Ramayana

The Ramayana (; ), also known as the Valmiki Ramayana, as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics of Hinduism known as the Itihasas, the other being the Mahabharata. The epic narrates the life of Rama, the seventh avatar of the Hindu deity Vishnu, who was a prince of Ayodhya in the kingdom of Kosala. The epic follows his fourteen-year exile to the forest urged by his father King Dasharatha, on the request of Rama's stepmother Kaikeyi; his travels across the forests in the Indian subcontinent wi

Valmiki (; , ) was a legendary poet who is celebrated as the traditional author of the epic Ramayana, based on the attribution in the text itself. He is revered as Ādi Kavi (), the first poet, author of Ramayana, the first epic poem.

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Bala Kanda (; IAST: ', ) is the first Book of the Valmiki Ramayana. The Bala Kanda, in partif not in its entiretyis generally regarded as an interpolation to the original epic.'''' ==Structure==

fifth chapter in Ramayan

Araṇya-Kāṇḍa, or The Forest Episode, is the third book of the epic poem of Ramayana. It is also found in the Rāmcharitmānas. It follows the legend of Rama through his fourteen-year exile in the forest, joined by his wife and his brother. Rama overcomes challenges and demons by upholding standards of behavior. Nearing the end of his exile, Rama's wife Sita is kidnapped by the king Ravana, and Rama learns what happened. The story continues in the next book, Kiśkindhā Kāṇḍa.

line in the soil drawn by Lakshmana

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Ravananugraha or Ravananugraha-murti ("form showing favour to Ravana") is a benevolent aspect of the Hindu god Shiva, depicted seated on his abode Mount Kailash with his consort Parvati, while the rakshasa-king (demon-king) Ravana of Lanka attempts to uproot it. According to Hindu scriptures, Ravana once tried to lift Mount Kailash, but Shiva pushed the mountain into place, and trapped Ravana beneath it. For a thousand years, the imprisoned Ravana sang hymns in praise of Shiva, who finally blessed him and granted him an invincible sword and a powerful linga (Shiva's aniconic symbol, Atmalinga)

thumb|Surya, Sun God to whom the hymn is dedicated Ādityahṛdayam (, ) is a Hindu devotional hymn, dedicated to Āditya or Sūrya (the Sun God), found in the Yuddha Kānda (6.105) of Vālmīki's Rāmāyana. It was recited by the sage Agastya to Rāma in the battlefield before fighting with the Rakshasa king Rāvaṇa. In it, Agastya teaches Rāma the procedure of worshiping Āditya for strength to defeat the enemy.

storytelling format

hindu festival celebrating the birth of the deity Sita

shadow puppetry from Odisha, India

Vanavasa () is a Sanskrit term meaning residence (vāsa) in a forest (vana). While it can be undertaken voluntarily, it usually carries a connotation of forced exile as a punishment. It commonly figures as a harsh penalty in ancient Hindu epics (such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata) set in a time, thousands of years ago, when much of the Indian subcontinent was a wilderness.

Mainaka (, ) or Mainaka Parvata, is a mountain deity from the Hindu epic Ramayana, the son of Himavan and Mena. He is the brother of the goddess Parvati. Mainaka is an ally of Hanuman, having helped the deity on his journey to Lanka.

thumb|Mughal painting of Sita undergoing the agnipravesham. Agnipravesham (), also called Agnipariksha () is the mythical practice of self-immolation described in Hindu literature. It is primarily associated with the ordeal of Sita in the Ramayana, and is regarded to be a custom inspired by Vedic tradition.

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