What do you think?
Rate this book
袪邪屑邪褟薪邪
袪邪屑邪褟薪邪 (袩褉懈泻谢褞褔械薪懈械褌芯 薪邪 袪邪屑邪) 械 屑芯卸械 斜懈 薪邪泄-褋褌邪褉芯褌芯 谢懈褌械褉邪褌褍褉薪芯 锌褉芯懈蟹胁械写械薪懈械 胁 褋胁械褌邪. 袩芯褔懈褌邪薪 胁 褑褟谢邪 袠薪写懈褟 懈 袗蟹懈褟 胁 锌褉芯写褗谢卸械薪懈械 薪邪 褏懈谢褟写芯谢械褌懈褟, 械锌芯褋褗褌 械 胁褟褉薪芯 蟹邪锌邪蟹械薪 懈 锌褉械写邪胁邪薪 胁 褉邪蟹谢懈褔薪懈 褎芯褉屑懈 薪邪 锌芯锌褍谢褟褉薪懈 懈蟹褉邪蟹薪懈 褋褉械写褋褌胁邪: 械锌懈褔薪懈 锌芯械屑懈, 薪邪褉芯写薪懈 锌褉懈泻邪蟹泻懈, 屑褍蟹懈泻邪, 褌邪薪褑懈, 写褉邪屑邪, 泻褍泻谢械薪懈 褋锌械泻褌邪泻谢懈, 褋泻褍谢锌褌褍褉邪, 卸懈胁芯锌懈褋, 写芯褉懈 褎懈谢屑懈 懈 泻芯屑懈泻褋懈. 袧械谐芯胁邪褌邪 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟 懈 谐械褉芯懈 褋邪 蟹邪胁谢邪写褟谢懈 褋褗褉褑邪褌邪 懈 褍屑芯胁械褌械 薪邪 斜械蟹斜褉芯泄 锌芯泻芯谢械薪懈褟.
560 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1000
134 people are currently reading
469 people want to read
About the author
Krishna Dharma
29听books59听followers"I would identify myself primarily as a Vaishnava, which means servant of Vishnu or God, secondarily as a family man and thirdly as a writer. The first role began in 1979 when I came across the Krishna movement and dived headlong into it, as was the style back in those days, when many of us were searching for ourselves rather than a worldly career. I can report that I am still looking, but I am hopefully closer now than I was then. My second role as a family man began in 1985 when I met my good wife Chintamani, with whom I have had three beautiful children, Madhva, Radhika and Janaki. I am now retired from the day job and will hopefully be able to produce a few more titles before my appointment with God.
You can hear more from me over on my website, where I will publish my occasional musings and news of my activities. You can also subscribe to my newsletter, which appears every blue moon. Hare Krishna"
You can hear more from me over on my website, where I will publish my occasional musings and news of my activities. You can also subscribe to my newsletter, which appears every blue moon. Hare Krishna"
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 21, 2016
A very good, contemporary translation of what I assume would have been otherwise tedious and dry in the hands of anyone other than Krishna Dharma. Surprisingly easy to follow for someone without the appropriate cultural exposure or context with which to appreciate this wonderful epic. The glossary at the end is invaluable in that regard, too.
Reading this makes me want to read the Mahabharata next!
Reading this makes me want to read the Mahabharata next!
July 4, 2020
Excellent!
June 28, 2017
I love to read different versions of the Ramayana to reduce the biases that authors can have to this epic. This book explained the reasons behind certain actions and the equal reactions I.e Karma especially why Ravana did not force himself on Sita. I expected more of the story after the war but it was condensed and shortened.
September 10, 2010
Without a doubt the best story I have ever read!!!!!!!!
June 19, 2016
a little slow, but it is spectacular overall. Whether you are reading for pleasure or religious reasons there is something for everybody!
February 12, 2024
I knew how it was going to end, and it's still enraged me. Everyone, including the main villain of the story Ravana, were treated better than Sita.
Also, the narration of this audiobook was of the same intensity throughout which did not make it into an enjoyable listen.
Also, the narration of this audiobook was of the same intensity throughout which did not make it into an enjoyable listen.
August 29, 2022
It takes a rare breed of writer to take one of the world's most eventful and magical epics and rewrite it in a way that is so painfully dull.
February 4, 2014
It was a bit repetative at times, but that comes from the fact that it was an oral story for sometime I'm sure. I'll probably have to read it again to fully comprehend everything that happened, but I thought it was really good. Other then the treatment of the women in the story.
Read
October 1, 2020This is a modern retelling. It leaves a lot out, and the framing story is entirely missing. It is an adequate introduction, but if you really want to dig into the Ramayana there are better translations available.
January 23, 2009
This is another nice one. Mahabharata was written with more depth, but this was also very nice.
April 19, 2013
Author have talent to re-tell stories, very smooth reading, hard to put down and before you know it ends.
October 1, 2015
Exceleent story telling !
August 13, 2021
Amazing Book
This book was more than a story as the word almost began to dance on the page. There is something very special about this Ramayana.
This book was more than a story as the word almost began to dance on the page. There is something very special about this Ramayana.
January 1, 2020
The ancient epic Ramayana is a beautiful Sanskrit story of love and sacrifice, courage and duty and the triumph of good over evil. Originally composed by the sage Valmiki around 500BCE to 100BCE, the story is considered one the greatest literary works of ancient India and has subsequently inspired many diverse regional versions throughout India and South Asia in the form of poetic narrative, art, drama and dance.
The tale centres around Rama, the eldest son of Dasarath, King of Ayodhya, and Sita, daughter of King Janaka of Videha, each of whom are an incarnation of Vishnu and Lakshmi respectively. After Rama wins the princess鈥檚 hand in marriage, his stepmother, Kaikeyi, (under coercion by her maid) conspires to depose him and claim the throne for her own son, Bharata, Rama鈥檚 half brother.
A past boon promised by King Dasarath forces him to carry out his second wife鈥檚 wishes by banishing the newlyweds to the Dandaka forest. Laksmana, Rama鈥檚 youngest brother, who is completely devoted to him, accompanies the couple. Bharata, appalled and ashamed by his mother鈥檚 treachery, goes into the forest to beg his brother to return. Rama refuses and asks that he rule the kingdom in his place until his fourteen year period of exile is over. Bharata reluctantly promises to do so, without accepting the crown. The years pass peacefully as Rama, Sita and Laksmana adjust to their simple ascetic life in the forest, during which time Sita is abducted by Ravana, the Demon king of Lanka and imprisoned in his palace gardens.
A heartbroken Rama enlists the help of Sugriva, ruler of the Vanaras, a monkey race created by Lord Brahma to help the prince in his quest to find his beloved wife. Eventually she is found by Hanuman, a monkey man bestowed with godlike powers of strength, size and speed, who informs Rama of her whereabouts, returning with a celestial jewel taken from Sita's hair as proof. With the help of his army of powerful monkeys and bears, Rama builds a bridge across the ocean to attack Lanka. A long and bloody battle follows between Rama鈥檚 allies and the Rakshasas, leading to Ravana鈥檚 eventual death and Sita鈥檚 rescue.
Before Rama will accept Sita as his wife, he asks that she prove her purity by undergoing an ordeal of fire. Vindicated by the fire God Agni, the couple are joyfully reunited and return to Ayodhya to be crowned King and Queen, inaugurating a golden age of peace and prosperity - for all but Sita. When she falls pregnant a short time later, gossip begins to circulate, raising speculation about her chastity and devotion to Rama regarding her time living with Ravana in Lanka. Though Rama knows she鈥檚 innocent, in order to prevent discord amongst his people he decides to send her away to live in Sage Valmiki鈥檚 ashram, where she gives birth to twin boys and brings them up alone. When a grief-stricken Rama is finally reunited with his family many years later, Sita, out of love for her husband, chooses to sacrifice her life to ensure his divine reputation remains untarnished and is swallowed by Mother Earth.
Ramayana is an incredibly moving and spiritual story of tragic love and epic adventure. Unfortunately I did find this retelling a bit of a slog to read, mainly because of the verbose, repetitive writing style and slow pacing. In particular, the climactic battle scenes in Lanka seemed to last an eternity. I couldn鈥檛 help but empathise with Sita, who suffered a terrible injustice through no fault of her own. Despite everything she endured to prove her virtue and undying love for Rama, who in return went to extreme lengths to rescue her, was ultimately denied the happiness she deserved. I did, however, love the character of Hanuman. For me, he was the real hero of this ancient epic.
My rating is based solely on this retelling. The story itself I would give 5*
The tale centres around Rama, the eldest son of Dasarath, King of Ayodhya, and Sita, daughter of King Janaka of Videha, each of whom are an incarnation of Vishnu and Lakshmi respectively. After Rama wins the princess鈥檚 hand in marriage, his stepmother, Kaikeyi, (under coercion by her maid) conspires to depose him and claim the throne for her own son, Bharata, Rama鈥檚 half brother.
A past boon promised by King Dasarath forces him to carry out his second wife鈥檚 wishes by banishing the newlyweds to the Dandaka forest. Laksmana, Rama鈥檚 youngest brother, who is completely devoted to him, accompanies the couple. Bharata, appalled and ashamed by his mother鈥檚 treachery, goes into the forest to beg his brother to return. Rama refuses and asks that he rule the kingdom in his place until his fourteen year period of exile is over. Bharata reluctantly promises to do so, without accepting the crown. The years pass peacefully as Rama, Sita and Laksmana adjust to their simple ascetic life in the forest, during which time Sita is abducted by Ravana, the Demon king of Lanka and imprisoned in his palace gardens.
A heartbroken Rama enlists the help of Sugriva, ruler of the Vanaras, a monkey race created by Lord Brahma to help the prince in his quest to find his beloved wife. Eventually she is found by Hanuman, a monkey man bestowed with godlike powers of strength, size and speed, who informs Rama of her whereabouts, returning with a celestial jewel taken from Sita's hair as proof. With the help of his army of powerful monkeys and bears, Rama builds a bridge across the ocean to attack Lanka. A long and bloody battle follows between Rama鈥檚 allies and the Rakshasas, leading to Ravana鈥檚 eventual death and Sita鈥檚 rescue.
Before Rama will accept Sita as his wife, he asks that she prove her purity by undergoing an ordeal of fire. Vindicated by the fire God Agni, the couple are joyfully reunited and return to Ayodhya to be crowned King and Queen, inaugurating a golden age of peace and prosperity - for all but Sita. When she falls pregnant a short time later, gossip begins to circulate, raising speculation about her chastity and devotion to Rama regarding her time living with Ravana in Lanka. Though Rama knows she鈥檚 innocent, in order to prevent discord amongst his people he decides to send her away to live in Sage Valmiki鈥檚 ashram, where she gives birth to twin boys and brings them up alone. When a grief-stricken Rama is finally reunited with his family many years later, Sita, out of love for her husband, chooses to sacrifice her life to ensure his divine reputation remains untarnished and is swallowed by Mother Earth.
Ramayana is an incredibly moving and spiritual story of tragic love and epic adventure. Unfortunately I did find this retelling a bit of a slog to read, mainly because of the verbose, repetitive writing style and slow pacing. In particular, the climactic battle scenes in Lanka seemed to last an eternity. I couldn鈥檛 help but empathise with Sita, who suffered a terrible injustice through no fault of her own. Despite everything she endured to prove her virtue and undying love for Rama, who in return went to extreme lengths to rescue her, was ultimately denied the happiness she deserved. I did, however, love the character of Hanuman. For me, he was the real hero of this ancient epic.
My rating is based solely on this retelling. The story itself I would give 5*
April 29, 2021
This book is a magnificent representation of the timeless classic. Krishna Dharma鈥檚 book should be a guiding manual for authors who wish to re-narrate classics. It is incredible how he manages to stay true to the original work while ensuring that his narration is easy to read.
Krishna Dharma makes one feel all the emotions in Ramayana. His writing transports you to various settings. You weep with Dashrath as Rama leaves for the forest; you gasp as you see Rama banish the demons; your heart breaks at Sita鈥檚 abduction; you cheer Hanuman as He performs miraculous feats; you get goose-pimples as you read the descriptions of the ineffable battle between God in a human form and an unassailable demon!
Reading this book is an experience that any book lover should not be miss.
Krishna Dharma makes one feel all the emotions in Ramayana. His writing transports you to various settings. You weep with Dashrath as Rama leaves for the forest; you gasp as you see Rama banish the demons; your heart breaks at Sita鈥檚 abduction; you cheer Hanuman as He performs miraculous feats; you get goose-pimples as you read the descriptions of the ineffable battle between God in a human form and an unassailable demon!
Reading this book is an experience that any book lover should not be miss.
December 5, 2024
What a brilliant book!
The author very much sticks to the original Valkimi Ramayana story but makes it so much more readable, such that anyone could enjoy this wonderful tale. His prose is beautiful, with lovely attention to detail, capturing the emotions, action and suspense that makes it hard to put the book down.
There is so much to learn from the Ramayana. This book makes it so much more accessible to those that enjoy wonderful english prose. I know I'll be reading this again and again.
The author very much sticks to the original Valkimi Ramayana story but makes it so much more readable, such that anyone could enjoy this wonderful tale. His prose is beautiful, with lovely attention to detail, capturing the emotions, action and suspense that makes it hard to put the book down.
There is so much to learn from the Ramayana. This book makes it so much more accessible to those that enjoy wonderful english prose. I know I'll be reading this again and again.
August 16, 2021
Pretty wanky translation. He uses a lot of vocabulary that really could鈥檝e been modernized and simplified. For instance there is no reason to consistently use the word 鈥榗ircumambulate鈥� in stead of 鈥榳alk around鈥� or 鈥榗ircle鈥� or 鈥榚ncircled鈥� or even 鈥榟ugged鈥�
The overly academic and old fashioned language definitely made the store sound more foreign unapproachable.
The overly academic and old fashioned language definitely made the store sound more foreign unapproachable.
February 17, 2021
If you've read Mahabharata, you can say you've read Ramayana too. It's generally the same story, more concise.
I don't know if it's the best retelling as it's the only version (except for Sita's Ramayana) that I read, but I can say it sounds consistent and it's virtuously told.
I don't know if it's the best retelling as it's the only version (except for Sita's Ramayana) that I read, but I can say it sounds consistent and it's virtuously told.
October 1, 2018
Nice Book
April 27, 2021
La storia mi 猫 piaciuta e ci sono molti insegnamenti sull' esser virtuosi. Insegnamenti veramente difficili da applicare nella vita di tutti i giorni e per la maggior parte delle persone, me inclusa.
May 4, 2021
Great tale. Beautifully written and full of wonder.
August 28, 2023
A great story filled with the kind of incredible, over the top grandeur to be expected of an epic poem, yet the Ramayana takes everything to heights I had never before seen. Rama makes the likes of Achilles, Gilgamesh, or Cuchulain seem like piper tigers in comparison (Hercules and Sun Wukong would be the only other epic heroes I can think of who would stand a chance against Rama, and yes I know how silly it is to compare any of them like that).
Rama's bow may be the most powerful weapon ever wielded by an epic hero in all of world mythology (firing thousands of arrows per minute, each filled with magical properties). The villain and his many minions are equally indomitable and overpowered, but Rama's army of monkeys are up to the task.
This is the type of grandeur I enjoy about world mythology, because it's never just grand for its own sake but to teach deeper cultural, moral, and religious lessons. The story is interesting and filled with incredible moments and a picture is painted of a beautiful, yet frightening world of endless possibilities, but it's the deeper insight into and appreciation for Hinduism the story gave me that mattered most. While I don't find the moral system presented here as compelling as that presented by Dante, it's still much richer and more compelling than I expected.
Imagine if everyone took the time to read the important stories of the world. I think we would all appreciate each other much more if we did.
Rama's bow may be the most powerful weapon ever wielded by an epic hero in all of world mythology (firing thousands of arrows per minute, each filled with magical properties). The villain and his many minions are equally indomitable and overpowered, but Rama's army of monkeys are up to the task.
This is the type of grandeur I enjoy about world mythology, because it's never just grand for its own sake but to teach deeper cultural, moral, and religious lessons. The story is interesting and filled with incredible moments and a picture is painted of a beautiful, yet frightening world of endless possibilities, but it's the deeper insight into and appreciation for Hinduism the story gave me that mattered most. While I don't find the moral system presented here as compelling as that presented by Dante, it's still much richer and more compelling than I expected.
Imagine if everyone took the time to read the important stories of the world. I think we would all appreciate each other much more if we did.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.