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FOREWORD
 

 
10:1
 

 
What is the Ramayana, ask, some, with-

out its charming descriptions, its edify-

ing dialogues, its luminous excursuses?

No scholar will deny the value of these.

But the bare narrative has its own appeal.

The pathos and the human interest dwell

at the very heart of the story. The events

are the interactions of the simple tenden-
cies and passions of our nature, obscured
but little, if at all, by the splendours of

cies and passions of our nature, obscured
but little, if at all, by the splendours of
the palace or the pride, pomp and circum-

stance of glorious war. In the few pages

of this little book the philosopher will

see impressive illustrations of cause being

followed inevitably by effect, of the
strange beliefs passing under the names

strange beliefs passing under the names
of Karma, rebirth and destiny, of the

curious blending of piety and supersti-

tion, morality and custom, this world and

the next, and of the generalisations of