Are You suprised ?

ENGLISH CONTENTS OF 'RAMAYANA VISHAVRUKSHAM' ( in 3 volumes)

Volume 1 (7^th edition: pages 654, paper back, 1/8^th crown size)

Period of composition: November 1973 to October 1974.

(First and the third stories were originally published in 'Andhra Jyothi' weekly as serials and the book with other contents came out in October 1974)

1^st edition: 1974 (2000 copies)

2^nd edition: 1975 (2000 copies)

3^rd edition: 1977 (1000 copies)

4^th edition: 1981 (1000 copies)

5^th edition: 1987 (1000 copies)

6^th edition: 1993 (1000 copies)

7^th edition: 1997 (1000 copies)

Contents (in English)

Search for the truth

Foreword to the second edition

INTRODUCTION

1. Few things about 'Ramayana'

2. Story of Rama

3. Four aspects concerning the stories in this volume

4. Rama (his character)

5. Myth and Rationalism

6. About the stories in this volume:

1) This is Ramayana!

2) Throne at the mercy of the shoes

3) It happened just like this!

7. How do kings rule people?

8. Let us see some laughable things in these stories

9. Similarities between the lives of those days and these days

10. The actual aim of this Introduction

1) Law of evolution of human history

2) The beginning of human race

3) Man-woman relations in the gen-system

4) Property rights in the gen-system

5) After group marriage in the gen-system

6) Religion in the gen-system

7) Growth of knowledge in the gen-system

8) Production and labour

9) Division of labour between men and women

10) Trade in the gen system

11) Invasions of gens

12) Disintegration of gen system due to the emergence of private property

13) Classes, class interests and class nature

14) New constitution after the gen system

15) Begining of the 'army' in the human history

16) Taxes

17) Contradictions

18) Caste distinctions

19) Man-woman relations in the new set up

20) Patriarchy

21) Monogamous marriage

22) Prostitutes

23) Beggary

24) Army of pens: a)What it did for women? B) What it did for the poor

25) Exploitative system and the shameless culture

26) Origin of the state

27) Feudal set-up

28) Chaste-woman

29) Kings

30) Enemy classes under feudalism

31) Emergence of capitalist class

32) Enemy classes under capitalism

33) Where and how exploitation takes place?

34) Culture in the capitalist system

35) Communist society

36) Reformation or patch work?

11. Once again on Ramayana

1) Is 'Ramayana' a beautiful poem?

2) Gods and Devotion

12. The Last Foreword

13. About the cover picture of the book

14. Relevant Books Read

1. VALMIKI'S RAMAYANA (the beginning of 'Bala Kanda')

2. THIS IS RAMAYANA! (Story-1)

3. AFTER THE 1^ST STORY AND UPTO THE 2^ND STORY (Link-1)

4. SHOES AT THE MERCY OF THE THRONE! (Story-2)

5. AFTER THE 2^ND STORY AND UPTO THE 3^RD STORY (Link-2)

6. IT HAPPENED JUST LIKE THIS! (Story-3)

SOME MODIFICATIONS

(Total Foot notes in this volume: 182)

Volume 2 (6^th edition: pages 690, paper back, 1/8^th demmy size)

Period of composition: Jan 1975 to August 1975.

1^st edition: 1975 (2000 copies)

2^nd edition: 1976 (2000 copies)

3^rd edition: 1982 (1000 copies)

4^th edition: 1987 (1000 copies)

5^th edition: 1994 (1000 copies)

6^th edition: 2000 (1000 copies)

Preface to the 4^th edition

INTRODUCTION

1. Few things about 'Ramayana'

2. Myth and Reality

1) What does 'scientific outlook' mean?

2) Reality that manifests in the myth:Golden Deer, The Bird Jatayu, Hanuman crossing the ocean, Hosting by Mynaka.

3) Half belief in the poet

4) Which is the ocean that Hanuman crossed?

5) Poet's 'futile struggle' for reality in the myth

3. Clamour about 'Prakshiptas' (Interpolations)

1) According to the critics of Interpolations

2) Are interpolations alone the basis for the defects in 'Ramayana'?: Didn't Lakshamana marry?- Is burning of Lanka, an interpolation?-Succession to throne- Development of the story-Who wrote 'Ramayana'?

3) Special features of certain other versions of 'Ramayana': In Bhaskara Ramayana, In Sri Krishna Ramayana, In Aadhyatma Ramayana

4) Arguments of those who say there are no Interpolations in 'Ramayana'

5) Differences in the nature of defects in 'Ramayana': Foolish mistakes, Bias towards Rama, Sex-attitude towards women

6) What is the difference between Valmiki's 'Ramayana' and the present day Ramayana?

5. 'Holy' Ramayana (A short-story)

6. Is 'Ramayana' not 'literature'?

1) What does 'examination' of Society actually mean?

2) Does 'society' not appear in 'Ramayana'?

3) How does a Marxist critique of literature look like?

7. Some questions, some doubts and some 'negative' comments

8. Some 'positive' comments

1. AFTER THE 3^RD STORY AND UPTO THE 4^TH STORY (Link-3)

2. GREATER THAN THAT GUY! (Story-4)

3. AFTER THE 4^TH STORY AND UPTO THE 5^TH STORY(Link-4)

4. DID SHE HEED MY ADVICE? (Story-5)

5. AFTER THE 5^TH STORY AND UPTO THE 6^TH STORY (Link-5)

6. THE SEX MANIAC (Story-6)

7. COLLABARATIVE THIEVES (RAMA AND SUGRIVA) (Story-7)

8. THE REAL FACE OF THE 'FRIENDSHIP' (Story-8)

9. AFTER THE 8^TH STORY AND UPTO THE 9^TH STORY (Link-6)

10. SITA AND RAVANA (Story-9)

11. AFTER THE 9^TH STORY AND UPTO THE 10^TH STORY (Link-7)

12. PENNYLESS PRESENT (Story-10)

(Total Foot notes in this volume: 203.

Volume 3 (4^th edition: pages 720, paper back, 1/8^th crown size)

Date of composition: October 1975 to July 1976

1^st edition: 1976 (2000 copies)

2^nd edition: 1977 (2000 copies)

3^rd edition :1992 (1000 copies)

4^th edition: 1997 (1000 copies)

Contents

PREFACE (to the 1^st edition)

1. HOW GOOD AM I? HOW MANY HARDSHIPS DO I FACE? (Story-11)

2. THE THIRD THIEF (Vibhushana) (Story-12)

3. AFTER THE 12^TH STORY AND UPTO THE 13^TH STORY (Link-8)

4. HAS RAMA PASSED AWAY?

5. AFTER THE 13^TH STORY AND UPTO THE 14^TH STORY (Link-9)

6. THE PUBLIC CONTROVERSY (STORY-14)

7. AFTER THE 14^TH STORY AND UPTO THE 15^TH STORY (Link-10)

8. RAMA IN THE PLACE OF SHOES (Story-15)

9. AFTER THE 15^TH STORY AND UPTO 16^TH STORY (Link-11)

10. THE BEAUTY OF RAMA'S RULE (Story-16)

11. WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES IF WE READ 'RAMAYANA'?

12. VALMIKI AS POET

13. SOME CRITICS OF 'RAMAYANA'

1) Kotta Satyanarayana Chowdary's 'Secrets of Ramayana'

2) Suravaram Pratapa Reddy's 'Specialities of Ramayana'

3) Muddu Krishna's 'Ashokam'

4) Tripuraneni Ramaswamy's 'The killing of Shambuka'

5) Chalam's 'Sita enters the fire'

6) Periyar E.V. Ramaswamy's "Ramayana: A True Reading'

14. WHY SHOULD WE REJECT THE CULTURE OF 'RAMAYANA'?

(Total Foot notes in this volume: 178)