The story of Rāma is first told in the Sanskrit epic the Rāmāyaṇa, which is ascribed to Vālmīki. The Rāmāyaṇa is more than just one of the two great Sanskrit epics: it is a living tradition cherished at all levels of society throughout India and the whole of Southeast Asia, expressed in many languages and art forms – sophisticated Sanskrit literature, popular fol…