This was a much anticipated book that was released on July 1this year. I bought it on Amazon Kindle on the 3rd or 4th of July and completed reading it within the next couple of days. I have been a huge fan of Amish Tripathi's Shiva Trilogy, but the Ramachandra series has been a little less gripping. It may have to do with my own emotions because Bhagwan Ram has always been a little too straight and serious for my liking - I am head over heels in love with Krishna, the God and Krishnan, the man :):).

While the first two books - Ram, the scion of Ikshvaku and Sita, Warrior of Mithila were somewhat slow moving, I liked the pace of Raavan. It could also be because I think Raavan is a very interesting character. I have written about him way back in 2012 - Raavan repeated!

What I like about Amish Tripathi's books are the way he re-interprets historical characters and makes them seem just as real but in a modern context. I absolutely loved his re-interpretation of Sita as a warrior princess. I have never liked Sita being portrayed as someone who depended on Ram to keep her safe. So the second book in the series was certainly more interesting to me as was Raavan. I also like his weaving in current affairs like the Sabarimala issue in this book.

This book reminded me of "Vedavati", who is believed to be Maya Sita or Sita herself and again, Amish has given a great new interpretation to her character and the connection to Raavan.

Some interesting excerpts that I highlighted in the book - "In the field of dharma, intentions matter as much, if not more, than the act itself. But one thing is clear. Only if you put your duty above yourself do you even have a chance of attaining a life of dharma."

"Without our karma, we may as well be dead. But karma should not be the centre of our lives. If we truly discover our Being, our Swatatva, and live in consonance with what we are meant to be, then everything becomes easy."

"Lord Vidur said that there are two ways to waste money. One, by giving charity to the unworthy. Second, by not giving charity to the worthy."

"......The same boiling water, the same vessel, the same temperature, yet the eggs harden and the potatoes soften." ".....People respond to stress in much the same way. Those who are soft on the inside become harder with the right amount of stress, and those who are hard on the inside become softer. If you think about it this way, then the right amount of stress becomes necessary to balance your character." I totally agree with this ... :)

The verdict is simple – it is a well written book and you will keep remembering the actual Ramayana as you read through trying to make comparisons. So do read the book. And if you are someone who has no clue about the Ramayana then it’s an interesting interpretation of the epic. Just a word of caution – it is not a standalone book, so would suggest that you read the first two and then come to this one.

Author is an Executive Coach, Co-founder www.Shikshadaan.com and blogs at www.90rollsroyces.com

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