Arrow of the Blue-Skinned God: Retracing the Ramayana Through India

by Jonah Blank

Book Overview

The three-thousand-year-old epic Ramayana chronicles Lord Rama's physical voyage from one end of the Indian subcontinent to the other and his spiritual voyage from Man to God. In Arrow of the Blue-Skinned God, anthropologist and journalist Jonah Blank gives a new perspective to this Hindu classic -- retelling the ancient tale while following the course of Rama's journey through present-day India and Sri Lanka. Ultimately, Blank's journey -- like that...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802137334
• ISBN13: 9780802137333
• Release Date: November 2000
• Publisher: Grove Press
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

remarkably nuanced reflection on a cross-cultural exchange

I was first tuned into Jonah Blank through the Travelers' Tales of India anthology. Reading his hilarious account of discovering that a poorly functioning Delhi airport clock was in fact manually operated, I expected more of the same in this book. While there are more of these entertaining cross-cultural discoveries throughout, this overly ambitious book addresses what you'd expect from a naïve twenty-something writer, covering the broadest of all philosophical topics- with chapter titles including "Rites," "Fate," "Caste," "War," and "Love." The scary thing is that he succeeds, displaying a remarkable ability to grasp complex issues. This work is held together with a strong narrative thread. Beginning each chapter by retelling a passage from the Ramayana, he then applies this theme to modern Indian culture, and compares this with life in America. Despite a reflexive defensiveness of American culture and government, he portrays a deeply nuanced understanding of the complexities of Indian traditions as they clash with modernity. For example, he dispels any notion that Hindu fatalism is the same thing as passivity. Unlike Christianity, you can't just pray for salvation in Hinduism; you have to earn it and change yourself to adapt to an unchanging world. In a later chapter, he credits Hinduism's adaptability to the well-educated elite's acceptance of metaphorical (rather than literal) interpretation of the Vedas, and credits Sikhism's sustainability to its openness that the Gods of all religions are really different manifestations of the same entity. In his chapter on love, he respects the value of an arranged marriage in offering stability in a hard peasant life, acknowledges the potential rewards of society's increasing acceptance of the risk of marriage for love, but listens to an individual who swears the happiest people he knows are the ones who arranged marriage through a matchmaker. Traveling to India is a life-changing experience in itself. This book is one of the most articulate reflections I've seen on what that experience can be like.

Probably the best book on India

This book is a riveting read. It touches upon a myriad of social, economic, political, emotional and ultimately human themes from the Ramayan epic and juxtapositions them with the present day Indian psyche. The substance is informative and interesting without falling into the trap of being academic or verbose. The author's style is succinct, witty and appropriately poignant. Being a non-resident Indian, I was pleased to read such a well written and objective analysis of such a behemoth of a country. This is a very vast, tricky and interconnected subject matter to tackle. Jonah Blank does it with aplomb. I would recommend that anyone wanting to know about India read this book.

Just beautiful

I love India and have been there many times but this book taught me a lot I don't know. The book has an original format which was risky but works. You really get both caught up in the story and then feel like you've visiting the countries he's talking about. As travel writing, it doesn't get better than this. So refreshing to not be talked down to and he avoids the horrible snobbishness often encountered in the gendre. I just wanted to savor each page. It's not a book you flip through. I was sorry when I finished it. I just wish I could give it six stars.

Amazing book.

Jonah Blank's book deserves to be in print. I can't find it anywhere. I read it years ago and it spurred a great love for the Ramayana, and for India, but then I gave away my copy little suspecting it would be lost forever. Arrow of the Blue-skinned God is a classic. It is a book I will always remember, and hopefully someday I'll get to read it again.

an excellent guide to contemporary india through an epic

blank does what few westerners do well: present a balanced portrayal of the distinguished history of a modern-day eastern country. at times, blank glosses over subjects, but broadly-speaking, it is an exceptional analysis of india through the ramayana. an absolute must-read for anyone with an interest in contemporary india