{"product_id":"prince-of-ayodhya-isbn-9789380741925","title":"Prince of Ayodhya","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe first volume in a series of graphic novel adaptations of Ashok Banker's epic retelling of the Ramayana.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePrince of Ayodhya \u003c\/i\u003ebegins with Rama and Lakshman's youth. Accompanied by Rishi Vishwamitra, they set out to Bhayanak Van on a dangerous mission to save their kingdom of Ayodhya. Meanwhile, evil is brewing, both within and without, the city.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWritten by international bestselling author Ashok K. Banker, and illustrated by award-winning artist Sachin Nagar, this graphic novel adaptation of the Ramayana is like no other Ramayana you may have read or seen before.Ashok  Kumar Banker is the author of over 70 books ranging from children's  books to thrillers, literary novels, science fiction, fantasy,  historical novels and mythological retellings. His best known works  include the internationally acclaimed \u003ci\u003eRamayana\u003c\/i\u003e series and the ongoing, critically acclaimed \u003ci\u003eBurnt Empire\u003c\/i\u003e series. He lives in Los Angeles and Mumbai.INTRODUCTION\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAdi-kavya: The first retelling\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Some three thousand years ago, a sage named Valmiki lived in a remote forest\u003cbr\u003e ashram, practising austerities with his disciples. One day, the wandering sage\u003cbr\u003e Narada visited the ashram and was asked by Valmiki if he knew of a perfect man.\u003cbr\u003e Narada said, indeed, he did know of such a person, and then told Valmiki and his\u003cbr\u003e disciples a story of an ideal man.\u003cbr\u003e Some days later, Valmiki happened to witness a hunter killing a kraunchya bird. The\u003cbr\u003e crane’s partner was left desolate, and cried inconsolably. Valmiki was overwhelmed\u003cbr\u003e by anger at the hunter’s action, and sorrow at the bird’s loss. He felt driven to do\u003cbr\u003e something rash, but controlled himself with difficulty.\u003cbr\u003e After his anger and sorrow subsided, he questioned his outburst. After so many years\u003cbr\u003e of practising meditation and austerities, he had still not been able to master his own\u003cbr\u003e emotions. Was it even possible to do so? Could any person truly become a master\u003cbr\u003e of his passions? For a while he despaired, but then he recalled the story Narada had\u003cbr\u003e told him. He thought about the implications of the story, about the choices made by\u003cbr\u003e the protagonist and how he had indeed shown great mastery of his own thoughts,\u003cbr\u003e words, deeds and feelings. Valmiki felt inspired by the recollection and was filled\u003cbr\u003e with a calm serenity such as he had never felt before.\u003cbr\u003e As he recollected the tale of that perfect man of whom Narada had spoken, he found\u003cbr\u003e himself reciting it in a particular cadence and rhythm. He realized that this rhythm\u003cbr\u003e or metre corresponded to the warbling cries of the kraunchya bird, as if in tribute to\u003cbr\u003e the loss that had inspired his recollection. At once, he resolved to compose his own\u003cbr\u003e version of the story, using the new form of metre, that others might hear it and be as\u003cbr\u003e inspired as he was.\u003cbr\u003e But Narada’s story was only a bare narration of the events, a mere plot outline as\u003cbr\u003e we would call it today. In order to make the story attractive and memorable to\u003cbr\u003e ordinary listeners, Valmiki would have to add and embellish considerably,\u003cbr\u003e filling in details and inventing incidents from his own imagination. He\u003cbr\u003e would have to dramatize the whole story in order to bring out\u003cbr\u003e the powerful dilemmas faced by the protagonist.\u003cbr\u003e But what right did he have to do so? After all, this was not his\u003cbr\u003e story. It was a tale told to him. A tale of a real man and real\u003cbr\u003e events. How could he make up his own version of the story?\u003cbr\u003e At this point, Valmiki was visited by Lord Brahma Himself.\u003cbr\u003e The Creator told him to set his worries aside and begin\u003cbr\u003e composing the work he had in mind. Here is how Valmiki\u003cbr\u003e quoted Brahma’s exhortation to him, in an introductory\u003cbr\u003e passage not unlike this one that you are reading right now:\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eRecite the\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003etale of Rama . . . as you\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eheard it told by Narada. Recite\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003ethe deeds of Rama that are already\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eknown as well as those that are not, his\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eadventures . . . his battles . . . the acts of Sita,\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eknown and unknown. Whatever you do not know will\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003ebecome known to you. Never will your words be inappropriate.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eTell Rama’s story . . . that it may prevail on earth for as long as the\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003emountains and the rivers exist.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Valmiki needed no further urging. He began composing his poem.\u003cbr\u003e He titled it, Rama-yana, meaning literally, The Movements (or Travels)\u003cbr\u003e of Rama.","brand":"Campfire","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46305247887589,"sku":"NP9789380741925","price":22.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9789380741925.jpg?v=1767735104","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/prince-of-ayodhya-isbn-9789380741925","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}