FOREWORD

Two histories the Sage Valmiki wrote, to teach the
growing" world he loved so well, the way of virtue and of
happiness. The one, intended for the younger souls, depicts
the outer life of Rama, prince and King of Ayodhya, in the
North, and tells of how he warred against and slew the evil
King, Ravana, Lord of Lanka in the South. This ancient book
is known to all the world as the Ramayana. The other, less
known, helpful at a later stage, is called the Maha Ramayana,
Greater Book, and it describes the inner life of Rama, telling
how he triumphed over foes within himself, and so prepared to
fight and conquer, for the helping of the world, the outer evil
forces rampant in that time.

The story of this Greater Book is here essayed in brief.