The Vasistha Ramayana : A Study (An Old and Rare Book)

This work was first published in 1955. I am grateful to the world of scholars for the kind reception they gave to it. There has been a constant demand for this book which had been out of print for a long time. I am very grateful to the Proprietors of Messrs Meharchand Lachhmandas, New Delhi, who came forward to bring out the second edition of the work. I am also grateful to Dr. (Mrs.) Nalini M. Chapekar for correcting the proofs, preparing the index and attending to all problems connected with this book while it went through the press. The Proprietors of Messrs Meharchand Lachhmandas deserve my best thanks for their uniform courtesy, kindness and for their keen interest in my work.

To The First Edition With the work of Dr. Atreya in the field, an attempt to write about the Yoga-Vasistha or the Vasistha Ramayana might be considered by some as almost uncalled for. Very valuable contributions have also been made to the study of the Vasistha Ramayana by scholars of great repute : Dr. Raghavan, Prof. Shivaprasada Bhattacarya, Mr. P. C. Divanji and Dr. S. N. Dasgupta. To all these great scholars very great debt is due and it is most respectfully acknowledged with a deep sense of gratitude.

Dr. Atreya's work was published in 1936 and since then much valuable contribution has been made to the Vasistha Ramayana studies. But all these views and reviews have appeared mostly in the form of papers or articles in Journals and therefore are in a scattered condition. A student of the Vasistha Ramayana should have all this material presented to him in one place. A work of the importance of the Vasistha Ramayana, with so much being written about it, certainly needs a review after at least 17 years since the first book on it appeared.

Dr. Atreya's work primarily deals with the philosophy of the Vasistha Ramayana and is in the main comparative in outlook and treatment. It is intended here to study the work as an Epic of the Vedanta. The very chapters are so arranged as to develop the argument desired. Viewed in this aspect, it will be seen that here not only a survey or enmassing of the available material has been done but wherever possible, additions have been made and some different conclusions have been arrived at.

I have to thank Dr. V. Raghavan for his very generous help. Dr. R.N. Dandekar, my Gum, has been everything to me all these days and it is his very kind interest and love that has been an encouragement and an inspiration to me. I am indebted to him for many valuable suggestions. I have also to thank Prof. P. B. Sathaye for many useful suggestions and for kindly correcting the proofs. I have to thank my friends Prof. A. K. Bhagavat and Prof. W. S. Sangavkar for their very valuable suggestions and constant help. I am deeply indebted to these friends of mine and to them my best thanks are due. The Managers of the Prabha Press, Sangli deserve thanks for their uniform courtesy and kindness.

**Contents and Sample Pages**