The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - wikipedia The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Jump to : navigation , search For the film , see The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas ( film ) . The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Author John Boyne Country Ireland Language English Genre Historical / post modern Publisher David Fickling Books Publication date 5 January 2006 Media type Print ( hard cover & paper back ) Pages 216 ISBN 0 - 385 - 60940 - X OCLC 62132588 Dewey Decimal 823.914 22 LC Class CS 2006 / 45764 The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a 2006 Holocaust novel by Irish novelist John Boyne . Unlike the months of planning Boyne devoted to his other books , he said that he wrote the entire first draft of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas in two and a half days , barely sleeping until he got to the end . As of March 2010 , the novel had sold more than five million copies around the world . In both 2007 and 2008 , it was the best selling book of the year in Spain , and it has also reached number one on the New York Times bestseller list , as well as in the UK , Ireland , and Australia . The book was adapted in 2008 as a film of the same name . Plot ( edit ) Bruno is a 9 - year - old boy growing up during World War II in Berlin . He lives with his parents , his 12 - year - old sister Gretel and maids , one of whom is called Maria . After a visit by Adolf Hitler , Bruno 's father is promoted to Commandant , and the family has to move to `` Out - With '' because of the orders of `` The Fury '' ( Bruno 's naïve interpretation of the word ' Führer ' ) . Bruno is initially upset about moving to Out - With ( in actuality , Auschwitz ) and leaving his friends , Daniel , Karl , and Martin . From the house at Out - With , Bruno sees a camp in which the prisoners wear striped pyjamas . One day , Bruno decides to explore the strange wire fence . As he walks along the fence , he meets a Jewish boy named Shmuel , who he learns shares his birthday . Shmuel says that his father , grandfather , and brother are with him on this side of the fence , but he is separated from his mother . Bruno and Shmuel talk and become very good friends , although Bruno still does not understand very much about Shmuel and his side of the fence . Nearly every day , unless it 's raining , Bruno goes to see Shmuel and sneaks him food . As the meetings go on , and Shmuel gets more and more skinny , Bruno 's naïveté means he never realizes he is living beside a death camp . When lice eggs are discovered in Bruno 's hair he is forced to get all of his hair shaved off . Bruno comments that he looks like Shmuel , and Shmuel agrees , except that Bruno is fatter . Bruno 's mother eventually persuades his father to take them back to Berlin and stay at Out - With without them . The next day Bruno concocts a plan with Shmuel to sneak into the camp to look for Shmuel 's father . Shmuel brings a set of prison clothes ( which look to Bruno like striped pyjamas ) , and Bruno leaves his own clothes outside the fence . As they search the camp , both children are rounded up along with a group of prisoners on a `` march ''. They are forced to remove their clothing and are lead into a gas chamber . In the gas chamber , Bruno apologizes to Shmuel for not finding his father and tells Shmuel that he is Bruno 's best friend for life . Shmuel does not answer , as at that moment the door of the gas chamber is closed , it becomes dark , and all is chaos . Critics ' reviews ( edit ) Some critics have called the premise of the book and subsequent film -- that there would be a child of Shmuel 's age in the camp -- erroneous . Reviewing the original book , Rabbi Benjamin Blech wrote : `` Note to the reader : There were no 9 - year - old Jewish boys in Auschwitz -- the Nazis immediately gassed those not old enough to work . '' Rabbi Blech affirmed the opinion of a Holocaust survivor friend that the book is `` not just a lie and not just a fairytale , but a profanation '' . Blech acknowledges the objection that a `` fable '' need not be factually accurate ; he counters that the book trivializes the conditions in and around the death camps and perpetuates the `` myth that those ( ... ) not directly involved can claim innocence '' , and thus undermines its moral authority . Students who read it , he warns , may believe the camps `` were n't that bad '' if a boy could conduct a clandestine friendship with a Jewish captive of the same age , unaware of `` the constant presence of death '' . Kathryn Hughes , whilst agreeing about the implausibility of the plot , argues that `` Bruno 's innocence comes to stand for the willful refusal of all adult Germans to see what was going on under their noses '' . References ( edit ) ^ Jump up to : `` Interview with Children 's Author John Boyne ( 2006 ) '' . Archived from the original on 2011 - 07 - 21 . Retrieved 2007 - 02 - 23 . Jump up ^ `` BBC World Service - World Book Club - Downloads '' . Bbc.co.uk . Retrieved 2016 - 03 - 15 . Jump up ^ `` Biography '' . John Boyne . Retrieved 2016 - 03 - 15 . Jump up ^ Hughes , Kathryn ( 20 January 2006 ) . `` Educating Bruno '' . The Guardian . Retrieved 5 March 2015 . Jump up ^ Blech , Benjamin ( October 23 , 2008 ) . `` The Boy in the Striped Pajamas '' . Aish.com . Archived from the original on August 30 , 2009 . Retrieved August 30 , 2009 . Jump up ^ Rabbi Benjamin Blech ( October 23 , 2008 ) . `` The Boy in the Striped Pajamas '' . aish.com . Retrieved February 11 , 2013 . Jump up ^ Hughes , Kathryn ( 21 January 2006 ) . `` Educating Bruno '' . The Guardian . Archived from the original on 8 February 2012 . Retrieved 8 February 2012 . VIAF : 182554061 LCCN : no2009181923 GND : 7719172 - 9 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Boy_in_the_Striped_Pyjamas&oldid=838288447 '' Categories : 2006 novels Irish historical novels Irish novels adapted into films Novels set in Germany Novels set in Poland Novels about the Holocaust 21st - century Irish novels Hidden categories : Pages to import images to Wikidata All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from February 2013 Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk About Wikipedia Български Català Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Gaeilge Galego 한국어 Հայերեն Italiano Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Português Русский Simple English Slovenščina Suomi ไทย Українська Tiếng Việt 18 more Edit links This page was last edited on 26 April 2018 , at 02 : 40 . About Wikipedia

Question: when does the boy in the striped pajamas take place


Active transport - wikipedia Active transport Jump to : navigation , search This article is about transport in cellular biology . For human transport systems , see active transportation . Active transport is the movement of molecules across a ( natemembrane ) ) from a region of their lower concentration to a region of their higher concentration -- in the direction against some gradient or other obstructing factor ( often a concentration gradient ) . Unlike passive transport , which uses the kinetic energy and natural entropy of molecules moving down a gradient , active transport uses cellular energy to move them against a gradient , polar repulsion , or other resistance . Active transport is usually associated with accumulating high concentrations of molecules that the cell needs , such as ions , glucose and amino acids . If the process uses chemical energy , such as from adenosine triphosphate ( ATP ) , it is termed primary active transport . Secondary active transport involves the use of an electrochemical gradient . Examples of active transport include the uptake of glucose in the intestines in humans and the uptake of mineral ions into root hair cells of plants . Contents ( hide ) 1 History 2 Details 3 Primary active transport 3.1 Model of active transport 4 Types of ATP - powered primary active transporters 5 Secondary active transport 5.1 Antiport 5.2 Symport 6 Examples 7 Endocytosis and exocytosis 8 See also 9 References 10 Notes 11 External links History ( edit ) In 1848 , the German physiologist Emil Heinrich du Bois - Reymond suggested the possibility of active transport of substances across membranes . Rosenberg ( 1948 ) formulated the concept of active transport based on energetic considerations , but later it would be redefined . Details ( edit ) Specialized transmembrane proteins recognize the substance and allow it to move across the membrane when it otherwise would not , either because the phospholipid bilayer of the membrane is impermeable to the substance moved or because the substance is moved against the direction of its concentration gradient . There are two forms of active transport , primary active transport and secondary active transport . In primary active transport , the proteins involved are pumps that normally use the chemical energy in the form of ATP . Secondary active transport , however , makes use of potential energy , which are usually derived through exploitation of an electrochemical gradient . This involves pore - forming proteins that form channels across the cell membrane . The difference between passive transport and active transport is active transport requires energy and moves substances against their respective concentration gradient , whereas passive transport requires no energy and moves substances in the direction of their respective concentration gradient . In an antiporter , one substrate is transported in one direction across the membrane while another is cotransported in the opposite direction . In a symporter , two substrates are transported in the same direction across the membrane . Antiport and symport processes are associated with secondary active transport , meaning that one of the two substances is transported in the direction of its concentration gradient , utilizing the energy derived from the transport of such substance ( mostly Na , K or H ions ) down its concentration gradient . If substrate molecules are moving from areas of lower concentration to areas of higher concentration ( i.e. , in the opposite direction as , or against the concentration gradient ) , specific transmembrane carrier proteins are required . These proteins have receptors that bind to specific molecules ( e.g. , glucose ) and transport them across the cell membrane . Because energy is required in this process , it is known as ' active ' transport . Examples of active transport include the transportation of sodium out of the cell and potassium into the cell by the sodium - potassium pump . Active transport often takes place in the internal lining of the small intestine . Plants need to absorb mineral salts from the soil or other sources , but these salts exist in very dilute solution . Active transport enables these cells to take up salts from this dilute solution against the direction of the concentration gradient . Primary active transport ( edit ) The action of the sodium - potassium pump is an example of primary active transport . Primary active transport , also called direct active transport , directly uses metabolic energy to transport molecules across a membrane . Most of the enzymes that perform this type of transport are transmembrane ATPases . A primary ATPase universal to all animal life is the sodium - potassium pump , which helps to maintain the cell potential . The sodium - potassium pump maintains the membrane potential by moving three Na+ ions out of the cell for every two K+ ions moved into the cell . Other sources of energy for Primary active transport are redox energy and photon energy ( light ) . An example of primary active transport using Redox energy is the mitochondrial electron transport chain that uses the reduction energy of NADH to move protons across the inner mitochondrial membrane against their concentration gradient . An example of primary active transport using light energy are the proteins involved in photosynthesis that use the energy of photons to create a proton gradient across the thylakoid membrane and also to create reduction power in the form of NADPH . Model of active transport ( edit ) ATP hydrolysis is used to transport hydrogen ions against the electrochemical gradient ( from low to high hydrogen ion concentration ) . Phosphorylation of the carrier protein and the binding of a hydrogen ion induce a conformational ( shape ) change that drives the hydrogen ions to transport against the electrochemical gradient . Hydrolysis of the bound phosphate group and release of hydrogen ion then restores the carrier to its original conformation . Types of ATP - powered primary active transporters ( edit ) P - type ATPase : sodium potassium pump , calcium pump , proton pump F - ATPase : mitochondrial ATP synthase , chloroplast ATP synthase V - ATPase : vacuolar ATPase ABC ( ATP binding cassette ) transporter : MDR , CFTR , etc . Secondary active transport ( edit ) Secondary active transport In secondary active transport , also known as coupled transport or co-transport , energy is used to transport molecules across a membrane ; however , in contrast to primary active transport , there is no direct coupling of ATP ; instead it relies upon the electrochemical potential difference created by pumping ions in / out of the cell . Permitting one ion or molecule to move down an electrochemical gradient , but possibly against the concentration gradient where it is more concentrated to that where it is less concentrated increases entropy and can serve as a source of energy for metabolism ( e.g. in ATP synthase ) . In August 1960 , in Prague , Robert K. Crane presented for the first time his discovery of the sodium - glucose cotransport as the mechanism for intestinal glucose absorption . Crane 's discovery of cotransport was the first ever proposal of flux coupling in biology . Cotransporters can be classified as symporters and antiporters depending on whether the substances move in the same or opposite directions . Antiport ( edit ) Function of symports and antiports . In an antiport two species of ion or other solutes are pumped in opposite directions across a membrane . One of these species is allowed to flow from high to low concentration which yields the entropic energy to drive the transport of the other solute from a low concentration region to a high one . An example is the sodium - calcium exchanger or antiporter , which allows three sodium ions into the cell to transport one calcium out . Many cells also possess calcium ATPases , which can operate at lower intracellular concentrations of calcium and sets the normal or resting concentration of this important second messenger . But the ATPase exports calcium ions more slowly : only 30 per second versus 2000 per second by the exchanger . The exchanger comes into service when the calcium concentration rises steeply or `` spikes '' and enables rapid recovery . This shows that a single type of ion can be transported by several enzymes , which need not be active all the time ( constitutively ) , but may exist to meet specific , intermittent needs . Symport ( edit ) Symport uses the downhill movement of one solute species from high to low concentration to move another molecule uphill from low concentration to high concentration ( against its concentration gradient ) . Both molecules are transported in the same direction . An example is the glucose symporter SGLT1 , which co-transports one glucose ( or galactose ) molecule into the cell for every two sodium ions it imports into the cell . This symporter is located in the small intestines , heart , and brain . It is also located in the S3 segment of the proximal tubule in each nephron in the kidneys . Its mechanism is exploited in glucose rehydration therapy and defects in SGLT2 prevent effective reabsorption of glucose , causing familial renal glucosuria . Examples ( edit ) Metal ions , such as Na , K , Mg , or Ca , require ion pumps or ion channels to cross membranes and distribute through the body The pump for sodium and potassium is called sodium - potassium pump or Na / K - ATPase In the epithelial cells of the stomach , gastric acid is produced by hydrogen potassium ATPase , an electroneutral pump Water , ethanol , and chloroform exemplify simple molecules that do NOT require active transport to cross a membrane . Endocytosis and exocytosis ( edit ) Main articles : Endocytosis and Exocytosis Endocytosis and exocytosis are both forms of bulk transport that move materials into and out of cells , respectively , via vesicles . In the case of Endocytosis , the cellular membrane folds around the desired materials outside the cell . The ingested particle becomes trapped within a pouch , known as a vesicle , inside the cytoplasm . Often enzymes from lysosomes are then used to digest the molecules absorbed by this process . Biologists distinguish two main types of endocytosis : pinocytosis and phagocytosis . In pinocytosis , cells engulf liquid particles ( in humans this process occurs in the small intestine , where cells engulf fat droplets ) . In phagocytosis , cells engulf solid particles . See also ( edit ) ATP - binding cassette transporter Countercurrent exchange Protein targeting Translocation References ( edit ) Jump up ^ `` The importance of homeostasis '' . Science . me . Retrieved 23 April 2013 . Jump up ^ Du Bois - Reymond , E. ( 1848 -- 84 ) . Untersuchungen über thierische Elektricität Berlin : Reimer . ( Vol. 1 , Part 1 , 1848 ; Vol. 1 , Part 2 , 1849 ; Vol. 2 , Part 1 , 1860 ; Vol. 2 , Part 2 , 1884 ) . Jump up ^ Rosenberg , T. ( 1948 ) . On accumulation and active transport in biological systems . I. Thermodynamic considerations . Acta Chem. Scand. 2 , 14 - 33 , ( 1 ) . Jump up ^ Active Transport Process . Buzzle.com ( 2010 - 05 - 14 ) . Retrieved on 2011 - 12 - 05 . Jump up ^ Active Transport Archived August 24 , 2011 , at the Wayback Machine ... Biologycorner.com . Retrieved on 2011 - 12 - 05 . Jump up ^ Physiology : 7 / 7ch05 / 7ch05p11 - Essentials of Human Physiology Jump up ^ Reese , Jane B. ; Urry , Lisa A. ; Cain , Michael L. ; Wasserman , Steven A. ; Minorsky , Peter V. ; Jackson , Robert B. ( 2014 ) . Tenth Edition , Campbell 's Biology . United States : Pearson Education Inc. p. 135 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 321 - 77565 - 8 -- via Tenth edition . Jump up ^ Cooper , Geoffrey ( 2009 ) . The Cell : A Molecular Approach . Washington , DC : ASM PRESS . p. 65 . ISBN 9780878933006 . Jump up ^ Physiology : 7 / 7ch05 / 7ch05p12 - Essentials of Human Physiology Jump up ^ Crane , Robert K. ; Miller , D. ; Bihler , I. ( 1961 ) . `` The restrictions on possible mechanisms of intestinal transport of sugars '' . In Kleinzeller , A. ; Kotyk , A. Membrane Transport and Metabolism . Proceedings of a Symposium held in Prague , August 22 -- 27 , 1960 . Prague : Czech Academy of Sciences . pp. 439 -- 449 . Jump up ^ Wright EM , Turk E ( February 2004 ) . `` The sodium / glucose cotransport family SLC5 '' . Pflügers Arch. 447 ( 5 ) : 510 -- 8 . PMID 12748858 . doi : 10.1007 / s00424 - 003 - 1063 - 6 . Crane in 1961 was the first to formulate the cotransport concept to explain active transport ( 7 ) . Specifically , he proposed that the accumulation of glucose in the intestinal epithelium across the brush border membrane was coupled to downhill Na + transport cross the brush border . This hypothesis was rapidly tested , refined and extended ( to ) encompass the active transport of a diverse range of molecules and ions into virtually every cell type . Jump up ^ Boyd CA ( March 2008 ) . `` Facts , fantasies and fun in epithelial physiology '' . Exp . Physiol. 93 ( 3 ) : 303 -- 14 . PMID 18192340 . doi : 10.1113 / expphysiol. 2007.037523 . p. 304 . `` the insight from this time that remains in all current text books is the notion of Robert Crane published originally as an appendix to a symposium paper published in 1960 ( Crane et al. 1960 ) . The key point here was ' flux coupling ' , the cotransport of sodium and glucose in the apical membrane of the small intestinal epithelial cell . Half a century later this idea has turned into one of the most studied of all transporter proteins ( SGLT1 ) , the sodium -- glucose cotransporter . Jump up ^ Yu , SP ; Choi , DW ( June 1997 ) . `` Na ( + ) - Ca2+ exchange currents in cortical neurons : concomitant forward and reverse operation and effect of glutamate . '' . The European Journal of Neuroscience. 9 ( 6 ) : 1273 -- 81 . PMID 9215711 . doi : 10.1111 / j. 1460 - 9568.1997. tb01482. x . Jump up ^ Strehler , EE ; Zacharias , DA ( January 2001 ) . `` Role of alternative splicing in generating isoform diversity among plasma membrane calcium pumps . '' . Physiological reviews . 81 ( 1 ) : 21 -- 50 . PMID 11152753 . Jump up ^ Patterson , M ; Sneyd , J ; Friel , DD ( January 2007 ) . `` Depolarization - induced calcium responses in sympathetic neurons : relative contributions from Ca2+ entry , extrusion , ER / mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake and release , and Ca2+ buffering . '' . The Journal of General Physiology. 129 ( 1 ) : 29 -- 56 . PMC 2151609 . PMID 17190902 . doi : 10.1085 / jgp. 200609660 . Jump up ^ Wright , EM ; Loo , DD ; Panayotova - Heiermann , M ; Lostao , MP ; Hirayama , BH ; Mackenzie , B ; Boorer , K ; Zampighi , G ( November 1994 ) . `` ' Active ' sugar transport in eukaryotes . '' . The Journal of Experimental Biology . 196 : 197 -- 212 . PMID 7823022 . Jump up ^ Dyer , J ; Hosie , KB ; Shirazi - Beechey , SP ( July 1997 ) . `` Nutrient regulation of human intestinal sugar transporter ( SGLT2 ) expression . '' . Gut. 41 ( 1 ) : 56 -- 9 . PMC 1027228 . PMID 9274472 . doi : 10.1136 / gut. 41.1. 56 . Jump up ^ Zhou , L ; Cryan , EV ; D'Andrea , MR ; Belkowski , S ; Conway , BR ; Demarest , KT ( 1 October 2003 ) . `` Human cardiomyocytes express high level of Na+ / glucose cotransporter 1 ( SGLT2 ) . '' . Journal of cellular biochemistry. 90 ( 2 ) : 339 -- 46 . PMID 14505350 . doi : 10.1002 / jcb. 10631 . Jump up ^ Poppe , R ; Karbach , U ; Gambaryan , S ; Wiesinger , H ; Lutzenburg , M ; Kraemer , M ; Witte , OW ; Koepsell , H ( July 1997 ) . `` Expression of the Na+ - D - glucose cotransporter SGLT1 in neurons . '' . Journal of Neurochemistry. 69 ( 1 ) : 84 -- 94 . PMID 9202297 . doi : 10.1046 / j. 1471 - 4159.1997. 69010084. x . Jump up ^ Wright EM ( 2001 ) . `` Renal Na - glucose cotransporters '' . Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 280 ( 1 ) : F10 -- 8 . PMID 11133510 . Jump up ^ Loo , DD ; Zeuthen , T ; Chandy , G ; Wright , EM ( 12 November 1996 ) . `` Cotransport of water by the Na+ / glucose cotransporter . '' . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America . 93 ( 23 ) : 13367 -- 70 . PMC 24099 . PMID 8917597 . doi : 10.1073 / pnas. 93.23. 13367 . Jump up ^ Wright EM , Hirayama BA , Loo DF ( 2007 ) . `` Active sugar transport in health and disease '' . Journal of internal medicine . 261 ( 1 ) : 32 -- 43 . PMID 17222166 . doi : 10.1111 / j. 1365 - 2796.2006. 01746. x . Jump up ^ Reece , Jane ; Urry , Lisa ; Cain , Michael ; Wasserman , Steven ; Minorsky , Peter ; Jackson , Robert ( 2014 ) . Tenth Addition Campbell Biology . United States of America : Pearson Education , Inc. p. 137 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 321 - 77565 - 8 -- via Tenth Addition . Jump up ^ Transport into the Cell from the Plasma Membrane : Endocytosis -- Molecular Biology of the Cell -- NCBI Bookshelf . Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ( 2011 - 10 - 03 ) . Retrieved on 2011 - 12 - 05 . Jump up ^ Cell : Two Major Process in Exchange Of Materials Between Cell And Environment Archived August 11 , 2010 , at the Wayback Machine ... Takdang Aralin ( 2009 - 10 - 26 ) . Retrieved on 2011 - 12 - 05 . Jump up ^ Pinocytosis : Definition . biology-online.org Jump up ^ Phagocytosis . Courses.washington.edu . Retrieved on 2011 - 12 - 05 . Notes ( edit ) Lodish H. ; Berk A. ; Zipursky S.L. ; Matsudaira P. ; Baltimore D. ; Darnell J. ( 2000 ) . `` Section 15.6 Cotransport by Symporters and Antiporters '' . Molecular Cell Biology ( 4th ed . ) . New York : W.H. Freeman . ISBN 0 - 7167 - 3136 - 3 . External links ( edit ) Secondary Active Transport ( hide ) Membrane transport Mechanisms for chemical transport through biological membranes Passive transport Simple diffusion ( or non-mediated transport ) Facilitated diffusion Osmosis Channels Carriers Active transport Uniporter Symporter Antiporter Primary active transport Secondary active transport Cytosis Endocytosis Efferocytosis Non-specific , adsorptive pinocytosis Phagocytosis Pinocytosis Potocytosis Receptor - mediated endocytosis Transcytosis Exocytosis Degranulation NDL : 00570452 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Active_transport&oldid=805834161 '' Categories : Membrane biology Biological matter Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from February 2009 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Bosanski Català Deutsch Español Euskara فارسی Français Galego 한국어 Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Basa Jawa Kreyòl ayisyen Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Polski Português Română Русский Simple English Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska ไทย Türkçe Українська 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 17 October 2017 , at 22 : 46 . 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Question: active transport performs which function in a cell

usually associated with accumulating high concentrations of molecules that the cell needs, such as ions, glucose and amino acids


Ramayana - Wikipedia Ramayana Jump to : navigation , search This article is about the original Sanskrit version by Valmiki . For other uses , see Ramayana ( disambiguation ) . This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . ( May 2016 ) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message ) `` The template Infobox religious text is being considered for merging . '' Ramayana Rama with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana during exile in forest , manuscript , ca . 1780 Information Religion Hinduism Author Valmiki Language Sanskrit Verses 24,000 Part of a series on Hinduism Hindu History Concepts ( show ) Worldview Hindu cosmology Puranic chronology Hindu mythology God / Highest Reality Brahman Ishvara God in Hinduism God and gender Life Ashrama ( stage ) Brahmacharya Grihastha Vanaprastha Sannyasa Purusharthas Dharma Artha Kama Moksha Liberation Atman Maya Karma Samsara Ethics Niti shastra Yamas Niyama Ahimsa Asteya Aparigraha Brahmacharya Satya Damah Dayā Akrodha Ārjava Santosha Tapas Svādhyāya Shaucha Mitahara Dāna Liberation Bhakti yoga Jnana yoga Karma yoga Schools ( show ) Six Astika schools Samkhya Yoga Nyaya Vaisheshika Mimamsa Vedanta Advaita Dvaita Vishishtadvaita Other schools Pasupata Saiva Pratyabhijña Raseśvara Īśvara Pāṇini Darśana Charvaka Deities ( show ) Trimurti Brahma Vishnu Shiva Other major Devas / Devis Vedic Indra Agni Prajapati Rudra Devi Saraswati Ushas Varuna Vayu Post-Vedic Durga Ganesha Hanuman Kali Kartikeya Krishna Lakshmi Parvati Radha Rama Shakti Sita Texts ( show ) Scriptures Vedas Rigveda Yajurveda Samaveda Atharvaveda Divisions Samhita Brahmana Aranyaka Upanishad Upanishads Rigveda : Aitareya Kaushitaki Yajurveda : Brihadaranyaka Isha Taittiriya Katha Shvetashvatara Maitri Samaveda : Chandogya Kena Atharvaveda : Mundaka Mandukya Prashna Other scriptures Bhagavad Gita Agama ( Hinduism ) Other texts Vedangas Shiksha Chandas Vyakarana Nirukta Kalpa Jyotisha Puranas Vishnu Purana Bhagavata Purana Nāradeya Purana Vāmana Purana Matsya Purana Garuda Purana Brahma Purana Brahmānda Purana Brahma Vaivarta Purana Bhavishya Purana Padma Purana Agni Purana Shiva Purana Linga Purana Kūrma Purana Skanda Purana Varaha Purana Mārkandeya Purana Itihasas Ramayana Mahabharata Upavedas Ayurveda Dhanurveda Gandharvaveda Sthapatyaveda Shastras and Sutras Dharma Shastra Artha Śastra Kamasutra Brahma Sutras Samkhya Sutras Mimamsa Sutras Nyāya Sūtras Vaiśeṣika Sūtra Yoga Sutras Pramana Sutras Charaka Samhita Sushruta Samhita Natya Shastra Panchatantra Divya Prabandha Tirumurai Ramcharitmanas Yoga Vasistha Swara yoga Shiva Samhita Gheranda Samhita Panchadasi Stotra Sutras Text classification Śruti Smriti Timeline of Hindu texts Practices ( show ) Worship Puja Temple Murti Bhakti Japa Bhajana Yajna Homa Vrata Prāyaścitta Tirtha Tirthadana Matha Nritta - Nritya Meditation and Charity Tapa Dhyana Dāna Yoga Sadhu Yogi Asana Hatha yoga Jnana yoga Bhakti yoga Karma yoga Raja yoga Kundalini Yoga Arts Bharatanatyam Kathak Kathakali Kuchipudi Manipuri Mohiniyattam Odissi Sattriya Bhagavata Mela Yakshagana Dandiya Raas Carnatic music Rites of passage Garbhadhana Pumsavana Simantonayana Jatakarma Namakarana Nishkramana Annaprashana Chudakarana Karnavedha Vidyarambha Upanayana Keshanta Ritushuddhi Samavartana Vivaha Antyeshti Ashrama Dharma Ashrama : Brahmacharya Grihastha Vanaprastha Sannyasa Festivals Diwali Holi Shivaratri Navaratri Durga Puja Ramlila Vijayadashami - Dussehra Raksha Bandhan Ganesh Chaturthi Vasant Panchami Rama Navami Janmashtami Onam Makar Sankranti Kumbha Mela Pongal Ugadi Vaisakhi Bihu Puthandu Vishu Ratha Yatra Gurus , saints , philosophers ( show ) Ancient Agastya Angiras Aruni Ashtavakra Atri Bharadwaja Gotama Jamadagni Jaimini Kanada Kapila Kashyapa Pāṇini Patanjali Raikva Satyakama Jabala Valmiki Vashistha Vishvamitra Vyasa Yajnavalkya Medieval Nayanars Alvars Adi Shankara Basava Akka Mahadevi Allama Prabhu Siddheshwar Jñāneśvar Chaitanya Gangesha Upadhyaya Gaudapada Gorakshanath Jayanta Bhatta Kabir Kumarila Bhatta Matsyendranath Mahavatar Babaji Madhusudana Madhva Haridasa Thakur Namdeva Nimbarka Prabhakara Raghunatha Siromani Ramanuja Sankardev Purandara Dasa Kanaka Dasa Ramprasad Sen Jagannatha Dasa Vyasaraya Sripadaraya Raghavendra Swami Gopala Dasa Śyāma Śastri Vedanta Desika Tyagaraja Tukaram Tulsidas Vachaspati Mishra Vallabha Vidyaranya Modern Aurobindo Bhaktivinoda Thakur Chinmayananda Dayananda Saraswati Mahesh Yogi Jaggi Vasudev Krishnananda Saraswati Narayana Guru Prabhupada Ramakrishna Ramana Maharshi Radhakrishnan Sarasvati Sivananda U.G. Krishnamurti Sai Baba Vivekananda Nigamananda Yogananda Ramachandra Dattatrya Ranade Tibbetibaba Trailanga Society ( show ) Varna Brahmin Kshatriya Vaishya Shudra Dalit Jati Denominations Persecution Nationalism Hindutva Other topics ( show ) Hinduism by country Balinese Hinduism Criticism Calendar Iconography Mythology Pilgrimage sites Hinduism and Jainism / and Buddhism / and Sikhism / and Judaism / and Christianity / and Islam Glossary of Hinduism terms Hinduism portal Ramayana ( / rɑːˈmɑːjənə / ; Sanskrit : रामायणम् , Rāmāyaṇam ( rɑːˈmɑːjəɳəm ) ) is an ancient Indian epic poem which narrates the struggle of the divine prince Rama to rescue his wife Sita from the demon king Ravana . Along with the Mahabharata , it forms the Hindu Itihasa . The epic , traditionally ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki , narrates the life of Rama , the legendary prince of the Kosala Kingdom . It follows his fourteen - year exile to the forest from the kingdom , by his father King Dasharatha , on request of his second wife Kaikeyi . His travels across forests in India with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana , the kidnapping of his wife by Ravana , the demon king of Lanka , resulting in a war with him , and Rama 's eventual return to Ayodhya to be crowned king . The Ramayana is one of the largest ancient epics in world literature . It consists of nearly 24,000 verses ( mostly set in the Shloka meter ) , divided into seven Kandas ( books ) and about 500 sargas ( chapters ) . In Hindu tradition , it is considered to be the adi - kavya ( first poem ) . It depicts the duties of relationships , portraying ideal characters like the ideal father , the ideal servant , the ideal brother , the ideal wife and the ideal king . Ramayana was an important influence on later Sanskrit poetry and Hindu life and culture . Like Mahabharata , Ramayana is not just a story : it presents the teachings of ancient Hindu sages in narrative allegory , interspersing philosophical and ethical elements . The characters Rama , Sita , Lakshmana , Bharata , Hanuman , Shatrughna , and Ravana are all fundamental to the cultural consciousness of India , Nepal , Sri Lanka and south - east Asian countries such as Thailand , Cambodia , Malaysia and Indonesia . There are many versions of Ramayana in Indian languages , besides Buddhist , Sikh and Jain adaptations . There are also Cambodian , Indonesian , Filipino , Thai , Lao , Burmese and Malaysian versions of the tale . Contents ( hide ) 1 Etymology 2 Textual history and structure 3 Period 4 Characters 4.1 Ikshvaku dynasty 4.2 Allies of Rama 4.3 Foes of Rama 5 Synopsis 5.1 Bala Kanda 5.2 Ayodhya Kanda 5.3 Aranya Kanda 5.4 Kishkindha Kanda 5.5 Sundara Kanda 5.6 Yuddha Kanda 5.7 Uttara Kanda 6 Versions 6.1 India 6.1. 1 Buddhist Version 6.1. 2 Jain version 6.1. 3 Sikh Version 6.2 Nepal 6.3 Southeast Asian 6.3. 1 Cambodia 6.3. 2 Indonesia 6.3. 3 Laos 6.3. 4 Malaysia 6.3. 5 Myanmar 6.3. 6 Philippines 6.3. 7 Thailand 6.4 Critical edition 7 Influence on culture and art 8 Religious significance 9 Ramayana in popular culture 9.1 Stage 9.2 Movies 9.3 Animated movies 9.4 Plays 9.5 Exihibitions 9.6 Books 9.7 TV series 10 Citations 11 References 12 Further reading 13 External links Etymology ( edit ) The name Ramayana is a tatpuruṣa compound of the name Rāma . Textual History and structure ( edit ) An artist 's impression of Valmiki Muni composing the Ramayana According to Hindu tradition , and the Ramayana itself , the epic belongs to the genre of itihasa like Mahabharata . The definition of itihāsa is a narrative of past events ( purāvṛtta ) which includes teachings on the goals of human life . According to Hindu tradition , Ramayana takes place during a period of time known as Treta Yuga . In its extant form , Valmiki 's Ramayana is an epic poem of some 24,000 verses . The text survives in several thousand partial and complete manuscripts , the oldest of which is a palm - leaf manuscript found in Nepal and dated to the 11th century CE . A Times of India report dated 18 December 2015 informs about the discovery of a 6th - century manuscript of the Ramayana at the Asiatic Society library , Kolkata . The Ramayana text has several regional renderings , recensions and sub recensions . Textual scholar Robert P. Goldman differentiates two major regional revisions : the northern ( n ) and the southern ( s ) . Scholar Romesh Chunder Dutt writes that `` the Ramayana , like the Mahabharata , is a growth of centuries , but the main story is more distinctly the creation of one mind . '' There has been discussion as to whether the first and the last volumes ( bala kandam and uttara kandam ) of Valmiki 's Ramayana were composed by the original author . Most Hindus still believe they are integral parts of the book , in spite of some style differences and narrative contradictions between these two volumes and the rest of the book . Retellings include Kamban 's Ramavataram in Tamil ( c. 11th -- 12th century ) , Gona Budda Reddy 's Ramayanam in Telugu ( c. 13th century ) , Madhava Kandali 's Saptakanda Ramayana in Assamese ( c. 14th century ) , Krittibas Ojha 's Krittivasi Ramayan ( also known as Shri Rama Panchali ) in Bengali ( c. 15th century ) , Sarala Das ' Vilanka Ramayana ( c. 15th century ) and Balaram Das ' Dandi Ramayana ( also known as the Jagamohan Ramayana ) ( c. 16th century ) both in Odia , sant Eknath 's Bhavarth Ramayan ( c. 16th century ) in Marathi , Tulsidas ' Ramcharitamanas ( c. 16th century ) in Awadhi ( which is an eastern form of Hindi ) and Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan 's Adhyathmaramayanam in Malayalam . Period ( edit ) Rama ( left third from top ) depicted in the Dashavatara , the ten avatars of Vishnu . Painting from Jaipur , now at the Victoria and Albert Museum Some cultural evidence , such as the presence of sati in Mahabharata but not in the main body of Ramayana , suggests that Ramayana predates Mahabharata . However , the general cultural background of Ramayana is one of the post-urbanization periods of the eastern part of north India and Nepal , while Mahabharata reflects the Kuru areas west of this , from the Rigvedic to the late Vedic period . By tradition , the text belongs to the Treta Yuga , second of the four eons ( yuga ) of Hindu chronology . Rama is said to have been born in the Treta yuga to king Dasharatha in the Ikshvaku dynasty . The names of the characters ( Rama , Sita , Dasharatha , Janaka , Vashista , Vishwamitra ) are all known in late Vedic literature . However , nowhere in the surviving Vedic poetry is there a story similar to the Ramayana of Valmiki . According to the modern academic view , Vishnu , who , according to bala kanda , was incarnated as Rama , first came into prominence with the epics themselves and further , during the puranic period of the later 1st millennium CE . Also , in the epic Mahabharata , there is a version of Ramayana known as Ramopakhyana . This version is depicted as a narration to Yudhishthira . Books two to six form the oldest portion of the epic , while the first and last books ( Bala Kanda and Uttara Kanda , respectively ) are later additions , as some style differences and narrative contradictions between these two volumes and the rest of the book . The author or authors of Bala Kanda and Ayodhya Kanda appear to be familiar with the eastern Gangetic basin region of northern India and with the Kosala , Mithila and Magadha regions during the period of the sixteen Mahajanapadas , based on the fact that the geographical and geopolitical data accords with what is known about the region . Characters ( edit ) Rama seated with Sita , fanned by Lakshmana , while Hanuman pays his respects Ikshvaku dynasty ( edit ) Dasharatha is king of Ayodhya and father of Rama . He has three queens , Kausalya , Kaikeyi and Sumitra , and three other sons : Bharata , and twins Lakshmana and Shatrughna . Kaikeyi , Dasharatha 's favourite queen , forces him to make their son Bharata crown prince and send Rama into exile . Dasharatha dies heartbroken after Rama goes into exile . Rama is the main protagonist of the tale . Portrayed as the seventh avatar of god Vishnu , he is the eldest and favourite son of Dasharatha , the king of Ayodhya and his Chief Queen , Kausalya . He is portrayed as the epitome of virtue . Dasharatha is forced by Kaikeyi to command Rama to relinquish his right to the throne for fourteen years and go into exile . Rama kills the evil demon Ravana , who abducted his wife Sita , and later returns to Ayodhya to form an ideal state . Rama and the monkey chiefs Sita is another of the tale 's protagonists . She is a daughter of Mother Earth , adopted by King Janaka , and Rama 's beloved wife . Rama went to Mithila and got a chance to marry her by breaking the Shiv Dhanush ( bow ) while trying to tie a knot to it in a competition organized by King Janaka of Mithila in Dhanusa . The competition was to find the most suitable husband for Sita and many princes from different states competed to win her . Sita is the avatara of goddess Lakshmi , the consort of Vishnu . Sita is portrayed as the epitome of female purity and virtue . She follows her husband into exile and is abducted by the demon king Ravana . She is imprisoned on the island of Lanka , until Rama rescues her by defeating Ravana . Later , she gives birth to twin boys Luv and Kusha . Bharata is the son of Dasharatha and Queen Kaikeyi . When he learns that his mother Kaikeyi has forced Rama into exile and caused Dasharatha to die brokenhearted , he storms out of the palace and goes in search of Rama in the forest . When Rama refuses to return from his exile to assume the throne , Bharata obtains Rama 's sandals and places them on the throne as a gesture that Rama is the true king . Bharata then rules Ayodhya as the regent of Rama for the next fourteen years , staying outside the city of Ayodhya . He was married to Mandavi . Lakshmana is a younger brother of Rama , who chose to go into exile with him . He is the son of King Dasharatha and Queen Sumitra and twin of Shatrughna . Lakshmana is portrayed as an avatar of Shesha , the nāga associated with the god Vishnu . He spends his time protecting Sita and Rama , during which time he fights the demoness Surpanakha . He is forced to leave Sita , who was deceived by the demon Maricha into believing that Rama was in trouble . Sita is abducted by Ravana upon his leaving her . He was married to Sita 's younger sister Urmila . Shatrughna is a son of Dasharatha and his second wife Queen Sumitra . He is the youngest brother of Rama and also the twin brother of Lakshmana . He was married to Shrutakirti . Allies of Rama ( edit ) The vanaras constructing the Rama Setu Bridge to Lanka , makaras and fish also aid the construction . A 9th century Prambanan bas - relief , Central Java , Indonesia . Vanara Hanuman is a vanara belonging to the kingdom of Kishkindha . He is an ideal bhakta of Rama . He is born as son of Kesari , a Vanara king in Sumeru region and the goddess Añjanā . He plays an important part in locating Sita and in the ensuing battle . He is believed to live until our modern world . Sugriva , a vanara king who helped Rama regain Sita from Ravana . He had an agreement with Rama through which Vali -- Sugriva 's brother and king of Kishkindha -- would be killed by Rama in exchange for Sugriva 's help in finding Sita . Sugriva ultimately ascends the throne of Kishkindha after the slaying of Vali and fulfills his promise by putting the Vanara forces at Rama 's disposal . Angada is a vanara who helped Rama find his wife Sita and fight her abductor , Ravana , in Ramayana . He was son of Vali and Tara and nephew of Sugriva . Angada and Tara are instrumental in reconciling Rama and his brother , Lakshmana , with Sugriva after Sugriva fails to fulfill his promise to help Rama find and rescue his wife . Together they are able to convince Sugriva to honour his pledge to Rama instead of spending his time carousing and drinking . Riksha Jambavan / Jamvanta is known as Riksharaj ( King of the Rikshas ) . Rikshas are bears . In the epic Ramayana , Jambavantha helped Rama find his wife Sita and fight her abductor , Ravana . It is he who makes Hanuman realize his immense capabilities and encourages him to fly across the ocean to search for Sita in Lanka . Griddha Jatayu , son of Aruṇa and nephew of Garuda . A demi - god who has the form of a vulture that tries to rescue Sita from Ravana . Jatayu fought valiantly with Ravana , but as Jatayu was very old , Ravana soon got the better of him . As Rama and Lakshmana chanced upon the stricken and dying Jatayu in their search for Sita , he informs them of the direction in which Ravana had gone . Sampati , son of Aruna , brother of Jatayu . Sampati 's role proved to be instrumental in the search for Sita . Rakshasa Vibhishana , youngest brother of Ravana . He was against the abduction of Sita and joined the forces of Rama when Ravana refused to return her . His intricate knowledge of Lanka was vital in the war and he was crowned king after the fall of Ravana . Ramayana stamps issued by India post Foes of Rama ( edit ) Rakshasas Ravana , a rakshasa , is the king of Lanka . He was son of a sage named Vishrava and daitya princess Kaikesi . After performing severe penance for ten thousand years he received a boon from the creator - god Brahma : he could henceforth not be killed by gods , demons , or spirits . He is portrayed as a powerful demon king who disturbs the penances of rishis . Vishnu incarnates as the human Rama to defeat him , thus circumventing the boon given by Brahma . Indrajit or Meghnadha , the eldest son of Ravana who twice defeated Rama and Lakshmana in battle , before succumbing to Lakshmana . An adept of the magical arts , he coupled his supreme fighting skills with various stratagems to inflict heavy losses on Vanara army before his death . Kumbhakarna , brother of Ravana , famous for his eating and sleeping . He would sleep for months at a time and would be extremely ravenous upon waking up , consuming anything set before him . His monstrous size and loyalty made him an important part of Ravana 's army . During the war he decimated the Vanara army before Rama cut off his limbs and head . Surpanakha , Ravana 's demoness sister who fell in love with Rama and had the magical power to take any form she wanted . Vanara Vali , was king of Kishkindha , husband of Tara , a son of Indra , elder brother of Sugriva and father of Angada . Vali was famous for the boon that he had received , according to which anyone who fought him in single - combat lost half his strength to Vali , thereby making Vali invulnerable to any enemy . He was killed by Lord Rama , an Avatar of Vishnu . Synopsis ( edit ) Bala Kanda ( edit ) Main article : Bala Kanda The marriage of the four sons of Dasharatha with the four daughters of Siradhvaja and Kushadhvaja Janakas . Rama and Sita , Lakshmana and Urmila , Bharata and Mandavi and Shatrughna with Shrutakirti . Dasharatha was the king of Ayodhya . He had three wives : Kaushalya , Kaikeyi and Sumitra . He was childless for a long time and anxious to produce an heir , so he performs a fire sacrifice known as putra - kameshti yagya . As a consequence , Rama is first born to Kaushalya , Bharata is born to Kaikeyi , Lakshmana and Shatrughna are born to Sumitra . These sons are endowed , to various degrees , with the essence of the Supreme Trinity Entity Vishnu ; Vishnu had opted to be born into mortality to combat the demon Ravana , who was oppressing the gods , and who could only be destroyed by a mortal . The boys are reared as the princes of the realm , receiving instructions from the scriptures and in warfare from Vashistha . When Rama is 16 years old , sage Vishwamitra comes to the court of Dasharatha in search of help against demons who were disturbing sacrificial rites . He chooses Rama , who is followed by Lakshmana , his constant companion throughout the story . Rama and Lakshmana receive instructions and supernatural weapons from Vishwamitra and proceed to destroy the demons . Janaka was the king of Mithila . One day , a female child was found in the field by the king in the deep furrow dug by his plough . Overwhelmed with joy , the king regarded the child as a `` miraculous gift of god '' . The child was named Sita , the Sanskrit word for furrow . Sita grew up to be a girl of unparalleled beauty and charm . The king had decided that who ever could lift and wield the heavy bow , presented to his ancestors by Shiva , could marry Sita . Sage Vishwamitra takes Rama and Lakshmana to Mithila to show the bow . Then Rama desires to lift it and goes on to wield the bow and when he draws the string , it breaks . Marriages are arranged between the sons of Dasharatha and daughters of Janaka . Rama gets married to Sita , Lakshmana to Urmila , Bharata to Mandavi and Shatrughna to Shrutakirti . The weddings are celebrated with great festivity in Mithila and the marriage party returns to Ayodhya . Ayodhya Kanda ( edit ) Rama leaving for fourteen years of exile from Ayodhya After Rama and Sita have been married for twelve years , an elderly Dasharatha expresses his desire to crown Rama , to which the Kosala assembly and his subjects express their support . On the eve of the great event , Kaikeyi -- her jealousy aroused by Manthara , a wicked maidservant -- claims two boons that Dasharatha had long ago granted her . Kaikeyi demands Rama to be exiled into the wilderness for fourteen years , while the succession passes to her son Bharata . The heartbroken king , constrained by his rigid devotion to his given word , accedes to Kaikeyi 's demands . Rama accepts his father 's reluctant decree with absolute submission and calm self - control which characterises him throughout the story . He is joined by Sita and Lakshmana . When he asks Sita not to follow him , she says , `` the forest where you dwell is Ayodhya for me and Ayodhya without you is a veritable hell for me . '' After Rama 's departure , King Dasharatha , unable to bear the grief , passes away . Meanwhile , Bharata who was on a visit to his maternal uncle , learns about the events in Ayodhya . Bharata refuses to profit from his mother 's wicked scheming and visits Rama in the forest . He requests Rama to return and rule . But Rama , determined to carry out his father 's orders to the letter , refuses to return before the period of exile . However , Bharata carries Rama 's sandals and keeps them on the throne , while he rules as Rama 's regent . Aranya Kanda ( edit ) Main article : Aranya Kanda Ravana fights Jatayu as he carries off the kidnapped Sita . Painting by Raja Ravi Varma After thirteen years of exile , Rama , Sita and Lakshmana journey southward along the banks of river Godavari , where they build cottages and live off the land . At the Panchavati forest they are visited by a rakshasi named Surpanakha , sister of Ravana . She tries to seduce the brothers and , after failing , attempts to kill Sita . Lakshmana stops her by cutting off her nose and ears . Hearing of this , her brother Khara organises an attack against the princes . Rama defeats Khara and his raskshasas . When the news of these events reach Ravana , he resolves to destroy Rama by capturing Sita with the aid of the rakshasa Maricha . Maricha , assuming the form of a golden deer , captivates Sita 's attention . Entranced by the beauty of the deer , Sita pleads with Rama to capture it . Rama , aware that this is the ploy of the demons , can not dissuade Sita from her desire and chases the deer into the forest , leaving Sita under Lakshmana 's guard . After some time , Sita hears Rama calling out to her ; afraid for his life , she insists that Lakshmana rush to his aid . Lakshmana tries to assure her that Rama is invincible and that it is best if he continues to follow Rama 's orders to protect her . On the verge of hysterics , Sita insists that it is not she but Rama who needs Lakshmana 's help . He obeys her wish but stipulates that she is not to leave the cottage or entertain any stranger . He draws a chalk outline , the Lakshmana rekha , around the cottage and casts a spell on it that prevents anyone from entering the boundary but allows people to exit . With the coast finally clear , Ravana appears in the guise of an ascetic requesting Sita 's hospitality . Unaware of her guest 's plan , Sita is tricked into leaving the rekha and is then forcibly carried away by Ravana . Jatayu , a vulture , tries to rescue Sita , but is mortally wounded . At Lanka , Sita is kept under the guard of rakshasis . Ravana asks Sita to marry him , but she refuses , being eternally devoted to Rama . Meanwhile , Rama and Lakshmana learn about Sita 's abduction from Jatayu and immediately set out to save her . During their search , they meet Kabandha and the ascetic Shabari , who direct them towards Sugriva and Hanuman . Kishkindha Kanda ( edit ) A stone bas - relief at Banteay Srei in Cambodia depicts the combat between Vali and Sugriva ( middle ) . To the right , Rama fires his bow . To the left , Vali lies dying . Kishkindha Kanda is set in the ape ( Vanara ) citadel Kishkindha . Rama and Lakshmana meet Hanuman , the biggest devotee of Rama , greatest of ape heroes and an adherent of Sugriva , the banished pretender to the throne of Kishkindha . Rama befriends Sugriva and helps him by killing his elder brother Vali thus regaining the kingdom of Kishkindha , in exchange for helping Rama to recover Sita . However Sugriva soon forgets his promise and spends his time in enjoying his powers . The clever former ape queen Tara ( wife of Vali ) calmly intervenes to prevent an enraged Lakshmana from destroying the ape citadel . She then eloquently convinces Sugriva to honour his pledge . Sugriva then sends search parties to the four corners of the earth , only to return without success from north , east and west . The southern search party under the leadership of Angada and Hanuman learns from a vulture named Sampati ( elder brother of Jatayu ) , that Sita was taken to Lanka . Sundara Kanda ( edit ) Main article : Sundara Kanda Ravana is meeting Sita at Ashokavana . Hanuman is seen on the tree . Sundara Kanda forms the heart of Valmiki 's Ramayana and consists of a detailed , vivid account of Hanuman 's adventures . After learning about Sita , Hanuman assumes a gargantuan form and makes a colossal leap across the sea to Lanka . On the way he meets with many challenges like facing a Gandharva kanya who comes in the form of a demon to test his abilities . He encounters a mountain named Mainakudu who offers Lord Hanuman assistance and offers him rest . Lord Hanuman refuses because there is little time remaining to complete the search for Sita . After entering into Lanka , he finds a demon , Lankini , who protects all of Lanka . Hanuman fights with her and subjugates her in order to get into Lanka . In the process Lankini , who had an earlier vision / warning from the gods that the end of Lanka nears if someone defeats Lankini . Here , Hanuman explores the demons ' kingdom and spies on Ravana . He locates Sita in Ashoka grove , where she is being wooed and threatened by Ravana and his rakshasis to marry Ravana . Hanuman reassures Sita , giving Rama 's signet ring as a sign of good faith . He offers to carry Sita back to Rama ; however , she refuses and says that it is not the dharma , stating that Ramayana will not have significance if Hanuman carries her to Rama -- `` When Rama is not there Ravana carried Sita forcibly and when Ravana was not there , Hanuman carried Sita back to Rama '' . She says that Rama himself must come and avenge the insult of her abduction . Hanuman then wreaks havoc in Lanka by destroying trees and buildings and killing Ravana 's warriors . He allows himself to be captured and delivered to Ravana . He gives a bold lecture to Ravana to release Sita . He is condemned and his tail is set on fire , but he escapes his bonds and leaping from roof to roof , sets fire to Ravana 's citadel and makes the giant leap back from the island . The joyous search party returns to Kishkindha with the news . Yuddha Kanda ( edit ) The Battle at Lanka , Ramayana by Sahibdin . It depicts the monkey army of the protagonist Rama ( top left , blue figure ) fighting Ravana -- the demon - king of the Lanka -- to save Rama 's kidnapped wife , Sita . The painting depicts multiple events in the battle against the three - headed demon general Trisiras , in bottom left . Trisiras is beheaded by Hanuman , the monkey - companion of Rama . Also known as Lanka Kanda , this book describes the Ramayana War between the army of Rama and the army of Ravana . Having received Hanuman 's report on Sita , Rama and Lakshmana proceed with their allies towards the shore of the southern sea . There they are joined by Ravana 's renegade brother Vibhishana . The apes named Nala and Nila construct a floating bridge ( known as Rama Setu ) across the sea , using stones that floated on water because they had Rama 's name written on them . The princes and their army cross over to Lanka . A lengthy war ensues . During a battle , Ravana 's son Indrajit hurls a powerful weapon at Lakshmana , who is badly wounded and is nearly killed . So Hanuman assumes a gigantic form and flies from Lanka to the Himalayas . Upon reaching Mount Sumeru , Hanuman was unable to identify the herb that could cure Lakshmana and so decided to bring the entire mountain back to Lanka . Eventually , the war ends when Rama kills Ravana . Rama then installs Vibhishana on the throne of Lanka . On meeting Sita , Rama asks her to undergo an Agni Pariksha ( test of fire ) to prove her chastity , as he wants to get rid of the rumors surrounding her purity . When Sita plunges into the sacrificial fire , Agni , lord of fire raises Sita , unharmed , to the throne , attesting to her innocence . The episode of Agni Pariksha varies in the versions of Ramayana by Valmiki and Tulsidas . In earlier versions , this event does not occur and many scholars consider it to have been added later as society became more patriarchal . In Tulsidas 's Ramacharitamanas , Sita was under the protection of Agni ( see Maya Sita ) so it was necessary to bring her out before reuniting with Rama . At the expiration of his term of exile , Rama returns to Ayodhya with Sita and Lakshmana , where the coronation is performed . This is the beginning of Ram Rajya , which implies an ideal state with good morals . Ramayan is not only the story about how truth defeats the evil , it also teaches us to forget all the evil and arrogance that resides inside ourselves . Uttara Kanda ( edit ) Main article : Uttara Kanda Sita in the hermitage of Valmiki Uttara Kanda is regarded to be a later addition to the original story by Valmiki and concerns the final years of Rama , Sita and Rama 's brothers . After being crowned king , Rama passes time pleasantly with Sita . After some time , Sita gets pregnant with twin children . However , despite Agni Pariksha ( `` fire ordeal '' ) of Sita , rumours about her `` purity '' are spreading among the populace of Ayodhya . Rama yields to public opinion and reluctantly banishes Sita to the forest , where the sage Valmiki provides shelter in his ashrama ( `` hermitage '' ) . Here , she gives birth to twin boys , Lava and Kusha , who become pupils of Valmiki and are brought up in ignorance of their identity . Valmiki composes the Ramayana and teaches Lava and Kusha to sing it . Later , Rama holds a ceremony during the Ashwamedha yagna , which sage Valmiki , with Lava and Kusha , attends . Lava and Kusha sing the Ramayana in the presence of Rama and his vast audience . When Lava and Kusha recite about Sita 's exile , Rama becomes grief - stricken and Valmiki produces Sita . Sita calls upon the Earth , her mother , to receive her and as the ground opens , she vanishes into it . Rama then learns that Lava and Kusha are his children . Many years later , a messenger from the Gods appears and informs Rama that the mission of his incarnation is over . Rama returns to his celestial abode along with his brothers . It was dramatised as Uttararamacarita by the Sanskrit poet Bhavabhuti . Versions ( edit ) See also : Versions of Ramayana The epic story of Ramayana was adopted by several cultures across Asia . Shown here is a Thai historic artwork depicting the battle which took place between Rama and Ravana . Relief with part of the Ramayana epic , shows Rama killed the golden deer that turn out to be the demon Maricha in disguise . Prambanan Trimurti temple near Yogyakarta , Java , Indonesia . As in many oral epics , multiple versions of the Ramayana survive . In particular , the Ramayana related in north India differs in important respects from that preserved in south India and the rest of southeast Asia . There is an extensive tradition of oral storytelling based on Ramayana in Indonesia , Cambodia , Philippines , Thailand , Malaysia , Laos , Vietnam and Maldives . Father Kamil Bulke , author of Ramakatha , has identified over 300 variants of the Ramayana . India ( edit ) There are diverse regional versions of the Ramayana written by various authors in India . Some of them differ significantly from each other . During the 12th century , Kamban wrote Ramavataram , known popularly as Kambaramayanam in Tamil . A Telugu version , Ranganatha Ramayanam , was written by Gona Budda Reddy in the 14th century . The earliest translation to a regional Indo - Aryan language is the early 14th century Saptakanda Ramayana in Assamese by Madhava Kandali . Valmiki 's Ramayana inspired Sri Ramacharit Manas by Tulsidas in 1576 , an epic Awadhi ( a dialect of Hindi ) version with a slant more grounded in a different realm of Hindu literature , that of bhakti ; it is an acknowledged masterpiece of India , popularly known as Tulsi - krita Ramayana . Gujarati poet Premanand wrote a version of the Ramayana in the 17th century . Other versions include Krittivasi Ramayan , a Bengali version by Krittibas Ojha in the 15th century ; Vilanka Ramayana by 15th century poet Sarala Dasa and Dandi Ramayana ( also known as Jagamohana Ramayana ) by 16th century poet Balarama Dasa , both in Odia ; a Torave Ramayana in Kannada by 16th - century poet Narahari ; Adhyathmaramayanam , a Malayalam version by Thunchaththu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan in the 16th century ; in Marathi by Sridhara in the 18th century ; in Maithili by Chanda Jha in the 19th century ; and in the 20th century , Rashtrakavi Kuvempu 's Sri Ramayana Darshanam in Kannada . There is a sub-plot to the Ramayana , prevalent in some parts of India , relating the adventures of Ahiravan and Mahi Ravana , evil brother of Ravana , which enhances the role of Hanuman in the story . Hanuman rescues Rama and Lakshmana after they are kidnapped by the Ahi - Mahi Ravana at the behest of Ravana and held prisoner in a subterranean cave , to be sacrificed to the goddess Kali . Adbhuta Ramayana is a version that is obscure but also attributed to Valmiki -- intended as a supplementary to the original Valmiki Ramayana . In this variant of the narrative , Sita is accorded far more prominence , such as elaboration of the events surrounding her birth -- in this case to Ravana 's wife , Mandodari as well as her conquest of Ravana 's older brother in her Mahakali form . Mappillapattu -- a genre of song popular among the Muslims belonging to Kerala and Lakshadweep -- has incorporated some episodes from the Ramayana into its songs . These songs , known as mappila ramayana , have been handed down from one generation to the next orally . In mappila ramayana , the story of Ramayana has been changed into that of a sultan and there are no major changes in the names of characters except for that of Rama which is Laman in many places . The language and the imagery projected in the Mappilapattu are in accordance with the social fabric of the earlier Muslim community . Buddhist version ( edit ) In the Buddhist variant of the Ramayana ( Dasarathajātaka , # 467 ) , Dasharatha was king of Benares and not Ayodhya . Rama ( called Rāmapaṇḍita in this version ) was the son of Kaushalya , first wife of Dasharatha . Lakṣmaṇa ( Lakkhaṇa ) was a sibling of Rama and son of Sumitra , the second wife of Dasharatha . Sita was the wife of Rama . To protect his children from his wife Kaikeyi , who wished to promote her son Bharata , Dasharatha sent the three to a hermitage in the Himalayas for a twelve - year exile . After nine years , Dasharatha died and Lakkhaṇa and Sita returned ; Rāmapaṇḍita , in deference to his father 's wishes , remained in exile for a further two years . This version does not include the abduction of Sītā. There is no Ravan in this version i.e. no Ram - ravan war . In the explanatory commentary on Jātaka , Rāmapaṇḍita is said to have been a previous incarnation of Buddha , and Sita an incarnation of Yasodharā . But , Ravana appears in other Buddhist literature , Lankavatar Sutta . Jain version ( edit ) Main articles : Rama in Jainism and Salakapurusa This section does not cite any sources . Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . ( August 2017 ) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message ) Jain versions of the Ramayana can be found in the various Jain agamas like Ravisena 's Padmapurana ( story of Padmaja and Rama , Padmaja being the name of Sita ) , Hemacandra 's Trisastisalakapurusa charitra ( hagiography of 63 illustrious persons ) , Sanghadasa 's Vasudevahindi and Uttarapurana by Gunabhadara . According to Jain cosmology , every half time cycle has nine sets of Balarama , Vasudeva and prativasudeva . Rama , Lakshmana and Ravana are the eighth baladeva , vasudeva and prativasudeva respectively . Padmanabh Jaini notes that , unlike in the Hindu puranas , the names Baladeva and Vasudeva are not restricted to Balarama and Krishna in Jain Puranas . Instead they serve as names of two distinct classes of mighty brothers , who appear nine times in each half time cycle and jointly rule half the earth as half - chakravartins . Jaini traces the origin of this list of brothers to the jinacharitra ( lives of jinas ) by Acharya Bhadrabahu ( 3d -- 4th century BCE ) . In the Jain epic of Ramayana , it is not Rama who kills Ravana as told in the Hindu version . Perhaps this is because Rama , a liberated Jain Soul in his last life , is unwilling to kill . Instead , it is Lakshmana who kills Ravana . In the end , Rama , who led an upright life , renounces his kingdom , becomes a Jain monk and attains moksha . On the other hand , Lakshmana and Ravana go to Hell . However , it is predicted that ultimately they both will be reborn as upright persons and attain liberation in their future births . According to Jain texts , Ravana will be the future Tirthankara ( omniscient teacher ) of Jainism . The Jain versions have some variations from Valmiki 's Ramayana . Dasharatha , the king of Saketa had four queens : Aparajita , Sumitra , Suprabha and Kaikeyi . These four queens had four sons . Aparajita 's son was Padma and he became known by the name of Rama . Sumitra 's son was Narayana : he came to be known by another name , Lakshmana . Kaikeyi 's son was Bharata and Suprabha 's son was Shatrughna . Furthermore , not much was thought of Rama 's fidelity to Sita . According to the Jain version , Rama had four chief queens : Maithili , Prabhavati , Ratinibha , and Sridama . Furthermore , Sita takes renunciation as a Jain ascetic after Rama abandons her and is reborn in heaven . Rama , after Lakshmana 's death , also renounces his kingdom and becomes a Jain monk . Ultimately , he attains Kevala Jnana omniscience and finally liberation . Rama predicts that Ravana and Lakshmana , who were in the fourth hell , will attain liberation in their future births . Accordingly , Ravana is the future tirthankara of the next half ascending time cycle and Sita will be his Ganadhara . Sikh version ( edit ) In Guru Granth Sahib , there is a description of two types of Ramayana . One is a spiritual Ramayana which is the actual subject of Guru Granth Sahib , in which Ravana is ego , Sita is budhi ( intellect ) , Rama is inner soul and Laxman is mann ( attention , mind ) . Guru Granth Sahib also believes in the existence of Dashavatara who were kings of their times which tried their best to restore order to the world . King Rama ( Ramchandra ) was one of those who is not covered in Guru Granth Sahib . Guru Granth Sahib states : ਹੁਕਮਿ ਉਪਾਏ ਦਸ ਅਉਤਾਰਾ ॥ हुकमि उपाए दस अउतारा ॥ By hukam ( supreme command ) , he created his ten incarnations This version of the Ramayana was written by Guru Gobind Singh , which is part of Dasam Granth . He also said that the almighty , invisible , all prevailing God created great numbers of Indras , Moons and Suns , Deities , Demons and sages , and also numerous saints and Brahmanas ( enlightened people ) . But they too were caught in the noose of death ( Kaal ) ( transmigration of the soul ) . This is similar to the explanation in Bhagavad Gita which is part of the Mahabharata . Nepal ( edit ) Besides being the site of discovery of the oldest surviving manuscript of the Ramayana , Nepal gave rise to two regional variants in mid 19th -- early 20th century . One , written by Bhanubhakta Acharya , is considered the first epic of Nepali language , while the other , written by Siddhidas Mahaju in Nepal Bhasa was a foundational influence in the Nepal Bhasa renaissance . Ramayana written by Bhanubhakta Acharya is one of the most popular verses in Nepal . The popularization of the Ramayana and its tale , originally written in Sanskrit Language was greatly enhanced by the work of Bhanubhakta . Mainly because of his writing of Nepali Ramayana , Bhanubhakta is also called Aadi Kavi or The Pioneering Poet . Southeast Asian ( edit ) Cambodia ( edit ) Cambodian classical dancers as Sita and Ravana , the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh ( c. 1920s ) The Cambodian version of the Ramayana , Reamker ( Khmer : រាមកេរ្ដិ៍ - Glory of Rama ) , is the most famous story of Khmer literature since the Kingdom of Funan era . It adapts the Hindu concepts to Buddhist themes and shows the balance of good and evil in the world . The Reamker has several differences from the original Ramayana , including scenes not included in the original and emphasis on Hanuman and Sovanna Maccha , a retelling which influences the Thai and Lao versions . Reamker in Cambodia is not confined to the realm of literature but extends to all Cambodian art forms , such as sculpture , Khmer classical dance , theatre known as lakhorn luang ( the foundation of the royal ballet ) , poetry and the mural and bas - reliefs seen at the Silver Pagoda and Angkor Wat . Indonesia ( edit ) Lakshmana , Rama and Sita during their exile in Dandaka Forest depicted in Javanese dance Indonesia has some adaptations of Ramayana , including Kakawin Ramayana of Java , and Ramakavaca of Bali ( Indonesia ) . Javanese version of Ramayana has some differences if compared with the original Hindu version . The first half of Kakawin Ramayana is similar to the original Sanskrit version , while the latter half is very different from the original Ramayana . One of the recognizable modification in Javanese version of Ramayana is the inclusion of the indigenous Javanese guardian god , Semar , and his misshapen sons , Gareng , Petruk , and Bagong who make up the numerically significant four Punokawan or `` clown servants '' . Kakawin Ramayana is believed to have been written in Central Java circa 870 AD during the reign of Mpu Sindok in Medang Kingdom . The Javanese Kakawin Ramayana is not based on Valmiki 's epic , which was then the most famous version of Rama 's story , but based on Ravanavadha or the `` Ravana massacre '' , which is the sixth or seventh century poetry by Indian poets Bhattikavya . Kakawin Ramayana has also become the reference of Ramayana in the neighboring island of Bali which developed the Balinese Ramakavaca . The bas reliefs of Ramayana and Krishnayana scenes are carved on balustrades wall of 9th century Prambanan temples in Yogyakarta , as well as in East Java 14th century bas - relief of Penataran temple . In Indonesia , Ramayana has been integrated into local culture especially those of Javanese , Balinese and Sundanese people , and has become the source of moral and spiritual guidance as well as aesthetic expression and also for entertainment , like in wayang and traditional dances . The Balinese kecak dance drama for example , represent the story taken from Ramayana episodes , where dancers that play as Rama , Sita , Lakhsmana , Jatayu , Hanuman , Ravana , Kumbhakarna and Indrajit , performed and surrounded by a troupe of over 50 bare - chested men who serve as the chorus chanting `` cak '' chant . The performance also include a fire show to describe the burning of Lanka by Hanuman . In Yogyakarta , the Wayang Wong Javanese dance drama also performed a Javanese rendering of Ramayana episodes . The most spectacular Ramayana performance in Java would be the Ramayana Ballet performed on the Trimurti Prambanan open air stage , with backdrop view of the three main prasad spires of Prambanan Hindu temple . Laos ( edit ) Phra Lak Phra Lam is a Lao language version , whose title comes from Lakshmana and Rama . The story of Lakshmana and Rama is told as the previous life of Gautama buddha . Malaysia ( edit ) The Hikayat Seri Rama of Malaysia incorporated element of both Hindu and Islamic mythology . For example , Dasharatha is the great - grandson of the Prophet Adam . Ravana receives boons from Allah instead of Brahma . Myanmar ( edit ) Rama ( Yama ) and Sita ( Me Thida ) in Yama Zatdaw , the Burmese version of Ramayana Yama Zatdaw is Burmese version of Ramayana . It also considered as Myanmar unofficial national epic . There are nine known pieces of the Yama Zatdaw in Myanmar . The Burmese name for the story itself is Yamayana , while zatdaw refers to the acted play or being part of jataka tales of Theravada Buddhism . This Burmese version also heavily influenced by Ramakien ( Thai version of Ramayana ) which resulted from various invasion by Konbaung Dynasty king toward Ayutthaya Kingdom . Philippines ( edit ) Main article : Maharadia Lawana The Maharadia Lawana , an epic poem of the Maranao people of the Philippines , has been regarded as an indigenized version of the Ramayana since it was documented and translated into English by Professor Juan R. Francisco and Nagasura Madale in 1968 . The poem , which had not been written down before Francisco and Madale 's translation , narrates the adventures of the monkey - king , Maharadia Lawana , whom the Gods have gifted with immortality . Francisco , an indologist from the University of the Philippines Manila , believed that the Ramayana narrative arrived in the Philippines some time between the 17th to 19th centuries , via interactions with Javanese and Malaysian cultures which traded extensively with India . By the time it was documented in the 1960s , the character names , place names , and the precise episodes and events in Maharadia Lawana 's narrative already had some notable differences from those of the Ramayana . Francisco believed that this was a sign of `` indigenization '' , and suggested that some changes had already been introduced in Malaysia and Java even before the story was heard by the Maranao , and that upon reaching the Maranao homeland , the story was `` further indigenized to suit Philippine cultural perspectives and orientations . '' Thailand ( edit ) The Thai retelling of the tale -- Ramakien -- is popularly expressed in traditional regional dance theatre Thailand 's popular national epic Ramakien ( Thai : รามเกียรติ์. , from Sanskrit rāmakīrti , glory of Rama ) is derived from the Hindu epic . In Ramakien , Sita is the daughter of Ravana and Mandodari ( thotsakan and montho ) . Vibhishana ( phiphek ) , the astrologer brother of Ravana , predicts the death of Ravana from the horoscope of Sita . Ravana has thrown her into the water , but she is later rescued by Janaka ( chanok ) . While the main story is identical to that of Ramayana , many other aspects were transposed into a Thai context , such as the clothes , weapons , topography and elements of nature , which are described as being Thai in style . It has an expanded role for Hanuman and he is portrayed as a lascivious character . Ramakien can be seen in an elaborate illustration at Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok . Critical edition ( edit ) A critical edition of the text was compiled in India in the 1960s and 1970s , by the Oriental Institute at Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda , India , utilizing dozens of manuscripts collected from across India and the surrounding region . An English language translation of the critical edition was completed in November 2016 by Sanskrit scholar Robert P. Goldman of the University of California , Berkeley . Influence on culture and art ( edit ) See also : Ramayana Ballet A Ramlila actor wears the traditional attire of Ravana . One of the most important literary works of ancient India , the Ramayana has had a profound impact on art and culture in the Indian subcontinent and southeast Asia with the lone exception of Vietnam . The story ushered in the tradition of the next thousand years of massive - scale works in the rich diction of regal courts and Hindu temples . It has also inspired much secondary literature in various languages , notably Kambaramayanam by Tamil poet Kambar of the 12th century , Telugu language Molla Ramayanam by poet Molla and Ranganatha Ramayanam by poet Gona Budda Reddy , 14th century Kannada poet Narahari 's Torave Ramayana and 15th century Bengali poet Krittibas Ojha 's Krittivasi Ramayan , as well as the 16th century Awadhi version , Ramacharitamanas , written by Tulsidas . Ramayanic scenes have also been depicted through terracottas , stone sculptures , bronzes and paintings . These include the stone panel at Nagarjunakonda in Andhra Pradesh depicting Bharata 's meeting with Rama at Chitrakuta ( 3rd century CE ) . The Ramayana became popular in Southeast Asia during 8th century and was represented in literature , temple architecture , dance and theatre . Today , dramatic enactments of the story of the Ramayana , known as Ramlila , take place all across India and in many places across the globe within the Indian diaspora . Hanuman discovers Sita in her captivity in Lanka , as depicted in Balinese dance . In Indonesia , especially Java and Bali , Ramayana has become a popular source of artistic expression for dance drama and shadow puppet performance in the region . Sendratari Ramayana is Javanese traditional ballet of wayang orang genre , routinely performed in Prambanan Trimurti temple and in cultural center of Yogyakarta . Balinese dance drama of Ramaya also performed routinely in Balinese temples , especially in temples in Ubud and Uluwatu , where scenes from Ramayana is integrap part of kecak dance performance . Javanese wayang kulit purwa also draws its episodes from Ramayana or Mahabharata . Ramayana has also been depicted in many paintings , most notably by the Malaysian artist Syed Thajudeen in 1972 . The epic tale was picturized on canvas in epic proportions measuring 152 x 823 cm in 9 panels . The painting depicts three prolific parts of the epic , namely The Abduction of Sita , Hanuman visits Sita and Hanuman Burns Lanka . The painting is currently in the permanent collection of the Malaysian National Visual Arts Gallery . A depiction of Ramayana by Syed Thajudeen Religious significance ( edit ) Deities Sita ( far right ) , Rama ( center ) , Lakshmana ( far left ) and Hanuman ( below , seated ) at Bhaktivedanta Manor , Watford , England Rama , the hero of the Ramayana , is one of the most popular deities worshipped in the Hindu religion . Each year , many devout pilgrims trace their journey through India and Nepal , halting at each of the holy sites along the way . The poem is not seen as just a literary monument , but serves as an integral part of Hinduism and is held in such reverence that the mere reading or hearing of it or certain passages of it , is believed by Hindus to free them from sin and bless the reader or listener . According to Hindu tradition , Rama is an incarnation ( Avatar ) of god Vishnu . The main purpose of this incarnation is to demonstrate the righteous path ( dharma ) for all living creatures on earth . Ramayana in popular culture ( edit ) Multiple modern , English - language adaptations of the epic exist , namely Ram Chandra Series by Amish Tripathi , Ramayana Series by Ashok Banker and a mythopoetic novel , Asura : Tale of the Vanquished by Anand Neelakantan . Another Indian author , Devdutt Pattanaik , has published three different retellings and commentaries of Ramayana titled Sita , The Book Of Ram and Hanuman 's Ramayan . A number of plays , movies and television serials have also been produced based upon the Ramayana . Stage ( edit ) Starting in 1978 and under the supervision of Baba Hari Dass , Ramayana has been performed every year by Mount Madonna School in Watsonville , California . Currently , it is the largest yearly , Western version of the epic being performed . It takes the form of a colorful musical with custom costumes , sung and spoken dialog , jazz - rock orchestration and dance . This performance takes place in a large audience theater setting usually in June , in San Jose , CA . Baba Hari Dass has taught acting arts , costume - attire design , mask making and choreography to bring alive characters of Sri Ram , Sita , Hanuman , Lakshmana , Shiva , Parvati , Vibhishan , Jatayu , Sugriva , Surpanakha , Ravana and his rakshasa court , Meghnadha , Kumbhakarna and the army of monkeys and demons . Movies ( edit ) Sampoorna Ramayanam -- a Telugu / Tamil bilingual film starring N.T. Rama Rao ( 1958 ) Sampoorna Ramayana -- a Hindi film directed by Babubhai Mistry ( 1961 ) Lava Kusha -- a Uttara Kanda - based bilingual Telugu movie and Tamil movie starring N.T. Rama Rao ( 1963 ) Sampoorna Ramayanamu -- a Telugu film directed by Bapu , starring Sobhan Babu , Chandrakala , SV Ranga Rao ( 1971 ) Kanchana Sita -- a Malayalam film by G. Aravindan ( 1977 ) Ramayana : The Legend of Prince Rama -- a Japanese animated film released in the Hindi , Japanese and English languages ( 1992 ) A Little Princess ( 1995 ) -- an American film chronicling the time of an orphaned child during WWI in an all - girl 's boarding school . The story of Rama and Sita is told by the main character to the other girls and is constantly referenced throughout the plot . Opera Jawa -- an Indonesian - Austrian film in the Indonesian language ; inspired by the story of the abduction of Sita ( 2008 ) Sita Sings the Blues -- an independent animated film ( 2008 ) . Lava Kusa : The Warrior Twins -- animated film based on Uttara Kanda ( 2010 ) Ramayana : The Epic -- a Warner Bros. Indian animated film ( 2010 ) Sri Rama Rajyam -- based on Uttara Kanda , a Telugu film starring Nandamuri Balakrishna ( 2011 ) . Yak : The Giant King -- a re-interpretation of Ramayana , the Thai animation film tells the story of a giant robot , Na Kiew , who is left wandering in a barren wasteland after a great war . Na Kiew meets Jao Phuek , a puny tin robot who has lost his memory and is now stuck with his new big friend . Together they set out across the desert populated by metal scavengers , to look for Ram , the creator of all robots . ( 2012 ) . Mumbai Musical -- DreamWorks Animation ( 2016 ) Mahayoddha Rama -- an animated version of Ramayana from the perspective of Ravana , the demon king of Lanka Animated movies ( edit ) Sons Of Ram by Kushal Ruia , its about the life of Sita with her sons Luv and Kush . Plays ( edit ) Kanchana Sita , Saketham and Lankalakshmi -- award - winning trilogy by Malayalam playwright C.N. Sreekantan Nair Lankeswaran -- a play by the award - winning Tamil cinema actor R.S. Manohar King 's Dharma -- a multi-media production produced by Ben Kahan and Andreas Canning ( 2016 ) Kecak - a Balinese traditional folk dance which plays and tells the story of Ramayana Exihibitions ( edit ) Gallery Nucleus : Ramayana Exhibition - Part of the art of the book Ramayana : Divine Loophole by Sanjay Patel . The Rama epic : Hero. Heroine , Ally , Foe by The Asian Art Museum . Books ( edit ) `` The Ramayana '' by R.K. Narayan `` A tale of Gods and Demons : Ramayana '' by R Prime `` The Song of Rama '' by Vanamali `` Ramayana '' by Krishna Dharma `` Ramayana '' by William Buck and S Triest `` Arrow of the Blue - Skinned God '' by Jonah Blank `` Indian Odyssey '' by Martin Buckley `` Ramayana : Divine Loophole '' by Sanjay Patel `` Sita  ́ s Ramayana '' by Samhita Arni & Moyna Chitrakar `` Sita : An Illustrate Retelling of the Ramayana '' By Devdutt Pattanaik TV series ( edit ) Ramayan -- originally broadcast on Doordarshan , produced by Ramanand Sagar in 1987 Jai Hanuman -- originally broadcast on Doordarshan , produced and directed by Sanjay Khan Ramayan ( 2002 ) -- originally broadcast on Zee TV , produced by BR Films Ramayan ( 2008 ) -- originally broadcast on Imagine TV , produced by Ramanand Sagar Ramayan ( 2012 ) -- a remake of the 1987 series and aired on Zee TV Antariksh ( 2004 ) -- a sci - fi version of Ramayan . Originally broadcast on Star Plus Raavan -- series on life of Ravana based on Ramayana . Originally broadcast on Zee TV Sankatmochan Mahabali Hanuman -- 2015 series based on the life of Hanuman presently broadcasting on Sony TV Siya Ke Ram -- a series on Star Plus , originally broadcast from November 16 , 2015 to November 4 , 2016 Citations ( edit ) Jump up ^ `` Ramayana '' . Random House Webster 's Unabridged Dictionary . Jump up ^ Ramayana By William Buck Jump up ^ Mukherjee Pandey , Jhimli ( 18 Dec 2015 ) . `` 6th - century Ramayana found in Kolkata , stuns scholars '' . timesofindia.indiatimes.com . TNN . Retrieved 20 December 2015 . ^ Jump up to : Uma Singh , Senu Singh ( 16 January 2013 ) . `` Ramayan as a complete life of real human '' ( PDF ) . Indian Journal of Arts . 1 ( 1 ) : 2 . Retrieved 20 November 2016 . Jump up ^ Mukherjee , P. ( 1981 ) . The History of Medieval Vaishnavism in Orissa . Asian Educational Services . p. 74 . ISBN 9788120602298 . Retrieved 6 January 2017 . Jump up ^ Living Thoughts of the Ramayana . Jaico Publishing House . 2002 . ISBN 9788179920022 . Retrieved 6 January 2017 . Jump up ^ Krishnamoorthy , K. ; Mukhopadhyay , S. ; Sahitya Akademi ( 1991 ) . A Critical Inventory of Rāmāyaṇa Studies in the World : Foreign languages . Sahitya Akademi in collaboration with Union Academique Internationale , Bruxelles . ISBN 9788172015077 . Retrieved 6 January 2017 . Jump up ^ Bulcke , C. ; Prasāda , D. ( 2010 ) . Rāmakathā and Other Essays . Vani Prakashan . p. 116 . ISBN 9789350001073 . Retrieved 6 January 2017 . Jump up ^ CANTO LXVII. : THE BREAKING OF THE BOW . sacredtexts.com . Retrieved 25 January 2016 . Jump up ^ Rajarajan , R.K.K. ( 2001 ) Sītāpaharaṇam : Changing thematic Idioms in Sanskrit and Tamil . In Dirk W. Lonne ed . Tofha - e-Dil : Festschrift Helmut Nespital , Reinbeck , 2 vols. , pp. 783 - 97 . ISBN 3 - 88587 - 033 - 9 . https://www.academia.edu/2514821/S%C4%ABt%C4%81pahara%E1%B9%89am_Changing_thematic_Idioms_in_Sanskrit_and_Tamil Jump up ^ Rajarajan , R.K.K. ( 2014 ) Reflections on `` Rāma - Setu '' in South Asian Tradition . The Quarterly Journal of the Mythic Society , Vol. 105.3 : 1 -- 14 , ISSN 0047 - 8555 . https://www.academia.edu/8779702/Reflections_on_R%C4%81ma-Setu_in_South_Asian_Tradition Jump up ^ `` Shrimad Valmiki Ramayan Hindi Books PDF '' . hindibookspdf.com . Retrieved 3 August 2017 . Jump up ^ Jones , Constance ; Ryan , James D. ( 1 January 2006 ) . Encyclopedia of Hinduism . Infobase Publishing . ISBN 9780816075645 . ^ Jump up to : Ramanujan , A.K ( 2004 ) . The Collected Essays of A.K. Ramanujan ( PDF ) ( 4 . impr . ed . ) . New Delhi : Oxford University Press . p. 145 . Jump up ^ `` Ramayana Kakawin Vol. 1 '' . archive.org . Jump up ^ `` The Kakawin Ramayana -- an old Javanese rendering of the ... '' . www.nas.gov.sg . Retrieved 2017 - 12 - 13 . 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Jump up ^ `` THE KEEPERS : CNN Introduces Guardians of Indonesia 's Rich Cultural Traditions '' . www.indonesia.travel . Retrieved 2017 - 12 - 13 . Jump up ^ Fang , Liaw Yock ( 2013 ) . A History of Classical Malay Literature . Yayasan Pustaka Obor Indonesia . p. 142 . ISBN 9789794618103 . Jump up ^ Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society . 1898 . pp. 107 -- . Jump up ^ Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society . 1898 . pp. 143 -- . ^ Jump up to : Guillermo , Artemio R. ( 2011 - 12 - 16 ) . Historical Dictionary of the Philippines . Scarecrow Press . ISBN 9780810875111 . Jump up ^ Francisco , Juan R. `` Maharadia Lawana '' ( PDF ) . ^ Jump up to : FRANCISCO , JUAN R. ( 1989 ) . `` The Indigenization of the Rama Story in the Philippines '' . Philippine Studies . 37 ( 1 ) : 101 -- 111 . doi : 10.2307 / 42633135 . Jump up ^ `` Ramayana Translation Project turns its last page , after four decades of research Berkeley News '' . news.berkeley.edu . 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Brockington , John ( 2003 ) . `` The Sanskrit Epics '' . In Flood , Gavin . Blackwell companion to Hinduism . Blackwell Publishing . pp. 116 -- 128 . ISBN 0 - 631 - 21535 - 2 . Buck , William ; van Nooten , B.A. ( 2000 ) . Ramayana . University of California Press . p. 432 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 520 - 22703 - 3 . Dutt , Romesh C. ( 2004 ) . Ramayana . Kessinger Publishing . p. 208 . ISBN 978 - 1 - 4191 - 4387 - 8 . Dutt , Romesh Chunder ( 2002 ) . The Ramayana and Mahabharata condensed into English verse . Courier Dover Publications . p. 352 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 486 - 42506 - 1 . Fallon , Oliver ( 2009 ) . Bhatti 's Poem : The Death of Rávana ( Bhaṭṭikāvya ) . New York : New York University Press , Clay Sanskrit Library . ISBN 978 - 0 - 8147 - 2778 - 2 . Keshavadas , Sadguru Sant ( 1988 ) . Ramayana at a Glance . Motilal Banarsidass Publ. , . p. 211 . ISBN 978 - 81 - 208 - 0545 - 3 . Goldman , Robert P. ( 1990 ) . The Ramayana of Valmiki : An Epic of Ancient India : Balakanda . Princeton University Press . ISBN 978 - 0 - 691 - 01485 - 2 . Goldman , Robert P. ( 1994 ) . The Ramayana of Valmiki : An Epic of Ancient India : Kiskindhakanda . Princeton University Press . ISBN 978 - 0 - 691 - 06661 - 5 . Goldman , Robert P. ( 1996 ) . The Ramayana of Valmiki : Sundarakanda . Princeton University Press . ISBN 978 - 0 - 691 - 06662 - 2 . B.B. Lal ( 2008 ) . Rāma , His Historicity , Mandir , and Setu : Evidence of Literature , Archaeology , and Other Sciences . Aryan Books . ISBN 978 - 81 - 7305 - 345 - 0 . Mahulikar , Dr. Gauri . Effect Of Ramayana On Various Cultures And Civilisations , Ramayan Institute Rabb , Kate Milner , National Epics , 1896 -- see eText in Project Gutenburg Murthy , S.S.N. ( November 2003 ) . `` A note on the Ramayana '' ( PDF ) . Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies . New Delhi . 10 ( 6 ) : 1 -- 18 . ISSN 1084 - 7561 . Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 8 August 2012 . Prabhavananda , Swami ( 1979 ) . The Spiritual Heritage of India . Vedanta Press . p. 374 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 87481 - 035 - 6 . ( see also Wikipedia article on book ) Raghunathan , N. ( transl . ) , Srimad Valmiki Ramayanam , Vighneswara Publishing House , Madras ( 1981 ) Rohman , Todd ( 2009 ) . `` The Classical Period '' . In Watling , Gabrielle ; Quay , Sara . Cultural History of Reading : World literature . Greenwood . ISBN 978 - 0 - 313 - 33744 - 4 . Sattar , Arshia ( transl . ) ( 1996 ) . The Rāmāyaṇa by Vālmīki . Viking . p. 696 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 14 - 029866 - 6 . Sundararajan , K.R. ( 1989 ) . `` The Ideal of Perfect Life : The Ramayana '' . In Krishna Sivaraman ; Bithika Mukerji . Hindu spirituality : Vedas through Vedanta . The Crossroad Publishing Co. pp. 106 -- 126 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 8245 - 0755 - 8 . A different Song -- Article from `` The Hindu '' 12 August 2005 -- `` The Hindu : Entertainment Thiruvananthapuram / Music : A different song '' . Hinduonnet.com. 12 August 2005 . Archived from the original on 27 October 2010 . Retrieved 1 September 2010 . Valmiki 's Ramayana illustrated with Indian miniatures from the 16th to the 19th century , 2012 , Editions Diane de Selliers , ISBN 9782903656768 Further reading ( edit ) Sanskrit text Electronic version of the Sanskrit text , input by Muneo Tokunaga Sanskrit text on GRETIL Translations Jain Ramayana of Hemchandra English translation ; seventh book of the Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra ; 1931 Valmiki Ramayana verse translation by Desiraju Hanumanta Rao , K.M.K. Murthy et al . Valmiki Ramayana translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith ( 1870 -- 1874 ) ( Project Gutenberg ) The Ramayana condensed into English verse by R.C. Dutt ( 1899 ) at archive.org Prose translation of the complete Ramayana by M.N. Dutt ( 1891 -- 1894 ) : Balakandam , Ayodhya Kandam , Aranya Kandam , Kishkindha Kandam , Sundara Kandam , Yuddha Kandam , Uttara Kandam Rāma the Steadfast : an early form of the Rāmāyaṇa translated by J.L. Brockington and Mary Brockington . Penguin , 2006 . ISBN 0 - 14 - 044744 - X . Secondary Sources Jain , Meenakshi. ( 2013 ) . Rama and Ayodhya . Aryan Books International , 2013 . 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Question: who penned the famous indian epic the ramayana