The Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki: An Epic of Ancient India, Volume VII

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

The seventh and final book of the monumental R¿m¿yäa of V¿lm¿ki, the Uttarak¿¿¿a, brings the epic saga to a close with an account of the dramatic events of King R¿ma's millennia-long reign. It opens with a colorful history of the demonic race of the r¿k¿asas and the violent career of R¿ma's villainous foe R¿väa, and later recounts R¿ma's grateful discharge of his allies in the great war at Lank¿ as well as his romantic reunion with his wife S¿t¿. But dark clouds gather as R¿ma makes the agonizing decision to banish his beloved wife, now pregnant. As R¿ma 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 Uttarak¿¿¿a has long served as a point of social and religious controversy largely for its accounts of the banishment of S¿t¿, as well as of R¿ma's killing of a low-caste ascetic.

This seventh volume in the critical edition and translation of the V¿lm¿ki R¿m¿yäa includes an extensive introduction and describes the complex reception history of the Uttarak¿¿¿a, as well as exhaustive notes and a comprehensive bibliography.