The authoritative new translation of the epic Ramayana, as retold by the sixteenth-century poet Tulsidas and cherished by millions to this day.

The Epic of Ram presents a new translation of the Ramcaritmanas of Tulsidas (1543-1623). Written in Avadhi, a literary dialect of classical Hindi, the poem has become the most beloved retelling of the ancient Ramayana story across northern India. A devotional work revered and recited by millions of Hindus today, it is also a magisterial compendium of philosophy and lore, and a literary masterpiece.

The seventh volume completes Tulsidas's grand epic. Ram reunites with his family in Ayodhya and assumes the throne, beginning his long, utopian reign. He also delivers ethical and spiritual teachings to his brothers and subjects. Then, a fascinating narrator-an immortal sage embodied in a lowly crow-reflects on Ram's life story while recounting how he acquired wisdom, despite setbacks, on his own mystical and devotional quest across aeons.

This new translation into free verse conveys the passion and momentum of the inspired poet and storyteller. It is accompanied by the most widely accepted edition of the Avadhi text, presented in the Devanagari script.

About the Author
Philip Lutgendorf is Professor Emeritus of Hindi and Modern Indian Studies at the University of Iowa.

Reviews
[A] cause for celebration-one of India's most influential texts has been translated into contemporary English by a pivotal scholar who has devoted much of his career to the text, and its afterlives...Gives us a firm starting point for charting horizons and pathways into still-living traditions. -- Nikhil Govind * Scroll.in *
Lutgendorf manages a simplicity, elegance and dignity, whereas attempts to rhyme or alliterate by other translators have often resulted in bathos...If this graceful and eminently readable translation can win more readers for this great scripture, which is also the greatest poem ever written in Hindi, it would have served to reaffirm Tulsi's belief in the countless multiplicity of Ramayans. -- Harish Trivedi * IIC Quarterly *



Book Information
ISBN 9780674271241
Author Tulsidas
Format Hardback
Page Count 384
Imprint Harvard University Press
Publisher Harvard University Press