Ramayana: India's Immortal Tale of Adventure, Love and Wisdom - Softcover

Dharma, Krishna

Softcover

ISBN 10: 8177691643 ISBN 13: 9788177691641

Publisher: Pilgrims Publishing, 2004

Synopsis

A dramatised version of India's famous epic, containing all the details of the main narrative. Prince Rama, an avatara of the divine Vishnu, is banished to the forest on the eve of his coronation by the evil machinations of a royal maidservant. While there with his beautiful wife Sita he encounters and kills many fierce demons and eventually has his wife kidnapped by their mighty leader, Ravana. He then enlists the help of a band of celestial apes known as the Vanaras, who scour the earth and find her in Ravana's island lair, Lanka. Rama and the apes construct a great ocean bridge to Lanka and a terrible war ensues for the sake of Sita.

Written in a modern, flowing style, this book offers Western readers an excellent opportunity to become acquainted with this much loved work, originally composed in Sanskrit poetry. With its profound spiritual undertones and themes, this ancient tale has influenced every aspect of Indian society over the millenia, and remains to this day the most popular sacred work in the subcontinent.

About this title

From the Author

Ramayana must rank as one of the most loved and revered books of all time. A part of India's ancient Vedas, it is a beautiful story of romance and adventure. It recounts the history of Rama, said be an incarnation of the Godhead, and his divine consort Sita. Filled with magic and mysticism, it entrances the reader and stirs deeply moving emotions. At the same time its profound spiritual messages leave one feeling uplifted and enriched. This is a novelisation of the classic. It contains all the essential narrative of the original Sanskrit poem, but written in a contemporary style. Whilst adhering closely to the original, I have tried to make it as readable as possible, using the techniques of character development and dramatisation to draw the reader into the action. By weaving in other spiritual commentaries on this sacred text, I have also tried to offer the reader the benefit of the wisdom of India's seers and sages. As I am sure you will discover when your read the book, that wisdom is as relevant in today's stressful world as it was thousands of years ago, when it was first written.

It was my love for this wonderful book which prompted me to write my adaptation, and I hope I have been able to share that love with others. Whether you enjoy it simply as a great adventure story, or you enter deeply into its spiritual meaning, you will surely find it an engaging read. All in all, I would say that this is as authentic and complete a version as you are likely to find outside of scholarly translations, but it is a lot easier to read. If you enjoy this, then you might like to try my novelisation of the Mahabharata, the other great Indian epic, which is also published by Torchlight.

About this edition

• Publisher: Pilgrims Publishing
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 8177691643
• ISBN 13: 9788177691641
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 480