majumdar wrote that every Hindu grows up carrying a divine image of Ram, Lakshman and Sita, while hatred for the Rakshas clan is etched in their hearts, but Dutt managed to reverse it. In his words, Meghnad Badh is built taking only one leaf out of Ramayana. But every reader will realise it is made of whats not there in Ramayana. No one feels like hating the rakshashas in Meghnad Badhthat feeling never arises. On the contrary, one feels sympathetic towards Lanka, a jewel on earth, at every step.
In 1887, Rabindranath, then 16, launched a scathing attack on Meghnad Badh in a detailed critique of the poem in his family journal, Bharati. He almost slayed Dutt for turning valorous characters like Ravan, Ram and Lakshman into feminine and weepers. But he discarded his views on the poem two decades later, describing them as insolent.
Describing Dutts work as an immortal poem Tagore wrote in his memoir Jibon Smriti, published in 1912: The text has rebellion in it. The poet has not only broken the barriers of rhyming, but has also daringly broken the stereotypes that we have created around Ram and Ravan. In this poem, Ravan and Indrajit have emerged greater than Ram and LakshmanIgnoring the power that very carefully obeys all the rules, the Kavya-Lakshmi (poetry goddess) garlanded the power that dares obey nothing.
A fun take
Meghnad Badh is, however, was not the sole iconic work that challenged the established Ramayana narrative. Take, for instance, Sukumar Rays play Lakshmaner Shaktishel (Lakshman and the Wonder Weapon), which playfully turns godly characters of the epic into something earthy and ordinary.
Here is a scene from the play, which borders on the profane and the irreverential:
(Chaos Outside) Ram: Whats the chaos outside about? Sugrib: Is it Ravan coming? Bibhishan and Jambuban: WhatRavan coming? What! Bibhishan: Wheres my umbrella? Wheres my bag? Jambuban: Hey, you got strength? Can you carry me on your shoulder?(The messenger enters as Jambuban tries to climb Bibhishans shoulder)
A few moments later in the play, as the chaos appears to be from people carrying an unconscious Lakshman to Rams court, Ram wails and faints. Monkeys cry, too, eating bananas in between wailing episodes. Hanuman tells Jambuban that he was not beside Lakshman when he was attacked as he was busy eating batasa (sweets made of sugar offered to deities). Jambuban imposes a fine on Hanuman and dozes off as soon as Sugrib calls for teaching Ravan a lesson.
After Ram regains consciousness, Jambuban writes a prescription for Lakshman and asks Hanuman to fetch vishalyakarani, the magic panacea. Hanuman agrees to go on the next day and suggests Jambuban to make do with homoeopathy for the day. Ultimately, Hanuman is persuaded to leave only after being bribed with bananas.
In his essay, titled Nonsense Club And Monday Club: The Cultural Utopias Of Sukumar Ray, critic Debasish Chattopadhyay says that Ray demytholises a serious episode from the Ramayana and compels these legendary, heroic figures to descend from the epic heights to a world of spoof and horseplay. He wrote, Sukumar belittles the mythical, heroic characters by endowing them with the traits of ordinary human beings.
Rays play, which was full of such absurdities, became one of the most popular pieces of childrens literature in Bengal since its publication in 1924, about a year after Rays death at the age of 37. In 1987, Sukumars more famous son, filmmaker Satyajit, arranged for an enactment of the play to include scenes in his documentary on his father.
Ahead of its time
Abanindranath Tagore, one of the pioneers of modern art in India, wrote Khuddur Jatra, alternatively called Khudi Ramleela, in 193435 for his grandson. Written in the style of Jatrapala, a loud form of musical theatre popular mostly in rural Bengal, the book did not change the basic narrative. The author juxtaposed the text with a wide range of visuals taken from modern printed material.
What was the most extraordinary about the book is that Abanindranath interspersed the narrative with cut-ups from reports and headlines in newspapersBengali and English advertisements of materials ranging from shoes and insurances to petrol, cigarettes and cosmetics; photographs, drawings and paintings of landscapes; dance and theatre performances; sports, airfields, aircrafts, bombing, war, living and dead birds and animals; sumptuous vegetarian and meat dishes; men drinking in a bar; and pages from European comic strips.
For example, the inscription Sitaharan (abduction of Sita) appears below a poster of the 1935 Hindi film, Hind Kesari, depicting a horse rider. The text deals with Surpanakha appearing before Ravan in his court at Lanka her nose and ears cut. As an angry Ravan leaves to abduct Sita, Kumbhakarna rebukes Surpanakha for stooping to chase a man and suggests to her to apply Boroflex, an antiseptic cream popular in early 20th-century Bengal, to her nose and ears.
In page 125, a photo of women posing around a pool, titled Bathing Beauties in Roman Scandal, accompanies the text where the trio of the narrators, Khudiram, Kenaram and Becharam, sing the glories of Ravans pleasure garden. In page 139, where the text deals with the building of the bridge to Lanka by Nala, Neela and Hanuman, an advertisement of Rohtas Cement appears with the catchline: For strength and durability.
There is nothing irrelevant or inessential in the work, artist and critic Ramananda Bandyopadhyay wrote about it. However, the work came in public knowledge after seven decades when it was published in 2009, along with an English translation by Samik Bandyopadhyay.
Abanindranath wrote several texts based on the Ramayana for children where the dialogues and characters were often funny.
In his piece, titled The Craft of Whimsy, Sankha Ghosh, one of the major postcolonial Bengali poets and a Jnanpith awardee, wrote that Khuddur Jatra was different in its treatment. [It] was not always a spirit of fun that motivated Abanindranath, but more often than not it was a critical mind at work, snapping at times at developments in the national and international political scenario, Ghosh said.
However, tweaking the Ramayana did not hurt religious sentiments.
Those were different times, then.
(This appeared in the print edition as "A Radical Recast")
Continue reading here:
Bengal's Tryst With Alternative Readings Of The Ramayana - Outlook India
- Rationalism (international relations) - Wikipedia, the ... [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2016] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2016]
- Definition of Rationalism - kosmicki.com [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2016] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2016]
- Rationalism | Definition of rationalism by Merriam-Webster [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2016] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2016]
- rationalism | Britannica.com [Last Updated On: January 20th, 2016] [Originally Added On: January 20th, 2016]
- Empiricism versus Rationalism - Mesa Community College [Last Updated On: February 2nd, 2016] [Originally Added On: February 2nd, 2016]
- Rationalism - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: February 2nd, 2016] [Originally Added On: February 2nd, 2016]
- Rationalism and Empiricism - Ohio Northern University [Last Updated On: February 2nd, 2016] [Originally Added On: February 2nd, 2016]
- Empiricism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: February 2nd, 2016] [Originally Added On: February 2nd, 2016]
- Rationalism - RationalWiki [Last Updated On: February 2nd, 2016] [Originally Added On: February 2nd, 2016]
- Theory of Knowledge Rationalism [Last Updated On: February 8th, 2016] [Originally Added On: February 8th, 2016]
- Rationalism | Definition of rationalism by Merriam-Webster [Last Updated On: February 8th, 2016] [Originally Added On: February 8th, 2016]
- Rationalism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: February 8th, 2016] [Originally Added On: February 8th, 2016]
- Rationalism - New World Encyclopedia [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2016] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2016]
- Rationalism - By Movement / School - The Basics of Philosophy [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2016] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2016]
- rationalism | Britannica.com [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2016] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2016]
- Rationalism vs. Empiricism (Stanford Encyclopedia of ... [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2016] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2016]
- Economic rationalism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2016] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2016]
- Continental Rationalism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2016] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2016]
- Use rationalism in a sentence | rationalism sentence examples [Last Updated On: March 12th, 2016] [Originally Added On: March 12th, 2016]
- Use rationalism in a sentence | rationalism sentence examples [Last Updated On: March 12th, 2016] [Originally Added On: March 12th, 2016]
- Rationalism (architecture) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: March 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: March 21st, 2016]
- What is CR? - critical rationalism blog [Last Updated On: March 28th, 2016] [Originally Added On: March 28th, 2016]
- Rationalism | Theopedia [Last Updated On: June 6th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 6th, 2016]
- Rationalism, Continental | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy [Last Updated On: June 6th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 6th, 2016]
- CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Rationalism - NEW ADVENT [Last Updated On: June 19th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 19th, 2016]
- Rationalism Wikipedia [Last Updated On: June 22nd, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 22nd, 2016]
- rationalism - History of rationalism | Britannica.com [Last Updated On: June 22nd, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 22nd, 2016]
- Rationalism - University of Oregon [Last Updated On: June 22nd, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 22nd, 2016]
- Rationalism - By Branch / Doctrine - The Basics of Philosophy [Last Updated On: June 22nd, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 22nd, 2016]
- Rationalism in Philosophy [Last Updated On: June 22nd, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 22nd, 2016]
- Rationalism, Continental | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy [Last Updated On: June 22nd, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 22nd, 2016]
- What is Christian Rationalism? - GotQuestions.org [Last Updated On: August 14th, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 14th, 2016]
- The Difference Between Rationalism and Empiricism; Rene ... [Last Updated On: November 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: November 21st, 2016]
- Rationalism | Psychology Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia [Last Updated On: December 2nd, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 2nd, 2016]
- Difference Between Empiricism and Rationalism [Last Updated On: December 12th, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 12th, 2016]
- rationalism facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com ... [Last Updated On: December 22nd, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 22nd, 2016]
- Logic: Rationalism vs. Empiricism - Theology [Last Updated On: January 5th, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 5th, 2017]
- Rationalism vs. Empiricism Essay - 797 Words - StudyMode [Last Updated On: January 5th, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 5th, 2017]
- Rationalism verses Empiricism - dummies.com [Last Updated On: January 5th, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 5th, 2017]
- Saturday (novel) - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: January 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 11th, 2017]
- Go for introspection, Left parties told - The Hindu [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Rubbing for the Green An Irishman's Diary about David Hume's big toe - Irish Times [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Age of Anger - Asia Times [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Taking Liberties With Workable Liberty - Big Think [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Food by the Book: Philosophy, love, steak - Muskogee Daily Phoenix [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Hypocrisy isn't the problem. Nihilism is - Los Angeles Times [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- The separation of church and state - Helena Independent Record [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Laura Akin: Overwhelming majority of the Founding Fathers were Christian - Modesto Bee [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Don't become a pawn in the NHL's Olympic Games - Fear the Fin [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Hecker reemerges with more text-based synthesis on two new releases on Editions Mego - Tiny Mix Tapes [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2017]
- Fragile Lives: A Heart Surgeon's Stories of Life and Death on the ... - The Times (subscription) [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2017]
- Here's what to do when the next big plague hits humanity - New York Post [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- When religion rules social life - Daily News & Analysis [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- Will science go rogue against Donald Trump? - Socialist Worker Online [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- Valentine's Day and Romance - Commonweal (blog) [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- Barnaby Joyce condemns WA Liberals' preference deal with One Nation - The Northern Daily Leader [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- Barnaby Joyce condemns WA Liberals' preference deal with One Nation - Warrnambool Standard [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2017]
- Why sports industry sides with transgenders - WND.com [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2017]
- Canadian architecture firm discusses design in the Midwest - Iowa State Daily [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2017]
- Americans 'plain dumb' - Hastings Tribune [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2017]
- 'Modi combines Savarkar and neoliberalism': Pankaj Mishra on why this is the age of anger - Scroll.in [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2017]
- Arrival - slantmagazine [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2017]
- 'Modi combines Savarkar and neoliberalism': Pankaj Mishra on why this is the age of anger - Yahoo News [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2017]
- Biography examines political motivations of Montaigne | UChicago ... - UChicago News [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2017]
- What 'The Seventh Seal' Tells Us About Life And Death - The Federalist [Last Updated On: February 19th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 19th, 2017]
- Barnaby Joyce condemns WA Liberals' preference deal with One Nation - Daily Advertiser [Last Updated On: February 19th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 19th, 2017]
- Will the Science Community Go Rogue Against Donald Trump? - Truth-Out [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2017]
- Hindi, Hindu, Horror - Economic and Political Weekly [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2017]
- The Red94 Podcast: On the Boogie Cousins trade - Red94 [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2017]
- Refugee resettlement study bill passes ND House, Democrat calls it ... - Jamestown Sun [Last Updated On: February 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 22nd, 2017]
- There is an Is - Patheos (blog) [Last Updated On: February 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 22nd, 2017]
- The Magical Rationalism of Elon Musk and the Prophets of AI - New York Magazine [Last Updated On: February 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 22nd, 2017]
- Letter to the Editor: Banning Immigrants on the Basis of Faith Has Hudson Valley Roots - Patch.com [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- You Don't Have To Choose Between Alt-Right And Regressive Left - Huffington Post Canada [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- Encountering Change: A Chaplain's Perspective - Patheos (blog) [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- Modernism and Its Rages - City Journal [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2017]
- Freemasonry Catholics' Deadly Foe - Church Militant [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2017]
- In Scorsese's adaptation of Endo's novel, a stark depiction of statism against religion - National Review [Last Updated On: February 25th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 25th, 2017]
- Outcry over Dalai Lama threatens free speech - The Daily Cardinal [Last Updated On: February 26th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 26th, 2017]
- One Nation 'more economically responsible than Labor': Steve Ciobo - Southern Cross [Last Updated On: February 28th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 28th, 2017]