The ancient Indian epic that tells the story of Rama is the Ramayana. Traditionally attributed to the sage Valmiki, it is one of Hinduism’s two great Sanskrit epics, alongside the Mahabharata.
The narrative follows Rama, prince of Ayodhya, who is sent into a fourteen-year forest exile. His wife Sita and brother Lakshmana accompany him. During the exile, Sita is abducted by Ravana, the king of Lanka, leading Rama to form an alliance with the vanara leader Hanuman and wage a campaign to rescue her. Rama’s return to Ayodhya is celebrated as a restoration of rightful rule.
The Ramayana is not a single unchanging version. Its Sanskrit form contains about 24,000 verses in seven books, while many later retellings developed in regional languages and traditions across South and Southeast Asia. These versions may differ in emphasis, characters, and episodes.
The Mahabharata is another ancient Indian epic, but it centers on the conflict between the Pandavas and Kauravas. The Vedas and Puranas are different bodies of sacred literature.