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)

Kilippattu- Significance of Adhyatma Ramayana

“We can say that Ramayana is one of the first instances which question the Brahminical orthodoxy.” I know that this statement will invite much criticism if it gets the attention of the so-called progressive thinkers. I would reaffirm this statement because till the time of Ezhuthachan, the Vedic teachings and knowledge system were controlled by upper caste people only. They indulged in “tharka, vitharka, kutharka” and always concentrated on the Sringara aspect of life. The life and culture of the society were of licentiousness in character. Ezhuthachan’s writing has significance not just because he redirected the society in the “Bhakthi Marga”, but he himself was a question to the orthodox society. Ezhuthachan is believed to have born in a lower caste family, according to most critics though there is controversy over this subject. If this argument is correct, his very assertion of religiosity is an attack on the orthodox mentality. Even now, the upper caste people could not digest this fact and are constantly trying to reinterpret the fact about his life, with each dominant caste groups trying to add him in their caste group. Prominent novelist Rashakrishnan’s literary biography on Ezhuthachan “Theekkadal Kadanju Thiru Madhuram” is one such instance.

There is an interesting explanation for calling “Kilippattu (parrot song)” along with the epic poem.

The concept is similar with the way Vyasa wrote Mahabharatha. The story behind Mahabharatha is that after conceiving the epic, Vyasa asked Lord Brahma to help him compose or write it down the lyrics, but Brahma declined it and suggested Lord Vinayaka in turn. At last, Lord Vinayaka wrote down the lines composed by Vyasa. The reason for this according to critics is that Vyasa was the son of a lower-class woman (Malsya Gandhi). In the same way, the story is told in the Adhyathma Ramayana by a parrot, as Ezhuthachan is also from a lower class family. However, it has larger implications than this. The movement called “Kilippattu” is not started by Ezhuthachan, nor is he the first to introduce the same in Malayalam literature. It is an influence from Tamil literature and it has been identified that “Ramacharitham” composed in the 12th Century by Chiramon used the same style.