How does the Ramayana and its immortal characters connect with the modern times? An ISRO scientist delves into the intricacies of this fascinating ancient epic through his soon-to-be-released first book ‘Aadhyathma Ramayanathile Ulkazhchakal.’
‘’What I’ve tried to do in this book is to dissect the characters in today’s context and to study their contemporary relevance,’’ says Dr R Purushothaman Nair, scientist at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) here. ‘’It’s fascinating how the human mind is tackled in the epic, and how the central characters like Rama, Kaikeyi and Dasaratha react in given situations,’’ he says.
Purushothaman Nair, who holds a doctorate in mathematics, says he decided to write a book on the Ramayana so that the readers of this epic understand the minute aspects of the personalities in it. ‘’We often read the Ramayana, but the readers may not identify the minute facets of the characters. For instance, there is a certain aloofness in Rama, who is otherwise very active when the situation warrants it. He will only make his wish known if the others fully want it,’’ says Purushothaman Nair.
‘’When Rama returns to Ayodhya with Seetha at the end of the epic, he is reluctant to take over from Bharatha seeing how well the land is being ruled. He does so only after Bharatha falls on his knees and pleads,’’ he says.
The ‘Aadhyatma Ramayana’ by Thunchathu Ezhuthachan is a magnificent piece of literature which goes beyond the realms of mere translation, he says. ‘’It is written in an extraordinary style, and against the backdrop of ‘Bhakti.’ It’s not a mere translation,’’ says Purushothaman Nair.
Published by the Thunchan Smaraka Samithi, ‘Aadhyathma Ramayanathile Ulkazhchakal’ will be released by former ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair at the Thiruvananthapuram Press Club at 11 am on Saturday. State Institute of Languages Director Dr M R Thampan will receive the first copy.