The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic

As befits an epic, the hero of the Ramayana, Rama, encounters numerous trials and tribulations that challenge his strength and his virtue. Rama’s power and moral goodness, like those of many epic heroes, are both abstract and physical—consistent with his characterization as a human incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. Rama is emotionally and psychologically strong, and he possesses warrior qualities that enable him to fight bravely and successfully with prodigious enemies.

Rama is the favorite son of King Dasaratha of Kosala and his first wife, Queen Kausalya. From an early age, Rama displays the generosity of spirit that marks him as special; as a young prince, he asks his people if they want for anything, demonstrating that his interest in their well-being outweighs any expectation of accolades. As Rama grows older, his personality and his gifts become more apparent to everyone around him, even when he must take to the forest to live for 14 years of exile. His father dies for the loss of him, his brothers prioritize his needs over their own, and his wife, Sita, falls in love with him upon first glance. Rama’s enemies fear him, especially when the gods above side with Rama and assist him whenever needed.