The R
m
yaGa of V
lm+ki: An Epic of Ancient India, Volume VII: Uttarak
Ga [Hardcover]

The seventh and final book of the monumentalR
m
yaGa of V
lm+ki, theUttarak
G1a, brings the epic saga to a close with an account of the dramatic events of King R
ma's millennia-long reign. It opens with a colorful history of the demonic race of ther
kcasasand the violent career of R
mas villainous foe R
vaGa, and later recounts R
mas grateful discharge of his allies in the great war at Lank
as well as his romantic reunion with his wife S+t
. But dark clouds gather as R
ma, confronted by scandal over S+t
s time in captivity under the lustful R
vaGa, makes the agonizing decision to banish his beloved wife, now pregnant. As R
ma continues as king, marvelous tales and events unfurl, illustrating the benefits of righteous rule and the perils that await monarchs who fail to address the needs of their subjects.

TheUttarak
G1ahas long served as a point of social and religious controversy largely for its accounts of the banishment of S+t
, as well as of R
mas killing of a low-caste ascetic. The translators introduction provides a full discussion of these issues and the complex reception history of theUttarak
G1a. This translation of the critical edition also includes exhaustive notes and a comprehensive bibliography.

"Winner of the 2017 World Sanskrit Award, Indian Council for Cultural Relations"Robert P. Goldmanis the William and Catherine Magistretti Distinguished Professor of Sanskrit and Indian studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and general editor of theR
m
yaGaTranslation Project.Sally J. Sutherland Goldmanis senior lecturer in Sanskrit at the University of California, Berkeley, and associate editor of theR
m
yaGaTranslation Project. There is no question that the Goldmans have set a very high standard for translation and comprehension of epic Sanskrit. They are to be congratulated for their awesome work of many decades, for completing a landmark scholarly prl£Â