The Pada- Index of The Valmiki- Ramayana: A Comprehensive Index of Verse Quarters of the Critical Edition of Valmiki Ramayana (Set of 3 Volumes An Old & Rare Book)

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The Valmiki Ramayana is the first nationally important epic of India as it was composed with a view to demonstrating that the spiritual and ethical ideas and ideals evolved during the Vedic era can be implemented in practical human life by structuring the social and political organizations on their basis. This is the reason for its timeless message, perennial value and universal appeal. It is traditionally accepted as Gayatribhaşya by several commentators. As such it is a practical commentary on the Vedic literature. Consequently and reasonably the interest in the Ramayana is not confined only to India or Asia but is widespread the world over. As verse which accords the exalted position to the Valmiki Rāmāyaṇa as being equivalent to the Veda mentions as follows: "When the Highest Self or Supreme Person to be Known only through the Veda was incarnated as the son of Dasaratha, the Veda manifested from Pracetas (i.e. Valmiki) in the form of the Ramayana itself." Almost all the editions of the Epics and Puranas available at present are without Index of any kind. This makes it difficult for the research scholars to trace out the quarters. Many quarters of the verses in the Epics and the Puranas are independent thought units and are very often quoted as such. They can be easily memorized. Long ago the Index of the half-verses of the Valmiki Ramayana (Madras Law Journal Press, 1933) had been out of print. This Index was omitted from the second edition of Valmiki Ramayana (1958). The late Prof. G.H. Bhatt, the then General Editor and Head of the Ramayana Department had prepared a Pada-Index of the Gujarati Printing Press edition of the Valmiki Ramayana Vol. I. In 1961 Vol. II of the said Index was also published. Now as the Critical Edition of the Valmiki Ramayana is already before the world of scholars, its Pada-Index would be very much useful to the scholars, researchers, students and others interested in the intensive study of the young Epic as well as in the critical, literary, cultural and socio-religious studies. Such an Index of the Critical Edition of the Mahabharata published by the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune, is already available to the scholars.. The present Index will prove a desirable supplement to the Epic studies. It would be helpful to the scholars to locate or trace the exact place of occurrence of the quarter verses in the Critical Edition including insertions, substitutes and Appendix passages and would also provide them a sound base for critical and comparative study with other editions following different recensions and versions. This will be a cheaper and handy edition immensely useful to scholars in many ways for their in-depth studies of the Valmiki Ramayana.

**Contents and Sample Pages**