Three Hundred Ramayanas: Five Examples and Three Thoughts on Translation
May 02, 2024
"Three Hundred Rāmāyaṇas: Five Examples and Three Thoughts on Translation" is an essay written by Indian writer A. K. Ramanujan for a Conference on Comparison of Civilizations at the University of Pittsburgh, February 1987.
The essay was a required reading on Delhi University's syllabus for history undergraduates from 2006–7 onward. On October 9, 2011, the Academic Council of the University decided to remove the essay from the BA curriculum for its next academic cycle. This action of the Academic Council attracted a lot of attention and several people viewed this as an act of unwarranted censorship.
Three Hundred Rāmāyaṇas is a scholarly essay that summarizes the history of the Rāmāyaṇa and its spread across India and Asia over a period of 2,500 years or more. It seeks to demonstrate factually how the story of Rama has undergone numerous variations while being transmitted across different languages, societies, geographical regions, religions, and historical periods. It does not seek to document all the recorded tellings and re-tellings of the Rāmāyaṇa. Instead, it focuses on only five specific tellings of the Rāmāyaṇa from different languages, regions, cultures, and periods, which serve purely as indicators of a much larger range of actual variations.
The count of 300 Ramayanas in the title of the essay is based on a work of Camille Bulcke[1] and it has been pointed out that it is an underestimate of the actual count. However, Ramanujan considers only five tellings of Ramayana, namely, the tellings by Valmiki, Kamban, the Jain telling, the Thai Ramakien and the South Indian folk tellings. Ramanujan specifically prefers the term "tellings" to the usual terms "versions" and "variants" because the latter terms can and do imply the existence of an invariant original text. One of Ramanujan's main observations in the essay is that there is no such original Ramayana and that Valmiki's Ramayana telling is only one among many Ramayana tellings.
Publication historyedit
A. K. Ramanujan, ‘Three Hundred Rāmāyaṇas: Five Examples and Three Thoughts on Translation’, in Many Rāmāyaṇas: The Diversity of a Narrative Tradition in South Asia, ed. by Paula Richman (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1991), pp. 22–48. ISBN9780520075894. Available at http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/ft3j49n8h7/.
A. K. Ramanujan, ‘Three Hundred Rāmāyaṇas: Five Examples and Three Thoughts on Translation’, in The Collected Essays of A. K. Ramanujan (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004), pp. 131–60, available here.
Further readingedit
R. Mahalakshmi (November 26, 2011). "Ramanujan's Three Hundred Ramayanas: Transmission, Interpretation And Dialogue In Indian Traditions". Mainstream Weekly. XLIX (49). Retrieved 15 November 2015.
Ajoy Ashirwad Mahaprashasta (18 November 2011). "The rule of unreason". Frontline. 28 (23). Retrieved 15 November 2015.
Priscilla Jebaraj (October 28, 2011). "Interview with Romila Thapar: The richness of the Ramayana, the poverty of a University". The Hindu. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
Anuradha Raman (November 25, 2015). "Among the Ramayanas, Sita's ascent". The Hindu. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
Manash Pratim Gohain (October 25, 2011). "Ramanujan essay: Debate turns political". The Times of India (Delhi). Retrieved 16 November 2015.
Ragini Bhuyan (30 October 2011). . The Sunday Guardian. Archived from the original on 4 September 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
Soutik Biswas (19 October 2011). "Ramayana: An 'epic' controversy". BBC News. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
Referencesedit
^Camille Bulcke (1950). Ramakatha: utpatti aur Vikas(The rama Story: Origin and Development) (Hindi). Prayag: Hindi Parishad Prakasan.
three, hundred, ramayanas, five, examples, three, thoughts, translation, three, hundred, rāmāyaṇas, five, examples, three, thoughts, translation, essay, written, indian, writer, ramanujan, conference, comparison, civilizations, university, pittsburgh, february. Three Hundred Ramayaṇas Five Examples and Three Thoughts on Translation is an essay written by Indian writer A K Ramanujan for a Conference on Comparison of Civilizations at the University of Pittsburgh February 1987 The essay was a required reading on Delhi University s syllabus for history undergraduates from 2006 7 onward On October 9 2011 the Academic Council of the University decided to remove the essay from the BA curriculum for its next academic cycle This action of the Academic Council attracted a lot of attention and several people viewed this as an act of unwarranted censorship Contents 1 Ramanujan s thesis 2 Publication history 3 Further reading 4 References 5 External linksRamanujan s thesis editThree Hundred Ramayaṇas is a scholarly essay that summarizes the history of the Ramayaṇa and its spread across India and Asia over a period of 2 500 years or more It seeks to demonstrate factually how the story of Rama has undergone numerous variations while being transmitted across different languages societies geographical regions religions and historical periods It does not seek to document all the recorded tellings and re tellings of the Ramayaṇa Instead it focuses on only five specific tellings of the Ramayaṇa from different languages regions cultures and periods which serve purely as indicators of a much larger range of actual variations The count of 300 Ramayanas in the title of the essay is based on a work of Camille Bulcke 1 and it has been pointed out that it is an underestimate of the actual count However Ramanujan considers only five tellings of Ramayana namely the tellings by Valmiki Kamban the Jain telling the Thai Ramakien and the South Indian folk tellings Ramanujan specifically prefers the term tellings to the usual terms versions and variants because the latter terms can and do imply the existence of an invariant original text One of Ramanujan s main observations in the essay is that there is no such original Ramayana and that Valmiki s Ramayana telling is only one among many Ramayana tellings Publication history editA K Ramanujan Three Hundred Ramayaṇas Five Examples and Three Thoughts on Translation in Many Ramayaṇas The Diversity of a Narrative Tradition in South Asia ed by Paula Richman Berkeley University of California Press 1991 pp 22 48 ISBN 9780520075894 Available at http ark cdlib org ark 13030 ft3j49n8h7 A K Ramanujan Three Hundred Ramayaṇas Five Examples and Three Thoughts on Translation in The Collected Essays of A K Ramanujan Oxford Oxford University Press 2004 pp 131 60 available here Further reading editA website devoted to a discussion of the essay and its impacts on the academic world in India R Mahalakshmi November 26 2011 Ramanujan s Three Hundred Ramayanas Transmission Interpretation And Dialogue In Indian Traditions Mainstream Weekly XLIX 49 Retrieved 15 November 2015 Ajoy Ashirwad Mahaprashasta 18 November 2011 The rule of unreason Frontline 28 23 Retrieved 15 November 2015 Priscilla Jebaraj October 28 2011 Interview with Romila Thapar The richness of the Ramayana the poverty of a University The Hindu Retrieved 16 November 2015 Anuradha Raman November 25 2015 Among the Ramayanas Sita s ascent The Hindu Retrieved 25 November 2015 Manash Pratim Gohain October 25 2011 Ramanujan essay Debate turns political The Times of India Delhi Retrieved 16 November 2015 Ragini Bhuyan 30 October 2011 Ramanujan amp the Ramayana The Sunday Guardian Archived from the original on 4 September 2015 Retrieved 16 November 2015 Soutik Biswas 19 October 2011 Ramayana An epic controversy BBC News Retrieved 15 November 2015 References edit Camille Bulcke 1950 Ramakatha utpatti aur Vikas The rama Story Origin and Development Hindi Prayag Hindi Parishad Prakasan External links editRamanujan s Three Hundred Ramayanas Wikispaces Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Three Hundred Ramayanas Five Examples and Three Thoughts on Translation amp oldid 1219382661, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
