The Ramayana is derived basically from Valmiki's Sanskrit classics. The epic exemplifies righteous outlook and action, Devotion to duty, fearlessness and compassion. The reading of saga has been deemed, through the ages, to bestow merit, besides literary joy. The epic is one of the most widely read lore in Indian homes, and abroad. Rama's story has, through generations, influenced the quality of human beings, the poet himself offering the testament of a supreme transformation.