Revisiting the Ramayana Modern Interpretations of Sita, Ravana, and Rama
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64137/31078729/IJLLH-V2I2P108Keywords:
Ramayana, Spirituality, Sita, Ravana, Rama, Contemporary Literature, Mythological Retellings, Indian EpicsAbstract
The Ramayana is one of the five most influential epics in India and still inspires reinterpretations that go beyond its traditionally religious limits. Writers like Amish Tripathi, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Devdutt Pattanaik, Anand Neelakantan, and Volga rewrite the Ramayana, focusing on its heroes Sita, Ravana, and Rama to rethink questions of gender, ethics, identity, leadership, and spirituality. Whereas these figures were often considered immutable moral avatars in highbrow literature, contemporary reimaginings eschew blind fidelity to religious law, instead depicting spirituality as a relatable process of self-discovery. This article explores how these reimaginings change the impetus of the Ramayana and contends that modern works ground their spirituality not in divine flawless action but in subjective consciousness, moral imperfection, empathy, and internal metamorphosis. These readings render the epic ever more applicable for twenty-first-century readers seeking ethical orientation amid contemporary social, political, and psychological crises.
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