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Indian epics such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata continue not only as literary texts but also as Brahminical metanarratives that have advocated social order and the division of power based on caste for centuries. Modern Dalit literature is redefining the existence of oppressed Dalit-Bahujan characters in these legends with a resistance perspective. The main focus of this research is to remove the layers of divinity surrounding characters like Shambuka, Ekalavya, and Ravana, who are labelled ‘Vile’ or ‘Villains’ in standard narratives, and to make them symbols of social justice struggle. In the works of Ambedkar’s ‘Riddles in Hinduism’ and Kancha Ilaiya’s ‘Dalitization’ theories, these reinterpretations challenge standard aesthetics and invent a new ‘Dalit Aesthetics’. Recognised as Lived Experience as Knowledge, this literary revolution has been paving the way for an integrated cultural structure in contemporary democratic India.
Chettupally Anvesh, and Dr. V. Narayanappa. “Subverting Canonical Narratives: Dalit Re-readings of Indian Epics and Mythology.” The Criterion: An International Journal in English, vol. 17, no. 2, Apr. 2026, pp. 427–438. DOI, https://doi.org/10.66376/criterion.v17.n2.26.
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