Overview: Dharma. Ramayana.

Title: Ramayana: India's Immortal Tale of Adventure, Love and Wisdom
Author: Krishna Dharma
Year: 2008

Comments. This is a contemporary translation of Valmiki's Ramayana, and you can find out more about the author here: Krishna Dharma.

Free Online. Although it is not in the public domain, thanks to the generosity of the author and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, the book is available for you to read for free. Find out more at the Freebookapalooza. There are also links, section by section, below.

Bizzell Stacks. There is also a copy available for checkout from the regular Bizzell stacks: BL 1139.25 .E54 2003 (click to see if it is checked out or not).

Kindle: You can buy your own Kindle copy from Amazon for $7.99 (checked price January 2019); more about Kindles.

Length: up to four weeks. You are already familiar with the basic plot of the Ramayana from the first half of the semester, and this novelized version fills in lots of detail. I've divided the reading into eight parts, so you could use this for all the reading during the second half of the semester if you want, or you can select whatever specific part(s) are of interest to you.

WEEK 1:
Reading A 
Prologue
RKD: 1.1: King Daśaratha’s Longing
RKD: 1.2: The Birth of Rāma
RKD: 1.3: With the Sage Viśvāmitra
RKD: 1.4: The Trial of Strength
Reading B 
RKD: 1.5: Crooked Advice for Queen Kaikeyi
RKD: 1.6: The King’s Heartbreak
RKD: 1.7: Rāma Agrees to Depart
RKD: 1.8: Grief and Fury
RKD: 1.9: Sītā’s Plea
RKD: 1.10: Sad Farewells

WEEK 2:
Reading C 
RKD: 2.1: Into the Forest
RKD: 2.2: Devastation in Ayodhya
RKD: 2.3: Bharata’s Return
RKD: 2.4: ‘We Shall Bring Rāma Back’
Reading D 
RKD: 2.5: Rāma Remains Firm
RKD: 2.6: The Forest Sages
RKD: 2.7: The Rākṣasī Shurpanakha
RKD: 2.8: Rāvaṇa’s Lust is Incited
RKD: 2.9: The Kidnapping of Sītā


WEEK 3:
Reading E 
RKD: 2.10: Rāma’s Terrible Discovery
RKD: 2.11: Rāma Meets the Monkeys
RKD: 2.12: The Search Begins
RKD: 2.13: Hanumān Leaps to Lanka
RKD: 2.14: Sītā is Found
Reading F 
RKD: 3.1: The Army Sets Off
RKD: 3.2: Panic in Lanka
RKD: 3.3: Rāma Confronts the Ocean
RKD: 3.4: Rāvaṇa’s Evil Trickery
RKD: 3.5: The War Begins


WEEK 4:
Reading G 
RKD: 3.6: Garuḍa to the Rescue
RKD: 3.7: Rāvaṇa Enters the Fray
RKD: 3.8: The Colossal Demon
RKD: 3.9: Carnage Among the Rākṣasas
RKD: 3.10: Rāma and Lakṣman Laid Low
Reading H 
RKD: 3.11: Lakṣman Battles Indrajit
RKD: 3.12: Rāvaṇa Exhibits His Prowess
RKD: 3.13: The Final Battle
RKD: 3.14: Sītā’s Ordeal
RKD: 3.15: Back to Ayodhya
Epilogue


The following are appendices to the book; they are not part of any weekly reading option but you might find them useful for your research or just for your own reading pleasure!

Appendix 1: The Story of the River Ganges
Appendix 2: The History of Viśvāmitra
Appendix 3: The Birth and History of Hanumān
Appendix 4: The Benefits of Reading Rāmayana
Glossary
Author’s Note

KrishnaDharma.com

Overview: Dharma. Mahabharata.

Title: Mahabharata: The Greatest Spiritual Epic of All Time.

Author: Krishna Dharma

Year: 2008

Comments. You can find out more about this contemporary translation of the Mahabharata and its author here: Krishna Dharma.

Free Online. Although it is not in the public domain, thanks to the generosity of the author and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, the book is available for you to read for free. Find out more at the Freebookapalooza, or use the links, section by section, below.

Bizzell Reserve: Go to the Bizzell Reserve Desk to check out a Kindle with this book; you can learn about the Bizzell Kindles here.

Bizzell Stacks. There is also a copy available for checkout from the regular Bizzell stacks: PR 9499.3 .K665 M34 2013 (click to see if it is checked out or not).

Kindle: You can buy your own Kindle copy from Amazon for $9.99 (checked price March 2018); more about Kindles.

Length: MANY weeks. You are already familiar with the basic plot of the Mahabharata from the first half of the semester, and this novelized version fills in lots of detail. LOTS of detail. I've divided the reading into sixteen parts, so you could use this for all the reading during the second half of the semester if you want, or you can select whatever specific part(s) are of interest to you.

WEEK 1:
Reading A
MBK: 1.1: Birth of the Kuru Elders
MBK: 1.2: Pāṇḍu Cursed and Blessed
MBK: 1.3: The Pāṇḍavas Come to Hastināpura
MBK: 1.4: Duryodhana Begins His Evil Schemes
MBK: 1.5: The Martial Exhibition
Reading B
MBK: 1.6: The Kauravas’ Hatred Grows
MBK: 1.7: The Pāṇḍavas Sent Away
MBK: 1.8: Ghaṭotkaca Born and Baka Slain
MBK: 1.9: The Gandharva Aṅgaraparna
MBK: 1.10: Draupadī’s Svayaṁvara

WEEK 2:
Reading C
MBK: 1.11: The Pāṇḍavas Wed Draupadī
MBK: 1.12: Dhṛtarāṣṭra Gives Half the Kingdom
MBK: 1.13: Arjuna’s Pilgrimage
MBK: 1.14: Burning the Khāṇḍava Forest
MBK: 1.15: The Celestial Hall
MBK: 1.16: Mighty Jarāsandha
Reading D
MBK: 1.17: The Rājasūya Sacrifice
MBK: 1.18: Duryodhana’s Envy
MBK: 1.19: The Dice Game
MBK: 1.20: Draupadī Dragged to the Assembly
MBK: 1.21: The Pāṇḍavas Exiled

WEEK 3:
Reading E
MBK: 1.22: Into the Forest
MBK: 1.23: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Anxiety
MBK: 1.24: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Moral Instructions
MBK: 1.25: Arjuna Goes to Heaven
MBK: 1.26: To Badarīkā Ashram
Reading F
MBK: 1.27: Bhīma Meets Hanumān
MBK: 1.28: Kuvera Offended
MBK: 1.29: Arjuna Returns
MBK: 1.30: Kṛṣṇa Visits the Pāṇḍavas
MBK: 1.31: The Fight with the Gandharvas
MBK: 1.32: Sage Durvāsā

WEEK 4:
Reading G
MBK: 1.33: Jayadratha Kidnaps Draupadī
MBK: 1.34: The Lake of Death
MBK: 1.35: Into Virata
MBK: 1.36: Draupadī Again Insulted
MBK: 1.37: The Kurus Attack Virata
Reading H
MBK: 1.38: Arjuna Encounters the Kurus
MBK: 1.39: The Battle at Virata
MBK: 1.40: Out of Exile
MBK: 1.41: The Kings Choose Sides
MBK: 1.42: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Message

WEEK 5:
Reading I
MBK: 1.43: Anxiety for the Blind King
MBK: 1.44: Panic Among the Kauravas
MBK: 1.45: The Pāṇḍavas Consult Kṛṣṇa
MBK: 1.46: Kṛṣṇa’s Peace Mission
Reading J
MBK: 1.47: Duryodhana’s Obstinacy
MBK: 1.48: To Kurukṣetra
MBK: 2.1: The Armies Prepare
MBK: 2.2: Śikhaṇḍī’s Destiny
MBK: 2.3: Into Position

WEEK 6:
Reading K
MBK: 2.4: The Bhagavad-gītā
MBK: 2.5: The War Begins
MBK: 2.6: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Fear
MBK: 2.7: Bhīṣma Wreaks Havoc
MBK: 2.8: The Rākṣasas Show Their Power
MBK: 2.9: Bhīṣma’s Vow
Reading L
MBK: 2.10: Kṛṣṇa Protects His Devotee
MBK: 2.11: Yudhiṣṭhira Approaches Bhīṣma
MBK: 2.12: The Fall of Bhīṣma
MBK: 2.13: Droṇa in Command
MBK: 2.14: “Yudhiṣṭhira Will Be Captured”
MBK: 2.15: Abhimanyu’s Incomparable Power
MBK: 2.16: Arjuna’s Great Vow

WEEK 7:
Reading M
MBK: 2.17: Arjuna Slaughters the Kauravas
MBK: 2.18: Kṛṣṇa’s Mystic Power
MBK: 2.19: The Kauravas Rally
MBK: 2.20: The Night Battle
Reading N
MBK: 2.21: Dṛṣṭadyumna Encounters Droṇa
MBK: 2.22: The Nārāyaṇa Weapon
MBK: 2.23: Karṇa in Command
MBK: 2.24: Karṇa’s Prowess
MBK: 2.25: Arjuna Encounters Karṇa

WEEK 8:
Reading O
MBK: 2.26: Śalya Leads the Kauravas
MBK: 2.27: Bhīma Fights Duryodhana
MBK: 2.28: Massacre by Night
MBK: 2.29: Aśvatthāmā Punished
MBK: 2.30: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Sorrow
Reading P
MBK: 2.31: Bhīṣma’s Instructions
MBK: 2.32: Kṛṣṇa Returns to Dwārakā
MBK: 2.33: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Ashvamedha Sacrifice
MBK: 2.34: Vidura Instructs Dhṛtarāṣṭra
MBK: 2.35: The Pāṇḍavas Retire


The following are appendices to the book; they are not part of any weekly reading option but you might find them useful for your research or just for your own reading pleasure!

Appendix 1: Karṇa’s Birth
Appendix 2: Karṇa Cursed
Appendix 3: Bhīṣma’s Heavenly Origin
Appendix 4: Questions Posed by Dharma to Yudhiṣṭhira
Appendix 5: Brief Biographies of Main Characters
Author’s Note

KrishnaDharma.com

Featured Author: Krishna Dharma

As we move closer to the second half of the semester, you will have a lot of different reading options, and I know that for some of you the online option is most convenient. The problem, however, is that most online books are public domain books published before 1923. There are a few exceptions to that rule, though, so I wanted to write about Krishna Dharma here and his contemporary translations of both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, both of which you can find online at the BhaktiVedanta Vedabase. These are both long books, so you could spend one or two or three or four weeks on each epic, either reading the whole thing (four weeks), or zooming in on a section of the epic that is of special interest to you.

Krishna Dharma is a British author, born Kenneth Anderson in 1955. He converted to Hinduism as a young man and has been deeply involved in the ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) movement, also known as the "Hare Krishna" movement. You can find out more at his website, KrishnaDharma.com, which is also the source for this image: