Ramayana: The Game of Life

Mythology as a genre has always attracted my attention. I have read various versions to The Mahabharata and have extracted so much out of each journey into the past. On Ramayana, I haven’t read a lot except the simpler and not-much-detailed version known to everyone. When I saw Ramayana: The Game of Life by Shubha Vilas, I was thrilled. I could finally lay my hands on some piece of literature on Ramayana. This is the second book in the series and I got easily drawn into the story, despite missing the first book. The writing is simple and the expressions in some places are quite impressive.

From a look at the cover and at the pages, one can see that a lot has been put into this book. There are a total of nine chapters, which have been further divided into sub-chapters with relevant titles. On giving information, the author has done a splendid job. He has provided extensive footnotes on everything that might need explanation. Everything that could have been explained has been explained. A lot of attention has been given to detail—detail in thoughts, emotions, events, rituals, surroundings, characters, relationships, etc.

The author literally takes us back to that time. The entire feeling of a happy and prosperous kingdom, the rituals, the serenity, the thrill and excitement, the colourfulness and richness of a ceremony—it can all be experienced through this book.

Vilas makes us witness the mental struggles of Dasaratha (we get to read every thought, such good luck!), how and why he decides to pass on the throne to Rama and many more of his dilemmas. We, as readers, also explore how Ravana was born and later on given the name Ravana, what circumstances led to Rama’s exile and how Lakshamana and Sita accompanied him. 

A few things that have been highlighted very well in this book are:

·         The happy kingdom where decisions are made in an unbiased way

·         The way a king looks at his people, with the feeling to protect and serve them

·         The kings and queens also go through their own personal set of dilemmas and difficulties just like everyone else

·         The beauty of rituals and celebrations

·         The purity and goodness of all relationships (between the king and his people, father and son, husband and wife, and among siblings)

The reason we can so easily relate to the events and story is that all characters go through situations and dilemmas just the way we do. They have moments of joy, sorrow, misfortune, anger, pride just the way we do. We also learn a lot about human lives and relationships, how complex and simple they can be at different points in life. There are lessons and messages for all of us.

On the weakness bit, I only felt that in some places the transitions could have been smoother as it was slightly difficult to relate to a change in thought or event. Except this, the book is rich in detail and description. I got to know so much about the characters and events, including the lesser-known stories which would have otherwise escaped my attention.

Reading is a journey, an experience, which is different for everyone. Incidents and experiences, irrespective of their descriptions, leave a different impact on every reader; they can never be the same for everyone. So, irrespective of what I say here, go create your own experiences and perceptions. Also, make sure you take pauses in between as this particular journey could be an exhaustive one (of course, in a good way)!

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