Ramayana for Children- Leading Path from Darkness Toward Light

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The Ramayana is perhaps one of the best known epics in the world which transcends all barriers of time, caste, creed and space. The reason for Ramayana s great popularity is that it is one story entwined in so many amazing stories woven so beautifully that not even for a moment you feel out of place. It takes you on a journey beyond comprehension.

Ramayana is the tale of Rama, the prince of Ayodhya. It tells the story of Prince Rama s birth, childhood, exile, and struggle to rescue his faithful wife Sita from the clutches of Demon Ravan and his reclaiming of the throne of Ayodhya. Throughout the centuries, countless versions of the Ramayana have been produced in numerous formats and languages for readers of all ages. But previous English versions have been either too short to capture the magnitude of the original or too bulky to finish in one sitting. Now Seema Gupta has rendered the tale in simple and lucid language that conveys all the beauty and excitement of the original, while making this spiritual and literary classic accessible to a new generation of readers, specially the teenagers.

Presented beautifully with high resolution black & white illustrations, this vivid and vibrant presentation of the epic is a perfect read for children of all ages. The epic, presented in a Graded Reader style, is divided into various sections Kand and chapters.

The Ramayana is the great saga of Lord Rama who is better known as Maryada Purushottam. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of the Hindus, the other being the Mahabharata. Rama, the hero of the Ramayana, is a popular deity worshiped by the Hindus. The Ramayana is held in such reverence that the mere reading or hearing of it is believed to free us from sin and grant us every desire. According to the Hindu tradition, Rama is an incarnation (anatar), of god Vishnu, who is part of the Hindu Trinity. The main purpose of this incarnation is to demonstrate the righteous path (dharma) for life on earth.

The Ramayana is not just a story of four brothers: Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata, and Shatrughana, it talks about human values and family values in a subtle way. In today's world when these values are degenerating, the Ramayana revives them. In the spell of darkness looming large around us, the Ramayana acts as a guiding light showing us the path to enlightenment. Human relationships, their intricacies, and their balance is gently maintained in the Ramayana.

Ramayana revolves around the life of Rama who is a man of great virtues. His virtues survive all adversities that befall him. Today when every other person is obsessed with their own welfare, portrayal of Rama's character marks personal integrity, respect for previous generation, and love for the people.

The essence of the Ramayana is summed up as the victory of good over evil. and virtue over vice. The winning streak of humans combined with true meaning of duty and sacrifice, happiness and sorrow, devotion and selfless service offer valuable lessons on life at large. The pearls of wisdom strung into a beautiful and coherent compendium on every aspect of the ideals of life and living is the Ramayana.

The Ramayana is not just an ordinary story. It contains the teachings of ancient Hindu sages and presents them through allegory in narrative and the interspersion of the philosophical and the devotional thoughts. The characters of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Bharata, Hanuman, and Ravana are all fundamental to the cultural consciousness of India.

The Ramayana was originally written by Sage Valmiki in Sanskrit. The original Ramayana is said to have been composed based on each of the twenty-four letters of the Gayatri Hymn. Later Ramayana was translated into the Awadhi language by Goswami Tulsidas as Ramcharitmanas. It contains couplets in verse form called chaupai. The Ramayana has been traditionally divided into seven books, dealing with the life of Rama starting from his birth till his death.

1. Bal Kand-This is the book about young prince Rama which details the miraculous birth of Rama, his early life in Ayodhya, and his slaying of the demons at the Dandaka forest on the request of Vishwamitra. The book concludes with his wedding to Sita. Bal Kand has 77 chapters.

2. Ayodhya Kand-This is the book about Ayodhya in which Dasharatha comes to grief over his pledge to Kaikeyi and is forced to send Rama to exile. The book concludes with the death of Dasharatha. Ayodhya Kand has 119 chapters.

3. Aranya Kand-This is the book about forest which describes the life of Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita in the forest. The book concludes with the abduction of Sita by Ravana. This book has 75 chapters.

4. Kishkindha Kand-This book is about Kishkindha, the Vanara kingdom in which Rama befriends Sugriva and his army and begins the search for Sita. This book has 67 chapters.

5. Sundar Kand-This is the book of Sundar (Hanuman) in which Hanuman travels to Lanka in search of Sita. On finding Sita imprisoned there he burns the golden Lanka before returning to Rama to give him the good news. Sundar Kand has 68 chapters.

6. Yuddha Kand - This is the book about the war which narrates the Rama- Ravana war. The book concludes with the return of successful Rama to Ayodhya and his coronation. This book is the largest of all and it has 131 chapters.

7. Uttara Kand-This is the seventh book which details the life of Rama and Sita after their return to Ayodhya, Sita's banishment, and the birth of her twin sons in the hermitage of Valmiki.

**Contents and Sample Pages**