Valmiki Ramayana: The Book of Wilderness
A heroic legend played out in a universe populated by celestial beings and terrifying beasts, the Rāmāyana is also an intensely personal story of family relationships, love and loss, duty and honour. The Book of Wilderness narrates the events that took place during Rāma’s exile in the forest, leading to the climactic battle between gods and demons. Arshia Sattar’s brilliant translation bridges time and space to bring us the wisdom, adventure and eroticism of this timeless classic.
Arshia has a PhD from the Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago. Her areas of interest are Indian epics, mythology and the story traditions of the subcontinent. Her translation of Tales from the Kathāsaritasāgara was published by Penguin in 1995.