Ramayana

A Ramayana is a Indian epic poem that narrates the life and journey of Rama.

Context:
- It can (typically) be a revered text in Hinduism.
- It can (typically) be attributed to the sage Valmiki, who is considered its original author.
- It can (typically) include the famous episodes of Rama's exile, the abduction of his wife Sita by the demon king Ravana, and the ensuing battle in Lanka.
- It can (typically) be divided into several books (kandas), each focusing on a different phase of Rama's life.
- It can be a Moral Allegory and a Spiritual Allegory (with its characters symbolizing different virtues and vices).
- It can illustrate the ideals of Dharma and the Righteousness of a King.
- ...
Example(s):
- a Valmiki Ramayana, written by Valmiki.
- a Ramcharitmanas, a popular adaptation of the Ramayana in Awadhi language by Tulsidas.
- a Kamba Ramayanam, a Tamil version of the story written by poet Kamban.
- ...
Counter-Example(s):
- Mahabharata, another major Indian epic that focuses on a different set of legends and characters.
- Bhagavad Gita, a spiritual and philosophical text that is part of the Mahabharata.
- Puranas, a genre of important Hindu religious texts that are distinct from the epic narratives of the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
See:
- Valmiki, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Smriti, Sanskrit Literature, Epic Poetry, Ancient India, Itihasa, Mahabharata, Rama (Deity).

References

(Wikipedia, 2024) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramayana Retrieved:2024-1-22.
- The Ramayana ( /rɑːˈmɑːjənə/;^[1]^[2] Template:Lang-sa^[3]) is a smriti text (also described as an Sanskrit epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics of Hinduism known as the Itihasas, the other being the Mahabharata.^[4] The epic, traditionally ascribed to the Maharishi Valmiki, narrates the life of Rama, a prince of Ayodhya in the kingdom of Kosala. The epic follows his fourteen-year exile to the forest urged by his father King Dasharatha, on the request of Rama's stepmother Kaikeyi; his travels across forests in the Indian subcontinent with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana; the kidnapping of Sita by Ravana, the king of Lanka, that resulted in war; and Rama's eventual return to Ayodhya along with Sita to be crowned king amidst jubilation and celebration.