God incarnates age after age to restore dharma (righteousness). Sri Ramachandra is worshipped by the sages as the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and Sita, his spouse, as Goddess Lakshmi. The story of His exploits and Her travails was written by Sage Valmiki and taught to Rama's children who sang it to the world. A national epic of India, it is, in the opinion of many, the greatest story ever told on true love, happy marriage, and dharma. The characters in the Ramayana relate to our own human drama. The story teaches us a way of life. It shows how to have pure love among family members, describes our duty towards society and gives us a method to control the ten senses and mind for inner peace and spiritual bliss. This "concise" version for Westerners, as compared to a lake of wisdom, will inspire many to seek out the full version, a veritable ocean. 212 pgs., 1976 (shipping weight: .75 lb.)