The Ramayana

A prince loses his kingdom, but never his goodness.

The Ramayana is a very old Indian epic poem, said to be written by the sage Valmiki.

It has nearly twenty four thousand verses, split into seven chapters called kandas. Our hero is Rama, the kind prince of Ayodhya, son of King Dasaratha.

• 7 kandas, ~24,000 verses

Rama is about to become king, but his stepmother Kaikeyi asks the king for two wishes. Rama must live in the forest for fourteen years, and her son Bharata will be king.

Rama obeys without anger. His wife Sita and brother Lakshmana go with him into the forest.

One day, Ravana, the ten headed king of Lanka, tricks them and carries Sita away.

Rama searches everywhere and meets the Vanaras, forest people, and their brave friend Hanuman.

Hanuman leaps across the sea, finds Sita in Lanka, and brings back news of her. With a vanara army, Rama builds a bridge over the sea and crosses to Lanka.

In a great battle, Rama defeats Ravana. Good wins over evil, and Sita is free.

After fourteen years, Rama returns to Ayodhya, and the people light lamps to welcome him.

• This is the story behind Diwali

The big ideas are keeping promises, duty, loyalty, and courage in hard times. Quick question to check what you learned. In short, Rama kept his word, faced Ravana with friends beside him, and goodness won.