The sixth book of the Ramayana of Valmiki, the Yuddhakanda, recounts the final dramatic war between the forces of good led by the exiled prince Rama, and the forces of evil commanded by the arch demon Ravana. The hero Rama's primary purpose in the battle is to rescue the abducted princess Sita and destroy the demon king. However, the confrontation also marks the turning point for the divine mission of the Ramavatara, the incarnation of Lord Visnu as a human prince, who will restore righteousness to a world on the brink of chaos. The book ends with the gods' revelation to Rama of his true divine nature, his emotional reunion with his beloved wife, his long-delayed consecration as king of Kosala, and his restoration of a utopian age. The Yuddhakanda contains some of the most extraordinary events and larger-than-life characters to be found anywhere in world literature. This sixth volume in the critical edition and translation of the Valmiki Ramayana includes an extensive introduction, exhaustive notes, and a comprehensive bibliography.

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 Siti. The poet vividly describes the opulence of the court of the demon king, Ravana, the beauty of his harem, and the hideous deformity of Sita's wardresses. After witnessing Sita's 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. Permitting himself to be captured by the warrior Indrajit, Hanuman is led into the presence of Ravana, whom he admonishes for his lechery. His tail is set ablaze, but he escapes his bonds and leaping from rooftop to rooftop, sets fire to the city. Taking leave of Sita, Hanuman once more leaps the ocean to rejoin his monkey companions. This is the fifth volume translated from the critical edition of the Valmiki Ramayana. It contains an extensive introduction, exhaustive notes, and a comprehensive bibliography.

Illustrations: 8 Maps Description: Due to the expansion of Indological researches in various directions in recent years the earlier works on historical geography ceases to serve the desired purpose adequately. Hence the need for a more comprehensive and up to date work was there. The present volume with a vast mass of materials, alphabetically arranged, is apt to meet the requirements of the students and researches of the present generation. A detailed introduction in the present volume will make the readers acquainted with the source materials. Special emphasis is laid upon the epigraphical and textual references. The geographical terms as found in the literary and epigraphical records have been listed and explained in detail. The author has also included the prehistoric and proto-historic sites and also the sites connected with historical archaeology. A long list of related inscriptions and an exhaustive bibliography to acquaint the reader with the source material as well as the works done on this branch of study are also provided. The present volume is therefore expected to serve the multidimensional interests of modern scholars working in the field of ancient and early medieval history of India.

The concluding volume of a critical English edition of the monumental Indian epic The seventh and final book of the monumental Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki, the Uttarakāṇḍa, brings the epic saga to a close with an account of the dramatic events of King Rāma's millennia-long reign. It opens with a colorful history of the demonic race of the rākṣasas and the violent career of Rāma’s villainous foe Rāvaṇa, and later recounts Rāma’s grateful discharge of his allies in the great war at Lankā as well as his romantic reunion with his wife Sītā. But dark clouds gather as Rāma, confronted by scandal over Sītā’s time in captivity under the lustful Rāvaṇa, makes the agonizing decision to banish his beloved wife, now pregnant. As Rāma 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. The Uttarakāṇḍa has long served as a point of social and religious controversy largely for its accounts of the banishment of Sītā, as well as of Rāma’s killing of a low-caste ascetic. The translators’ introduction provides a full discussion of these issues and the complex reception history of the Uttarakāṇḍa. This translation of the critical edition also includes exhaustive notes and a comprehensive bibliography.

"India has many versions of the story of Rāma composed in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and various vernaculars of the north and south. Yet the ancient Sanskrit version, attributed to the sage-poet Vālmīki, by tradition the first work of true poetry, is the source revered throughout India as the original account of the career of Rāma, ideal man and incarnation of the great God Viṣṇu. This great Sanskrit epic of ancient India has profoundly affected the Literature, Art, Religion and Cultures of countless millions of people in South and Southeast Asia--an influence that is perhaps unparalleled in the history of World Literature. The volumes of this work will present the entire Rāmāyaṇa for the first time translated on the basis of the critical edition, which is based on manuscripts representing all recensional traditions. Translation consortium is as follows: Vol. I, Bālakāṇḍa; Vol.II, Ayodhyākāṇḍa; Vol.III, Araṇyakāṇḍa; Vol.IV, Kiṣkịndhāḳạnda; Vol.V, Sundarakāṇḍa; Vol.VI, Yuddhakāṇ̣ḍa; Vol.VII, Uttarakāṇḍa" --

A focal study of the methodological changes that confront historians of pre-colonial India.