The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are two most important epics of Ancient India. The Ramayana is the older of the two and was authored by Maharishi Valmiki at the instance of Sage Narada.
The Word – Ramayana – means life-story of Rama. The original work was in Sanskrit, though later on, Saint Tulsi Das wrote it n Hindi poetry under the title Ramcharitmanas. Our series is, however, based on the original Sanskrit Text.
This epic is divided into seven units – each unit forming as episode by itself. These episodes are as under:
1. The Childhood Episode
2. The Ayodhya Episode
3. The Forest Episode
4. The Kishkindha Episode
5. The Fascinating Episode
6. The Lanka Episode
7. The Concluding Episode
In south India, Kamban wrote the Ramayana in Tamil while Kirtivasa wrote it in Bengali. As remarked by Saint Narada, the Ramayana came to be a sacred book. People study it with deep devotion and reverence not only in India but in some countries of the Far East too.
The Ramayana is a guidebook, a sacred text, an inspiring scripture for every man in all lands, whatever his creed or condition might be. It imparts poise, balance, equanimity, inner strength and peace. Peace is the best treasure, without it power, authority, fame and fortune are all dry and burdensome. Because of its highly lesson-giving ideals, the Ramayana has been serving as a light-house for the people of India. Its ideals of true family-relationships, dutifulness, purity in thinking, tolerance and virtue are working a wonder even today in the face of polluting western influences which are more concerned with materialism than with noble values
