Rama

===''Ramayana''===
The primary source of the life of Rama is the Sanskrit epic ''Ramayana'' composed by [[Rishi]] [[Valmiki]].{{Sfn|Valmiki Ramayan}}
[[File:Dashavatara.jpg|thumb|Rama (right third from top) depicted in the [[Dashavatara]] (ten incornations) of Vishnu. Painting by Raja Ravi Varma.]]
The epic had many versions across India's regions. The followers of [[Madhvacharya]] believe that an older version of the ''[[Ramayana]]'', the ''Mula-Ramayana'', previously existed.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Timm|first=Jeffrey R.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ryswPhIBcZkC|title=Texts in Context: Traditional Hermeneutics in South Asia|date=1 January 1992|publisher=SUNY Press|isbn=978-0-7914-0796-7|pages=118|language=en}}</ref> The Madhva tradition considers it to have been more authoritative than the version by [[Valmiki]].{{Sfn|Griffith}}

Versions of the ''Ramayana'' exist in most major Indian languages; examples that elaborate on the life, deeds and divine philosophies of Rama include the epic poem ''[[Ramavataram]]'', and the following vernacular versions of Rama's life story:<ref>{{cite book|author1=Constance Jones|author2=James D. Ryan|title=Encyclopedia of Hinduism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OgMmceadQ3gC|year=2006|publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=978-0-8160-7564-5|page=355|access-date=10 April 2017|archive-date=20 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020070415/https://books.google.com/books?id=OgMmceadQ3gC|url-status=live}}</ref>
* ''Ramavataram or Kamba-Ramayanam'' in [[Tamil language|Tamil]] by the poet [[Kambar (poet)|Kambar]]. (12th century)
* [[Saptakanda Ramayana]] in [[Assamese language|Assamese]] by poet [[Madhava Kandali]]. (14th century)
* ''[[Krittivasi Ramayan]]a'' in [[Bengali language|Bengali]] by poet [[Krittibas Ojha]]. (15th century)
* ''[[Ramcharitmanas]]'' in [[Awadhi language|Awadhi]] by sant [[Tulsidas]]. (16th-century)
* ''Pampa Ramayana'', ''Torave Ramayana'' by Kumara Valmiki and ''[[Sri Ramayana Darshanam]]'' by [[Kuvempu]] in [[Kannada]]
* ''Bhavartha Ramayana'' in [[Marathi language|Marathi]] by Sant [[Eknath]]. (16th-century)
* ''[[Ranganatha Ramayanamu|Ranganatha Ramayanam]]'' ({{Circa|1300}}) by ''[[Gona Budda Reddy|Ranganatha]]'', and ''[[Ramayana Kalpavruksham]]'' by [[Viswanatha Satyanarayana]] in [[Telugu language|Telugu]]<ref name="Pollet1995">{{cite book |author=Gilbert Pollet |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EVnK3q48dL0C&q=ranganatha+ramayana+telugu&pg=PA59 |title=Indian Epic Values: Rāmāyaṇa and Its Impact : Proceedings of the 8th International Rāmāyaạ Conference, Leuven, 6-8 July 1991 |date=1 January 1995 |publisher=Peeters Publishers |isbn=978-90-6831-701-5 |page=59 |access-date=5 April 2023 |archive-date=9 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409035526/https://books.google.com/books?id=EVnK3q48dL0C&q=ranganatha+ramayana+telugu&pg=PA59 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* ''Vilanka Ramayana'' in [[Odia language|Odia]]
* ''Eluttachan'' in [[Malayalam language|Malayalam]] (this text is closer to the [[Advaita Vedanta]]-inspired rendition ''Adhyatma Ramayana'').{{sfn|Dalal|2010|p=4}}

The epic is found across India, in different languages and cultural traditions.<ref>[http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/moynihan_sac_inside.aspx?id=36507224368&terms=Regional%20Ramayanas "The Oral Tradition and the many 'Ramayanas'"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225123703/https://www.maxwell.syr.edu/moynihan_sac_inside.aspx?id=36507224368&terms=Regional%20Ramayanas |date=25 February 2021 }}, Moynihan @Maxwell, [[Maxwell School]] of [[Syracuse University]]'s South Asian Center</ref>