45 h 38 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
A prince loses his throne to a promise—and must cross a world of demons to find his wife.
The Rámáyan of Válmíki is an ancient Indian epic in verse, traditionally attributed to the sage-poet Valmiki. Rama, eldest son of King Dasaratha of Ayodhya, stands ready to inherit the throne. Then a palace plot sends him into fourteen years of exile. His wife Sita and brother Lakshmana choose to share his forest life.
When Ravana, the demon king of Lanka, carries Sita away, Rama must seek allies to find her. Hanuman, a wise and mighty monkey minister, becomes his loyal helper. From the bending of a bow to Hanuman’s leap across the sea, the poem sets heroic deeds beside difficult questions: what do we owe those we love, and what does keeping faith cost?
What you’ll discover
- A promise above power Follow a gentle prince who keeps his father’s word at the cost of his throne.
- Courage in exile Meet Sita and Lakshmana, whose constancy and devotion give the forest journey its human heart.
- Hanuman’s leap to Lanka Join the search across the sea as Rama’s mighty helper goes in search of Sita.
- A forest of dangers Enter a world of sages, hermitages and demons, where refuge stands close to danger.
- The demands of dharma Explore duty and right conduct through choices that pull families and loyalties in different directions.
Is it for you?
This suits anyone curious about the stories behind Indian culture, readers who enjoy quests, exile and heroic duty, and listeners who like epics read aloud. It may be less suited to those who want fast, modern, psychological storytelling.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A king without heirs prays for sons
- A bow is bent and a bride won
- A promise made long ago breaks the peace
- Forest life, and a sister's rage
- A golden deer lures Rama away
- Friends are found among the monkeys
- Hanuman leaps the sea to Lanka
- Duty, love and the cost of keeping faith
- How the poem is built and told
Who’s who
- RamaThe eldest son of King Dasaratha, a gentle and skilled prince who keeps his father's word even when it costs him the throne.
- SitaRama's wife, daughter of King Janaka, who follows him into exile and shows great courage and constancy under pressure.
- LakshmanaRama's younger brother, who gives up comfort to serve him in the forest and guards him with fierce devotion.
- RavanaThe ten-headed demon king of Lanka, learned and powerful, who has a boon against gods and spirits and is ruled by desire and pride.
- HanumanA wise and mighty monkey minister who becomes Rama's most loyal helper and goes in search of Sita across the sea.
- DasarathaThe aged king of Ayodhya, loving father of four sons, who is bound by a promise he once made to his queen.
- KaikeyiDasaratha's queen and mother of Bharata, who is driven by fear for her son's future to claim two old boons.
- BharataRama's younger half brother, who loves him deeply and refuses to profit from the throne that was taken from him.
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- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 45 h 38 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 14 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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The Rámáyan of Válmíki, Translated into English Verse
by Valmiki
An exiled prince seeks his wife after a demon king abducts her.
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Language: English
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 9
A king without heirs prays for sons
The poem opens in the kingdom of Kosala, whose capital is the city of Ayodhya on the river Sarayu. Its king, Dasaratha, rules well and is loved by his people, yet he has no son to carry on his line. He has three queens, Kaushalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra, and all of them are childless. This lack weighs on him more than any treasure could comfort him.
On the advice of his counsellors and priests, Dasaratha prepares a great horse sacrifice and a second rite to win the gift of sons. The poem describes the preparations with care, the gathering of kings and sages, the offerings and the feasting. It is a picture of an ordered world in which a ruler and his priests act together for the good of the realm. Many listeners find this opening slow, but it sets up the poem's idea that a king's household and his kingdom are one thing.
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The author
Valmiki
Ancient Sanskrit epic poet
Celebrated as the harbinger-poet in Sanskrit literature and the author of the epic Ramayana.
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What is the Ramayana about?
It tells of Rama, a prince of Ayodhya who is sent into exile for fourteen years, and of the abduction of his wife Sita by the demon king Ravana. Rama gathers allies, including Hanuman, to get her back.
Who wrote the Ramayana?
Indian tradition names the sage Valmiki as the author of the Sanskrit original, and calls him the first poet. Scholars believe the poem took shape over many centuries and was added to by later hands.
Who is Hanuman in the Ramayana?
Hanuman is a powerful and clever monkey minister of King Sugriva. He becomes Rama's devoted helper, leaps across the sea to find Sita in Lanka and is honoured in India as a model of loyal service.
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