The Greatest Ode to Lord Ram

<p><strong style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>About the Book</strong></p><p><strong style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>AN EASY-TO-UNDERSTAND BUT LAYERED INTRODUCTION TO LORD RAM AS A GOD AND AS A MAN</strong></p><p><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>The Ramcharitmanas is undoubtedly one of the greatest lyrical compositions in Hindi literature. Writing in the sixteenth century Tulsidas chose to pen verses in Awadhi rather than Sanskrit thus breaking with literary tradition and importantly making Lord Ram more relatable to the layperson. Pavan K. Varma author of the best-selling </span><em style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Adi Shankaracharya: Hinduism's Greatest Thinker</em><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)> has selected some of the most evocative stanzas-offering a succinct commentary for each-that capture the very core of the original.</span></p><p>While centring the philosophical aspect of the Ramcharitmanas-the immutability of the soul over the merely corporeal; the transience of worldly pleasures; the placing of wisdom above knowledge-<em style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>The Greatest Ode to Lord Ram</em><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)> describes a devoted son a loving sibling a committed lover an ideal ruler and also a human almost bereft of divinity. Indeed Ram is a god and a man; he is comprehensible.</span></p><p>Tulsidas's seminal work employs a unique poetic linguistic tool that unravels even the most profound concepts with utmost simplicity blending philosophy with breath taking verse. Varma's compelling new selection and commentary achieves this effect by combining the aesthetics romance and imagery of the original work with the unadulterated spirituality that sparkles through the conduct of a great god.</p><p><br></p><p><strong style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>About the Author</strong></p><p><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Diplomat-writer Pavan K. Varma is the author of several best-selling books including </span><em style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>The Great Indian Middle Class Being Indian Adi Shankaracharya: Hinduism's Greatest Thinker</em><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)> and his latest release </span><em style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>The Great Hindu Civilisation</em><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>. He was an MP in the Rajya Sabha between 2014 and 2016. Earlier he was Advisor to the Chief Minister of Bihar with the rank of Cabinet minister. He was India's Ambassador in several countries including Bhutan also Director of the Nehru Centre in London Official Spokesperson of the MEA and Press Secretary to the President of India. He was conferred an Honorary Doctoral Degree for his contribution to the fields of diplomacy literature culture and aesthetics by the University of Indianapolis in 2005. He was also conferred the Druk Thuksey Bhutan's highest civilian award by His Majesty the King of Bhutan in 2012. In 2018 on the instructions of His Holiness the Shankaracharya of Sringeri he was conferred an Honorary Doctorate by Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management. He is currently a Distinguished Professor at Symbiosis International University. He is also a well-known columnist and TV personality. Pavan K. Varma lives in Delhi and can be contacted at pavank.pa@ outlook.com and on Twitter @PavanK_Varma.</span></p>