Book Erudition..!!
Title: Rama: A Man of Dharma
Author: Priya Arora
Pages: 592
Genre: Non-Fiction
Publication date: 27 September 2024
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
About Author..!!
Priya Arora is an author, spiritual seeker, and a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, where she has lived for almost three decades. She was born and raised in India, where her passion for books was sparked at a young age. Her childhood interest ultimately led her to earn a degree in English Literature at Oxford University.
Over the years, Priya has delved deeply into her Indian heritage and its rich spirituality. Immersed in her cultural roots, she is particularly interested in Vedanta, promoting its beautiful philosophy of universal peace and oneness through her writings. Her journey includes learning Sanskrit to appreciate Vedic works in their original form.
Priya is a devoted wife and mother of two children. She is also a dog lover and adores her little French bulldog, Humphrey. Priya recently published her first book, “Rama, A Man of Dharma,” a captivating retelling of the Ramayana depicting the life of one of India’s most beloved figures.
Book Description..!!
The Ramayana is thousands of years old, yet it is filled with life lessons that benefit us even today. It teaches courage and fortitude to handle problems that are the inevitable result of birth. Reading it instills values like leadership, forbearance, loyalty, respect, equality, forgiveness, humility, and most of all, selflessness. Rama exemplifies eternally relevant dharma, demonstrating the path to enlightenment through conscious selfless action. He illustrates how one can attain liberation from suffering not by renunciation but by engaging fully in life, yet rising above it, through the purity of our choices.
This retelling of Valmiki’s Ramayana is a compelling read. It brings alive the poet’s ancient Sanskrit epic in lucid English without diluting the original intent. Making this edition truly special are the additional chapters on Vedic life, Rama’s descendants and the story of Valmiki.
|| Kausalya Ajanayath Ramam, sarva lakshana Samyutham ||
|| Vishno , ardham maha bagam puthram Ishvaku vardhanam ||
As Sage Valmiki says:
“Kausalya gave birth to Rama who was gifted with all good qualities,
Swaroopa of Maha Vishnu and great savior of the Ikshuvaku dynasty”
Book Presentment..!!
Prabhu Ramachandra, who doesn’t need any introduction to the universe personified as Pratyaksha Vishnu born in the dynasty of Ikshuvaku. Rama, Man of Dharma is the personification of the dharma and an idol of every individual who exhibited the quality that every individual should live upon be it code of conduct or character.
Priya Arora presented the life of Lord Rama in a very simple and aesthetic manner. This book is a simplified version of the Valmiki Ramayana, which beautifully demonstrates Lord Rama’s struggles, sacrifices, actions, philosophies, and legacy. In her book, which is 500+ pages long, Priya Arora explains many spiritual terms like Karma and Moksha in a very engaging way that best suits the readers of today`s generation.
Key Themes and Insights..!!
Adhering to the moola Ramayana authored by Sage Valmiki, the Author got down to explaining the social and moral dilemma suffered by Rama in the face of his duties as a son, husband, king, and warrior. His singleness of purpose to follow dharma even when it’s a decision that leads to suffering – whether it be his voluntary exile from Ayodhya or his decision to leave Sita behind – becomes the reader’s way of comprehending his life. She uses a nice conversational tone to maintain the reader’s attention throughout the book and ends the story with the end of Rama’s reign.
The Ramayana, as an epic, always portrays Rama as a perfect man, an ideal Kshatriya, a paragon of virtues and dharma but Arora’s portrayal of the character gives him psychological angles as well.
The Role of Sita ..!!
Priya Ji brings a new interpretation of the role of Sita, the main protagonist of the Ramayana, who also plays a victim and a sacrificial figure. Unlike the Ramayana where Sita undergoes suffering to aid Rama’s character development, Arora swaps the lens and brings Sita’s struggle and survival to light. With this, Arora allows readers to ponder the exceedingly personal and social effects of the various events Sita encounters in the epic.
What’s special inside the book..!!
This book creatively describes the various phases of Lord Rama’s life by dividing it into 7 parts. The book has undergone proofreading by experts and doesn`t contain any controversial theories related to the Hindu culture. It is a well-researched book and greatly suitable for even those who have never studied Ramayana in their life. The author has also provided vocabulary between the paragraphs for additional help for the readers.
Interestingly, the length of all 7 chapters has been kept in a medium word range so that readers don`t feel bored while reading. Overall, the author has done a very good job of maintaining the dignity of Ramayana and the retention of the readers throughout the book.
The Relevance of the Ramayana Today..!!
Another exciting feature of Arora’s work, and her work ethic, in general, is her applicability of the Ramayana as a 2000-2500-year-old story to the present day. The conflicts, which Rama encounters – crisis between individual love and civic responsibilities, relations dilemmas, and ethical issues, – remain heavily significant in the present world.
Why should I buy this book?
- If you are someone who is searching for inner peace and spiritual balance in your life, this book is the best pick and I am sure that you won`t feel disappointed.
- If you are a beginner who has never studied Ramayana before and want to read a simplified book then you can go for this book as the author has used a conversational tone and simple words which will help you to understand any spiritual complex term very easily.
- Shri Rama was a complete Man in terms of a brother, husband, and son so if you want to learn about any of these three relations then this book is also great for you.
Writing Style..!!!
A good deal of philosophical content in a simple format that is easy for a reader who may have little to no prior knowledge of the Ramayana or Indian mythology. The language of the book is informal but at the same time, the book doesn’t avoid philosophical reflections. This book is a perfect destination to capture the journey of lord Rama from a common prince to a legendary emperor. Lord Rama`s thoughts and actions are way different from a common human.
My take..!!!
Many Ramayana books are flooding in the market but unlike the other books that use a professional tone and complex words to describe the life of lord Ram, this book maintains a conversational tone that feels like reading stories. Other books that are available in the market are quite lengthy and feel like a burden but Priya Arora has worked very well in keeping the book in a good range of words for the convenience of the reader.
What could have improved..!!
- While this book is a retelling of Valmiki’s Ramayana, I was expecting at least a few connotations and slokas in Devanagari/Sanskrit as supporting references from the Mula-Ramayana
- In considerable places, as a reader, I felt discomfort while reading either the writing pace got slowed down or the wrong page/font alignment needed a revisit.
- Rather than having illustrations as a chapter’s title I wish the author could have included illustrative images of the respective events to keep the readers glued to the actual content.
- This book is more centric for beginners. I wish the author could have considered adding her extensive knowledge attained through research and indagation for higher/extreme readers.
Conclusion..!!!
This book is one of the most engaging pieces that help readers understand one of the most popular Hindu deities. In humanizing Goddess Sita, Arora offers a new take on Lord Rama’s challenges to adherence to dharma, the grief of loss and relationships, and Rama’s loss of a beloved wife to do what he perceives as his duty. This book shall therefore be interesting to people who are fascinated with mythology, the spiritual and the philosophical, for people searching for contemporary significance in old stories.
My personal favorite(s) from this book:
- Priya Ji deserves accolades for providing a detailed glossary/appendices at the end of the book that showcases everything the book wished to offer to the readers.
- This book is apparent in its paragraphs and content distribution without harming the sentiments of Hinduism.
रामो विग्रहवान् धर्मः साधुः सत्य पराक्रमः |
राजा सर्वस्य लोकस्य देवानाम् इव वासवः || ३-३७-१३||
As Maaricha while speaking to Ravana Says:
“Rama is the embodiment of righteousness, he is an equable person with truthfulness as his valor, and as with Indra to all gods, he is the king of the entire world. (Aranya Kandam 37-13)”
Links & FootNote..!!
My Handle: Kiran_Kumar_Adharapuram
You can also explore my works -> Here
My Non-Fiction Book Reviews -> Here
My Fiction Book Reviews -> Here
My Self-Help Book Reviews -> Here
Ramayana is a timeless story and an integral part of our culture. Most of us have been brought up on the stories of the Ramayana. I started reading the Ramayana from a very early age and have read it multiple times. It is always nice to see different and modern interpretations of the Ramayana, and this book promises to be a fulfilling read,
Your review beautifully captures the essence of Rama’s journey and sheds light on his unwavering commitment to dharma. This insightful exploration of Priya Arora’s work inspires readers to reflect deeply on timeless values and their relevance today.
This review does justice to the profound themes of Rama: A Man of Dharma. Priya Arora’s focus on both philosophical depth and accessibility makes this book sound truly captivating. I especially love how Sita’s perspective has been brought to the forefront, adding fresh dimensions to a timeless epic. A must-read for mythology enthusiasts!
The 2nd Mahabharata Circuit Conference at Kurukshetra is an inspiring initiative to explore our rich history and cultural heritage. Such events deepen our understanding of the Mahabharata’s legacy and its relevance in today’s world.