Famous Ramayana epic now in modern English

UC Berkeley professors, Robert and Sally Goldman, led the 40-year project to translate the Sanskrit epic poem Valmiki Ramayana to modern English.
Robert Goldman was a graduate student spending several years in India in the late 1960s, when, just for fun, he and a friend read the epic Sanskrit poem, the Valmiki Ramayana. Goldman was captivated by the adventures of the Hindu god Vishnu, who comes to earth on a divine mission in the form of the human hero, Rama.
“Think the Iliad and the Odyssey and the Bible in one package, and you might get a sense of it,” says Goldman, recalling the Ramayana’s simultaneously literary and religious stories of love and war, sex and violence, and mundane daily struggles sprinkled with multi-headed monsters and an army of shape-shifting monkeys.
During his original reading of the Valmiki Ramayana, he wished for a more readable English translation of the nearly 3,000-year-old classic, with its 24,000 verses constituting some 50,000 lines mostly in a 32-syllable meter. It seemed a worthy idea, considering that the legend, translated and transformed from Sanskrit into all Indian and Southeast Asian languages, sheds light on an ancient world and still influences Indian art, religion, politics and life today.
The translation saga
Shortly after joining the UC Berkeley faculty in 1971 as an assistant professor of Sanskrit, Goldman says he assembled a group of scholars, divvying up the seven books of the Ramayana among them. The Valmiki Ramayana Translation Project was off and running.
In addition to translating the story, Goldman also was determined to produce an exhaustive annotation of the Ramayana for scholars of the text that serves as a foundation for Hinduism and provided core primers for Buddhist, Islamic, Jaina and other South and Southeast Asian cultures.
Of course, there were complications.
What’s most correct?
The Ramayana originated from an oral tradition. For more than 1,000 years of the story’s telling, there were no surviving manuscripts, notes Goldman, and when the epic was written, it was copied in different scripts.
Some controversial segments were even excised from regional variants of the epic. Eventually a critical edition of the original poem Ramayana was produced in the 1960s and ‘70s by the Oriental Institute of Baroda, India, from dozens of manuscripts collected from across the Indian subcontinent. Older translations into European languages generally were laden with awkward “thees” and “thous,” says Goldman. They were, of course, also not based on the critically reconstructed text.
Over the years, Goldman has been its director, editor and principal translator. His wife, Sally Sutherland Goldman, a UC Berkeley senior lecturer of Sanskrit, has been its associate editor. It often was an uneasy job for all involved.
“We argued about it, we fought about it, we disagreed,” says Goldman, explaining that he and fellow scholars eventually would agree on the interpretation that sounds “most correct” in English.
This week, Princeton University Press publishes the project’s seventh - and final - volume, Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki: An Epic of Ancient India, Volume VII, the Uttarakāṇḍa. It spells the end of the project led by Goldman and a consortium of Sanskrit scholars from around the world.
Read the full story and watch a video of Goldman reciting a Ramayana passage here:
news.berkeley.edu/2016/11/17/r...
Video by Roxanne Makasdjian and Stephen McNally
news.berkeley.edu/
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[@2sridhark]

I salute this learned Professor and his wife for taking up this arduous task and successfully completing it. Ramayana is in our blood. I have read short versions in my mother tongue (Tamil), watched it played out in Plays on stage, read the English versions, and consulted (though not fully read) the Sanskrit original text. Each has its own flavor. Then there is the highly popular TV serials that keep propping up and are watched by millions.

[@user-vo8ep8jz8c]

The serials are not true to the story all the time though.

[@akshi400]

Thank you so much. I really appreciate your effort.

[@ashishjoseph3522]

Flaws in his translation. kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5Scf5yEZs6ShJo

[@archinsoni1254]

It's the greatest literary work in the history.

[@VideoSchoolOnline]

Yay! Glad to see this video is live!

[@nanak3363]

Hats off :)

[@pranjalkr.saikia4199]

Thank you,Sir..

[@gamechanger8334]

Great job

[@sachinjagtap4317]

Thank you!

[@kethavathniranjan3555]

Great job sir

[@realindian8043]

Thanku sir ❤️

[@dhritimanbhattacharjee9439]

Great

[@hairbiz3798]

Just amazing ❤

[@BALWANTSINGH-fz7nm]

The Ramayana is not a poem . It is history of Indians.

[@prathameshbhonkhade7801]

No bro it's actually a poem originally

[@mohit5895]

@@prathameshbhonkhade7801 It's history. Ramayana and Mahabharata are real

[@Hououin-Kyoma]

It's the History written in Poem Form

[@shriyashsaxena5559]

@@prathameshbhonkhade7801 As per the ancient times any happening in that time was written in poetic forms i.e in the form of shlokas or poems.

[@Athato_Brahmajijnasa]

@Darkness Don't accept. No one cares whether you accept it or not.

[@darklordgaming7406]

Really great work sir Jai Shri ram 🙏

[@AnimeshSinghChauhan]

Do not believe him his translation isn't accurate at all. Watch this. kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5Scf5yEZs6ShJo

[@61Ghazipur]

Very Good. Jai Sri Ram.

[@vKaran12]

Amazing stuff - great job by these two.

[@2006minesh]

Shocking that you are supporting an ignorant white man whose translation is floored. Have you not heard of the Gita press?

[@vKaran12]

@@2006minesh I heard a little bit. Please tell me more.

[@vainateyghadigaonkar4172]

"Robert Goldman vs. Gita Press" - Nityanand Misra & Rajiv Malhotra .watch this kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5Scf5yEZs6ShJo

[@saranRamsai]

Ramayana is not just a poetry. Its the essence of human greatness and behaviours of ideal society. Who ever reads and understands will automatically fall under gods protection. It will protect you in even in other life as well. Whoever contributed to the work of Ramayana will be blessed till his soul reaches god. Ramayan is the dearest to Lord Shiva himself and he chants name Ram in his meditation. Ram name has great cosmic powers to it. we can see it many other religions names starting with Ram (Ramon, Ramsey, Ramadan.. etc)

[@vinsin328]

You have never read Valmiki Ramayana.

[@saranRamsai]

⁠@@vinsin328how do you know . I have read Valmiki Ramayana. don’t just assume. Your are not professor in xmen.

[@bollapragadabhaskararao4299]

Dear Prof Goldman, Though I have not gone thru your work on Ramayana, I wish to submit an essay on Cultural Habits mentioned in Valmiki Ramayan. If you have any project on Ramayan studies or Work shop I would like to submit Thank you for your great effort.

[@venkatnandan8767]

jai sri ram

[@kishantiwari8754]

Yes You are right. Hinduism(Ramayana) Big knowlegdge Of Society balance.

[@rajeshbhanjan783]

not 2500 years old, valmiki ramayana is written more than 9 lac years ago. I appreciate Berkeley professor Robert and Sally goldman's hard work. Jai Shri Ram to both of you and your team🙏🙏🙏

[@vinsin328]

Evidence. Do you have a copy of the written text? There were no humans at that time. Jai Sita Ram.

[@rajeshbhanjan783]

@@vinsin328 according to what you have read in British language 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@nirodha35]

Why is thet total set no longer available in hardcover?

[@pritammukherjee12]

It is not a story it is a history of india

[@maku8075]

Go read Vivek Debroy critical edition English translation of the Valmiki Ramayana. One of the most accurate translation.

[@anindanmondal8223]

Respect from India. You could also take a look at Mahabharata which is more modern and complex than Ramayana.

[@DivinaaCreative]

@Milin Patel I think the Ramayana was written down first and he meant literature-wise

[@infinite5795]

Ramayana is the oldest oral Epic as well one of the longest ones on Hindu culture as well as life of Sri Rama.

[@tanmaysingh7041]

How to buy that Ramayana ?

[@boymulcaster5096]

Would like to buy but they are so expensive. What gives Berkeley?

[@Raut-warrior]

Try Bibek debroy's translation

[@gamechanger8334]

That's why we believe in reincarnation. That urge to learn Indian culture didn't come randomly

[@kastronomylovers777]

Now the history of ramayna tv serial also available in english.ramanand sagar ramayan in english serial.

[@vinsin328]

That is not based on Valmiki Ramayana. It was for entertainment purposes.

[@kastronomylovers777]

And also shree krishna serial

[@KamalSingh-wb8ev]

🇮🇳♥️

[@arupratan1978]

If translation of Ramayana is over, now try Mahabharat with 1 million shlokas ir verses

[@nagellikiran22]

Many many thanks for your effort into this issue Also refer Hinduism

[@mkultramann1798]

Not hindu!

[@AnimeshSinghChauhan]

Watch this. kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5Scf5yEZs6ShJo

[@ultramaxpro8537]

It is not an epic. This is India's history.

[@vinsin328]

Evidence? History is history, nothing is called India's history. India is part of the planet earth.

[@gamechanger8334]

Next Mahabharata!!!!!!

[@AnimeshSinghChauhan]

People like you believe in such professors as If it was their culture look at the mistakes he purposely did. kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5Scf5yEZs6ShJo

[@ujwalmokashi6702]

Looks like poor translation after watching Nityanand Mishra criticism.

[@rudhisundar]

VALMIKI HAS WRITTEN 6 KANDAS, BUT GOLDMAN WRITES 7TH KANDA!

[@vinsin328]

Nope. Please provide evidence, file a court case and show the research paper for your claims.

[@mrmag3156]

I am sorry but your translation if very very wrong. Each and every verse has mistake. Why don't you read Gita Press edition

[@vinsin328]

They do not publish Ramayana. You can file a case. Also, Gita Press is not a university.

[@VIJENDRAKUMAR-ur1fd]

THE CHARACTERS NAMES OF RAMAYAN ARE STOLEN FROM DASARATH JATAKA.

[@ashoknayaki7776]

Bible install

[@atmatmatthemomentallthatma5604]

Ramayana was not written 2500 years back.

[@vinsin328]

So when was it written?

[@atmatmatthemomentallthatma5604]

@@vinsin328 2500 years back was Maurya Dynasty. Obviously faar faar before that. Valmiki wrote Ramayan before Ram was born. So obviously around 10000 years back.

[@coolgamingking4072]

Not epic in the ramyana first in a ramyana best ram and sita best in 1 ramyana super

[@DilipKumar-vu1eh]

barkeys sir hindiesm world 1 dharma in earth and oldest dharm planet India se world make sabse pehle India tha world me bad me Christian Muslim country made India center for all world

[@Dharmic_developer]

Thanks sir for your efforts... Just a constructive criticism But i dont think its true traslation... Plz sir can u make it more clear ❤ from India

[@lifeskillprofessor3455]

With due respect, I want to inform you that, prof goldman sometimes seems to not have been familiar with the meaning of some basic words like 'kritgya', sometimes he seems to mistranslate. here is a video kzbin.info/www/bejne/kHy9p4yse7SFoLM

[@bhargava4933]

Wtf?

[@DeepakGupta-cz7pt]

First of all its not written 2500 years ago and second it's not poem

[@vinsin328]

So when was it written? If it is not written in the poem then what form is it written in.

[@rudhisundar]

One can't write on Ramayan unless one does Sadhna!

[@user-vo8ep8jz8c]

And what is Sadhna?

[@VirRawlley]

What do you think the "work" of translation was ? Can you think of a better sadhna ?

[@dipalpandya6975]

40 years of Purusharth is not sadhna than what is ? If u can’t see good in anything than I m sorry my friend you have no value to add by criticizing.

[@vinit1366]

Best Version of Ramayana Is From Geeta Press

[@vinsin328]

And what is that? They are not writing Ramayana. Translating into English.

[@ashoknayaki7776]

English bible app Arabic bible app

[@ashoknayaki7776]

Russian Bible app Hindi bible app

[@UPAKHOSALA]

Typically Western intellectual trying to interpret The History as mythology

[@vinsin328]

You can always provide the evidence if you have it. It is Indians who call Ramayana Mythology, not Westerns. I doubt your schooling.

[@RakeshSingh-rt7bt]

​@@vinsin328 Indians don't call it mythology, westners and some Indian who blindly follow the west call it mythology.. But in tradition it ramayan and Mahabharata are known as itihas. धर्म अर्थ काम मोक्षाणाम, उपदेशम समन्वित पूर्व वृत्तम कथा युक्तम इतिहासम प्रचक्षते।

[@chanderpal9140]

Listen to rajiv malhotra he will make dharshan of what these people publish is very far reality. These dont have adhikar for any these translations and commentries. Any dharmic will never read these so called translations.

[@2sridhark]

Nonsense. Ramayana has been interpreted and reinterpreted in a number of ways. It is written in different languages. Rajaji wrote a short version in English and Tamil. Much earlier than that Kamban wrote his own version. One guy by name Ashok Banker wrote a 8 volume Ramayana as a "thriller"! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Versions_of_Ramayana One more version is welcome. IT seems well researched.

[@user-vo8ep8jz8c]

How do you decide who has Adhikar and who doesn't

[@AnimeshSinghChauhan]

@@2sridhark watch this video and you'll know when you claims you've understood everything then it is misleading for the people who read your book. Watch this kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5Scf5yEZs6ShJo I just can't believe people like you do trust th blindly.

[@AnimeshSinghChauhan]

@@user-vo8ep8jz8c watch this. kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5Scf5yEZs6ShJo

[@vinsin328]

And who decides that? You have no right to use KZbin by your own logic.

[@venkatnandan8767]

jai sri ram