Ramayana Online: Public Domain Edition

This is a Public Domain Edition of the Ramayana, and you will find links to the 80 pages below. Each page contains text from an existing public domain translation of the Ramayana along with some comments from me, plus an illustration on each page, and also lots of links to help you explore the story in more detail. And now... there is audio, read by yours truly; you will see the SoundCloud segments embedded in each page. I hope you will find it an enjoyable and useful approach to the epic.

The reading is divided into four parts — Parts A, B, C, and D — for two weeks' worth of reading (two parts per week).

There are links to the individual posts below, and you can also use this link — PDE Ramayana — to see multiple posts on a page, spread out over five very big webpages (just click the "older posts" link at the bottom of each page to go on to the next page).

Hanuman, Rama, and Lakshmana attack Ravana

(image source)

Sources used: M. Dutt, R. Dutt, Gould, Griffith, Hodgson, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Oman, Richardson, and Ryder.

Reading Part A

1. King Dasharatha
2. Dasharatha's Sons
3. Rama: Avatar of Vishnu
4. Vishvamitra
5. Thataka
6. Bhagiratha and Ganga
7. Ahalya
8. Sita
9. King Janaka
10. Rama Wins Sita
11. Parashurama
12. Rama and Sita's Wedding
13. Rama the Heir Apparent
14. Manthara and Kaikeyi
15. Kaikeyi and Dasharatha
16. Rama is Banished
17. Rama Goes into Exile
18. Crossing the River
19. Dasharatha's Karma
20. Dasharatha's Death

Reading Part B

21. Bharata Returns
22. Dasharatha's Funeral
23. Rama and Bharata
24. The Sandals
25. Anasuya
26. Viradha
27. Agastya
28. Shurpanakha and Rama
29. Lakshmana and Shurpanakha
30. Battle with Khara
31. Shurpanakha and Ravana
32. Ravana and Maricha
33. The Golden Deer
34. The Chase
35. Ravana and Sita
36. Jatayu and Ravana
37. Sita in Lanka
38. Rama and Jatayu
39. Kabandha
40. Shabari

Reading Part C

41. Sugriva and Hanuman
42. Sugriva's Story
43. Sugriva and Vali
44. Vali's Death
45. King Sugriva
46. The Rainy Season
47. The Armies
48. Sampati
49. Sampati and Jatayu
50. Hanuman's Leap
51. Hanuman in Lanka
52. The Ashoka Grove
53. Sita and Ravana
54. Hanuman and Sita
55. Hanuman Captured
56. Hanuman and Ravana
57. The Burning of Lanka
58. The March on Lanka
59. Ravana's Court
60. Vibhishana

Reading Part D

61. The Bridge
62. Rama Attacks
63. Indrajit
64. Kumbhakarna
65. Hanuman and the Mountain
66. Lakshmana and Indrajit
67. Ravana's Lament
68. Ravana and Lakshmana
69. Indra's Chariot
70. Battle of Rama and Ravana
71. Ravana's Death
72. Mandodari's Lament
73. Sita and Rama
74. Sita Tested
75. Pushpaka
76. Rama and Bharata
77. Rama Crowned King
78. Valmiki's Hermitage
79. Sita Departs
80. Rama Departs