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Book Review : Rāmāyaṇaṁ - Vol. 1 - Dushyanth Sridhar

 

Detailed Book Review is published on The Commune

Conclusion

The book had set very high expectations based on the high profile launch and the celebrity status of the author. The divergences could have been explained better with adequate and informative references. However, I find this book too underwhelming in many aspects and wouldn’t recommend the book, especially to first time readers.

 

If one is interested in the verses plus translation, Gita Press versions are the best. If one is interested in the critical edition of Ramayana, Bibek Debroy’s Ramayana set is very highly recommended. For abridged versions, C. Rajagopalachari and Kamala Subramaniam’s versions are recommended. Beyond these, there are multiple vernacular renditions that are very good and accurate w.r.t. original texts.  For a deeper understanding of various renditions of Ramayana, I would highly recommend Dr. V. Raghavan’s colossal works on Ramayana, especially the analytical take on the 3 different Ramayana versions.

 

References:


1.    Srimad Valmiki Ramayana – Gita Press
2.    The Valmiki Ramayana (Critical Edition) – Bibek Debroy
3.    http://valmikiramayan.pcriot.com/
4.    Srimad Bhagwatham – Gita Press
5.    Sanskrit Ramayana other than Valmiki’s – Dr. V. Raghavan
6.    The Ramayana in Classical Sanskrit & Prakrt Mahakavya Literature – Dr. V. Raghavan
7.    Skanda Purana – Sri Jayachamarajendra Grantaratnamala series

 


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