The concluding volume of a critical English edition of the monumental Indian epic

The seventh and final book of the monumental Ramayana of Valmiki, the Uttarakanda, brings the epic saga to a close with an account of the dramatic events of King Rama's millennia-long reign. It opens with a colorful history of the demonic race of the raksasas and the violent career of Rama's villainous foe Ravana, and later recounts Rama's grateful discharge of his allies in the great war at Lanka as well as his romantic reunion with his wife Sita. But dark clouds gather as Rama makes the agonizing decision to banish his beloved wife, now pregnant. As Rama 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 Uttarakanda has long served as a point of social and religious controversy largely for its accounts of the banishment of Sita, as well as of Rama's killing of a low-caste ascetic.

This seventh volume in the critical edition and translation of the Valmiki Ramayana includes an extensive introduction and describes the complex reception history of the Uttarakanda, as well as exhaustive notes and a comprehensive bibliography.

About the Author
Robert P. Goldman is professor of Sanskrit and Indian studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and general editor of the Ramayana Translation Project. Sally J. Sutherland Goldman is senior lecturer in Sanskrit at the University of California, Berkeley, and associate editor of the Ramayana Translation Project.

Reviews
"Winner of the A.K. Ramanujan Book Prize for Translation, Association for Asian Studies"
"Winner of the 2017 World Sanskrit Award, Indian Council for Cultural Relations"



Book Information
ISBN 9780691182926
Author Robert P. Goldman
Format Paperback
Page Count 1544
Imprint Princeton University Press
Publisher Princeton University Press