Essence of Ramayana

FOREWORD Sri Swami Sivananda Maharaj's main purpose in life is to serve aspiring souls and humanity, and one of the forms it has taken has been the production of over three hundred books on almost all aspects of religion and culture of India.

Sri Swamiji has rightly called the Ramayana as being Dharma in theory and practice. It has influenced and moulded Indian life and thought for hundreds of years and is still a living force in the inner depths of Indian consciousness.

Back of The Book SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA Born on the 8th September, 1887, in the illustrious family of Sage Appayya Dikshita and several other renowned saints and savants, Sri Swamiji Sivananda had a natural flair for a life devoted to the study and practice of Vedanta. Added to this was an inborn eagerness to serve all and innate feeling of unity with all mankind. His passion for service drew him to the medical career; and soon he gravitated to where he thought that his service was most needed. Malaya claimed him. He had earlier been editing a Health Journal and wrote extensively on health problems. He discovered that people needed right knowledge most of all; dissemination of that knowledge he espoused as his own mission.

It was divine dispensation and the blessing of God upon mankind that the doctor of body and mind renounced his career and took to a life of renunciation to qualify himself for ministering to the soul of man.

He settled down at Rishikesh in 1924, practiced intense austerities and shone as a great Yogi, saint, sage and Jivanmukta. In 1932 he started the Sivanandashram. In 1936 was born The Divine Life Society. In 1948 the Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy was organised. Dissemination of spiritual knowledge and training of people in Yoga and Vedanta were their aim and object. In 1950 he convened a 'World Parliament of Religions'. He is the author of over 300 volumes and has disciples all over the world, belonging to all nationalities, religion and creeds. To read his works is to drink at the Fountain of Wisdom Supreme. On 14th July, 1963 he entered Mahasamadhi.

CONTENTS

Section One
PRELIMINARY
Ekasloki Ramayana	11
Sri Rama Mangalam	12
Ahalya's Prayer	13
Story of Valmiki	14
Introduction	16
Section Two
Synopsis of the Seven Kandas	27
Section Three
THE RAMAYANA
Bala Kanda	30
Ayodhya Kanda	40
Aranya Kanda	48
Kishkindha Kanda	60
Sundara Kanda	71
Yudha Kanda	84
Uttara Kanda	94
Section Four
CHARACTERS OF THE RAMAYANA
Sri Rama	99
Sita Devi	102
Lakshmana	113
Bharata	118
Satrughna	124
Dasaratha	125
Sri Hanuman	126
Jatayu and Sampati	132
Vali	134
Lava and Kusa	137
Ravana	139
Section Five
SRI RAMA'S TEACHINGS
Sri Rama's Instructions to Lakshmana	141
Rama Hridayam	142
Rama Gita	144
Section Six
SRI RAMANAVAMI MESSAGES OF SWAMI SIVANANDA
Glory of Ramanama	154
Be Devoted to Hari	156
Way to Rama Rajya	158
Lord Rama-Light of Truth	163
Rama Rajya Within	164
Let Sri Rama Be Your Ideal	166
Sri Rama, The Universal Ideal	168
Follow the Path of Righteousness	170
The Hero of the Ramayana	172
The Ideal of Highest Duty	174
Lesson of Ramayana	177
Section Seven
A DIVINE GARLAND FOR SRI RAMA
Rama Rajya	182
Svadhyaya	184
Adityahridayam	186