Ananda Ramayana: Attributed to the Great Sage Valmiki: Sanskrit Text with English Translation (2 Vols.)

by Shantilal Nagar (Tr.)

Table of Contents:

Volume I

1. Sara-kanda

2. Yatra-kanda

3. Yaga-kanda

4. Vilasa-kanda

5. Janma-kanda

6. Vivaha-kanda

Volume II

7. Rajya-kanda (First half)

8. Rajya-kanda (Second half)

9. Manohar-kanda

10. Purna-kanda

"With the composition of the Ramayana by the sage Valmiki, there was a boost in the popularity of the story of Rama. The life of Rama had been quite ideal and his life stories had been quite popular with the masses, possibly in fragments in earlier times but Valmiki did a great service to the country by composing the Ramayana which happens to be the earliest poetic excellence besides being quite unique and unparallel.

Various Ramayanas in Sanskrit like the Adhyatma, Mantra, Adbhuta and Ananda Ramayana were also composed. In the Ananda Ramayana several events of later period have been included which could never appear to have been composed by Valmiki at all. There is a tradition that the Ananda Ramayana was composed by some one in the fourteenth century or so by a great poet, which appears to be acceptable by and large.

One of the most interesting aspect of this Ramayana is the inclusion of the episode of abduction of Kausalya by Ravana which stands included in the first Sarga of the Sara-kanda. Further, this Ramayana portraits iconographical features of Rama and his brothers, describes about birth of Sita, Ravana carrying Parvati, skill of Hanuman etc. This Ramayana also has the unique coverage highlighting the Ramaraksa Stotras, a thousand names of Rama and the formation of several types of Ramabhadra and Ramalingatobhadras, besides Rama, Sita and the other kavacas.

The entire translation of the present edition has been divided into 10 kandas, starting with the Sara-kanda and ending with the Purna-kanda. This is the first time that an English Translation has been done of this excellent Ramayana in Sanskrit. The translator has done a great labour to attempt an authentic translation of Ananda Ramayana." (jacket)