Valmiki

Essays

Busting the Spurious Narrative of 300 Ramayanas

Busting the Spurious Narrative of 300 Ramayanas

A.K. Ramanujan's infamous essay "300 Ramayanas," was a deliberate fabrication to rob Maharshi Valmiki's authorship of the Sanskrit original

Popular Episodes not Found in Maharshi Valmiki's Ramayana

Popular Episodes not Found in Maharshi Valmiki's Ramayana

Some of the most popular episodes associated with the Ramayana do not actually appear in Maharshi Valmiki's original Ramayana at all

The Controversial Episodes in the Ramayana Demystified

The Controversial Episodes in the Ramayana Demystified

Several famous and popular episodes and stories in the Ramayana are actually interpolations added to the epic over time. This essay unravels some major such episodes using evidence-backed scholarship.

The Cultural Aspects of the Rāmāyaṇa

The Cultural Aspects of the Rāmāyaṇa

The Ramayana captures every aspect of Sanātana-dharma that is in practice today. In fact, the word ‘Sanātana-dharma’ itself occurs quite a few times in the epic. The Ramayana is also a wonderfully artistic exposition of the Purusharthas that formed the bedrock of the Hindu society since time immemor

How to Understand the Wholesome Essence of the Ramayana

How to Understand the Wholesome Essence of the Ramayana

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

The Essential Ramayana: An Introduction

The Essential Ramayana: An Introduction

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."

The Profound Sanatana Storytelling Tradition on the Edge of Extinction: An Introduction to Our Grandmothers

The Profound Sanatana Storytelling Tradition on the Edge of Extinction: An Introduction to Our Grandmothers

The first part of a series exploring the systematic destruction of the timeless tradition of Sanatana storytelling and the civilisational costs it entails.

Subashita Sunday Episode 6: Ramayana, Mysore Vasudevacharya, and Joseph Conrad

Subashita Sunday Episode 6: Ramayana, Mysore Vasudevacharya, and Joseph Conrad

We welcome this Sunday with another episode of the Subhashita Sunday on The Dharma Dispatch. Like always, we have curated a handpicked collection of articles drawn from the best and the most prized annals of Bharatiya tradition. Happy reading! The Way of the Courageous Once again, Maharshi Bhartruhari tops our

The Ayodhya Dipotsava Diaries: An Introduction

The Ayodhya Dipotsava Diaries: An Introduction

Preface Nothing prepares you for Ayodhya. Nothing. Not even when you go there bearing in mind such lofty slokas as अयोध्या मथुरा माया काशी कान्ची अवन्तिकापुरी द्वारावती चैव सप्तैता मोक्षदायि