SIMPLIFIED AND FAITHFUL
RENDERING OF THE ADI KAVYA
Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao
My daughters Bunti (Prema Malini) and Kinni (Kinnera) observation (and perhaps my son Aditya’s too) about me, and a recent acknowledgment by my daughter-in-law Parul, to adhere to an age-old ritualistic tradition, forming part of an auspicious occasion, and conscientiously following the practice step by step, as guided by her mother-in-law (My Wife) Vijayalakshmi, took me back to my childhood learning from my illustrious father and mother, and later part of my life, especially after marriage, from my wife and near and dear.
The result is this book. And the introductory write-up for consumption of my family members basically and for sharing with all near and dear.
This also had shown me the way to engage in a humble presentation of Valmiki Ramayana in English, which is born of an inner urge to make India’s most sacred epic accessible to those who, though Indian by origin, have gradually lost touch with their mother tongues, often out of compulsion and in tune with ever changing times.
Living far from their roots, many Non-Resident Indians, and their children, including my close relations, desire to know what their ancestors read, revered, and lived by. To them this simplified yet faithful rendering of the Adi Kavya, not as a mere translation, as was done by many earlier, but as a bridge between languages, generations, and continents.
The effort is not scholastic but devotional, a sincere attempt to awaken curiosity, reverence, and reflection in minds that think in English but feel in Indian rhythm. With a firm belief that, the Valmiki Ramayana is not a book to be just finished the reading, but a companion to be cherished; not an ancient legend to be admired from far away, but a living light to be carried within. If these pages help even a few readers rediscover that light, the purpose of this endeavor shall stand fulfilled.
PLEASE WAIT FOR THE RELEASE AND FOR AN EARLY COPY
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