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The (, , ; ; sometimes also spelled ) is one of Thailand's . It is a Thai version of the ancient Indian epic Ramayana, and an important part of the Thai literature canon.
King Rama VI was the first person to shed light first on the Ramayana studies in Thailand, by tracing the sources of the , comparing it with the Sanskrit Valmiki Ramayana. He found that the was influenced by three sources: the Valmiki's Ramayana, the Vishnu Purana, and Hanuman .Lipi Ghosh, 2017, India-Thailand Cultural Interactions: Glimpses from the Past to Present, Springer Publishing, pp. 157 A number of versions of the epic were lost in the destruction of Ayutthaya in 1767. Three versions currently exist, one of which was prepared in 1797 under the supervision of (and partly written by) King Rama I. His son, Rama II, rewrote some parts of his father's version for khon drama. The work has had an important influence on Thai literature, art and drama (both the khon and Nang drama dramas being derived from it).
While the main story is similar to that of the Dasaratha Jataka, differences in some tales still prevail. Many other aspects were transposed into a Thai context, such as the clothes, weapons, topography, and elements of nature, which are described as being Thai in style. As Thailand is considered a Theravada Buddhism society, the Buddhist history latent in the serves to provide Thai legends with a creation myth, as well as representations of various spirits which complement beliefs derived from Thai animism.
A painted representation of the is displayed at Bangkok's Temple of Emerald Buddha, and many of the statues there depict characters from it.
In the late first millennium, the epic (written as , รามเกียรติ์ but read as ) was adopted by the Thai people. The oldest recordings of the early Sukhothai kingdom, dating from the 13th century, include stories from the Jataka tales. The history of the legends was told in the shade theater (Thai: หนัง, ), a wayang in a style adopted from Indonesia, in which the characters were portrayed by leather dolls manipulated to cast shadows on a nearby screen as the audience watched from the other side.
The Thai version was first written down in the 18th century, during the Ayutthaya Kingdom, following the demise of the Sukhothai government. Most editions, however, were lost when the city of Ayutthaya was destroyed by armies from Burma (modern Myanmar) in the year 1767.
The version recognized today was compiled in the Kingdom of Siam under the supervision of King Rama I (1726–1809), the founder of the Chakri dynasty, which still maintains the throne of Thailand. Between the years of 1799 and 1807, Rama I supervised this well-known recension and even wrote parts of it. It was also under his reign that construction began on the Grand Palace in Bangkok, which includes the grounds of the Wat Phra Kaew, enshrining the Emerald Buddha. The walls of the Wat Phra Kaew are lavishly decorated with paintings representing parts of the .
Rama II (1766–1824) further adapted his father's edition of the for khon drama, a form of theater performed by non-speaking Thai dancers in elaborate costumes and masks. Narrations from the were read by a chorus to one side of the stage. This version differs slightly from the one compiled by Rama I, giving an expanded role to Hanuman, the god-king of the apes, and adding a happy ending.
Since its introduction to the Thai people, the has become a firm component of culture. The of Rama I is considered a masterpiece of Thai literature, and is still read and taught in the country's schools.
In 1989, Satyavrat Shastri translated the into a Sanskrit epic poem ( mahakavya) named , in 25 s () and about 1,200 stanzas in 14 metres. This work won eleven national and international awards. Sanskrit’s first Jnanpith winner is a 'poet by instinct'
The text then explains the origins of the simian characters Phali and Sukhrip. They are born to Kala Acana (Anjana), the wife of king Khodam (Kesari), as a result of her adultery with Phra In and Phra Athit. When King Khodam immerses them in a lake to test their legitimacy, they turn into monkeys and vanish into the forest. Phra Isuan grants Phali a magic trident, which will transfer to Phali half the strength of anyone fighting him. Sukhrip is rewarded with a beautiful young maiden Dara (Tara), but Phali takes her for himself. Later, Phali also seizes Thotsakan's consort Nang Montho, and they have a son named Ongkhot before she is returned to Thotsakan. Finally, Phali banishes Sukhrip to the forest where he meets Hanuman.
Hanuman is said to be born after Phra Isuan places his celestial weapons in the mouth of Sawaha, the daughter of Kala Acana. Hanuman at first stays with Phali and Sukhrip, but later decides to join Sukhrip in his banishment in the forest.
Rama, known in the Ramakien as Phra Ram, has ancestors tracing back to Phra Narai through King Thotsarot. Phra Ram himself is a reincarnation of Phra Narai, and his brothers Phra Lak, Phra Phrot and Phra Satarut are manifestations of Phra Narai's emblems: the serpent, the discus, and the mace, respectively. Phra Ram's consort Nang Sida is a reincarnation of Phra Narai's consort Laksami, but she is born as the daughter of Thotsakan in Lanka and adopted by king Janaka of Mithila.
Phra Ram and Phra Lak meet Hanuman, Sukhrip, and another Vanara, Chomphuphan, and ask them to help find Nang Sida. When Hanuman locates Nang Sida in Lanka, he identifies himself by showing her ring and kerchief and retelling the secret of her first meeting with Phra Ram. Hanuman is then caught by Thotsakan's son Intharachit but escapes while setting Lanka on fire. On returning to Phra Ram, Hanuman helps build a causeway with the help of Nal and Nil to connecting Lanka with mainland, and the war with Thotsakan begins. After a lot of fighting and attempts of treachery by Thotsakan's allies, Phra Ram manages to kill Thotsakan and Intharachit and free Nang Sida. After she passes a fire ordeal to test her faithfulness, Phra Ram takes her with him to Ayutthaya and grants various parts of his kingdom to his allies.
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