The
Ramayana (; , , ) is a
Sanskrit epic poem ascribed to the Hindu sage and Sanskrit poet
Valmiki. It is regarded as one of the two great works of
Indian literature, along with the
Mahabharata. The
Ramayana also plays an important role in
Hindu literature (). 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. The name
Ramayana is a
tatpurusha compound of and ("going, advancing"), translating to "
Rama's Journey". The
Ramayana consists of 24,000 verses in seven books () and 500
cantos () and tells the story of Rama (the seventh
avatar of the Hindu supreme-god
Vishnu), whose wife
Sita is abducted by
Ravana, the king of
Lanka (current day
Sri Lanka). Incidentally the first letter of every 1000 verses (total 24) make the
Gayatri mantra. Thematically, the
Ramayana explores human values and the concept of
dharma.