The Ramayana They Don’t Teach You: 5 Endings You’ve Never Read
Nidhi | Jul 23, 2025, 16:15 IST
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
Highlight of the story: The Ramayana is far more than the story we grew up hearing. Beyond Rama’s return to Ayodhya lie endings that challenge everything we think we know about Dharma, justice, and divinity. In this article, explore five rare versions of the Ramayana that you’ve probably never read — from the tragic tale of Sita’s final act in the Uttar Kand, to the Jain Ramayana where Rama never kills Ravana, to the Adbhuta Ramayana where Sita takes her cosmic form to destroy evil. These endings redefine the meaning of the epic itself.
"यत्र धर्मस्तु तत्र श्रीः यत्र श्रीस्तु ततः जयः।"
— Where there is Dharma, there is prosperity, and where there is prosperity, there is victory.
The Ramayana, attributed to sage Valmiki, is far more than a tale of victory over evil. It is a reflection on Dharma, on human frailty, and on the divine order that holds the universe together. Yet, the story most of us know — Rama’s return to Ayodhya and his coronation - is only one of many. Across centuries and cultures, the Ramayana has been retold in countless ways, each ending reshaping what it means to be Rama, Sita, or even Ravana.
What if Rama did not kill Ravana? What if Sita ended the war, not Rama? What if the story was never meant to end in Ayodhya at all? These are not mere thought experiments but interpretations preserved in Jain, Buddhist, and regional Ramayanas, as well as in little-known Sanskrit texts.
Years later, during a public ceremony, Rama meets Sita and asks her to prove her purity once again. Instead, Sita calls upon her mother, the Earth Goddess, and sinks into the ground. Rama continues to rule for years but eventually walks into the Sarayu River, ending his mortal life. This ending turns the Ramayana into a meditation on the cost of upholding Dharma when it clashes with personal happiness.
This ending transforms the Ramayana into a spiritual journey. The emphasis shifts from Rama as a warrior king to Rama as a renunciate who sees worldly power as fleeting and ultimately meaningless.
At that moment, Sita reveals her cosmic form as Mahakali and destroys the demon herself. This version elevates Sita from a passive sufferer to the embodiment of Shakti, the divine feminine energy without which even Rama’s mission is incomplete. In Thailand’s Ramakien, the story does not end with Rama’s coronation. Hanuman remains by Rama’s side, alive and active, a permanent presence in the world.
This ending changes the Ramayana’s tone. It becomes less about closure and more about continuity: Dharma is not an event that concludes but a living force embodied by Hanuman’s tireless service.
Here, the Ramayana is less about reclaiming a throne and more about practicing virtues like forgiveness, patience, and selflessness. Rama’s journey points toward Buddhahood, reframing the epic as a lesson in spiritual evolution.
The existence of these multiple endings shows how the Ramayana is not one fixed story but a living tradition. Each ending reflects the values of the culture that retold it:
The Valmiki version emphasizes Dharma above personal happiness.
The Jain version transforms Rama into an ideal ascetic.
The Adbhuta Ramayana empowers Sita as the ultimate divine force.
The Ramakien keeps Dharma alive through Hanuman’s eternal presence.
The Buddhist versions turn Rama’s life into a lesson in compassion and non-attachment.
These variations remind us that the Ramayana is not just about one man’s journey but about the many ways humanity grapples with righteousness, love, power, and loss.
Perhaps this is the truest ending of the Ramayana: that it does not end at all. Every version leaves a different question lingering. Was Rama a king, a God, or a monk? Was Sita a victim or the supreme force of Shakti? Was the war for justice or merely an instrument for a deeper spiritual purpose?
The Ramayana’s many endings invite us to keep asking, to keep seeking, and to see that Dharma is not a single conclusion but a path — one that changes depending on who walks it.
— Where there is Dharma, there is prosperity, and where there is prosperity, there is victory.
The Ramayana, attributed to sage Valmiki, is far more than a tale of victory over evil. It is a reflection on Dharma, on human frailty, and on the divine order that holds the universe together. Yet, the story most of us know — Rama’s return to Ayodhya and his coronation - is only one of many. Across centuries and cultures, the Ramayana has been retold in countless ways, each ending reshaping what it means to be Rama, Sita, or even Ravana.
What if Rama did not kill Ravana? What if Sita ended the war, not Rama? What if the story was never meant to end in Ayodhya at all? These are not mere thought experiments but interpretations preserved in Jain, Buddhist, and regional Ramayanas, as well as in little-known Sanskrit texts.
1. The Return to the Forest – The Untold Sorrow of the Uttar Kand
Sage Writing by Tranquil
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
Years later, during a public ceremony, Rama meets Sita and asks her to prove her purity once again. Instead, Sita calls upon her mother, the Earth Goddess, and sinks into the ground. Rama continues to rule for years but eventually walks into the Sarayu River, ending his mortal life. This ending turns the Ramayana into a meditation on the cost of upholding Dharma when it clashes with personal happiness.
2. The Jain Ramayana – Lakshmana, Not Rama, Kills Ravana
Divine Lord Rama's Majest
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
This ending transforms the Ramayana into a spiritual journey. The emphasis shifts from Rama as a warrior king to Rama as a renunciate who sees worldly power as fleeting and ultimately meaningless.
3. The Adbhuta Ramayana: Sita as the True Destroyer of Evil
Rama
( Image credit : Pixabay )
At that moment, Sita reveals her cosmic form as Mahakali and destroys the demon herself. This version elevates Sita from a passive sufferer to the embodiment of Shakti, the divine feminine energy without which even Rama’s mission is incomplete.
4. The Thai Ramakien: Hanuman’s Eternal Presence
This ending changes the Ramayana’s tone. It becomes less about closure and more about continuity: Dharma is not an event that concludes but a living force embodied by Hanuman’s tireless service.
5. The Buddhist Ramayana: Rama as a Bodhisattva
Buddhaism
( Image credit : Pexels )
Here, the Ramayana is less about reclaiming a throne and more about practicing virtues like forgiveness, patience, and selflessness. Rama’s journey points toward Buddhahood, reframing the epic as a lesson in spiritual evolution.
Why So Many Endings?
The Valmiki version emphasizes Dharma above personal happiness.
The Jain version transforms Rama into an ideal ascetic.
The Adbhuta Ramayana empowers Sita as the ultimate divine force.
The Ramakien keeps Dharma alive through Hanuman’s eternal presence.
The Buddhist versions turn Rama’s life into a lesson in compassion and non-attachment.
These variations remind us that the Ramayana is not just about one man’s journey but about the many ways humanity grapples with righteousness, love, power, and loss.
A Thoughtful Ending
The Ramayana’s many endings invite us to keep asking, to keep seeking, and to see that Dharma is not a single conclusion but a path — one that changes depending on who walks it.