Composing…
Composing…
Rāmāyaṇa · c. 300 BCE – 300 CE (core Sanskrit text; debated) · Sanskrit
Traditional: Maharishi Valmiki (traditional)
Scholarly note: Multiple recensions (north vs south); regional Rāmāyaṇas (e.g. Kamban, Tulsidas) are separate works.
Record the life of Rāma as ideal dharma-rāja and bhakta, teaching duty, exile, rescue of Sītā, and victory over adharma.
The Ramayana is the sacred history of Sri Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Hanuman, and the struggle to uphold dharma under pressure. It is read as poetry, scripture, ethical guide, festival source, temple memory, and daily devotional inspiration.
Valmiki's Sanskrit Ramayana gives the classical structure for Rama-katha, while later Hindu traditions retell the same sacred life through regional languages and sampradayas. Its power comes from the way cosmic dharma is shown through family duty, exile, friendship, grief, courage, and devotion.
Extent · Seven kāṇḍas, ~24,000 ślokas (śloka count varies by edition)
Bālakāṇḍa through Uttarakāṇḍa with narrative, counsel, and didactic set pieces.