"Ramal Ramal"

In Sanskrit, Rama's story is found in Valmiki Ramayana, Adhyatma Ramayana, Yoga Vasishtha Ramayana, Mahabharata's Vana Parva, and Kalidasa's Raghuvamsham.

Ramayana is one of the two most treasured epics composed in ancient India. Along with the Mahabharata, it fills the minds and hearts of millions of Hindus as a sacred text, a way of relating to the past, and as poetry, shaped in crucial ways. Ramayana narrates the life of Rama, the legendary warrior prince of Ayodhya. As he walks the path that destiny has paved for him, Valmiki's Ramayana gives us awareness of the model of virtue, wisdom, and good conduct that is Rama, the hero of this timeless tale.

"O Rama! O one for whom heroism is the truth! Hear the truth. You are the god Narayana... the one who has defeated his enemies in the past and will in the future. You are without decay. You are the brahman. O Raghava! You are the truth in the middle and at the end."

In parts of India, people say, "Ramal Ramal" I "Ra" is the 27th letter in the Sanskrit alphabet. "Aa" the 2nd, and "Ma" the 25th. Thus, Rama Rama = Ra+Aa+Ma+Ra+Aa+Ma= 27+2+25+27+2+25=108, a sacred number.

Whether this numerological argument has any historical basis is unrelated. Such arguments prove the universal influence Rama, Ramayana, and the characters from the Ramayana story have left on India's consciousness.

Rama's story occurs in Sanskrit texts. Non-Sanskrit depictions (like Ramcharitmanas) have done much to shape views about Rama.

The word "Ramayana" means Rama's progress. Therefore, unlike Mahabharata, Ramayana is focused on Rama. Ramayana is the story of the solar dynasty (Surya Vamsha), while Mahabharata is the story of the lunar dynasty (Chandra Vamsha). The solar dynasty started with Ikshvaku and effectively ended with Brihadbala (killed during the Kurukshetra War), though the tale dragged on till Sumitra (ousted by Mahapadma Nanda). There were famous kings in this lineage. Rama's story covers only one part of this lineage's history. The rest is found in the Puranas.