Valmiki Ramayana Pada Suchi Part 2

The provided text is a pada-suchi (an index of foot-verses) of the Valmiki Ramayana, compiled by Govindlal Hargovind Bhatt. This second volume of the index, published in 1966 by the Oriental Institute, Baroda, under the Gaekwad's Oriental Series (No. 153), continues the work initiated in the first volume (published in 1961).

The primary purpose of this index, as stated in the preface, is to aid in the textual reconstruction of the Ramayana. It achieves this by providing a comprehensive list of quarter-verses (padas) from the Valmiki Ramayana, along with their references (book, chapter, and verse). The index is based on the Vulgate text, specifically the edition published by the Gujarati Printing Press, Bombay (1912-1920 AD), which was used as a base text for collation in the Critical Edition of the Ramayana.

The compiler, the late Professor G. H. Bhatt, recognized the value of such an index for tracing quotations from the Ramayana scattered throughout Sanskrit literature, which is crucial for establishing the text's authenticity and understanding its relationship with other epics and Puranas. The index facilitates a comparative study of language, words, phrases, expressions, and similes, thereby throwing light on the mutual relations between these ancient texts.

The index is meticulously arranged alphabetically by the first word of the quarter-verse (pada). Each entry provides the pada itself and its precise location within the Valmiki Ramayana, indicated by the book and verse number. The extensive sample pages demonstrate the sheer volume and detail of this work, listing countless verses starting with various Sanskrit words. The text also acknowledges the financial assistance from the University Grants Commission and the Government of Gujarat for the publication of the Critical Edition of the Ramayana and related works.

In essence, "Valmiki Ramayana Pada Suchi Part 2" is a scholarly tool of immense value for researchers and students of Sanskrit literature and the Ramayana, offering a systematic and comprehensive reference to its constituent verses.