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Editorial T eam Hin a Jain, Mark Silas, Beverly S mart, A yush i Thapliyal, Vats al Ve rma US Editor Kay la Dugger US Execu tive Editor Lor i Cates Hand Design T eam Dev ika Aw asthi, Bhavika Mathur Proofrea der Dip ali Singh Jacket D esigner Neha Ahuja Chowdhry Senior Picture Researc her Sumedha Chopra DTP Designers Narender Ku mar , Mohd Rizwan, Nand Kishore Acharya Pre-Prod uction Manager Sunil Sharma Production Manager Pa nkaj Sharma Picture Re search Manager T ai yaba Khatoon Managing Editor Chitra Subr amanyam Managing Art Editor Neha Ahuja Chowdhry Managing Dire ctor , India Aparna Sharma Consultant Bibek Debroy Writer and Researc her Tar inee Aw asthi The contents of this book are based on The V alm iki Ramayana , tra nslated by Bibek Debro y, published by Penguin Random House, 2017 First American Edition, 2021 Published in the United States by DK Publishing 1450 Broadway , S uite 801, New Yor k, NY 10018 Copyright 2021 Dorling Kindersley Limited DK, a Division of Pe nguin Random House LLC 21 22 23 24 25 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 13 2 1 001322379Nov/2021 All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under the copyright r eserved above, no part of this publication may be r eprodu ced, stored in or intr oduced into a retrieval sy stem, o r transmitted, in any f orm, or by an y means (electron ic, mechanical, photocopying, record ing, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner . Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kinder sley Limited A catalog re cord for this book is available from th e Library of Congress. ISBN 978-0-7440-4217-7 DK books are available at special discounts when pur chased in bulk for sales promotions, prem iums, fund-raisi ng, or educ ational use. Fo r details, c ontact: DK Publishing Special Markets, 1450 Broadway , S uite 801, New Yor k, NY 10018 SpecialSales@dk.com Printed and bound in China For the curi ous www.dk.com This book was made with Fo rest Steward ship Council certied paperone small step in DKs commitment to a sustainable futur e. For more information go to www. dk.com/our-gr een-pledge
ARANYA KANDA Seeking Refuge A Protector s Duty Home in Pa nchavati Shurpanakha Arrives Shurpanakha Disgured Shurpanakha Battle with Khara The Ruler of Lanka Maricha s Advice The Golden Deer Maricha s Final Gambit Sita s Abduction Sita s Lament Ravana Where Are Y ou, Sita? J atayu s Death Shabari s Wish KISHKINDHA KANDA The King of the Van aras Hanuman Meets Rama A Pledge of Fr iendship A T ale of T wo Brothers A Show of Strength V ali s Death V ali s Offense Sugriva A Monsoon s P ause A F riend s Promise The March of the Van aras In Fo ur Directions Futile Efforts At the Edge of the Land A Ray of Hope Jatayu and Sampati Van aras in Tu rmoil Hanuman s Resolve SUNDARA KANDA Leap Across the Ocean Hanuman Inside Lanka Lanka Torm ented Sita The Rejection The Dream Sita Rama s Messenger The One-Eyed Crow A Promise to Return The Destruction of Lanka Hanuman s Capture Meeting the T en-Headed King V ibhishana s Interjection A City in Flames I Have Seen Sita
YUDDHA KANDA By the Shore Vibhishana Chooses a Side Vibhishana Vibhishana Seeks Refuge A F riendship F orged Seeking Sanctuary A Pe tition to the Ocean Rama T he Bridge Across the Ocean The Crossing Rav ana s Spies A Cruel T rick Preparing for W ar Rama Sees Lanka The Siege of Lanka T he Great W ar Begins A Short-Lived V ictory The Injured Brothers Garuda s Cure Ravana Enters the Battleeld Arise, Ku mbhakarna! Kumb hakarna T he F all of the Giant T he Rakshasas Strik e Back Hanuman to the Rescue K umbha, Nikumbha The Great Deception Indrajit Van quished T he Sorrow T hat F ollows Indrajit Death of the Advisers The Last Battle The Death of Ravana Ravana s Funeral Long Live the King! T he T est of T ruth Th ere Is No Sin in Her Aboard the Pushpaka V imana A Joyous Reunion All Hail King Rama UTTA RA KANDA Quest for Answers The Earlier Rakshasas The King of Lanka V ayu s Son, Hanuman Aspersions Cast Sita Exiled With Brothers by His Side Birth of Lav a and K usha Righting Wrongs The Horse Sacrice Sita s Second T rial In the Arms of the Goddess T he Wheel of T ime Lakshmana Is Renounced Lakshmana The Final Decision Order Is Restored Glossary Index Bibliography Acknowledgments
FOREWORD
I
n parts of India, people say , Rama! Rama! Ra is the 27th letter in the Sanskrit alphabet, Aa the 2nd, and Ma the 25th. Thus, Rama Rama = Ra + Aa + Ma + Ra + Aa + Ma = + + + + + = 108, a sacred number . Whether this numerological argument has any historical basis is irrelevant. Such arguments illustrate the pervasive inuence Rama, Ramayana , and the protagonists from the Ramayana story have left on Indias consciousness. The word Ramayana means Ramas progress. Therefore, unlike Mahabharata , Ramayana is centered on Rama, though people have often had takes on other protagonists. Ramayana is the story of the solar dynasty ( surya vamsha ), while Mahabharata is the story of the lunar dynasty ( chandra vamsha ). The solar dynasty started with Ikshvaku and effectively ended with Brihadbala (killed during the Kurukshetra W ar), though the tale dragged on until Sumitra (ousted by Mahapadma Nanda). There were famous kings in this lineage. Rama s story covers only one part of this lineage s history . The rest is found in the Puranas. It is not the case that Rama s story occurs only in Sanskrit texts. Non-Sanskrit renderings (like Ramcharitmanas ) have done much to shape perceptions about Rama, and a strength of this volumethough based on Val miki Ramayana is cross-referencing to such texts. Stories about Rama also feature in Jain and Buddhist accounts and in other countries. For example, Hanuman metamorphosed into China s famous white monkey . In Sanskrit, Rama s story is found in Val miki Ramayana , Adhyatma Ramayana , Yog avasishtha Ramayana , Mahabharata s Van a Parva , Kalidasa s Raghuvamsham , Bhavabhuti s Uttararamacharita , and Bhattikavya . Though based on V almiki s Ramayana , this volu me also cross- references those other versions, with a wealth of wonderful illustrations and pictures. V almiki s Ramayana comes alive.
