The Ramayana of Valmiki (Vol. 5) Sundarakanda

by Robert P. Goldman and Sally. J. Sutherland

The fifth and most popular book of the Ramayana of Valmiki the Sundarakanda recounts the adventures of the monkey hero Hanuman in leaping across the ocean to the island citadel of Lanka. Once there he scours the city for the abducted Princess Sita. The poet vividly describes the opulence of the court of the demon king Ravana the beauty of his harem, the splendors of the palace gardens and the hideous deformity of Sita`s wardresses. After witnessing Sita`s pathetic state and her stern rejection of Ravana`s blandishments, Hanuman reveals himself to the princess and restores her hope of rescue. The great monkey then wreaks havoc on the royal park and fights a series of hair raising battles with Ravana`s generals. Robert Goldman and Sally J. Sutherland Goldman are both professors in the department of south and southeast Asian Studies at the University of California Berkeley.