MALAYALAM
Ramayana for children
C. L. RAMAKRISHNAN
VALMIKI RAMAYANA:
N.V.P. Unithiri; Kerala State Institute of Children’s Literature, Tiruvananthapuram-695034.
Rs. 500.
THIS IS Valmiki Ramayana retold for children, and quite appropriately the author has adopted a simple style of narration, while following the original faithfully. The sub-titles given under the seven ‘kandas’ and the index to different episodes kanda-wise make for easy reference.
The Malayalam translation of select verses from the Sanskrit text has been provided, wherever necessary, for a better appreciation of the various episodes. Thoughtfully, the narrative is interspersed with illustrations, and the attractive drawings by Uma Krishnaswamy go to enhance the value of the publication and its appeal to the target audience.
The well-produced book has not come a day too soon. There is a widely shared perception that ethical values have suffered a serious erosion in recent times. Given this context, a publication of this kind targeting the children answers the crying need.
The import of many of the passages in the epic will make a deep impact on the impressionable minds and go in a long way in inculcating moral values. This is as it should be, the Ramayana is not just the story of Rama; it is more about the ‘path’ he treaded.
Where the narration lacks clarity is when it refers to the manner in which Dasaratha distributes the ‘payasam’ among his three queens. ‘Why did Dasaratha distribute the payasam in the way he did?’ — a discussion on this question would have been interesting.
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