45 h 38 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 45 h 38 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
A prince loses his throne to a promise—and must cross a world of demons to find his wife.
The Rámáyan of Válmíki is an ancient Indian epic in verse, traditionally attributed to the sage-poet Valmiki. Rama, eldest son of King Dasaratha of Ayodhya, stands ready to inherit the throne. Then a palace plot sends him into fourteen years of exile. His wife Sita and brother Lakshmana choose to share his forest life.
When Ravana, the demon king of Lanka, carries Sita away, Rama must seek allies to find her. Hanuman, a wise and mighty monkey minister, becomes his loyal helper. From the bending of a bow to Hanuman’s leap across the sea, the poem sets heroic deeds beside difficult questions: what do we owe those we love, and what does keeping faith cost?
What you’ll discover
- A promise above power Follow a gentle prince who keeps his father’s word at the cost of his throne.
- Courage in exile Meet Sita and Lakshmana, whose constancy and devotion give the forest journey its human heart.
- Hanuman’s leap to Lanka Join the search across the sea as Rama’s mighty helper goes in search of Sita.
- A forest of dangers Enter a world of sages, hermitages and demons, where refuge stands close to danger.
- The demands of dharma Explore duty and right conduct through choices that pull families and loyalties in different directions.
Who will love it
You will love this book if you enjoy heroic quests, stories inside stories, gods and demons, and plain questions about loyalty and duty.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A promise costs Rama his crown
- Compassion gives the poet his voice
- A king's longing brings four princes
- Rama's strength wins him Sita
- Brothers honour a promise through loss
- A golden deer breaks the peace
- Hanuman carries hope across the sea
- Stories within stories illuminate the journey
- Devotion takes more than one form
Who’s who
- RamaThe eldest prince of Ayodhya, who accepts exile to keep his father's promise and then must find his stolen wife.
- SitaRama's wife, who follows him into the forest and meets cruelty with courage, hoping to see him again.
- LakshmanRama's younger brother, who gives up home and comfort to serve and protect him in exile.
- BharatKaikeyi's son, who refuses the crown meant for him and rules only in the name of his brother's sandals.
- DasharathaThe aged king of Ayodhya, who longs for sons and is bound by his own oath to a jealous queen.
- KaikeyiThe youngest queen, who uses two old boons to win the throne for her son and exile for Rama.
- RavanThe ten-headed king of Lanka, shielded from gods and demons, who wants Sita for himself.
- HanumanThe wind's son and a monkey minister, who leaps the sea to find Sita and bring her word.
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The Rámáyan of Válmíki, Translated into English Verse
by Valmiki
A king's promise to a jealous queen sends Rama into the forest, and a golden deer sends Sita into Ravan's hands.
ChallengingOver 20 hours to read2 languages
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In short
What would you do if a promise made in love cost you everything? Rama, the eldest prince of Ayodhya, faces that question on the morning he expects to be crowned.
The Rámáyan of Válmíki, Translated into English Verse at a glance
- Reading time
- About 27 h21 h 25 min fast, 32 h 10 min slow
- Length
- 385,500 words
- Library level
- Challenging long sentences, a rich vocabulary
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A poet's grief gives the epic its verse
The poem opens with a question. The sage Valmiki asks the wandering seer Narad who in the world is virtuous, brave, truthful and kind. Narad answers with one name, Rama of the house of Ikshvaku.
Then comes the story of how the poem itself is born. Valmiki is walking near a river when he watches a fowler shoot one of a pair of curlews. The mate cries out in anguish, and the poet feels such pity that words burst from him in an even, measured rhythm. He names it a sloka, a word that echoes the Sanskrit for sorrow.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 29 h 45 min
- Level
- Challenging
Cite this edition
Valmiki. The Rámáyan of Válmíki, Translated into English Verse. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-ramayan-of-valmiki-translated-into-english-verse.
Valmiki. (2026). The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-ramayan-of-valmiki-translated-into-english-verse
Valmiki. The Rámáyan of Válmíki, Translated into English Verse. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-ramayan-of-valmiki-translated-into-english-verse.
@book{valmiki2026ramayan,
author = {Valmiki},
title = {The Rámáyan of Válmíki, Translated into English Verse},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-ramayan-of-valmiki-translated-into-english-verse}
}
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What is the Ramayan about?
It tells how Prince Rama is exiled from Ayodhya, how his wife Sita is stolen by the demon king Ravan, and how Rama, his brother and an army of monkeys set out to find her.
Who wrote the Ramayan and when?
Tradition credits the sage Valmiki, who is said to have composed it in a new verse form called the sloka. It is very old, and the exact date is not known.
Who is Hanuman in the Ramayan?
Hanuman is a monkey minister of Sugriva and a son of the Wind-God. He joins Rama, leaps across the sea to Lanka, finds Sita and carries messages between her and Rama.
The author
Valmiki
Ancient Sanskrit epic poet
Celebrated as the harbinger-poet in Sanskrit literature and the author of the epic Ramayana.
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