TheRam yana epic centers around Rama, the crown prince of the city of Ay--dhya, providing a profound meditation on the paradox of the hero as both human and divine. After rescuing a sage from persecution by demons. Rama attends a tournament in the neighboring city of M'thila where he wins the prize and the hand of Sita, the princess of M'thila. But a court intrigue involving one of the king's junior wives and a maidservant forces Rama into a fourteen-year banishment to the jungle with his wife, Sita, and his loyal brother L kshmana. When Sita is abducted by the demon king R vana, Rama goes to the monkey capital of Kishk'ndha to seek help in finding her. It is there that he meets H numan, the greatest of the monkey heroes. In exchange for the assistance of the monkey troops in discovering where Sita is held captive, Rama has to help Sugr'va win the monkey throne over his brother, Valin. In the final book of the set, H numan leaps across the ocean to the island citadel of Lanka, where he scours the city for the abducted Princess Sita. But when H numan reveals himself to the princess and offers to carry her back to Rama, she nevertheless insists that Rama must come himself to avenge the abduction.
Included in this set:
Ram yana Book I: Boyhood By Valm'ki. Translated by Robert Goldman. 424 pages / 978-0-8147-3163-5
Ram yana Book II: Ay--dhya By Valm'ki. Translated by Sheldon I. Pollock. 652 pages / 978-0-8147-6716-0
Ram yana Book III: The Forest By Valm'ki. Translated by Sheldon I. Pollock. 436 pages / 978-0-8147-6722-1
Ram yana Book IV: Kishk'ndha By Valm'ki. Translated by Rosalind Lefeber. 415 pages / 978-0-8147-5207-4
Ram yana Book V: S ndara By Valm'ki. Translated by Robert Goldman and Sally Sutherland Goldman. 538 pages / 978-0-8147-3178-9
