Moily’s Ramayana makes Lakshman real hero

NEW DELHI - Lakshman, the brother of Lord Rama in the epic Ramayana, was crowned the real hero of the tale in a contemporary reprise by Minister for Law and Justice M. Veerappa Moily at the launch of the English translation of his book “Shree Ramayana Mahanveshanam” Wednesday.

“Lakshman was responsible for driving the engine of Ramayana. He is the real hero. Without Lakshman, Rama would not have been able to move. That is the reason, I adore him. My Ramayana should have been named Lakshmanayana,” Moily said, exhorting all to read his book to “understand its contemporary relevance”.

The book was released by Chief Justice of India S.H. Kapadia at the Sathya Sai International Centre in the capital.

The function was presided over by Jnanpith awardee Satya Vrat Shastri and was attended by Petroleum Minister Murli Deora and economist Bibek Debroy apart from several MPs and Supreme Court judges.

The book published in two volumes was translated by a team led by B.A. Viveka Rai and they run into 1,700 pages.

Speaking on the occasion, Kapadia said: “I am a Zoroastrian but all religions converge on three grounds - right thoughts, right words and right deeds. There is convergence. If we want the country to prosper and the people to benefit from 8-9 percent growth, we should use this power.”

He said that the ethics enshrined in the Ramayana “should be implemented in daily lives so that India can have a more egalitarian equality with inclusive growth”.

“If dharma includes justice and if a judge works on the basis of Indian values, he can do a lot not only for the institution, but also for the country,” he said.

Moily is currently composing an epic poem on Draupadi, the leading lady of the Mahabharata.

“Her character is equally important and more complex. The poem is titled ‘Srimudi Parikrama’,” Moily said.