Reading Notes: Part A of Sister Nivedita's Ramayana

The source of every subsection of this reading is found here: Source

The very first thing that I notice about this version of the story is how quickly it moves. Sister Nivedita does not spend much time at all describing things. This reminds of a technical report, in that only actions and events are described. For example, Rama meets and marries Sita within the first four sections of the book.

In this version of the story, Rama is described as being quite wise. I don't believe that he was described as being so learned in the PDE Ramayana. Additionally, Sita is not described in the slightest. It was said that she was born from a trough as her father plowed a field. Beyond that, she is essentially not mentioned.

The process of naming Rama as the king is much more in-depth in this version of the story. In the previous reading, I don't believe that Rama was so far into the process of becoming king when Kaikeyi asked Dasharatha to exile Rama. This makes her scheming even worse than it seemed in the other version, as she effectively pulled the throne right out from under him! Kaikeyi needed a fair amount of convincing in this version of the story as well.

I also noticed that Vali was effectively left out of this rendition of the Ramayana. His death was not mentioned. Rather, it was stated that if Rama helped Sugriva overcome Vali then Sugriva would help Rama recover Sita. I hadn't understood this point- the fact that Rama killing Vali was effectively a trade- until now. Yet, my confusion still stands. Vali's death is stated in three words- "Rama overcame Vali." I had thought that a major point of contention within the Ramayana was the fact that Rama "dishonorably" killed Vali. I suppose that this controversy was completely avoided by leaving out Vali's death?

Ravana is kidnapping Sita!

Source

The most notable difference between the two versions of the Ramayana is the fact that Sampati, the vulture, states "Do ye repair thither and avenge the rape of Sita and the murder of my brother." Did Ravana force himself on Sita? I had previously assumed that he merely held her captive until she would submit to their marriage. This would explain why Rama did not want her back due to her lack of purity. It all makes sense now.

Finally, the same few metaphors are used repeatedly. "Like a plantain tree in the wind" appears quite commonly. I assume this is cultural/regional, as I know I have never seen a plantain in my life. Additionally, elephants are mentioned frequently.