Ramayana

by C. Rajagopalachari

One of India's two greatest epics, The Ramayana pervades the country's moral and cultural consciousness. For generations it has served as a bedtime story for Indian children, while at the same time engaging the interest of philosophers and theologians. Now this magnificent translation makes the monumental work available to a new audience.

An idealized heroic tale ending with the inevitable triumph of good over evil, The Ramayana is also an intensely personal story of family relationships, love and loss, duty and honour, of harem intrigue, petty jealousies and destructive ambitions. All this played out in a universe populated by larger-than-life humans, gods and celestial beings, wondrous animals and terrifying demons.

About the Author:

Chakravarti Raja Gopala Chari, popularly known as "Rajaji" or "C.R.", was a great patriot, astute politician, incisive thinker, and one of the greatest statesmen. A close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, he was an ardent freedom fighter. In his capacity successively as Chief Minister of Madras, Governor of West Bengal, Home Minister and the first Indian Governor General of India he rendered yeoman service to the country and left an indelible impress on our contemporary life.

Rajaji’s books on Marcus Aurelius, the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads are popular. But in Mahabharata he displays his inimitable flair for telling stories and applying their moral to the needs of modem times. The stories were originally written in Tamil and have been rendered into English, mainly by Rajaji himself. To have pre served the beauty and spirit of the great original in refined and simple English is an achievement of the highest order.