Description
About the Book
The Valmiki Ramayana (The Legacy of Rama) is possibly the first Epic written in Sanskrit and it is believed that it was written by Sage Valmiki in the 5th century BC. The Epic is about Rama from his birth to exile and then his return to Ayodhya. It consists of six major sections called Kanda (Book) and has 24000 verses. Each Kanda is further divided into Sargas (Chapters)— Bala Kanda (the Book of the Boyhood in 77 chapters), Ayodhya Kanda (The Book of Ayodhya in 119 chapters), Aaranya Kanda (The Book of Forest in 75 chapters), Kishkinda Kanda (The Book of Kishkinda in 67 chapters), Sundara Kanda (The Book of Beauty/ Hanuman in 68 chapters) and Yudha Kanda (The Book of War in 128 chapters). The basic story of this Epic is about palace, politics and battles with demon tribes, but its narrative is interspersed with philosophy, ethics, and notes on duty. We have taken every care to present this translation truthfully. We appeal to the readers to kindly inform us if anything has gone wrong, so that it will be corrected, true to the text and spirit of this epic.
About the Author
Maharshi Valmiki was the composer of the first Sanskrit epic known to the world over as The Ramayana (Legacy of Lord Rama). Maharshi Valmiki was born along the banks of the Ganges in ancient India to a sage by the name of Prachetasa. Maharshi Valmiki’s birth name was Ratnakara. He apparently got lost in the jungles as a child and was found by a hunter who raised him as his own son. When he grew up, he became a hunter like his foster father but also became a bandit to spend his livelihood. Once it so happened he met the Maharshi Narada and tried to rob him. However, Narada convinced him of the evil of his ways and converted him into a ‘Brahmarishi’ or religious scholar. The sage Narada narrated the story of Rama (Ramayana) to Valmiki. Valmiki then composed the whole story as epic poem based on Narada’s account. Since Ratnakara did penance for many years and an ant-hill grew around him and that is why, he became famous for his new name ‘Valmiki’ which in Sanskrit means an “ant-hill”. He came out of the anthill and penned the great epic known as “the Ramayana”- a classic tale of the triumph of good over evil.
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