Rama's Glory

Beryl Baigent is a poet; her published collections include Absorbing the
Dark, Hiraeth: In Search of Celtic Origins, Triptych: Virgins, Victims,
Votives, and Mystic Animals.

In this volume, award-winning author Bhartendu Srivastava synthesizes
the two Vedic ideas of Karma and Dharma. Karma is the law of cause and
effect, and Dharma refers to the path one should follow in accordance
with one’s nature and station in life.

Rama is a human incarnation of Vishnu, one of the three great gods of
Hinduism, and the hero of the epic Indian saga The Ramayana—the first
poem, according to Hindu tradition, to be written by a human. In this
epic, Rama achieves his goals through suffering and living an exemplary
life, rather than through preaching. These goals are to restore law and
order, unite the country, punish evil, abolish class distinction,
protect the environment, and inculcate a sense of duty and service.

As Bhartendu notes in his introduction, the countless poets who have
narrated the story of Rama’s life have, in “the beauty of the
Ramayana tradition, ... expressed [their] own truth as [they have] seen
it.” The poem begins with “Bal Kand” (“The Child Chapter”) and
progresses through stories of the city, the forest, the mountain, the
beautiful, and the kingdom, before reaching the Final Chapter. Each Kand
is preceded by a benediction. The book concludes with a glossary of
Hindu words and a translation of the non-English texts.

Rama’s Glory will be welcomed by Asian scholars, yoga practitioners,
and anyone who wishes to understand the Hindu psyche.