Hindu religious traditions
Ramayanaरामायण
Sanskrit epic
Valmiki’s epic follows Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman through exile, the abduction of Sita, the war in Lanka and the return to Ayodhya.
STORY & TRADITION
The world of Ramayana.
Valmiki’s epic follows Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman through exile, the abduction of Sita, the war in Lanka and the return to Ayodhya.
The Sacred Library
Details & context.
- Tradition dependence
- High — compare the identified textual or regional account.
- Library category
- Itihasa
- Form / textual family
- Sanskrit epic
- Traditional attribution
- Traditionally attributed to Valmiki.
- Subject & teachings
- Valmiki’s epic follows Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman through exile, the abduction of Sita, the war in Lanka and the return to Ayodhya.
- Structure
- Seven kandas in the received text; textual layers and recensions differ.
- Textual relationships
- Itihasa
- Historical context
- Composition, transmission and redaction must be distinguished; no unsupported exact date is assigned.
- Reading notes
- Read the Sanskrit with an identified translation. Commentary is presented by its own school, not as the only interpretation.
- Tradition notes
- Names and accounts can vary by recension, region and commentary. This entry distinguishes attested details from identifications still requiring a passage-level source.
FOLLOW THE THREADS
Connected worlds.
165 connected profiles. Every path leads to an original record.
Weapons4
Artifacts, Divine Treasures & Relics1
The Sacred Library1
Characters & Cosmic Entities114
Related source tradition; the profile reference identifies the passage and evidence status.
Valmiki RamayanaRelated source tradition; the profile reference identifies the passage and evidence status.
Valmiki RamayanaRelated source tradition; the profile reference identifies the passage and evidence status.
Valmiki RamayanaRelated source tradition; the profile reference identifies the passage and evidence status.
Valmiki RamayanaRelated source tradition; the profile reference identifies the passage and evidence status.
Valmiki RamayanaRelated source tradition; the profile reference identifies the passage and evidence status.
Valmiki RamayanaRelated source tradition; the profile reference identifies the passage and evidence status.
Valmiki RamayanaEarthly Sacred Locations7
Image credit.
Bhagavata Purana manuscript, West Bengal, 16th century (?), LACMA M.88.134.4. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. H. Robert Slusser. Image courtesy LACMA, public domain.
Original source · Public domain, released with LACMA's Public Domain High Resolution Image Available designationResized and converted to WebP.
READ THE SOURCES
Texts & references.
Valmiki Ramayana
Complete epic; use the linked kanda and sarga for individual episodes.
Ramayana · Translations and numbering vary by edition. Separate the primary text from its commentary.Reference overview. Consult the identified text and passage; unestablished fields are explicitly marked.