Slokas of Sri Ramodantam

Valmiki Ramayana, as we all know, consists of 24000 verses written in Sanskrit by Sage Valmiki. There are other works on the life and deeds of Sri Rama in other languages like the Kamba Ramayanam in Tamil and the Ramacharitamanas of Goswamy Tulsidas in Awadhi.

In the 15th century, one Parameshwara Kavi has composed in just about 200 verses in Sanskrit, the seven chapters of the Ramayana that was written by sage Valmiki. This is Sri Ramodantam. Just like the Valmiki Ramayana, it has seven chapters called as Kandas starting from Bala Kanda and ending with Uttara Kanda.

In Sri Ramodantam, the author has presented the entire Ramayana in a very simple format. Termed as a Lagukavya, a minor poetical composition, this is generally prescribed as a study material for the beginners in Sanskrit language. It is a remarkable composition because of its brevity and simplicity. The term Sriramodantam is composed of two words 'Srirama' and 'Udantam' meaning 'the story of Srirama'.