Adhyatma Ramayana- A Critical Introspection

From 17th of July, 2013 onwards (1st of Karkidaka month as per the Malayalam calendar), Malayalis are celebrating Ramayana Month. There is no doubt in regarding Ramayan (Ramayanam) as one of the greatest contributions of Indians to the literary world, but it is worth asking how Ramayana got an undisputed acceptance among Indians or Hindus or for some upper-class elite Hindu- Indians. This is not an irrelevant question as Valmiki’s Ramayana has little or nothing to do with giving religious stature to Rama, whereas now Rama is considered as a God-incarnated. Many social critics attribute Rajiv Gandhi govt’s pro-Hindutva stand which permitted the telecasting of Ramayana series in Doordarshan as one reason for this sudden shift in the thinking of the people. Some other thinkers conducted studies which analyze the pro-Hindutva stand of nationalist leaders ranging from Tilak to Gandhi. Recently, Delhi University included A.K. Ramanujan’s “Three Hundred Ramayanas: Five Examples and Three Thoughts on Translation” in the syllabus which was being criticized RSS think-tanks a lot.

However, one can easily see that Ramayana has tremendous influence in the life of people of India. In every nook and corner of the country, we can see stories related to instances from Ramayana and there are many adaptations to this epic. Throughout India, the impact of Bhakti Movement influenced the spread of Ramayana. One such example is Ezhuthachan’s adaptation named “Adhyathma Ramayana.” His writing helped the strengthening of Malayalam language and hence he is regarded as the father of Malayalam. During the Karkidaka month, Malayalis read this version of Ramayana in their homes and temples to attain Moksha. I don’t know specifically when onwards Malayalis started this celebration; I can only guess after the publication of this book in Malayalam!! Ezhuthachan is believed to have lived in the 16th Century. I remember reading one article in Deshabhimani where it is mentioned that the RSS ideologues in the 1950s urged the people to start celebrating Karkidaka as Ramayana Month, and EMS, the CPM veteran, criticized the instance citing this would have communal polarization in the state. Even then, no one can question the literary, religious and philosophical merit of the work.
Ezhuthachan conceived Ramayana with Bakthi as the central theme. It has religious as well as literary dimensions. First of all, the literary arena of that period focused on the Sringara rasa only. This has deteriorated the literary strength considerable. The moral life of the people was also in the downward way. Secondly, till that time, Chambu Kavyas and other notable writings were filled with both Sanskrit and Tamil expressions. Therefore, Ezhuthachan intended purification, both literary and social. He is a success in that also.

His success is evident while considering the religious and social life of Kerala with its neighboring states. When the neighboring states resisted any attempt to glorify Rama or Aryans, Kerala always remained passive in this area. We can also say that Ramayana as one of the first instances which question the Brahminical orthodoxy.

(To Be Continued)