Rama the Steadfast: An Early Form of the Ramayana

by Vālmīki, John Brockington (Translator), Mary Brockington (Translator)

Warrior-prince Rama is about to be crowned Young King, when he hears the devastating news that his father, King of Ayodhya, has been tricked into banishing him to the forest. His devoted wife Sita insists on accompanying him in exile, but the evil ten-headed lord Ravana has fallen deeply in love with the beautiful princess and steals her away. Aided by Hanuman, mighty captain of the monkeys, Rama sets out across the world to find her and destroy Ravana in a deadly battle. Rama the Steadfast was composed in the oral tradition in about the fifth century BC and has been retold over the generations ever since. With its fantastical characters ranging from monsters to apes, a very human hero and its profound moral purpose, it is one of the greatest of all Indian tales.

Genres: Classics, India, Indian Literature, Asia, Religion, Fiction

496 pages, Paperback

Published February 27, 2007

About the author

Valmiki is celebrated as the poet harbinger in Sanskrit literature. He is the author of the epic Ramayana, based on the attribution in the text of the epic itself.He is revered as the Adi Kavi, which means First Poet, for he discovered the first śloka i.e. first verse, which set the base and defined the form to Sanskrit poetry. The Yoga Vasistha is attributed to him. A religious movement called Valmikism is based on Valmiki's teachings as presented in the Ramayana and the Yoga Vasistha.
At least by the 1st century AD, Valmiki's reputation as the father of Sanskrit classical poetry seems to have been legendary. Ashvagosha writes in the Buddhacarita,
"The voice of Valmiki uttered poetry which the great seer Chyavana could not compose."
This particular verse has been speculated to indicate a familial relationship between Valmiki and Chyavana, as implied by the previous and subsequent verses.

Reviews

[Matty · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars, the ending is where it started to pick up

[Joe Tristram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting, with plenty of references and good explanations of how this version is different (it aims to be only the earliest complete story, no later add-ons). I enjoyed the glimpse into what 500BCE warrior society India was like, and the comparison with the same era Greece, as seen in the Iliad. I find the Iliad a more compelling story, with the level of repetition more bearable, but there are a lot of similarities.

[Dylan Bandstra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good versus evil is simplistic, I'll give you that. But the sheer size, scope and beauty of the work are enough to make you forget that.

[James Carrigy · Rating 4 out of 5]

9/10

Worthy of the Gods

[Brent]

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