The book under review is a Telugu translation of the Ramayana. It may seem exaggerated to state that, as on today, around 900 renderings, in different genres, have enriched the Telugu literature and this is a continual process. These include classics such as Bhaskara Ramayana, Molla Ramayana, Ranganadha Ramayana and Gopinadha Ramayana in verse, besides prominent prose versions. This is not an exclusive phenomenon of Telugu. The great epic is universally revered. In major Indian languages, the number of Ramayana works is equally large. Even in several other countries, there are many translations and adaptations of the Ramayana. Viswanadha Satyanarayana, first recipient in Telugu of India’s most prestigious literary award, Jnanpith, explains, in his inimitable vein, this unique feature, in his monumental work in verse Srimadramayana Kalpavrikshamu. Posing a question as to the need of another version of the Ramayana, he answers: “People of the world, as a part of their mundane chores, eat almost the same sort of food. So far, I am concerned, I go on thinking of Rama time and again. My devotional works are solely of mine.” The import is the existence of numerous works on the Ramayana does not preclude addition of some more.
Sripada Subrahmanya Sastry, translator of the present book, Valmiki Ramayana, was a prolific writer. Though story was his forte, he authored many works in other genres also with equal facility. Legendary sage Valmiki, venerated as the ‘Adikavi’, First Poet, in Sanskit, though unequivocally recognises Rama as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu in Threthayuga, second aeon in the cycle of ages, depicts the hero Rama as the most virtuous human being, personifying all the highest ingredients of Dharma (Poorna Purusha and Dharma Moorthy).
One of the reasons attributed to this concept is the boon obtained by the demon king Ravana not to be killed by any one except a human being.
A pathetic episode constitutes the background for the dawn of the epic Ramayana. One day valmiki, escorted by his disciple Bharadwaja, while returning after a bath in the Thamasa river is perplexed when a male heron bird, in mating, shot by an arrow dies instantly. He notices a hunter nearby with bow and arrow. Valmiki involuntarily utters the firstever Sanskrit Sloka, Maa nishaada Prathistham thvam, cursing the hunter. The famous Celestial sage Narada tells him the synopsis of the Ramayana. On the direction of Lord Brahma Valmiki composes entire Ramayana in the meter of the Sloka Anusthup with 32 syllables in four equal lines. The Ramayana contains about 24,000 slokas in seven Kandas including the last one Utthara Kanda. Valmiki himself has an important role in the epic. He provides shelter in his hermitage to Sita, wife of Rama, when banished. She gives birth to twin pair, Lava and Kusa. Valmiki teaches them the story of Ramayana. The epic starts with a dialogue between Valmiki and Narada on the most ideal Man. It ends with an invitation to Rama and others to return to their divine abode. The epilogue spells out the virtue one derives on reading the epic.
Sripada translates the entire Ramayana in prose, in the standard form of spoken Telugu. The language is decorous, indiomatic and highly readable and quite intelligible. The book is tastefully brought out by Pragathi Publishers with illustrations by Bapu.
Valmiki Ramayanam,
Translator : Sripada Subrahmanya Sastry
Price : Rs : 499/-
For copies:
Leading book shops.
