The Ramayana is an ancient Indian epic that tells the story of Prince Rama, the king of Ayodhya. The epic is attributed to the sage Valmiki and is considered one of the most revered texts in Hinduism.
Traditionally dated to 500 BCE
Authorship attributed to Valmiki
Estimated to have been composed between 1000 BCE to 500 BCE
Mahabharat
The Mahabharat is another ancient Indian epic that tells the story of the Pandavas and the Kauravas. The epic is attributed to the sage Vyasa and is considered one of the most important texts in Hinduism.
Traditionally dated to 1500 BCE
Authorship attributed to Vyasa
Estimated to have been composed between 1000 BCE to 500 BCE
Puranic Accounts
The Puranas are a collection of texts that provide accounts of the creation of the universe, the genealogy of the gods, and the history of the world.
The Puranas provide a different chronology for the creation of the universe and the gods
Some Puranas attribute the composition of the Ramayana and Mahabharat to the sage Vyas
Other Puranas provide conflicting accounts of the dates of the Ramayana and Mahabharat
Chronological Issues
The dates of the Ramayana and Mahabharat are not fixed and are subject to debate among scholars.
The traditional date of 500 BCE for the Ramayana is not universally accepted
The traditional date of 1500 BCE for the Mahabharat is also not universally accepted
Scholars have proposed various dates ranging from 1000 BCE to 500 BCE for both epics