Indian Epics and their Universal Influence

Ramayana and Mahabharata, the two great Indian epics, form a part of the Itihasa (history) portion of the holy Hindu scriptures (shastra). Composed thousands of years ago, in Sanskrit, both texts are the embodiment of the philosophical ethos of Indic civilization, deeply embedded in society. There is a lot of spirituality and metaphysics in both texts. 

Ramayana and the legend of Shri Rama are popular across the world, especially the South-East Asian countries (ASEAN) and also in parts of Russia. The epic was popularised in the South-East Asian region by the traders and scholars of India who migrated and settled in the region as early as in 6th century BCE courtesy India’s thriving maritime trade. Through assimilation in the local social structure, the civilizational sphere of India expanded overseas under the royal patronage of the Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms which arose in South-East Asia.

When Rabindranath Tagore visited South-East Asia in the year 1927, he remarked ‘We have embarked on this pilgrimage to see the signs of the history of India’s entry into the universal.’ The shared civilizational heritage of India with ASEAN region made Tagore realise decades ago, the necessity to rekindle India’s historical cultural exchanges with the Swarnabhumi or the Golden land of lore (ASEAN region referred in ancient Indian texts).

From the time period of the early 9th Century CE, Ramayana was composed in the different cultures of South-East Asia. It took the form of:

• Khmer Reamker in Cambodia

• Thai Ramakien

• Lao Phra Lak Phra Lam

• Malay Hikayat Seri Rama

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