The Ramayana
The Ramayana The Ramayana , one of the great Sanskrit epic , helped to develop a more popular, devotional religion. A product of less exclusive world of the Kshtriya epic, it is not so heavily dominated by the brahmin - controlled sacrificial and ritual elements of Hinduism . It remains a popular source of religious teachings through public readings and dramatizations. The core of epic was first composed in the 4th century BC as a secular tale recited by bards who were attendant on the royal courts. However as centuries passed the Lord Ram , its hero became transformed from warrior King into a warrior deity. By the 4th century AD, Lord Ram was widely identified as the seventh incarnation of the Hindu god, Vishnu. The Ramayan's link with Vedic religion are, however, still strong. Brahmins priests are widely honoured in its verses, and the horse sacrifice plays a crucial part in the narrative. The Valmiki Like the Vedas and the Mahabharat, the Ramayana is believed