Originally published in the year 1951,the book due to it's huge popularity has been re-printed many,many times.The Ramayana is not history or biography. It is a part of Hindu mythology. One cannot understand Hindu dharma unless one knows Rama and Seeta, Bharata, Lakshmana, Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Hanuman. More details: Mythology cannot be dispensed with. Philosophy alone or rituals alone or mythology alone cannot be sufficient. These are the three strands of all ancient religions. The attitude towards things spiritual which belongs to a particular people cannot be grasped or preserved or conveyed unless we have all these three. To millions of men, women and children in India, the Ramayana is not a mere tale. It has more truth and meaning than the events in one s own life. Just as plants grow under the influence of sunlight, the people of India grow in mental strength and culture by absorbing the glowing inspiration of the Ramayana. The popularity of the book is so great that it has run into forty two impressions ever since it was originally published in the year 1951.