Overview

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.

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9780691066646

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There is no question that the Goldmans have set a very high standard for translation and comprehension of epic Sanskrit. They are to be congratulated for their awesome work of many decades, for completing a landmark scholarly project that is truly epic and millennial in scale. The translation and expertise that has gone into this is not likely to be surpassed until at least the next kaliyuga. ---Frederick M. Smith, Religious Studies Review Winner of the 2017 World Sanskrit Award, Indian Council for Cultural Relations

Winner of the 2017 World Sanskrit Award, Indian Council for Cultural Relations There is no question that the Goldmans have set a very high standard for translation and comprehension of epic Sanskrit. They are to be congratulated for their awesome work of many decades, for completing a landmark scholarly project that is truly epic and millennial in scale. The translation and expertise that has gone into this is not likely to be surpassed until at least the next kaliyuga. ---Frederick M. Smith, Religious Studies Review

Winner of the 2017 World Sanskrit Award, Indian Council for Cultural Relations

Author Information

Robert P. Goldman is the William and Catherine Magistretti Distinguished Professor of Sanskrit and Indian studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and general editor of the Rāmāyaṇa Translation Project. Sally J. Sutherland Goldman is senior lecturer in Sanskrit at the University of California, Berkeley, and associate editor of the Rāmāyaṇa Translation Project.

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