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The Rámáyan of Válmíki

A kingdom is lost to keep a vow, and the world bends toward its restoration.

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The collectionEpics and Myths8 Worlds

This collection includes The Rámáyan of Válmíki, along with The Odyssey, The Iliad, The Aeneid, Beowulf, Oedipus King of Thebes, The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night and The Popol Vuh.

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The collectionClassics from Around the World9 Worlds

This collection includes The Rámáyan of Válmíki, along with The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, The Tale of Genji, The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, Hung Lou Meng, or, The Dream of the Red Chamber, Book I, Noli Me Tangere, Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, The Popol Vuh and The Story of an African Farm.

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A scrollable world for your phone

How you explore The Rámáyan of Válmíki on Literah

The cast, the places, the objects, the plot, and the author’s own words — each one a card in a feed you scroll on your phone. One at a time, at your pace, in any order you like.

  • Built for your phone. Literah is designed for mobile, so your worlds travel with you. On a laptop it shows a QR code to carry the world to your phone.
  • A feed, not a wall of text. 39 characters, 19 places, 11 objects and 7 plot beats, each its own card with its own illustration.
  • The author’s own words. 40 passages of The Rámáyan of Válmíki sit in the feed verbatim, exactly as Valmiki wrote them, each with a short reading of what it is doing. The map is ours; the prose is always the book’s.
  • The same scroll, a better world. The gesture you already give away to feeds, spent on Valmiki instead.

The Rámáyan of Válmíki feed, as it appears in your mobile

The plot of The Rámáyan of Válmíki

The story beat by beat, as Literah maps it.

  • The Naming of Rama
  • The Exile
  • The Abduction of Sita
  • The Alliance with Sugriva
  • Hanuman Finds Sita
  • The War in Lanka
  • The Return to Ayodhya

The author's pen in The Rámáyan of Válmíki

The passages themselves, Valmiki's own words, as Literah maps it.

  • Who Is Virtuous and Truech. 1
  • Rama’s Perfect Virtuesch. 1
  • Kaikeyi Claims Her Giftsch. 1
  • Lakshman Shares the Exilech. 1
  • Sita Clings to Ramach. 1
  • Love Shown in Exilech. 1
  • Sita Carried Awaych. 1
  • Rama Finds Jatayu Slainch. 1
  • Sita Gone, Grief and Questch. 1
  • Sugriva Swears Alliancech. 1
  • Sugriva Crowned After Bali's Fallch. 1
  • Hanumán Leaps To Lankách. 1
  • From Forbearance to Flamech. 1
  • The Bridge to Lankách. 1
  • Vibhishan Left to Reignch. 1
  • Restore The Maithil Ladych. 9
  • Death Before Returningch. 13
  • Panchavati Becomes Homech. 15
  • Watching for the Maithil Damech. 15
  • Surpanakha Names Her Powerch. 17

The characters of The Rámáyan of Válmíki

Who is who, as Literah maps it.

  • Rámamajor
  • Sítámajor
  • Lakshmaṇmajor
  • Bharatmajor
  • Hanumánmajor
  • Rávanmajor
  • Daśarathamajor
  • Kaikeyímajor
  • Sugrívamajor
  • Vibhishanmajor
  • Jatáyussupporting
  • Janaksupporting
  • Śúrpanakhásupporting
  • Máríchasupporting
  • Bálisupporting
  • Tárásupporting

The locations in The Rámáyan of Válmíki

Where it happens, as Literah maps it.

  • Ayodhyácity
  • Royal Palace of Ayodhyápalace
  • Mithilácity
  • Viśvámitra’s Hermitagehermitage
  • Ahalyá’s Hermitagehermitage
  • Śringaverariver town
  • Bharadvāja’s Hermitagehermitage
  • Chitrakúṭamountain retreat
  • Nandigrámvillage retreat
  • Daṇḍak Forestforest
  • Agastya’s Hermitagehermitage
  • Panchavatíforest dwelling
  • Pampálake region
  • Kishkindhávánar kingdom

The core concepts in The Rámáyan of Válmíki

What the book keeps returning to, as Literah maps it.

  • Duty and love do not always ask the same thing
  • Kingship is service before possession
  • Speech binds the world
  • Exile reveals character
  • Recognition travels through tokens
  • Power without restraint becomes violation
  • Devotion becomes action
  • Righteous violence is never simple
  • Restoration comes after the whole world is disturbed

The objects of note in The Rámáyan of Válmíki

The things that carry meaning, as Literah maps it.

  • Śiva’s Bow
  • Bark Garments
  • Ráma’s Sandals
  • Golden Deer
  • Ráma’s Ring
  • Sítá’s Gem
  • Ráma’s Bow and Arrows
  • Hanumán’s Burning Tail
  • Fire of Ordeal
  • Medicinal Herbs
  • Pushpak Chariot

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Or start with one of its collections

The collectionEpics and Myths8 Worlds

This collection includes The Rámáyan of Válmíki, along with The Odyssey, The Iliad, The Aeneid, Beowulf, Oedipus King of Thebes, The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night and The Popol Vuh.

$14.99

Counts in full toward the library. See the collection · Give it as a gift

The collectionClassics from Around the World9 Worlds

This collection includes The Rámáyan of Válmíki, along with The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, The Tale of Genji, The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, Hung Lou Meng, or, The Dream of the Red Chamber, Book I, Noli Me Tangere, Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, The Popol Vuh and The Story of an African Farm.

$14.99

Counts in full toward the library. See the collection · Give it as a gift

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