Ramayana of Valmiki

Content Chapter Page Foreword v Preface ix BALAKANDA 1 Valmiki And Narada 3 2 The Coming of Brahma 10 3 Valmiki Composes The Great Poem 13 4 Dasaratha, And His Grief 15 5 The Ashvamedha Yoga 19 6 The Devas in Distress 21 7 The Birth Of Rama 23 8 Vishvamitra Comes to Dasaratha 27 9 Vishvamitra And the Young Princes 33 10 Tataka Vana 36 11 The Killing of Tataka 39 12 Siddhashrama 41 13 The Yoga of Vishvamitra 45 14 To Mithila 48 15 Ganga 50 16 Bhagiratha’s Penance 55 17 Towards Gautama’s Ashrama 57 18 Mithila 61 19 Vishvamitra 64 20 Vasishta Hosts the King 64 21 A Frustrated King 67 22 The Power of the Brahmin 70 23 Trishanku of the Solar Race 72 24 A New Heaven 76 25 Sunashepha 78 26 Kaushika’s Lapses 82 27 Vishvamitra, the Brahmarshi 85 28 The Bow of Mahadeva 87 29 Dasaratha Leaves For Mithila 90 30 In Mithila 91 31 Sita Kalyanam 94 32 Parasurama, the Bhargava 95 AYODHYAKANDA 1 Rama 103 2 The Desire in the Heart of Dasaratha 105 3 “Tomorrow” – Said The King 110 4 Preparations 113 5 The Maid, Manthara 114 6 Kaikeyi’s Decision 119 7 Dasaratha Comes to Kaikeyi 122 8 The Dawn of the Terrible Day 129 9 Kaikeyi Talks to Rama 133 10 Lakshmana’s Anger 142 11 Rama’s Firmness 147 12 A Mother’s Bleesings 151 13 Rama and Sita 153 14 Laksmana’s Request 161 15 In The Presence of Dasaratha 163 16 Kaikeyi Brings The Valkalas 168 17 A Painful Farwell 171 18 Dasaratha’s Despair 174 19 On the Banks of the Tamasa 177 20 The Journey 179 21 Guha, A Chieftain of Hunters 181 22 The Third Night of the Exile 188 23 The Ashrama of Bharadvaja 190 24 Chitrakuta At Last 194 25 Sumantra Returns to Ayodhya 196 26 The Curse of a Rishi 199 27 The Death of Dasaratha 203 28 Bharata Has Bad Dreams 205 29 Bharata in Ayodhya 208 30 The Wrath and Sorrow of Bharata 212 31 Bharata’s Oath 215 32 The Last Rites for The King 217 33 Manthara Again 220 34 The Throne is Yours 222 35 Bharata On His Way 225 36 Bharata Meets Bharadvaja 230 37 Lakshmana is Worried 233 38 Bharata’s Quest 236 39 Bharata Meets Rama 237 40 Bharata’s Appeal 242 41 Bharata Asks for he Padukas 250 42 Bharata’s Return 251 ARANYA KANDA 1 Rama Abandons Chitrakuta 257 2 Atri and Anasuya 259 3 The Dandaka Forest 263 4 The Killing of Viradha 265 5 The Sage Sharabhanga 268 6 The Sage Sutheekshna 272 7 Sita’s Admonition 273 8 The Greatness of Agastya 276 9 Agastya’s Ashrama 279 10 Panchavati 284 11 Shurpanakha 287 12 Khara, Dushana and Trishiras 291 13 Ravana Is Told About Janasthana 298 14 Shurpanakha And Her Tale of Woe 301 15 To Maricha’s Ashrama Again 305 16 The Golden Deer 313 17 The Killing of Maricha 315 18 Ravana In Ochre Robes 319 19 Jatayu’s Death 325 20 Sita in Ravana’s City 329 21 Rama’s Lament 331 22 The Fruitless Search 336 23 Meeting With Jatayu 340 24 Ayomukhi and Kabandha 343 25 A Ray of Hope 346 26 Shabari’s Ashrama 348 27 The Lake by Name Pampa 350 28 Rama’s Grief 351 KISHKINDHA KANDA 1 Sugriva Sends Hanuman to Rama 359 2 A Friendship Is Forged 364 3 Vali and Sugriva 368 4 The Valour of Vali 372 5 Sugriva Has Doubts 375 6 The Killing of Vali 377 7 Vali’s Censure 380 8 Rama Justifies His Action 383 9 Tara’s Grief 386 10 The Cornation of Sugriva and Angada 391 11 Rama and Lakshmana In Prasravana 392 12 Rama’s Impatience 394 13 The Fury of Lakshmana 397 14 Lakshmana Is Pacified 401 15 The Beginning of the Search 406 16 The South-Bound Vanaras 408 17 The Despair of the Vanaras 412 18 Sampati, The Old Eagle 416 19 How to Cross The Sea? 421 20 The Greatness of Hanuman 423 SUNDARAKANDA 1 The Magnificent Leap 429 2 Hanuman Enters Lanka 433 3 Lanka 436 4 Hanuman Sees Mandodari 436 5 Hanuman Sees Sita 438 6 The Coming of Ravana 446 7 A Ray of Hope 451 8 Hanuman Meets Sita 455 9 Sita Hears About Rama 459 10 Sita’s Message to Rama 465 11 Destruction of the Ashokavana 469 12 The Brahmastra 473 13 Hanuman in the Court of Ravana 474 14 Conflagration in Lanka 479 15 The Return of Hanuman 485 16 Sugriva’s Madhuvana 489 17 The Narration of Hanuman 492 YUDDHA KANDA 1 Preparations 499 2 The March Southwards 502 3 Ravana is Worried 505 4 Ravana Loses Vibhishana 510 5 Vibhishana And Rama 516 6 Preparations For the War 520 7 Rama’s Anger 524 8 The Building of the Bridge 527 9 Speculations 530 10 Ravana Tries to Distress Sita 534 11 In The Council Hall Again 538 12 Rama With His Men 541 13 Sugriva’s Impulsiveness 543 14 Angada’s Mission 545 15 The Nagapasa 547 16 Sita Sees Rama On the Field 550 17 The Recovery of the Princes 553 18 Ravana Sends Prahastha 554 19 Ravana on the Field of Battle 557 20 Kumbhakarna Is Woken Up 562 21 Kumbhakarna on the Field 570 22 The Death of Kumbhakarna 576 23 The Young Heroes 577 24 The Valour of the Princes 579 25 Indrajit 581 26 The Sanjivini 585 27 Kumbha and Nikumbha 587 28 Indrajit to the Rescue 589 29 Maya Sita Slain 591 30 Yoga at Nikumbhila 593 31 Lakshmana Accosts Indrajit 596 32 The Killing of Indrajit 599 33 Rama’s Joy 603 34 Ravana’s Grief 605 35 The Moolabala Of Ravana 608 36 Ravana Sets Out to the Field of Battle 611 37 Sanjivini Again 616 38 The Final Encounter 618 39 The Killing of Ravana 624 40 When Ravana Died 627 41 The Lament of Mandodari 630 42 The Funeral Rites 632 43 The Funeral Rites 634 44 Rama And Sita 636 45 The Ritual of Fire 640 46 The Gods Speak 642 47 Homeward-Wound 646 48 Hanuman in Nandigrama 651 49 The Home-Coming of Rama 653 50 The Coronation of Rama 655 Phalashruti 658 Glossary 660