Ramayana

The Ramayana, authored by the sage Valmiki, is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India. It narrates the life of Rama, the prince of Ayodhya, detailing his fourteen-year exile to the forest instigated by his stepmother Kaikeyi; his travels across the Indian subcontinent with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana; the kidnapping of Sita by Ravana, the Rakshasa king of Lanka, resulting in a war; and Rama's eventual return to Ayodhya to be crowned king. The Ramayana explores themes of dharma, loyalty, duty, and the triumph of good over evil.