Contents
Preface: On Compiling Ramayana Stories in Modern South Indian
Languages
Acknowledgments
Note on Transliteration and Translation
Introduction: Whose Ramayana Is It?
Part 1. Sita in Context
Introduction
1. Asking Sita: The Questions Return, by Vijaya Dabbe
Translated from Kannada by Shashi Deshpande and Pratibha
Nandakumar
2. Sartorial Dilemmas: Letters from Lady Sita, by Kumudini
Translated from Tamil by Paula Richman
3. A Mother-in-Law's Support: Sita Locked Out, a women's
folksong
Translated from Telugu by Velcheru Narayana Rao
4. Sita's Powers: Do You Accept My Truth, My Lord? a women's
folksong
Translated from Kannada by Leela Prasad
5. Talking Back: Sita Enters the Fire, by Gudipati Venkata
Chalam
Translated from Telugu by Sailaza Easwari Pal
6. The Pensive Queen: Sita Immersed in Reflection, by Kumaran
Asan
Translated from Malayalam by Rizio Yohannan Raj
7. Choosing Music: Forest (excerpt), by Ambai
Translated from Tamil by Lakshmi Holmstrom
8. Forest of Possibilities: Reunion, by Volga
Translated from Telugu by Krishna Rao Maddipati
9. Union with Nature: Prakriti and Sovereignty in Aravindan's
Kanchana Sita
Film analysis by Usha Zacharias
10. Struggling with an Ideal: In the Shadow of Sita, by Lalitha
Lenin
Translated from Malayalam by Rizio Yohannan Raj
Part 2. Stigmatized Characters
Introduction
11. Transforming a Brahmin: Shudra Tapasvi (excerpt), by Kuppalli
Venkata Puttappa
Translated from Kannada by Girish Karnad and K. Marulasiddappa
12. Shambuka's Story Anew: Basavalingaiah Re-presents Shudra
Tapasvi
Performance essay by Paula Richman
13. Ahalya Later: Woman of Stone, by K. B. Sreedevi
Translated from Malayalam by Gita Krishnankutty
14. Consequences of a Misdeed: Deliverance from the Curse, by
Pudumaippittan
Translated from Tamil by Lakshmi Holmstrom
15. The Nature of Stone: Ahalya, by S. Sivasekaram
Translated from Tamil by Lakshmi Holmstrom
16. Domestic Abuse and the Neurologist: Ahalya, by N. S.
Madhavan
Translated from Malayalam by Rizio Yohannan Raj
Part 3. So-called Demons
Introduction
17. Gender Reversal: The Horns of the Horse, by C. Subramania
Bharati
Translated from Tamil by Paula Richman
18. Male Rivalry and Women: Shurpanakha's Sorrow, by
Kavanasarma
Translated from Telugu by Alladi Uma and M. Sridhar
19. Marriage Offers: Mappila Ramayana of Hassankutty ("the Mad"),
collected by M. N. Karassery from T. H. Kunhiraman Nambiar
Translated from Malayalam by [John] Rich[ardson] Freeman
20. Sita Creates Ravana: Portrait Ramayana (excerpt), by H. S.
Venkatesha Murthy
Translated from Kannada by Manu Shetty
21. Ravana's Letter from Heaven: Come Unto Me, Janaki, by K.
Satchidanandan
Translated from Malayalam by Rizio Yohannan Raj
Epilogue: Meta-narrative
22. Everyone Has Anxieties: Lakshmana's Laugh, a women's
folksong
Translated from Telugu by Velcheru Narayana Rao
Glossary
Bibliography
List of Contributors
Index
Fresh perspectives on the classic Indian epic
Paula Richman is William H. Danforth Professor of South Asian Religions at Oberlin College. She is editor of Many Ramayanas: The Diversity of a Narrative Tradition in South Asia and Questioning Ramayanas, a South Asian Tradition.
On the surface. . . it might appear challenging for an anthology of
Ramayana Stories in Modern South India to tell us something new
about the epic. This is, however, precisely what Paula Richman has
been able to do through this lively and engaging volume. . . . The
translations . . . are lucid and of consistently high quality. . .
. The utility of this book for active undergraduate learning cannot
be overstated. August, 2011
*H-Asia*
. . . Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty
interested in South Asian literature and religion. March 2009
*Choice*
A refreshing addition to the scholarly and literary works in Indic
studies. . . . The organization of the book successfully fulfills
the needs of all who are interested in learning more about Indian
society, its literature and culture, and about Ramayana. One does
not need to be familiar with Ramayana or Ramkatha to appreciate
this book. . . . Richman's work is an excellent study with a rich
selection of writings and viewpoints on the ancient epic Ramayana.
All of the works featured in the book are thought provoking and
reach out to readers and scholars in a variety of disciplines,
including but not limited to the fields of folklore, anthropology,
women's studies, comparative literature, film, and theater.February
16, 2010
*Journal of Folklore Research*
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