66697602-The-Ramayana-R-K-Narayan

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Narayan, R. K., 1906-2001. The Ramayana : a shortened modern prose version of the Indian epic (suggested by the Tamil version of Kamban) / R.K. Narayan ; introduction by Pankaj Mishra. p. cm.—(Penguin classics) eISBN : 978-0-143-03967-9 1. Rama (Hindu deity)—Fiction. 2. Epic literature, Tamil—Adaptations. I. Kampar, 9th cent. Ramayanam. II. Title. III. Series. PR9499.3.N3R36 2006 297.5’922—dc22 2006045201 The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. http://us.penguingroup.com
Introduction In the summer of 1988 sanitation workers across North India went on strike. Their demand was simple: they wanted the federal government to sponsor more episodes of a television serial based on the Indian epic Ramayana (Romance of Rama). The serial, which had been running on India’s state-owned television channel for more than a year, had proved to be an extraordinarly popular phenomenon, with more than eighty million Indians tuning in to every weekly episode. Streets in all towns and cities emptied on Sunday mornings as the serial went on the air. In villages with no electricity people usually gathered around a rented television set powered by a car battery. Many bathed ritually and garlanded their television sets before settling down to watch Rama, the embodiment of righteousness, triumph over adversity. When the government, faced with rising garbage mounds and a growing risk of epidemics, finally relented and commissioned more episodes of The Ramayana, not just the sanitation workers but millions of Indians celebrated. More than a decade and many reruns later, the serial continues to inspire reverence among Indians everywhere, and remains for many the primary mode of experiencing India’s most popular epic. The reasons for this may not be immediately clear to an
Page 3 and 4: Table of Contents About the Author
Page 5 and 6: THE RAMAYANA R. K. NARAYAN was born
Page 9: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING IN P
Page 13 and 14: to the Indian freedom movement agai
Page 15 and 16: superiority by stringing an enormou
Page 17 and 18: after this, she passes away, and a
Page 19 and 20: their particular social group. The
Page 21 and 22: choice of words—“impelled,”
Page 23 and 24: present in this retelling of The Ra
Page 25 and 26: 4 P. S. Sundaram, trans., N. S. Jag
Page 27 and 28: The Grandmother’s Tale and Select
Page 29 and 30: To the memory of my uncle T. N. Ses
Page 32 and 33: Introduction The Indian epic, the R
Page 34 and 35: The following pages are based on a
Page 36 and 37: List of Characters (If not otherwis
Page 38 and 39: SUBAHU (soo ba’ hoo) and MAREECHA
Page 40 and 41: kinds of smoke rise in the air, fro
Page 42 and 43: arrange for the performance of a ya
Page 44 and 45: want any help from me?” They alwa
Page 46 and 47: fatigue, and even decrepitude. The
Page 48 and 49: agitated? I came here for a purpose
Page 50 and 51: Following the footsteps of their ma
Page 52 and 53: orn to them—Mareecha and Subahu
Page 54 and 55: earned the gratitude of humanity. T
Page 56 and 57: When a poor man like me has a glimp
Page 58 and 59: Concluding the story, Viswamithra a
Page 60 and 61:
now, has a divine association. Moth
Page 62 and 63:
the saint, assuming that he had sto
Page 64 and 65:
all mankind, as the Ganges bears a
Page 66 and 67:
came back at this moment, having in
Page 68 and 69:
and take her back, her heart is pur
Page 70 and 71:
of swaying back and forth, their ne
Page 72 and 73:
from the sea, but none of it comfor
Page 74 and 75:
ceremony at Janaka’s palace. At t
Page 76 and 77:
it. It was so huge that no one coul
Page 78 and 79:
the coolest bed they could find her
Page 80 and 81:
the King’s proclamation to every
Page 82 and 83:
creature on the ground; others held
Page 84 and 85:
with his ministers and officials an
Page 86 and 87:
3 TWO PROMISES REVIVED In his busy
Page 88 and 89:
must have trembled without my knowi
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can be no place in a king’s heart
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fact, I do not doubt that he will b
Page 94 and 95:
Tomorrow he is crowning Rama as the
Page 96 and 97:
“Do you know how people can chang
Page 98 and 99:
wearing torn off, her jewellery sca
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The king remained silent a moment,
Page 102 and 103:
The night continued in this kind of
Page 104 and 105:
to the assembly?” The King stirre
Page 106 and 107:
her son. She had been expecting him
Page 108 and 109:
Kausalya in a state of complete des
Page 110 and 111:
muster in his tone. “Everything i
Page 112 and 113:
my death so that she may place Bhar
Page 114 and 115:
and hearing his stentorian challeng
Page 116 and 117:
vanquished an innocent brother who
Page 118 and 119:
decreed by Kaikeyi. Many wept at th
Page 120 and 121:
there for the night. The citizens w
Page 122 and 123:
messengers murmured a polite answer
Page 124 and 125:
e back? What made him go? Did he go
Page 126 and 127:
lackest sins for which people were
Page 128 and 129:
Bharatha opened the subject. “I h
Page 130 and 131:
4 ENCOUNTERS IN EXILE After Bharath
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They reached Panchvati, set in sylv
Page 134 and 135:
alone, unescorted?” She answered,
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you wear the robes of ascetics, and
Page 138 and 139:
emarked, “Ah, how true! No one ca
Page 140 and 141:
unite with me, and quench the fire
Page 142 and 143:
We met last evening and you were so
Page 144 and 145:
come to be here with his wife and b
Page 146 and 147:
hacked me thus.” Kara looked clos
Page 148 and 149:
5 THE GRAND TORMENTOR Ravana, the s
Page 150 and 151:
“Ah,” cried Ravana, challenged.
Page 152 and 153:
“What wretched season are you?”
Page 154 and 155:
know day had come. Even the rooster
Page 156 and 157:
at Sidhasrama, to avenge his mother
Page 158 and 159:
seeking your own destruction and th
Page 160 and 161:
Seizing the idea from Mareecha’s
Page 162 and 163:
Sita became insistent and said sull
Page 164 and 165:
Sita had no ear for any explanation
Page 166 and 167:
obeying her command and pleasing he
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when he has to meet the mighty Rava
Page 170 and 171:
and uttered reckless pleasantries.
Page 172 and 173:
The perfect man takes a false step,
Page 174 and 175:
clothed in ascetics’ robes? But t
Page 176 and 177:
Every day Vali visited all the eigh
Page 178 and 179:
Vali seized Sugreeva and tried to s
Page 180 and 181:
things in seven; and then it return
Page 182 and 183:
Then Sugreeva and Hanuman spoke enc
Page 184 and 185:
And now Tara quietly mentioned, “
Page 186 and 187:
clashed. Then they separated, dodge
Page 188 and 189:
exercised all his remaining strengt
Page 190 and 191:
Rama softly came out of his hiding,
Page 192 and 193:
egotten by the chief of gods. You p
Page 194 and 195:
“Another thing. If your brothers,
Page 196 and 197:
Sugreeva was crowned with elaborate
Page 198 and 199:
can do for me.” When Sugreeva sti
Page 200 and 201:
pleased that she is no longer here?
Page 202 and 203:
exceeded the four months’ limit?
Page 204 and 205:
whispered, “Listen to me, please.
Page 206 and 207:
his stepmother Kausalya. Uncontroll
Page 208 and 209:
again.” After this resolution, he
Page 210 and 211:
of all that he had seen and heard d
Page 212 and 213:
Learned men have compared them to t
Page 214 and 215:
Their problems were answered presen
Page 216 and 217:
creature approaching them. Unidenti
Page 218 and 219:
your own powers. This delusion will
Page 220 and 221:
While he sat there on the roof unob
Page 222 and 223:
destroyed the Asoka Vana, and damag
Page 224 and 225:
Whereupon his commander-in-chief sa
Page 226 and 227:
Ravana said, “My boy, you have sp
Page 228 and 229:
“You began with agreeable sentenc
Page 230 and 231:
destroyed by fire, I know. You have
Page 232 and 233:
me very strange indeed. We cannot a
Page 234 and 235:
him, to me that victory would not b
Page 236 and 237:
11 THE SIEGE OF LANKA 11 Ravana dep
Page 238 and 239:
you fools believed that I should su
Page 240 and 241:
and told, “My lord, the battle is
Page 242 and 243:
and Lakshmana, you know you can, an
Page 244 and 245:
his body his accoutrements for prot
Page 246 and 247:
Lakshmana. Whereupon Mahodara order
Page 248 and 249:
which met arrow for arrow. Ultimate
Page 250 and 251:
and its leaders—Kumbakarna and In
Page 252 and 253:
issued forth monstrous serpents vom
Page 254 and 255:
went on shooting his arrows. There
Page 256 and 257:
when he paraded his strength around
Page 258 and 259:
values. After all this, I must tell
Page 260 and 261:
Now Brahma, the Creator, came forwa
Page 262 and 263:
lifted from Rama’s mind, and he f
Page 264 and 265:
moment, Hanuman arrived in the form
Page 266 and 267:
Hanuman, when he was young, as we s
Page 268 and 269:
with lights and music. I am omittin
Page 270 and 271:
simsupa—a tree vanji—a rare flo
Page 272:
Ravana was known as an accomplished
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66697602-The-Ramayana-R-K-Narayan

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