Ramayana

The Ramayana, traditionally attributed to the sage Valmiki, is one of Hinduism's two great epics alongside the Mahabharata. This ancient Sanskrit text narrates the journey of Rama, the seventh avatar of Vishnu, who is exiled to the forest for fourteen years by his father King Dasharatha at the request of his stepmother Kaikeyi. Accompanied by his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana, Rama's forest exile turns dramatic when Sita is kidnapped by Ravana, the king of Lanka, leading to a devastating war before Rama eventually returns victorious to Ayodhya with Sita to claim his rightful throne. Though scholars date its earliest composition between the 7th-4th centuries BCE with additions continuing until the 3rd century CE, this massive epic of nearly 24,000 verses divided into seven chapters has transcended its origins to become a cultural cornerstone across Asia, with versions appearing in numerous languages including Thai (Ramakien), Cambodian (Reamker), Indonesian, and virtually every Indian language, ultimately serving as a profound influence on literature, art, and moral philosophy by emphasizing the importance of virtue in both personal conduct and ideal governance (Ramarajya).