Sacred Scriptures

Tulsidas could not have been more right when he wrote these lines. Centuries after him, when A.K. Ramanujan, a scholar of Sanskrit and Indian culture, began his quest for Ramayana across India and the world, the sheer number and retellings that he witnessed were awe-inspiring. As an ode to the many Ramayanas that he got to know about, and for the many more that existed, hidden in their locales, Ramanujan wrote “Three Hundred Ramayanas”, a work popular world over for its exploration of the many Ramayanas. What the philosophy of Tulsidas and the scholarly journey of Ramanujan have in common is how they underline the awesome number of Rama stories. The central character of Sri Rama is the same in all these tales.

The Ramayana is one of India’s most influential ancient epics, traditionally attributed to Sage Valmiki. Its story brings together a vast cast of kings, princes, queens, sages, warriors, vanaras, divine beings, and powerful rakshasas, each contributing to the larger narrative of Rama’s life, exile, Sita’s abduction, the search for Sita, the battle in Lanka, and the restoration of dharma. At the heart of the story are Rama and Sita, surrounded by important family members such as Lakshmana, Bharata, Shatrughna, Dasharatha, Kaushalya, Kaikeyi, and Sumitra. The Ramayana also introduces remarkable allies including Hanuman, Sugriva, Jambavan, Angada, and Vibhishana, while Ravana, Kumbhakarna, Indrajit, and other figures form the central opposing forces. Understanding these characters, their relationships, roles, and family connections makes the complex narrative of the Ramayana much easier to follow.