Thread by @GemofIndologies

#Ramayana-Hindu Culture spread throughout Asia via the Rama Story.
It travelled by sea and land to China, Tibet, Turkestan, Java, Sumatra, Malaya, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Philippines, Cambodia, Japan
#Thread Repost

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Most countries have adapted Rama Story acc. to their own culture with a local setting; the Indian names are used for important towns, sites, mountains, rivers, and lakes.
The adoption of Valmiki Story in Asian countries was selective and influenced by local values

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#China
The Buddhist work Mahavibhasa (150ce) is oldest record of Ramayana. Hsuan Tsang stated "There is a book called the Rāmāyaṇa...[it] explains only two topics:
1. Rāvana carrying Sītā off by violence
2. Rāma recovering Sītā and returning."

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#China
Rama story in China exists in the form of two Jätaka tales: of an unnamed king called the Anamaka Jātakam, & Nidana of King Ten-Luxuries, called the Dasarata Katha
The Buddhist who brought Rama story to China has transformed it into Buddhist describing Buddha as Rama

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#China
Rama's enemy is his own maternal uncle, who usurps his throne. His wife is abducted by Naga. Rama retires to forest instead of war. In the end, serpent and uncle dies. King's wife proves her chastity by entering into earth

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#Tibet
There is another version other than 2 chinese versions.
In this ver., Sita is shown as daughter of Ravana, thrown into sea, found by farmers, given to Janaka, later destroys her father. Ob, this is not in original Ramayana or Ramcharitmanas

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jstor.org/stable/4527910

#EastTurkestan
The Rāmāyaṇa story of East Turkestan dates 9th century ce, unlike the Tibetan Rāmāyana, it does not have the Uttara Kanda

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#Vietnam
The Annamites have given it a local orientation. Champa, kingdom of 10-heads (Ravana) and Annam kingdom of the Ten-chariots (Dasaratha) were enemies. the Champa king abducts Annamite king's wife. Annammite builds a causeway across the sea and recovers the Queen.

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#Indonesia
The several literary versions in Indonesia are the Kākāwin Rāmāyaṇa, the Serat Ram, the Javanese Uttara Kanda, the Carit Rāmāyaṇa, the Serät Kända, and the Rama Kling.

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#Indonesia
The Javanese Kakawin Ramayana, a story from Kashmir (5th ce) doesn't have Bala Kanda and Uttra Kanda. Since Kakawin closely follow Valmiki Ramayana, it must be based on version of Rama story before first and last kands were added to Valmiki's Ramayana

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#Indonesia
The other Javanese ver. 'Serät Kända' has interesting part, Mandodari is wife of Dasaratha, later given away to Ravana, Sita is the daughter of Mandodari in Serat Kanda unlike Tibetan
Sita is banished for drawing Ravana portrait.
Sita gives birth to only one son

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#Indonesia
In another story 'Maiyarab' in javanese version Serat, Rama goes to underworld and meets his two sons and war takes place between father and sons.

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#malaya Ramayan called Hikayat Seri Ram is based completely on Serat Kanda with many musIim legends.

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#Cambodia
Cambodian Rama story 'Riemkerr' differs considerably from Valmiki Ramayana and somewhat closure to Thai Ramayana. Riemkerr ends with the union of Rama and Sita.

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Thai Rama Story in literary form was written in 1798-1809 ce. in verse form for staging of masked play 'Khon'. This ver. also doesn't tally with Valmiki's ver. Sita in Thai Ramakirti is daughter of Ravana, banished for drawing portrait, bears one son, fight b/w father son

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#Laos
In Laotian literature, a tale of Dasratha and a tale of Rama is found in Mandu-Pakron.
The Dasratha tale deals with "Rama exile" and Tale of Rama describes "Sita's abduction ensuing a war".
This version some what agrees with Valmiki's Ramayana.

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In #Burmese Ramayana, Ranava sends a stag to lead Rama away from Sita. The story has local setting in connection to healing herb which Hanumana brings from Mount Popa instead from Himalayas
Pic blogs.bl.uk/asian-and-afri…

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#JAPAN Ramaenna or Ramaensho are some versions of Ramayana Hobutsushu and sambo Ekotoba are modern version of Ramayana derived from Zen Stories
Src @RamaInExile

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#Phillipines
Ramayana in filipino is called as Maharadia Lawana ,also famous Dance " Singkil" depicts story of Ramayana in which monkey-king, Maharadia Lawana (Ravana) the Gods have granted immortality.
Src @RamaInExile
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharadia…

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#Korean 13th century Chronicle, Samguk Yusa has a legendary woman 'Suriratna' who arrived in a boat from 'Ayuta' and married King Suro
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heo_Hwang….

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The diversity and non-Valmiki elements in Rama Story across Asia are traceable to India in the regional Rāmāyaṇas,

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Some of the Non-Valmiki elements of the Asian version and their source are as below:
1.Parentage of Sitä (Kashmiri);
2.Recognition of Ravana's qualities (Jain and Kamban)
3.Episode of Maiyarab (Bengāli R. of Krittibāsa);
4. banishment of Sita (Jaina, Kashmiri, Bengali)

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Non Valmiki elements of Ramayana....
5. Miraculous creation of Sita's second son (Käshmiri);
6. Rāma's war with his sons (Bengali Rāmāyaṇa of Chandravati and Kashmiri Rāmāyaṇa)
7. final union of Rama and Sītā (Bhavabhūti's Uttara- ramacharita).

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The Välmīki Rāmāyaṇa depicts Hindu dharma of personal life, family life, and social order. As regards personal and family life, the Välmīki Rāmāyaṇa creates ideal human characters in Räma, Lakṣmaṇa, Bharata, Kausalya, and Sītā.

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It emphasizes the ideal relationships between father and sons, between brothers, and between husband and wife.
Valmiki Rāmāyaṇa lays down the character of an ideal woman and man. Rāma and Sīta are the Hindu ideals of the Perfect Man and the Perfect Woman.

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The Valmiki Rāmāyaṇa also depicts the Hindu ideal of a perfect life of righteousness. To live right a person has to undergo sorrow, suffering, trial, and endurance

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Src
jstor.org/stable/2942721
The Journal of Asian Studies
Vol. 30, No. 1 (Nov., 1970), pp. 5-20
jstor.org/stable/4527910
Disclaimer : none of the information or pic in this #Thread is mine.

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