Ramayana By Kamala Subramaniam

The two epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharat are two encyclopaedias of ancient Aryan life and wisdom, portraying an ideal civilization. The Ramayan is a perennial source of spiritual, cultural and artistic inspiration to all readers. Rama is the ideal son, the ideal ruler, the ideal husband and the ideal son. Sita is unique, the embodiment of the ideals of womanhood. More details: Bala Kanda, Ayodhya Kanda, Aranya Kanda, Kishkinda Kanda, Sundara Kanda, Yuddha Kanda, form the different sections of this great love story. Beginning with Valmiki and Narada, Bala Kanda deals with Dasaratha and the birth of Rama, Vishvamitra taking the lads to the forest and ends with Sita kalyanam. The second part deals with Rama's banishment and Bharata's appeal. The third talks of Panchavati, Dandaka forest, Shurpanakha, Shabari and Sita being taken to Ravana s Lanka. Kishkinda Kanda deals with Rama's search for Sita while Sundara Kanda talks of Hanuman entering Lanka. Yudha Kanda talks of the war between humans, monkeys and the rakshasas, ending with the coronation of Rama.