Scion of Ikshvaku by Amish Tripathi is a beautiful approach towards Hindu Mythology. It gives a new look or dimension into the great epic- Ramayana, changing its flavor.
Indian children usually get narrated stories of the great Vishnu Avtar – Lord Ram, from a very young age. The story of Ram, who the ideal man. Lord Ram is known as the perfect son, the perfect brother, the perfect husband, and the greatest king of all. Author Amish gives a fresh, imaginative feature to the story. It tells us about the things which could have been there, the ones that seem more practical.
Like if we read how Bharat’s idea of how freedom is the most necessary thing, is something that is often not talked about. It has always been about how Ram, the believer of dharma, the believer of laws, created societal reforms. But giving in the element of a clash between the ideas of the brothers, bring upon a clearer picture, as to why Ram’s ideology worked.
We have always known that King Dashrath loved his sons more than his life, but Amish brings in his imagination to question that why would a mighty king like Dashrath, who easily could have been more into the affairs of his kingdom, be in awe of his sons. From Dashrath’s hatred towards Ram soon turning into absolute love, when he sees his son turning into a man, he could never become, that journey is mesmerizing. It just appeals to the readers, that how an ordinary man would have left or disregarded the kingdom, but Lord Ram would never, for he knows that it’s against his dharma.
The queens of Ayodhya have also been depicted in the book. Usually, when we think about queens of a kingdom, we think that their lives would be easy and luxurious. Being married to a man, who is committed to not just you, but others as well is not a very happy feeling. It’s usually the queen who is preferred by the king, who lives a carefree life. Others while they might be at a palace, they have their struggles as we see for Kaushalya and Kaikeyi.
One of the best elements of the book is the portrayal of Sita. Drawing her character as such a strong woman, both physically and mentally, is a key attribute of this book. We all know that Sita is the wife of Ram, she is the avatar of Goddess Lakshmi. Amish convinces his readers, that how Sita might not just be a knowledgeable, beautiful lady. She could also be a warrior, the savior of her kingdom. She is supposed to be marrying Lord Ram, which means that her character should be equal to his. Amish writes Sita as an important character, and not just that, he makes her the lead of his next book in the series (making her the Lady Vishnu!)
This book is a treat for everyone. The ones who have known the story of Ramayana for a long time, love seeing a different angle to it. The ones who have not might just love it so much that they would settle towards reading the original epic.
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