From Valmiki to Chandrabati: Different versions of the Ramayana

Ramayana is an ancient Indian epic that is worshipped and held in high regard by people even today. Originally written by Valmiki. Ramayana is the story of Lord Rama, Mata Sita and Lakshman who are exiled and then have to go through hard battles of life. From the abduction of Mata Sita to the war of Lanka that resulted in the death of the ‘Demon King’ Ravana, through the stories, the Ramayana has taught people life lessons. And with time, as people evolved, different versions of Ramayana came into being. Ramayana to glorify Lord Rama, another version with Jain ideals and yet another from the perspective of Mata Sita.
Here we list 5 different versions of the great Indian epic.

Composed in Sanskrit, Valmiki's Ramayana is attributed to be the most ‘original’ and first version of the story of Lord Ram.The Valmiki Ramayana recounts the story of Lord Rama’s life, Mata Sita's abduction by Ravana and their reunion post-Ravana's defeat. Valmiki Ramayana is divided into seven books or Kandas, starting with the ‘Baalkaand’. Valmiki Ramayana is not just famous for revealing the stories, struggles and triumphs of Lord Rama but also for the beautiful poetic style it was originally composed in. Sage Valmiki was the first person to write the Ramayana and paved the way for the next versions of the epic.

After the Valmiki Ramyana came in the Ramcharitmanas. Ramcharitmanas has been authored by saint and poet Tulsidas, and was written in his regional language Awadhi. While the Valmiki Ramayana is about the life, story and struggles of Lord Rama along with Mata Sita, Lakshman and others, Ramacharitmanas focuses on Lord Rama's life, his divine attributes and his role as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Ramcharitmanas has been said to simplify Sage Valmiki’s story, making it more understandable for the masses.

(Image: MGHY/Gita Press)

The Buddhist version of Ramayana comes in the form of Dasaratha Jataka. It is narrated as a part of Jataka tales and is quite different to the Ramayana written by Sage Valmiki. It narrates the story of Rama in a previous life as the Bodhisattva who was sent away to exile by his father as he believed that Rama would be killed by his second wife for the kingdom of not Ayodhya but Varanasi. When the King dies and Rama’s sibling Bharata searches for him in the forests, Rama reminds him of the 12 year exile promise and only returns after he has spent the rest of the years.

(Image: The Jataka Tales)

The Paumachariya is the Jain version of the Ramayana and one can see the principles of ahimsa and ethical conduct be followed in the script. In the Paumachariya, Rama is not the one to kill Ravana but rather Lakshmana. Because Lord Rama follows the Jain qualities of Ahimsa (non-violence) he does not kill Ravana and because Lakshmana does he has to face punishment. Additionally, unlike the Valmiki Ramayana, Vanars (monkeys) are not the ones to fight evil but rather a tribe whose emblem is that of a monkey. Overall, the Paumachariya is a Jain telling of the Ramayana with ethos of non-violence and moral conduct.

Chandrabati Ramayana is a Bengali adaptation of the epic, which was written by Chandrabati, one of the first female poets. Chandrabati Ramayana is one of the earliest Ramayana versions that tells the tale through the perspective of Mata Sita who usually takes a back-seat in the conventional stories as the wife of Lord Rama. The Chandrabati Ramayana focuses on the emotional aspects of the characters rather than their strength, valour and triumphs. Instead of being a story centred around Lord Rama, Chandrabati’s Ramayana is about Mata Sita and her husband Rama.