<P> The epic , traditionally ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki , narrates the life of Rama , the legendary prince of the Kosala Kingdom . It follows his fourteen - year exile to the forest from the kingdom , by his father King Dasharatha , on request of his second wife Kaikeyi . His travels across forests in India with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana , the kidnapping of his wife by Ravana , the demon king of Lanka , resulting in a war with him , and Rama 's eventual return to Ayodhya to be crowned king . </P>
who penned the famous indian epic the ramayana
traditionally ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki