The RmyaGa of Vlm+ki An Epic of Ancient India, Volume VII UttarakGa [Paperback]

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
mas 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 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.

This seventh volume in the critical edition and translation of theV
lm+kiR
m
yaGaincludes an extensive introduction and describes the complex reception history of theUttarak
G1a, as well as exhaustive notes and a comprehensive bibliography.

"Winner of the 2017 World Sanskrit Award, Indian Council for Cultural Relations"Robert P. Goldmanis 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. This volume will stand for a very long time as the epitome of studies on the Yuddhak
nda, indeed of the R
m
yaGa itself. Frederick M. Smith,Religious Studies Review The translation admirably succeeds in pursuing its 'twin goals of accuracy and readability.' . . . The volume opens up the epic battle book to new readers al