The most ancient Sanskrit epic poem, estimated to have been composed by sage Valmiki about 5000 B.C, the Ramayana describes the life of Sri Rama. The epic is a storehouse of spiritual wisdom and has helped to shape the ideals and character of the Indian people since antiquity. The present work is a beautifully condensed retelling of the Ramayana in simple English.
I am the thread that runs through all these pearls, and each pearl is a religion or even a sect thereof. Such are the different pearls, and God is the thread that runs through all of them; most people, however, are entirely unconscious of it.
-Swami Vivekananda