BOOK REVIEW | A Breath of Fresh Air: Vivek Narayanan's 'After'

The former was written to place before us a grey version of the characters but its holiness superimposed the intention of any story. The latter, on the other hand, is entirely inclined towards devotion and also inscribes the idealised notion of the kingdom of Rama (Ayodhya), an avatar of Narayana, which made the place holier due to his meditation and preaching. Interestingly, more than 300 versions of the Ramayana exist in India, and in all of them, the characters have different origins and intentions. The only two ideas that remain constant is the war between good and evil, although the design of good and evil is different in most versions of the epic that introduced the nation to this pernicious binary concept.

In recent times, the nation’s fury has been fuelled using the concept of an idealised Rama, his kingdom, and the way in which India should look up to his life. Unfortunately, most of the people who act as protectors of his legacy have not read the epic,  as projected by their actions, and hence, their anger and violence are a reflection of their ignorance of finding the grey areas of Rama.  Although, one cannot blame them because they just listen to what they are told. Dr B.R. Ambedkar says in his letters, “unlike a drop of water which loses its identity when it joins the ocean, man does not lose his being in the society in which he lives. Man's life is independent. He is born not for the development of the society alone, but for the development of his self too.” Unfortunately, we have been witnessing the degradation of the human ‘self’ due to the complete dependence on the moral standards and preachings of religion. 

A New Telling Of The Tale

Vivek Narayanan’s ‘After’ is a modern retelling of the ‘Valmiki Ramayana’ that keeps the characters of the text grounded and does not idolise them. In this poetry collection, we find the story of Ayodhya and its prince, who then became the king, but also that of his foes and allies. 'After' does not malign the construct and basic idea of the primary text. It is simply seen through a modern person’s curious eyes. It gives rise to many pertinent questions in our minds. Violence and anger are found where there is an absence of intellect, dissent and evolution. Sadly, over the past three decades, we have observed a significant deterioration of these three excellent qualities in Indian society, which made the text appear like a handbook of rage. 

Narayanan begins his collection with the discovery of the Ramayana by Valmiki.  In the poem, Valmiki witnesses Rama killing a pair of birds using an arrow. Like most intellectuals, Valmiki is enraged and curses Rama, saying that he would have to part from his lover because of his deeds. A thinking mind always regrets words which can be harmful for someone else. Narayanan writes about Valmiki’s regret, but later, he notes how Brahma tells Valmiki that this four-meter curse will go further and turn into an epic. In literature, everything is written from the point of a certain emotion. Devotion is not a conducive emotion because it can often subvert or divert the intention of a thinking mind. Narayanan describes how the entire epic flows from the sage and becomes a text which is his way of sharing his regrets and his pain.

“Fawned in your bramble

that pricks

& protects

the rains lashed unabated

– the tanks filled

& communicated – 

the loch below

the nothing

of that shrunken landscape

and you and of you.”

Tataka was never mentioned in the feminist literature of India, although whenever we think of the rakshasis of Hindu mythology, we find them stronger from a humane lens. Narayanan has written three poems on Tataka, in which he addresses male insecurity, the violent mind of a patriarchal warrior and a re-imagination of a woman who was cursed for her beauty and power of seduction. Even in modern times, we assassinate the character of a woman for showing too much skin, and this is a product of what our past has induced in our minds. 

In the first poem, in a dialogue between Valmiki and Rama, the latter’s inquisitive mind wants to know about Tataka. The sage passes on the information to the learner’s mind and also passes on the thought of not hesitating to kill a woman since Narayanan mentions that it is ‘‘the immortal unwavering rule for a man’’, and this idea aligns with a patriarchal society. In response, in the second poem, Narayanan shows the brutality of a warrior who learns the idioms of the patriarchs. And in the third poem, the poet makes it evident that the entire premise is an attack on the outcast and retaliation is considered the seed of evil.

“…hand linked in hand they slipped

through the forest they’d made

to the clearing 

of the settler’s camps

Sacrificial fires burned

there now that has to be

stopped from taking hold

(Dawn steals upon them all)."

In the poem ‘Kaikeyi’, we find a version which many thinkers wanted to unlock but only a few managed to in contemporary literature, in a way which makes it accessible to readers. The character has been projected as devious and cynical since she wanted the best for her son. But little do we think about her having to face neglect and injustice. The poet says, “you are misfortune in search of fortune”, which should make us question our own belief systems. It should nudge us to step into her shoes to understand her actions. Most commentators of the Ramayana have been men who belong to patriarchal societies. So, the representation of Kaikeyi should not surprise us anymore. Narayanan’s poem opens a new window to help us see Kaikeyi, in the presence of Manthara and King Dasharatha’s wives. Being the youngest wife, she always saw the sun of Ayodhya by standing in someone else’s shadow.

“One day soon we

will all come to feel the pain

as you do Kaikeyi your name

is misery but in your heart holds

something that will not shake

Kaikeyi your heart

cradle of truth.”