The journey of Rāma is the story of Sītā; the epic captures their extraordinary life as an ideal couple. Rāvaṇa’s interference disrupts their life, their journey and their story. Maharshi Valmiki points out in a splendid manner how the wicked deeds of an individual can have cascading effects on innu
Srimad Ramayana is an immortal work of poetry imbued with great artistry. It is not a treatise on history, geography, anthropology, flora and fauna although these elements occur profusely in the epic. Neither the Rāmāyaṇa nor the Mahābhārata has claimed itself to be a treatise on biology, geography
According to the Puranas, Valmiki was a robber initially. He was enlightened by the Rishis after which he sat in meditation chanting the sacred name of Rama with such intensity that an anthill grew around his body. As he emerged out of the anthill or Valmīka, he came to be called Vālmīki. Having thu
Srimad Ramayana has been justly hailed as the Adi Kavya (The First Poem) and Maharshi Valmiki as the Adi Kavi (The First Poet). The Rāmāyaṇa, however, paved a hitherto untrodden and unrealised path – the path of artistic charm, where everything worldly is sublimated to the spiritual. This poetic pa
This is the introductory episode of a series exploring the various nuances of Maharshi Valmiki's immortal epic, Srimad Ramayana. It is part of the Prologue written by scholar and researcher, Sri Arjun Bharadwaj's latest work titled "The Essential Ramayana."