List of Abbreviations ix
Preface xv
Guide to Sanskrit Pronunciation xxi
Part I Introduction 1
1. Preamble and Synopsis of the Uttaraka¿¿a 3
2. The Major Characters of the Uttaraka¿¿a 12
3. The Rak¿asas of the Uttaraka¿¿a 36
4. The Work of the Uttaraka¿¿a 54
5. Who Knows the Uttaraka¿¿a? 65
6. The Problem of the Uttaraka¿¿a 74
7. The Controversial Episodes: The Uttaraka¿¿a and Its Critics 82
8. The Structure of the Uttaraka¿¿a 114
9. Historicity and Sovereignty in the Uttaraka¿¿a 157
10. The Theology of the Uttaraka¿¿a 169
11. The Ramaya¿a and the Gayatrimantra 187
12. The Text, Commentaries, and Translations of the Uttaraka¿¿a 199
Part II Uttaraka¿¿a 223
Part III. Notes 443
The Prak¿ipta Sargas 1285
Genealogy of the Rak¿asas 1403
Glossary of Important Sanskrit Words, Proper Nouns, and Epithets 1407
Emendations and Corrections of the Critical Edition 1411
Bibliography of Works Consulted 1413
Index 1435

The concluding volume of a critical English edition of the monumental Indian epic
The seventh and final book of the monumental Ramayäa of Valmiki, the Uttarakä¿a, brings the epic saga to a close with an account of the dramatic events of King Rama's millennia-long reign. It opens with a colorful history of the demonic race of the rak¿asas and the violent career of Rama's villainous foe Raväa, and later recounts Rama's grateful discharge of his allies in the great war at Lanka as well as his romantic reunion with his wife Sita. But dark clouds gather as Rama, confronted by scandal over Sita's time in captivity under the lustful Raväa, makes the agonizing decision to banish his beloved wife, now pregnant. As Rama continues as king, marvelous tales and events unfurl, illustrating the benefits of righteous rule and the perils that await monarchs who fail to address the needs of their subjects.
The Uttarakä¿a has long served as a point of social and religious controversy largely for its accounts of the banishment of Sita, as well as of Rama's killing of a low-caste ascetic. The translators' introduction provides a full discussion of these issues and the complex reception history of the Uttarakä¿a. This translation of the critical edition also includes exhaustive notes and a comprehensive bibliography.

Robert P. Goldman is the William and Catherine Magistretti Distinguished Professor of Sanskrit and Indian studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and general editor of the Ramayäa Translation Project. Sally J. Sutherland Goldman is senior lecturer in Sanskrit at the University of California, Berkeley, and associate editor of the Ramayäa Translation Project.