Ramayana is the story of Rama, the prince of Ayodhya. Poet Valmiki describes Rama as a dutiful son, loving brother, devoted husband, fierce warrior and wise statesman, of pleasant manners and speech. Rama is above all an upholder of Dharma so it is no wonder that he is hailed as an avatar or incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Selected verses, with pictorial representation, from the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa.

One of India’s greatest epics, the Ramayana pervades the country’s moral and cultural consciousness. For generations it has served as a bedtime story for Indian children, while at the same time engaging the interest of philosophers and theologians. Believed to have been composed by Valmiki sometime between the eighth and sixth centuries BCE, the Ramayana tells the tragic and magical story of Rama, the prince of Ayodhya, an incarnation of Lord Visnu, born to rid the earth of the terrible demon Ravana. An idealized heroic tale ending with the inevitable triumph of good over evil, the Ramayana is also an intensely personal story of family relationships, love and loss, duty and honor, of harem intrigue, petty jealousies, and destructive ambitions. All this played out in a universe populated by larger-than-life humans, gods and celestial beings, wondrous animals and terrifying demons. With her magnificent translation and superb introduction, Arshia Sattar has successfully bridged both time and space to bring this ancient classic to modern English readers.

"Characters portrayed in the epics Ramayana & the Mahabharata have been the cherished heritage of the whole Hindu world for the last several thousand years and form the basis of their thought and of their moral and ethical ideas. In fact, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata are the two encyclopedias of the ancient Aryan life and wisdom, portraying an ideal civilization which humanity has yet to aspire for" - Swami VivekanandaRamayan is the story of Lord Ramachandra. The epic, in verse, the story of Shri ram was written by the great Sanskrit poet Valmeeki. it is acclaimed as a priceless heritage of India. The epic is found either in the form of poetry or prose in almost all important languages of India. Ramayan has won an intimate place in the hearts of the indians. It may be said that as long as man lives Ramayan lives on.In our efforts to bring classic Indian literature to the Kindle and other modern platforms, we have attempted to retell this story in simple language. This is the second and the concluding part contains the details about the war. The stories are kept simple and illustrated with pictures for children to understand.Lord Rama was an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and is called as Maryada Purushottam. His reign is treated as the golden period in human history. God always guides and leads the righteous and virtuous. The one whose life is guided and guarded by God himself has nothing to fear. May the teachings of the Ramayana be the guiding light in your life.

The Valmiki Ramayana remains a living force in the lives of the Indian people. A timeless epic, it recounts the legend of the noble prince Rama and his battle to vanquish the demon king Ravana. Even before he is crowned king of Ayodhya, Rama is exiled to the Dandaka forests where he is accompanied by his beauteous wife Sita and loyal brother Lakshmana. Deep in the jungle, Sita is abducted by Ravana and taken to his island kingdom Lanka, setting into motion a dramatic chain of events that culminates in an epoch-defining war. Filled with adventure and spectacle, the Ramayana is also the poignant story of a family caught up in the conflict between personal duty and individual desires. In Bibek Debroy’s majestic new translation, the complete and unabridged text of the Critical Edition of this beloved epic can now be relished by a new generation of readers.