| This is an epic poem of courage, magic and humor, | | | | phase of the story or an event in the course of story |
| containing 18 books and 24,000 verses divided into 500 | | | | telling. |
| songs, Ramayana Each chapter, sarga, will be given | | | | The Ramanaya begins with a divine plan for good to |
| briefly in English prose at its start and each verse will | | | | over power evil. Ravana the demon king of Lanka had |
| be rendered into Anglo-Sanskrit transliteration using | | | | been granted immortality against gods and demons, |
| ITRANS transliteration scheme Each verse will be | | | | and therefore his power and reign was out of control. |
| followed by the Word by Word meaning followed by | | | | Brahma asked Vishnu to help by goping down to earth |
| its gist and explained based on theism, culture, literature | | | | and allowing Dasratha to have sons, as Ravana had |
| as appropriate. | | | | not been granted immortality against human, and so |
| If the Mahabharata seems to be about normal flawed | | | | this became the only way to destroy him. Visnu told |
| human beings with their insecurities and jealousies, the | | | | Dasaratha to distribute the payasam amongst his |
| Ramayana is about Utopian ideals and lofty principles. | | | | three wives, who in turn had four sons between them. |
| Ramayana creates the perfect: the virtuous elder | | | | The sons grew up. Rama and Laksmana, two of the |
| brother, the obedient, ever-devoted younger brothers | | | | sons performed a duty in the forest. For this duty they |
| and the self-sacrificing, ever-loving wife. All those who | | | | were granted marriage to the daughters of Janaka |
| appear to be flawed in some way – like | | | | the King of Mithila. Rama married Sita, the eldest |
| Dhashratha, the father of lord Rama, Keikeyi, the | | | | daughter. When the time came for Dasaratha to pass |
| step-mother, and above all Ravana the villain – | | | | the kingdom to his son, Rama, the eldest, one of his |
| seem to have been put in the story only as examples | | | | wives got jealous that her son was not going to |
| of how-not-to-be and to enhance the goodness of the | | | | become King. |
| principle characters. | | | | Thus the structure of Srimad Valmiki Ramayana is |
| Srimad Valmiki Ramayana is composed of verses | | | | arranged into six Kaandas or Books, and they are: |
| called Sloka, in Sanskrit language, which is an ancient | | | | 1. Bala Kanda (Book of Youth) |
| language from India and a complex meter called | | | | 2. Ayodhya Kanda (Book of Ayodhya) |
| Anustup. These verses are grouped into individual | | | | 3. Aranya Kanda (Book of Forest) |
| chapters called Sargas, wherein a specific event or | | | | 4. Kishkindha Kanda (The Empire o0f Holy Monkeys) |
| intent is told. These chapters or sargas are grouped | | | | 5. Sundara Kanda (Book of Beauty) |
| into books called Kaandas where Kaanda means the | | | | 6. |
| inter-node stem of sugar cane, or also a particular | | | | |