Abstract:
The greatness of Ramayana seems to lie in the
appeal it has to the head and the heart of the common
folk as well as the elite and the intellectuals.
Its story is simple and direct. It is also an epic of
very great literary merit. But the Ramayana’s
greatness does not comprise these qualities only.
It is a Dharmashastra—a moral and religious
treatise and an invaluable guide to happy living
through the proper performance of one’s duties
as a member of the family and the community.
It is an excellent book on statecraft and administration.
* So many side stories and anecdotes,
which otherwise would not have been relevant
to the main theme of the epic, assume significance
if their didactic purpose is taken into account.
While the significance of particular aspects
of the epic may vary from time to time, depending
upon the prevailing socio-politico-economic
set-up of society, the epic as a whole is of eternal
value; its theme is human co
Description:
This essay is based entirely on the Ramayana
of Valmiki.
I have no wish to offer apology for adding one
more book to the vast literature on this priceless
epic of ours. I am convinced that a study of
the Ramayana is as stimulating and instructive
to-day as it was at any other time. I have enjoyed
immensely reading the epic and writing
about it. If the readers find some merit in my
book and if it helps stimulate interest in the
Ramayana, I should feel amply rewarded. I
crave the indulgence of the readers for the defects
and deficiencies, considering, among other
things, the fact that I have read the epic mainly
through translations, though excellent ones, in
the Kannada and English languages.
12, Bank House, g L N SIMHA
