Extended narrative poem on the life and works of Rāma (Hindu deity); with exhaustive interpretative notes.

The Story Of Rama And Sita Has A Unique Status In The Literature Of Almost Every Language Of Asia, Thanks To Its Extolment Of A Value-Based Life As Superior To One That Prizes Power Or Pelf; It Belongs To The World. This Book Offers A Critical And Comparative Study Of The Earliest Valmiki'S Classic In Sanskrit, Known As Adi-Kavya, And The First Version In The Tamil Language, Which Arose Ten Centuries Later. The Author, Mr. K.S. Srinivasan, Is A Recognised Scholar In The Field.

The epic story of Rama, which is part of the Indian collective consciousness, has been retold in many regional languages. Pre-eminent among the many vernacular retellings of the Ramayana is the twelfth-century Tamil version by Kamban. The son of a temple drummer, Kamban is reputed to have had an impressive mastery of Tamil and Sanskrit classics. Fascinated by the lore of Ramayana, he immersed himself totally in it. Though Kamban acknowledges his indebtedness to the Sanskrit version of the Ramayana by Valmiki, his is an independent work, enriched by various religious, philosophical and literary influences. The Kamba Ramayana differs from Valmiki's in significant ways. Though cast in the heroic mould of a Purushotama or 'the best among men', Valmiki's Rama is still a man. Kamban, on the other hand, never allows the reader to forget the godhood of Rama. His Ravana too, though flawed, is a heroic figure. While Valmiki's diction is sparse and direct, Kamban's exuberant prose sparkles with wit and inventiveness. Translated into English by the late P.S. Sundaram, this edition has been abridged and edited by his long-time friend N.S. Jagannathan. translation retains the magic and poetry of the original. A major new addition to the Penguin Classics The classic Tamil work now finally available in an accessible single volume edition

Shrimad Bhagavat is renowned as one of the greatest compositions in Sanskrit Literature. The 18th Purana composed by Maharishi Veda-Vyasa, it stands unparalleled in its distinct and resplendent exaltation of devotion to God, revealing throughout the quintessence of Vedantic teachings. Masterfully profound and delightfully enchanting, Shrimad Bhagavat abounds in work-paintings of the supreme Lord's wondrous and endearing avatars, divine sports and devotees - paintings that kindle, intensity and establish devotion in one's heart. This spring of devotion leads one to satsang, to the Guru and to teachings that unveil one's essential nature of Brahman.