Rāmacarita

poem by Sandhyākāra

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July 13, 2026

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The Rāmacarita is a Sanskrit poem by Sandhyākara, a 12th-century poet. It is a mahakavya, a type of short epic poem characterized by elaborate figures of speech. A unique aspect of the Rāmacarita is its dual meaning, celebrating both the hero-god Rama and the poet's own king, Ramapala of Bengal. This technique allows the poem to be interpreted on two levels simultaneously. The mahakavya genre often includes descriptions of cities, oceans, mountains, seasons, and various events like festivals, weddings, and wars.1

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South Asian arts
The mahākāvya
…by mahākāvya writers is the Rāmacarita (“Deeds of Rāma”), by the 12th-century poet Sandhyākāra, which celebrates simultaneously the hero-god Rāma and the poet’s own king, Rāmapāla of Bengal. Many other works were written in this style, and, even today, one may encounter a mahākāvya treatment of a great man such…
Read More
…by mahākāvya writers is the Rāmacarita (“Deeds of Rāma”), by the 12th-century poet Sandhyākāra, which celebrates simultaneously the hero-god Rāma and the poet’s own king, Rāmapāla of Bengal. Many other works were written in this style, and, even today, one may encounter a mahākāvya treatment of a great man such…
Read More

Pala dynasty
…a Sanskrit historical poem, the Ramacarita of Sandhyakara. On his death, however, the dynasty was virtually eclipsed by the rising power of the Senas, though Pala kings continued to rule in southern Bihar for 40 years. The main capital of the Palas appears to have been Mudgagiri (now Munger) in…
Read More
…a Sanskrit historical poem, the Ramacarita of Sandhyakara. On his death, however, the dynasty was virtually eclipsed by the rising power of the Senas, though Pala kings continued to rule in southern Bihar for 40 years. The main capital of the Palas appears to have been Mudgagiri (now Munger) in…
Read More