Ramayana

The Ramayana is one of ancient India's two great Sanskrit epics, alongside the Mahabharata. Traditionally attributed to the sage Valmiki, it is a Hindu smriti text, classified as itihasa, a narrative of past events interwoven with teachings on the goals of human life. The epic comprises nearly 24,000 shlokas organized into seven books, or kandas. It follows Prince Rama, the seventh avatar of Vishnu, born in Ayodhya to King Dasharatha to defeat the demon-king Ravana. The story spans Rama's royal birth, his marriage to Sita after bending Shiva's mighty bow, his fourteen-year exile, Sita's abduction by Ravana, and the climactic war that ends with Ravana's death.

The narrative unfolds across seven kandas. The Balakanda covers Rama's youth and his winning of Sita. The Ayodhyakanda recounts his banishment through palace intrigue, leading him to the forest with Sita and his half-brother Lakshmana. The Aranyakanda depicts the forest life and Sita's abduction. The Kiskindhakanda introduces his alliance with the monkey king Sugriva and the devoted Hanuman. The Sundarakanda details Hanuman's journey to Lanka. The Yuddhakanda culminates in the battle where Rama kills Ravana. The Uttarakanda, considered by some scholars a later addition, serves as an epilogue covering Rama's reign.

Scholars suggest the Ramayana was orally composed and transmitted before being written down, with the earliest oral traditions possibly dating back to the 8th century BCE and the written form solidified by the 3rd century CE. The recension of the Sanskrit texts took shape between 200 BCE and 200 CE. The epic's influence has been immense, shaping Sanskrit poetry, Hindu culture, and moral consciousness across Asia. It has inspired countless adaptations, from Kambar's 12th-century Tamil Kambaramayanam to the 16th-century Awadhi Ramcharitmanas, and modern retellings by R.K. Narayan and Ashok K. Banker. The festivals of Dussehra and Diwali celebrate events from the epic, and the concept of Rama Rajya, a utopian kingdom, has shaped political thought throughout Indian history. [edit]