Summary
The Rámáyan of Válmíki is one of the two great epics of ancient India, alongside the Mahābhārata. Attributed to the sage Valmiki, this foundational Sanskrit poem is an epic of dharma (righteousness), loyalty, love, and cosmic struggle, and this English verse translation by Ralph T.
H.
Griffith makes its poetic grandeur accessible to a Western audience.
The story follows Prince Ráma, a noble and virtuous warrior, the ideal man and rightful heir to the throne of Ayodhyá.
Exiled to the forest for fourteen years due to palace intrigue, he lives in ascetic peace with his wife Sítá and brother Lakshmaṇ—until Sítá is abducted by Rávaṇa, the powerful demon king of Laṅká.
What follows is a sweeping journey across mystical landscapes, alliances with divine beings (like the monkey-god Hanumán and King Sugríva), epic battles with monsters and demons, and profound moral trials.
Ráma must rescue Sítá, face impossible choices, and ultimately restore cosmic order.