I don’t understand the logic of reading only Ramayana, that too the one written by Ezhuthachan, in the month of Karkkidakom. It is the same logic that believes that fasting can be done only in the month of Ramzan. We can read any book — whether it is the Bible, Budha Charitham, Quran or Guru Grandha Sahib — in the month of Karkkidakom.
Even if you wanted to read Ramayana in the month of Karkkidakom, why do you consider that only Adhyatma Ramayanam is worth reading in this month? There are many versions of Ramayanas which are popular in Indian and other parts of Asia. Prominent versions of Ramayana in India included Pamba Ramayana, Kamba Ramayana and the one by Tulsi Das.
Even in Malayalam, there are many versions of Ramayana, including that of Vallathol Narayana Menon. Noteworthy among them, according to me, is the one named Mapila Ramayana, which was rendered in and around Vadakara region. It is an oral one. Thanks to the efforts of T. H. Kunjuraman Nambiar, many parts of it have been conserved in oral and written forms.
One of the main attractions of the Mapila Ramayana is using the word La instead of Ra for Rama in its verses. I also do not know the logic of reading Ramayana through loudspeakers in temples during morning hours. It causes a lot of distraction to schools, offices, telephone exchanges and other such establishments in the area. It is an insult to Ezhuthachan. It reminded me of a prayer made by Kalidasa who wanted his book to be saved from Arasikas.
There is a scope for reading Ramayana as secular text. Not only Ramayana, other religious texts like the Bible can also be read as a secular text. Joseph Pulikkunnel, while talking about his translation of the Bible, pointed out that the Bible can be read as a religious and as a literary text.
While reading Ramayana as a secular text, the character that I adored the most is Sita. This was not my reading alone. Great poets like Kumaranasan, through his book Chinthavishtayaya Seetha, have pointed out the same thing. The character whom I did not like at all is Rama. My point is that how can one who abandoned Sita, killed Thadaka and Shambuka be a Maryada Purushothaman?
(As told to Sabloo Thomas)
