CONTENTS 1 Ram a's Youth THE FAMOUS KING RAMA 21 VALMIKI DISCOVERS POETRY 23 MESSENGER FROM VISHNU 24 THE MOTHERS PLAY WITH THEIR CHILDREN 25 RAMA AS A BABY 26 BABY RAMA WITH MOTHER 27 THE BIRTH OF RAMA 28 YOUNG RAMA 28 MOTHER WITH BABY RAMACHANDRA 29 KING DASHARATHA WITH His FOUR SONS 30 THE BROTHERS GROW UP TOGETHER 32 VLSHVAMITRA TAKES RAMA AND LAKSHMANA AS DLSCIPLES 34 RAMA AND LAKSHMANA MASSAGING VISHVAMITRA'S FEET 35 THE PRINCES KILL THE DEMONESS TATAKA 36 RAMA RELEASES AHALYA FROM HER HUSBAND'S CURSE 37 RAMA ENCOUNTERS SITA IN THE GARDEN 39 RAMA BREAKS THE Bow 40 THE WEDDING OF SITA AND RAMA 41 WEDDING PROCESSION 42 2 Banishment to the Forest SITA AND RAMA, THE CROWN PRINCE 46 SITA AND RAMA 49 MANTHARA TEMPTS KAIKEYI 50 KAIKEYI DEMANDS THE EXILE OF RAMA 52 RAMA SAYS GOODBYE TO HIS MOTHER KAUSHALYA 55 SITA, RAMA AND LAKSHMANA LEAVE AYODHYA TO GO INTO EXILE 57 DASHARATHA PURSUES RAMA'S CHARIOT 58 GUHA, TRIBAL CHIEF, GREETS THE EXILES 60 THE BOATMAN WASHES RAMA'S FEET 61 THE EXILES ARE FERRIED ACROSS THE GANGES BY GUHA'S BOATMAN 63 SITA, RAMA AND LAKSHMANA BEGIN THEIR JOURNEY THROUGH THE FOREST TO CHITRAKOOT 64 AT CHITRAKOOT, VALMIKI'S ASHRAM 67 DASHARATHA HEARS THE NEWS FROM SUMANTRA, THEN DIES 69 BHARATA MEETS RAMA IN THE FOREST 70 BHARATA WORSHIPS RAMA'S SHOES 71 VISITING THE SAGE ATRI AND HIS WIFE ANASUYA, WHO BLESSES SITA 72 3 Forest Life VISITING A SAGE 77 RAMA KILLS VIRADHA 78 RAMA PUNISHES SHURPANAKHA 79 THE COTTAGE AT PANCHAVATI 80 INSIDE THE COTTAGE AT PANCHAVATI 81 RAVANA ENLISTS THE HELP OF MARICHA 82 THE GOLDEN DEER 83 RAVANA IN DISGUISE 84 RAVANA SLAYS JATAYU 85 RAMA'S DESPERATE SEARCH FOR SITA 86 THE DYING JATAYU 87 MEETING WITH THE SAINTLY WOMAN SABARI 90 4 The Monkey Kingdom DUEL BETWEEN VALI AND SUGRIVA 95 ENCOUNTER WITH HANUMAN 96 DEATH OF VALI 99 HANUMAN SENT IN SEARCH OF SITA 100 5 The Island of Lanka HANUMAN JUMPS ACROSS THE OCEAN 105 SITA GIVES A JEWEL TO HANUMAN 107 SITA IN CAPTIVITY 108 RAVANA TAUNTS SITA 109 HANUMAN SETS FIRE TO LANKA 110 RAMA EMBRACES HANUMAN ON HIS RETURN 112 6 Rama is Victorious BUILDING THE BRIDGE OF STONES 117 RAMA SUBDUES THE OCEAN 118 RAMA WORSHIPS RAMESHVARAM 120 RAMA FACES RAVANA 121 HANUA-IAN CARRIES A MOUNTAIN PEAK 122 RAMA HEALS LAKSHMANA WITH HERBS BROUGHT BY HANUMAN 123 SITA'S ORDEAL BY FIRE 128 RETURN TO AYODHYA BY AIRPLANE 129 ENTHRONEMENT IN AYODHYA 130 7 The Final Episode SITA, SEPARATED FROM RAMA, WITH LAVA AND KUSHA 134 HANUMAN SINGS THE PRAISES OF RAMA136