Gita Press, Gorakhpur: the editions behind Ramayana.com
Every Hindi and English meaning on Ramayana.com comes from Gita Press editions, which are named on every page. These books help us understand the words of Maharshi Valmiki and Goswami Tulsidas as we read. The site exists partly so that readers go on to buy the printed books, giving the scripture a place in their homes and their daily lives.
Who Gita Press is
Gita Press, Gorakhpur, was founded in 1923 by Jaya Dayal Goyandka. It prints scriptures at near cost and does not advertise. Its publishing arm is Gobind Bhavan Karyalaya, Kolkata. Gita Press received the Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021.
Hanuman Prasad Poddar, affectionately known as Bhaiji, was the founding editor of its magazine Kalyan. He also wrote the Hindi tika, or commentary and meaning, of the Ramcharitmanas used on Ramayana.com. A commentary helps us attend to what the verse teaches. We read the original words, then turn to their meaning so that recitation is accompanied by understanding.
The editions we use
Two Gita Press editions support the Ramcharitmanas pages on Ramayana.com. Each helps readers approach the original Awadhi text.
The Ramcharitmanas with Hindi tika by Hanuman Prasad Poddar supplies the Hindi commentary and meaning. Goswami Tulsidas composed the Ramcharitmanas mainly in chaupais and dohas. Reading the Awadhi alongside the Hindi explanation allows us to pause over a word, understand a teaching and return to the verse with greater attention.
The Romanised Ramcharitmanas with English translation supplies the English translation. The printed edition also presents the text in Roman letters. On Ramayana.com, readers can study the original Awadhi with its English meaning, verse by verse, through the English interface.
The complete Valmiki Ramayana also comes from Gita Press editions. The Sanskrit-Hindi edition supplies the Hindi translation by Pandey Ramnarayan Dutt Shastri. The English edition supplies the English meaning. All seven kandas and 648 sargas are available, keeping Maharshi Valmiki's Sanskrit before the reader alongside its meaning.
The edition is named so that readers know which book accompanies their study. When a passage invites further attention, they can continue with the printed volume from which its meaning comes.
How to buy the printed books
Gita Press books are sold at near cost. Readers wishing to bring the Ramcharitmanas home can visit the Shri Ramcharitmanas special edition product page or browse the Ramcharitmanas category at Gita Press Bookshop.
Before choosing, read the listing to find the language and presentation suited to your reading. Someone studying through Hindi may want the Hindi tika. Someone reading through English may want the English translation.
Ramayana.com is free and has no advertising. It takes no payments or donations on the site. It is a project of Ved Vyas Foundation, created so that people read the scripture and go on to buy printed books from Gita Press and other publishers.
Why keep a printed book at home
A printed book gives daily reading a settled place. We can keep it where the family gathers, open it at the appointed time and read a passage together. For example, a family may choose one doha for the evening. They read it aloud, study its meaning and consider how to practise its teaching the following day.
For reading on the phone, the free Ramayan app offers both scriptures offline, with bookmarks and reading plans. At home, open the printed book regularly. Read a little with attention, understand its meaning and carry one teaching into the day.