Ramayana (The Game of Life) Shattered Dreams

Ramayana & Mahabharata are the two great epics of our India. From kids to old folks all have read if not full, at least part of it. There exists so many books about these two. Every author from different fields have tried their hand in interpreting these two epics. But these two are so huge in their content value, no matter how many ways you interpret there seems to exist more to it. Also because of these various interpretation the original ones essence also is lost.

Both these epics gives us lessons for life. Rather than teaching, these two epics tells us via tales on how to lead life. I would even say more than how to lead, they actually tells us what will happen if we live our life this or that way. So essentially it imparts the lesson on how to live life with example rather than lessons. And that's the reason there are so many interpretation of the same. Each person will learn a new thing in it, his/her own life lessons and no two persons interpretation need to be same. I would say that's the greatness of these two epics, even from a point of being a good book.

I would always prefer books which lets me interpret things rather than spelling it to me. That way i will also be interested to learn rather than being taught.

I actually wanted to review about the book Shubha Vilas's "Ramayana - The Game of Life Shattered Dreams" This is series book where in the author wants to interpret 'Ramayana' as it is with least modifications.

Though I haven't read the first part of 'Rise of Sun Prince", but who doesn't know the 'Ramayana' to get the story line. There is no doubt that the author commands an immense knowledge on the subject. His presentation is crisp and clean and he does have a good references that the takes the story in a good phase.

But you know whether its Ramayana or Mahabharata, there is the lesson that all the grief or hardship that one faces in this life is not because of our actions of this life alone but also include the previous life actions. In these epics, each character behaves or faces hardship because of some reason. Nothing is coincidence or fate or luck or randomness, every thing has a meaning. Some how that author didn't bring that in the book.

Coming to the book itself, as I said earlier my choice of books are one which captures readers attention and rather than spoon feeding helps the reader to get their own understanding. This book is for people who like spoon feeding. This is for people who wants to get the clear one way interpretation of the authors story. The reader can just take it in as is, like how you read any book by religious gurus. Somehow that's not my tea cup, I want my book to make me think and allow me the choice to pick what its trying to convey.

So the author has tried spoon feeding thru the sub texts in the each page. One point of book the sub text covers the entire page. Its good because that's what the author wanted to achieve, to put his interpretations and its bad since that's not how I like my books.

The other element I missed in the book is that, we all know Ramayana story and its main lessons. But what I wanted to see is the personal element in the character. Why did Ram did what he did. Though he was a avatar but he was still a human. What went in his mind when he was asked to go on exile, what made him to accept it. Why Kaikeki fall for Mantara's words so easily. These kind of making the character more personal & emotional didn't happen. That is a minus from my stand.
So overall the author has made a good attempt and made good too. But its not my cup of coffee! I would most probably not pick the next part. Because if I wanted to just read Ramayana I will read the original itself.

My Rating: 3/5

Overview of the book

Shattered Dreams is the sequel to the national bestseller, Rise of the Sun Prince, in the new spiritual and motivational series Ramayana - The Game of Life.

Twelve joyful years have passed in Ayodhya since the wedding of Rama and Sita at the end of Book 1.

Now, in Shattered Dreams, Shubha Vilas narrates the riveting drama of Rama’s exile. Through tales of Rama’s unwavering and enigmatic persona, the book teaches us how to handle reversals positively; through Bharata’s actions, it teaches us to handle temptation; and through Sita’s courage, to explore beyond our comfort zone. This complicated family drama provides deep insights on how human relationships work and how they fail.

With Valmiki’s Ramayana as its guiding light, Shattered Dreams deftly entwines poetic beauty from the Kamba Ramayana and Ramacharitramanas, as well as folk philosophy from the Loka Pramana tales, to demonstrate how the ancient epic holds immediate relevance to modern life. Experience the ancient saga of the Ramayana like never before.

About the Author

Shubha Vilas, a spiritual seeker and a motivational speaker, holds a degree in engineering and law with specialization in Patent Law. His leadership seminars are popular with top-level management in corporate houses. He also helps individuals deal with modern-life situations by applying the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana and other dharmic traditions

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Extreme Parenting

Have you seen the article in TIME magazine which talks about this extreme parenting. I read a lots of article based on this but haven't read the source article in full. But I want to talk about parenting as such.

When I got pregnant, I remember the excitement and happiness it involved. I used to think about the baby and its growth and that's the only topic in my mind. I was a information hoarder. I used to go berserk online in collecting the info, but I was not a paranoid. The info I got is the fodder for talks with anyone in office or at home I had. I had subscribed to various online forums and I used to get more info from them.

But in all this I never bought a book about parenting. I am a avid reader, I cant go thru a single day without reading books, and this doesn't count the online reading or eBooks. I need to sit with a book in hand at least for 5 min no matter how hectic the day is, else it would be a depressing day. Even after being a book manic I never brought a single book on parenting. Though I read thru so many mommy blogs, which basically gives a consolation that I am not alone in this, I have accomplice. But blogs i refer even for my marriage problems or for in-law problems, basically for just that feeling I am not alone in this suffering. But not as a reference point.

Parenting is always done as per how we(both I & hubs) as parents want it. Mostly inspired from our upbringing. Also some where based on how we thought what our childhood lacked. For instance my MIL was a working mother, but my hubs is totally against giving a working mother to his kids. My mother is stay-at-home mother but I never wanted to give that to my kids.
So our parenting style is more based on who we are rather than how we have been brought up. And a good part is also dependent on how my kids are. I breast feed my eldest till her 1st birthday and I stopped after. She also weaned comfortably. Soon the youngest followed. For him I only feed till 9 months, then he voluntorily stopped feeding.
Till now we co sleep. That's not odd for me, because I co-slept till I am 18 and I don't think that has affected on how attached am I to my parents or how screwed up am I. Due to space constraint we co-slept and due to the same reason we co-sleep with our kids now too. Potty training or eating on their own all are done as per the society demands or as per our needs its done. Not because some book said. May be we are doing all wrong, but parenting is not about some set of rules or procedures. As everyone think its about bringing up kids.
My thumb-rule, I am not screwed up with my parents parenting so my kids also wont be screwed up. More than parenting, kids development is based on what they learn from surrounding. The best I can do is give them a good environment to grow and hope that they learn good.