BalakandaThis is the first of seven volumes of a translation of the Valmiki Ramayana, the great Sanskrit epic of the life of Rama, ideal man and incarnation of the great god Visnu. This renowned work of ancient India has profoundly affected the literature, art, religions, and cultures of countless millions of people in South and Southeast Asiaan influence that is perhaps unparalleled in the history of world literature. Balakanda, the opening portion of this first translation to be based on the critical edition (Oriental Institute, Baroda), is presented here in a compact volume without the section of notes that appears in the hardcover book. |
Contents
The Rāmāyaṇa Text and the Critical Edition | 82 |
Translating the Rāmāyaṇa | 94 |
Glossary of Important Proper Nouns and Epithets | 271 |
Bibliography of Works Consulted | 277 |
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Common terms and phrases
ancient ascetic ashram asuras austerities Ayodhyā Bālakāṇḍa beauty best of sages Bhagiratha Bharata Bhatt Bless Brahmā brahman brother Bulcke bull among sages commentary critical edition Dasaratha daughter delight demons divine earth epic episode epithet fashion father forest gandharvas Ganges gods hands in reverence heard Hearing hero holy honor horse Ikṣvāku Indian Indra Jacobi Janaka Jātaka Kākutstha Kāma Kausika kill King Dasaratha king's Kosala kshatriya Lakṣmaṇa legend lord Mahābhārata majesty manuscripts Mārīca mighty Viśvāmitra Mithila monkeys northern recension passage performed poem poet portions prince Raghava Raghus rākṣasas Rām Rāma Rāma's Rāvaṇa renowned replied righteous rites ritual royal seer Ṛśyaśṛñga sacrifice Sagara sage Viśvāmitra Śakra Sanskrit sarga scholars Sītā Śiva sons spoke Śrī Rāmā Śrī Rāmāyaṇa story Sugrīva tale Tāṭakā textual thousand-eyed Indra three worlds tiger tradition translation Uttarakāṇḍa Vaiṣṇava Valmiki valorous Vasistha vedas vedic verse versions Viṣṇu Viśvāmitra weapons wife words yakṣa yana