Let's do another round on #Ramayana questions. One never exhausts this subject, truly.
Last time, I commented on modern retellings, Rama's birthplace, English translations of Valmiki's text, Shambuka's story, and the number of versions of the story.
If you have follow-up questions or others, have at it. I'll do my best to answer the first five questions. #MastodonThread #Thread #history
@Mkd Complicated. One scholarly view (a bit older) is that Rama's divinity was added later. I think most scholars accept a more recent revised argument that indicates Rama's divinity was there in Valmiki's text but more uneven and not nearly as strongly as in later retellings.
For instance, Rama forgets he's Vishnu a lot in Valmiki's text. He is subjected to harsh criticism from Sita, Vali, etc.
This is very different than Tulsidas's moralizing and later vision of Rama as God always.
Audrey Truschke
OROP