Hinglish

An Epic Spread

Class 6 Social Science · Chapter 8: Unity in Diversity, or 'Many in the One' · NCERT Exploring Society: India and Beyond section 8.5

Learn

Pranav's grandmother in Chennai tells him a story of Rama from the Kamba Ramayanam, written in Tamil. Back in Delhi, his other grandmother had read verses from Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas, in Awadhi. "It's the same story!" Pranav says, "but told in a different way."

The two great epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, have spread to every corner of India. There are versions in almost every language: the Krittivasi Ramayan in Bengali, the Kamba Ramayanam in Tamil, and many more. They are told through folk songs, puppet shows, dance-dramas and paintings, and in countries of South-East Asia too.

Each region tells the epics its own way, with local songs and details. Yet the values they share, like truth, duty, courage, respect for elders and caring for others, are understood everywhere. Places linked to the epics are found all over India, and pilgrims travel across the land to visit them.

Unity does not mean everyone must be the same. Like a garland of many different flowers on one thread, India's diversity is held together by shared history, shared values and stories, journeys across the land, and today by the Constitution, which treats every citizen as equal.

Explore: which language?

  1. Sort each Ramayana under its language.

Remember

  • The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are told in many languages and art forms across India and beyond.
  • Unity in diversity: many ways, held together by shared values, history and the Constitution.

Quick check

The Ramayana in many languages shows …

  1. unity in diversity: one shared story, many ways of telling it
  2. that only one language matters
  3. that people don't like stories
  4. that the story was lost
Answer

unity in diversity: one shared story, many ways of telling it. Many versions, one story and shared values.

Think about it

Why might the same epic be told differently in different regions?

One answer

Storytellers used their own language, music, landscapes and local beliefs so that listeners could connect with the story. The core story and values stayed shared.

Practice

Practise with fresh questions at three levels (easy, medium, hard), some answered hands-on, with hints and worked answers. Get 4 of your last 5 right to finish the topic.