Page 71 - Education World September 2021

man predicament”. This have Rama Zadtaw/Rama
saga of southern Bengal is Thagyin (Burma), Ramak- HIKAYAT SERI RAMA — THE
hybridised by the influx of ien (Thailand), Reamkien/ MALAY RAMAYANA
Arabic characters, Persian Ramakirti (Khmer), Pha Harry Aveling
vocabulary and Quranic Lak Pha Lam (Laos) along WRITERS WORKSHOP
Arabic. By incorporating with Phra Ram Sadok (a Rs.900 Pages 287
them in this adaptation Buddhist Jataka ver-
of linguistic peculiar- sion), Ramayana Kakawin
ity, Ghosh reinforces the (Indonesia), Ramacavacha
multicultural versatility of (Bali), Hikayat Seri Rama
the English language he (Malaya), and Maharadia of the Malay manuscript… The Islamised Malay
uses. Jungle Nama is an Lawana (Philippines). presented in 1633 by Wil- language version
Indian folk tale for a con- As Hindu and Buddhist liam Laud to the Bodleian retains the core
temporary, global reader- influence waned in South- Library at Oxford”, edited of the Ramayana
ship that’s interested in east Asia, by the early 16th by WG Shellabear and with interesting
preserving Planet Earth century its Islamisation published in 1915. departures
and its resources for future was almost complete. HSR follows the
generations. Interestingly, though Valmiki Ramayana main-
JAYATI GUPTA the dominant religion frame but woven into the Sita is Rama’s wife but
changed, cultural tradi- narrative are motifs which also Dasarata’s daugh-
Malaysian tions did not, but minor can be traced back to ter. Rawana, hearing of
Mandu-dari’s beauty, asks
Indian non-Valmiki stories
changes were brought in:
Ramayana “…the text was written and local tales. Travelling Dasarata for her. Dasarata
agrees. Mandu-dari dupes
through time and space, a
down for a Muslim court…
which was still conserva- lot of confusion involving Rawana by creating a rep-
HE REMARK- tive enough to like the the characters and inci- lica named Mandu-daki.
ABLE story of the old tales of the Hindu dents entered the narra- Rawana goes back happily,
TIndianisation of period, provided they were tive. Dasarata (HSR spell- insulting Maharishi Ka-
South-east Asia is an presented in a form which ing) is still Rama’s father subarasa on the way: “Are
instance of historical spon- Muslim pundits could who marries Mandu-dari, you a man or a monkey?”
taneity. Hinduism and condone”. The Ramayana not Kaushalya, finding Kasubarasa curses him,
Buddhism travelled there was Islamised in Malaya her in a bamboo bush, has “You will die at the hands
with indomitable traders, and named Hikayat Seri two sons from her, Rama of men and monkeys.”
adventurers and priests Rama (HSR), meaning, and Laksamana, and two Dasarata, discovering
carrying along their reli- ‘The Story of Sri Rama’. from Bali-dari (Kaikeyi), the deception, goes to
gion and culture which the The script was Ara- a concubine, Bardan Langkapuri, impregnates
local populace accepted bic and Allah replaced (Bharata) and Chatardan Mandu-daki and returns.
enthusiastically. What the Hindu Triad and (Shatrughna). Rawana is unaware. Sita is
impressed them most was his Prophet was named Since Rama is naughty, born, therefore, as Rawa-
perhaps tales from the Adam/Nabi who blessed Dasarata, at Mandu-dari’s na’s daughter. Bibasanam
two Indian Sanskrit epics. Rawana. Sita asked Hanu- suggestion, gives the king- (Vibhishana) predicts
These permeated their man to pay his respects to dom to Bardan. It is also a that Sita will be the cause
social customs, religion, the stone on which Nabi reward to Bali-dari for sav- of Rawana’s ruin. So,
literature, folklore, art, Adam landed on earth; ing the royal couple from a Rawana throws her into
sculpture and architec- the roots, leaves and bark fatal accident and relieving the ocean in a jewel box
ture. In time, they had of the tree planted by the King’s pain by sucking which reaches Maharishi
their own Ramayana and Nabi Adam were medi- pus out of a boil. The Man- Kala (Janaka). Adopting
Mahabharata. cines to revive Rama; and thara-Kaikeyi conspiracy her, he names her Sita.
The Ramayana un- Dasharatha was Nabi is absent. Mandu-dari is This HSR story is
derwent changes here to Adam’s great-grandson. Maha Bisnu’s daughter. inspired by Sanghadasa’s
include local stories, non- Of the two major ver- This provides Rama with a Vasudevahindi and the
Valmiki lores which sail- sions of the book extant great ancestry: on one side Adbhut Ramayana. In the
ors, traders and travellers in South-east Asia, author he descends from Maha Buddhist Dasaratha Jata-
heard during their visits Harry Aveling chose HSR Bisnu and on the other ka too she is Dasharatha’s
to Indian ports. Thus we the older one, “an edition from Nabi Adam. daughter, accompanies

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