From Anne Carson and her Nobel, a lesson for those who treat Ramayana and Mahabharata as rigid

Anne Carson's Nobel Prize win serves as a reminder to those who view the Ramayana and Mahabharata as unchangeable. Carson, a classicist and poet, has spent decades studying ancient languages and producing unconventional, thought-provoking works based on those classics. Her playfulness and willingness to engage with gaps and contradictions are key to her success.

The Ramayana, one of the longest and most complex epic poems, has been retold in various languages and cultures for 2,000 years, yet it is increasingly being treated as an unchangeable scripture. By refusing to allow dialogue, gaps, and reinterpretations, we risk freezing these ancient stories. India's growing body of English and Indian language retellings, while promising, lacks the confidence that comes from knowing the original material inside and out.

A classicist like Carson, who is being awarded the Nobel for her rebellious ideas, deserves funding as seriously as other disciplines. Universities must reconsider cutting classical studies and prioritize providing students with the knowledge and creativity to engage with and reinterpret these timeless stories.