Maharshi Valmiki

- the author of the

great Indian
epic Ramayana,
- was a Hindu sage
who lived around the
beginning of the first
millennium B.C.
 Background and History
O The Ramayana is one of the
longest epic poems in Hinduism,
with more than 24,000 verses.
O Although its precise origins are
unclear, the poet Valmiki is
generally credited with writing the
Ramayana in the 5th century B.C.
O.
 Background and History
O In Hindu tradition, it is considered to be the adi-
kavya (first poem).
O 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.
O 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.