The Ramayan

The Ramayan by Valmiki (300)

The Ramayan is an ancient Sanskrit epic poem written by the sage Valmiki. It is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the Mahabharata. The Ramayan tells the story of Rama, an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, and his quest to rescue his beloved wife Sita from the clutches of the demon king Ravana. The epic is divided into seven books, known as kandas, and is composed of 24,000 verses. The first book, Bala Kanda, tells the story of Rama's birth and childhood. The second book, Ayodhya Kanda, tells the story of Rama's exile and his return to Ayodhya. The third book, Aranya Kanda, tells the story of Rama's journey to the forest and his battle with the demon king Ravana. The fourth book, Kishkindha Kanda, tells the story of Rama's alliance with the monkey king Sugriva and their battle against Ravana. The fifth book, Sundara Kanda, tells the story of Rama's journey to Lanka and his battle with Ravana. The sixth book, Yuddha Kanda, tells the story of Rama's victory over Ravana and his return to Ayodhya. The seventh book, Uttara Kanda, tells the story of Rama's coronation and his rule over Ayodhya. The Ramayan is an important part of Hindu mythology and is widely read and studied in India and other parts of the world. It is considered to be one of the greatest works of Sanskrit literature and is often referred to as the Adi Kavya, or the first poem.

By Valmiki · First published 300 · Genre: Epic Poetry, Mythology, Religious Text · 60 chapters · 330,617 words

First lines

Praise to Valmiki,bird of charming song, Who mounts on Poesy's sublimest spray, And sweetly sings with accent clear and strong Rama, aye Rama, in his deathless lay.

Where breathes the man can listen to the strain That flows in music from Valmiki's tongue, Nor feel his feet the path of bliss attain When Rama's glory by the saint is sung!

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The Ramayan is listed on Textopian as a play by Valmiki, dated 300 CE.

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Epic poetry · Epic poetry, Sanskrit · Folklore · India · Poetry · Rama (Hindu deity) · Sanskrit · Translations into English · bow · bright · brother · cried

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