Ramayana, written by Sage Valmiki, extols the life journey of Rama.
It consists of 24,000 verses divided into 500 cantos in seven books and covers the childhood of Rama (Bala-Kanda), Preparations for Rama’s coronation as a Prince of Ayodhya (Ayodhya-Kanda), exile life of Rama (Aranya-Kanda), meeting of Hanuman and search of Sita (Kishkindha-Kanda), Hanuman’s journey to Lanka to meet Sita (Sundara-Kanda), Battle between Ram and Ravana to rescue Sita (Yuddha-Kanda), Rama’s reign as the illustrious King of Ayodhya (Uttara-Kanda).
Sage Narada, in the Bala-Kanda, says reading or listening to this epic is equivalent to reading the Vedas and describes the blessings as follows:
Confers happiness, success, wealth, longevity & liberation
Helps dispel sins of current life & previous births
Alleviates problems & nurtures Dharma
Protects the family, ensures unity & grants good lineage
Safeguards against enemies, adversity & natural calamities
Bestows eloquent speech & name and position in society
Helps attain prosperity & property through righteous deeds
Removes worry & fear
Boosts health, fulfills desires & instills positive character traits
Sri Sri Eswaran