Why are there different versions of the Ramayana?
In one Ramayana, Sita is abducted; in another, only her shadow is. In one, Ravana is pure villain; in another, a tragic devotee. Why does the most loved story in Asia exist in so many forms?
A story that kept being retold
There are hundreds of tellings of the Ramayana across languages, regions, religions and centuries — in Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Marathi and Awadhi; in Jain and Buddhist forms; in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia and Malaysia; in dance, puppetry and folk song.
Why they differ
Each poet retold the story for their own people and their own understanding of devotion. Some changes are small; some transform the story. One of the most striking concerns who exactly Ravana carried away…
The journey continues for members
- Some famous differences
- How scholars see it
- For life today
Sources
- Valmiki Ramayana
- Adhyatma Ramayana
- Ramcharitmanas
- Paumachariya — Vimalasuri (Jain)
- "Three Hundred Ramayanas" — A. K. Ramanujan