This is the second of seven volumes that will present a complete and fully annotated translation of the Valmiki Ramayana of the seven sections of this great Sanskrit epic, the Ayodhyakanda is the most human, and it remains one of the best introductions to the social and political values of traditional India. This readable translation is accompanied by a commentary that elucidates the various problems of the text, whether philological, aesthetic, or cultural. Extensive use is made in the annotations of the numerous commentaries on the Ramayana composed in medieval India. The substantial introduction supplies a historical context for the poem and a critical reading that explores its literary and ideological components. The volumes of this work will present the entire Ramayana, translated here for the first time on the basis of the critical edition (Oriental Institute, baroda), which takes into account manuscripts representing all regional traditions. Contents List of Abbreviations, Preface, Guide to sanskrit Pronunciation, PART I. Introduction, Prelude to the Ayodhyakanda, Synopsis of the Ayodhyakanda, The Central Issues, A Problem of Narrative and Its Significance, The Philosophy, Aesthetic and Literary-Historical Considerations, The Characters, The Women of the Ayodhyakanda, Dasaratha, Rama, The Text, Annotations, and Translation, PART II: Ayodhyakanda, PART III. Notes, Glossary of Important Proper Nouns and Epithets, Emendations and Corrections of the Critical Edition Bibliography of Works Consulted, Index.