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The Rāmāyana, Volume 1. Bālakāndam and Ayodhyākāndam

by Valmiki

Reading level
Plain English
Price
Free
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About the book

"The Rāmāyana, Volume 1. Bālakāndam and Ayodhyākāndam" by Valmiki is a Sanskrit epic with its earliest portions composed between the 7th and 5th centuries BCE. This ancient Hindu text follows Prince Rama's fourteen-year exile from his kingdom of Ayodhya, accompanied by his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana. Their forest journey leads to Sita's kidnapping by Ravana, king of Lanka, setting in motion a conflict that will test virtue, loyalty, and duty before Rama's eventual return home.

  • Folklore
  • Rama (Hindu deity)
  • Epic poetry, Sanskrit
  • Valmiki

Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #57265. The Rāmāyana, Volume 1. Bālakāndam and Ayodhyākāndam on Wikipedia.

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