It is often termed "the Odyssey of the East," and relates events which are said to have occurred between two thousand and nine hundred B.C.The poem is generally attributed to Valmiki, a hermit on the bank of the Ganges, who, seeing one bird of a happy pair slain, made use of a strange metre in relating the occurrence to Brahma.

This god immediately bade him employ the same in narrating the adventures of Rama, one of the seven incarnations of the god Vishnu.
"Praise to Valmiki, bird of charming song, Who mounts on Poesy's sublimest spray, And sweetly sings with accents clear and strong Rama, aye Rama, in his deathless lay."[41] The poem opens with a description of the ancient city of Ayodhya (Oude), beautifully situated on the banks of a river and ruled by a childless rajah.
In by-gone ages built and planned By sainted Manu's princely hand, Imperial seat! her walls extend Twelve measured leagues from end to end; Three in width, from side to side With square and palace beautified.
Her gates at even distance stand, Her ample roads are wisely planned.
Right glorious is her royal street, Where streams allay her dust and heat.
On level ground in even row Her houses rise in goodly show.
Terrace and palace, arch and gate The queenly city decorate.
High are her ramparts, strong and vast, By ways at even distance passed, With circling moat both deep and wide, And store of weapons fortified.
This monarch (Dasaratha), a descendant of the moon, was sixty thousand years old when the story begins.

Although his reign had already extended over a period of nine thousand years,--during which his people had enjoyed such prosperity that it is known as the Age of Gold,--the king, still childless in spite of having seven hundred and fifty concubines, decided to offer a great horse sacrifice (asvatmedha) in hopes of obtaining a son, to celebrate his funeral rites and thereby enable him to enter heaven.
In order to perform the ceremony properly, a horse had to be turned out to wander at will for a year, constantly watched by a band of priests, who prevented any one laying a hand upon him, for, once touched, the animal was unfit to be offered up to the gods.

This horse sacrifice having been duly performed, the happy rajah was informed by the gods that four sons would uphold his line, provided he and three of his wives quaffed the magic drink they gave him.
Having thus granted the rajah's prayer, the lesser gods implored their chief Indra to rid them of the demons sent by Ravana, the Satan of the Hindus.

This evil spirit, by standing on his head in the midst of five fires ten thousand years in succession, had secured from Brahma a promise that no god, demon, or genius should slay him.