The Ramayana
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Unlike the Mahabharata, the other
famous and ancient Sanskrit epic of India, the
Ramayana appears to be the work of one person - a legendary
sage called Valmiki. It was probably composed around
the 3d century BC. Its best-known recension (the work of Tulsi Das, 1532-1623) consists of 24,000 rhymed couplets of 16-syllable lines, organized into 7 books. The poem incorporates many ancient legends and draws on the sacred books of the Vedas. Literally translated as "relating to Rama," it describes the efforts of Kosala's heir, Rama, to regain his throne and rescue his wife, Sita, from the demon King Ravana. |