The many versions of Ramayana

Rama often has to be reminded of his divinity. Unlike Krishna, who moves through the world with the full awareness of being the Supreme, Rama behaves like a man first, god later. This contrast isn’t incidental — it forms a core theme in several retellings, including those by Tulsidas and Kamba, where divinity chooses to walk the path of mortality.

The Ramayana by Rishi Valmiki and the Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi language by Tulsidas Ji remain the two most widely read and revered tellings of Rama’s story. Beyond these, almost every region in India carries its own version. There are 25 Sanskrit retellings alone. The story has travelled far beyond India — into Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Tibet — taking on local textures.

In Indonesia, the Kakawin Ramayana is a revered Javanese poetic version with Hindu-Buddhist influences, while in Bali, it is performed through intricate dance-dramas and shadow puppetry (Wayang Kulit). Cambodia’s Reamker adds Buddhist moral themes and is famously depicted in temple art at Angkor Wat. In Thailand, the Ramakien is a national epic where characters like Rama (Phra Ram) and Hanuman are deeply embedded in Thai culture. Laos preserves the story in the form of Phra Lak Phra Lam, blending Hindu origins with Theravāda Buddhist teachings, often enacted through traditional performance arts. In Myanmar, the Yama Zatdaw is considered the Burmese Ramayana, adapted for court performances and Buddhist contexts. The Tibetan Ramayana, known as Rama Thung, portrays Rama as a Bodhisattva and reflects Mahayana Buddhist ideals. In Nepal, the Bhanubhakta Ramayana — a translation from Sanskrit into Nepali by poet Bhanubhakta Acharya — is a literary classic, while older versions exist in the Newar language. Sri Lanka hosts folk traditions that reference the Ramayana, though some portray Ravana not as a villain but as a heroic ancestor.

There are Jain and Buddhist Ramayanas too. Some retellings appear in the Mahabharata, Devi Purana, and Shiva Purana. Step outside the country, and you’ll find Ramayana living it up in Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Tibet.

While the core narrative remains unchanged, newer details emerge with each version — shaped by culture, imagination, and oral tradition. The Lakshman Rekha and Shabri’s tasting of berries, for instance, are not found in the original Rishi Valmiki’s version.

In a Jain Ramayana, Sita is Ravana’s daughter — abandoned at birth due to a prophecy foretelling his death. In the Shakta retelling, it is Sita who kills Ravana. The Dasaratha Jataka describes her as Rama’s sister. In another Jain narrative, Lakshman kills Ravana, as Rama, being a Tirthankara, is bound by non-violence. Jain and Buddhist retellings reinterpret Rama as a Tirthankara or Bodhisattva, reshaping key events and characters according to non-violent, spiritual ideals.

The moment when Rama meets his sons also differs. In Tulsidas’s version, it’s on the battlefield, after they capture the sacrificial horse sent by their father. In Valmiki’s, it happens in court, where the young boys sing the Ram Katha before him.

Among the many figures surrounding Rama’s story is Kak Bhushundi — a crow blessed with the ability to witness all of Rama’s lives across time. Absent in Valmiki’s version but prominent in Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas, Bhushundi’s tale begins with a curse from Shiva for disrespecting Rishi Lomash. Later, the curse is softened: he is allowed to travel through time and becomes the first to narrate the Ramayana — to Shiva himself. It is said they danced together in Ayodhya on the day Rama was born. In the Adhyatma Ramayana, Shiva tells the story of Rama to Parvati, attributing it to Kak Bhushundi. In some tellings, the crow shares the story with Garuda, making it the earliest Ramayana — predating even Rama’s birth.

Despite the myriad forms and retellings, the essence of the Ramayana remains timeless and universal.