Title : RAMAYANA : THE GAME OF LIFE Rise of the Sun Prince ( Book 1 )
Language : English
Author : Shubha Vilas
Genre : Epics
Publisher : Jaico Publishing House ( 2014 )
ISBN-13 : 9788184955309
ISBN-10 : 8184955308
Binding : Paperpack
Price : Rs. 250 ( Buy from Flipkart.com @Rs.200/- ( 20%Off )
Pages : 256
The Book Summary : Ramayana: The Game of Life (Book 1), one of the world's great literary masterpieces, skillfully retold for modern audiences. Epics like the Ramayana have been recounted infinite times. Is there a need for another chronicle in the presence of so many? How is this one different? And is it relevant to our ever-changing modern lives? Yes, there is a need, yes this is different and yes, it is relevant. This new series of books, each following one khand of the Ramayana, decodes the eternal wisdom of that poetic scripture through gripping narrative and thought-provoking instruction. In the time-honored custom of spreading wisdom through tales, every fascinating story in the epic is retold here and every character unfolded to captivate your heart and open your mind to lifes deepest questions.
The narrative closely follows Valmikis Ramayana, gently weaving in folk tales as well as the beautiful analogies of the Kamba Ramayana. The first of this six-volume series, Rise of the Sun Prince, takes you through the divine story of Lord Rama from His birth up to His marriage. Through these pages are revealed the tales of Dasarathas leadership, Vishwamitras quest for power and the intriguing story of a little-known stone maiden. Ramayana: The Game of Life has all of this and much more - food for contemporary thought drawn from an enduring masterpiece.
My Point of View ( P.O.V ) : If you are an Indian, it is highly unlikely that you haven't heard of the famous epics. I literally grew up on Doordarshan's Ramayana and Amar Chitra comics of the same, not to mention the story told and re-told several times by my mother during our daily story-telling times. Although, many people regard the main character of the book ~ 'Ram', as God himself or 'avatar'; I've always imagined him as a King and a human; and the story more as a mythology. Never did I imagined, I'd be reviewing the book one day. But then, here I am doing the same. The cover of the book instantly reminded me of the comic-books I used to devour - the colourful art depicting the famous scenes from the story. I like the fact that the story is kept as per the original ( mainly Valmiki's Ramayana, and little of the Kamba version ); authentic, without much tweaking. That's a huge relief - else, there are thousands of confusing versions in the market.
The Ramayana series is separated into 6 books; and this one is the first part. From Rama's childhood upto his marriage ( at age 12 ), with a great part dedicated to Rishi Vishwamitra as well ( an important lesson on never giving up on failures, here, citing his example ). Almost every page, as I turned, had some insightful thoughts/footnotes call-it-what ~ life-lessons ( Sutras ) in the bottom - which I found unique, innovative and very thought provoking. The story along with these Sutras, keeps you engaged throughout. Every chapter is very descriptive and characterization apt.
The description of unconquerable Ayodhya is quite interesting ( with rain-water harvesting in those days - quite ahead of its times ), so are the information on Dasharatha, Saraswati, Kumbhakarna, Kamdev etc giving vivid glimpses of the history and backgrounds of that era/place/characters and their relevance in detail. Since, I regard the story as more a mythology ( as already mentioned ), I didn't dwell much on the questions that arose in my mind, regarding some claims in the book ( though will appreciate if those are elaborated ). I simply enjoyed the story, as it is, with all its twists and turns, exploring deeply the myriad human emotions, life philosophies etc. The enriching details, the little sub-stories within the narration, the insightful interpretations at end of each page, the laws too discussed at the end; makes the book a well researched one. By going through it, one can observe for real that the author has worked pretty hard on it. Most things learnt from the book can also be applied in our practical lives too - both personal or professional. So, its a book that has something valuable for all. The contemporary style of writing will appeal to readers ~ both young as well as the old. Highly recommended.
Positives : Simple, lucid style writing keeps you glued to its pages. Awaiting the next installment eagerly.
Negatives : None, sans some questions that rose in my mind.
Who will enjoy this? - Everyone! esp those who are fans of this genre.
Buy or Don’t Buy? – A Must Buy!
About the Author : Shubha Vilas, a spiritual seeker and a motivational speaker, holds a degree in engineering and law with specialization in Patent Law. His leadership seminars are popular with top-level management in corporate houses. He also helps individuals deal with modern-life situations by applying the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana and other dharmic traditions.
Our Rating Scale is : 1 to 5 = ◕◕◕ - I liked it!
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