Differences between “Ramayan” and “Ram Charit Manas”
( source – Internet)

Ramayan and Ram Charit Manas are great Indian Epics which tell us the Journey of Rama, "Lord Vishnu’s incarnate on Earth". However, there are many differences between Ramayan and Ram Charit Manas.

• Ramayan was written by sage Valmiki in Treta Yuga in the Sanskrit language. Sage Valmiki was a contemporary of Lord Ram.
• Ram Charit Manas was written by great Awadhi poet Goswami Tulsidas in Kaliyuga in Awadhi language. Tulsidas lived in the 15th century AD (1511–1623).

• Ramayan is composed in seven chapters or Kands described as - Balakand, Ayodhyakand, Aranyakand, Kishkinda kand, Sundara kand, Yuddha kand and Uttara kand..
• Ram Charit Manas has also seven chapters with just one difference that Tulsidas changed Yuddha kand to Lanka Kand.

• Ramayan has been written in ‘Slokas’ ( In Sankrit) format while Ram Charit Manas has been written in ‘Chaupais’
• Ramayan is the original story of Lord Ram and his journey.
• Ram Charit Manas is the retelling of the Ramayan. Tulsidas has acknowledged Valmiki in his book.

• As per Ramayan, The abduction of Sita were real. She was kidnapped by Ravana.. Ram rescues Sita and asks her to prove her purity to the world by taking Agni Pariksha.

• As per Ram Charit Manas, real Sita was never kidnapped.

• In Ramayan, Ram is depicted as “Maryada Purushottam” means the best of men with excellent conduct, shown as a human with exceptional virtues.
• In Ram Charit Manas, Ram is depicted as supreme being, the incarnation of God. He is shown to have the divine touch to his deeds

• Story of Ramayan ends when Rama completes the journey of his mortal body by drowning himself in Saryu river after he was saddened by the absence of Sita and Lakshmana. Sita was vanished into mother Earth and Lakshman had drowned himself in Saryu river.

• The story in Ram Charit Manas ends with the birth of twin sons Lava and Kusha to Ram and Sita. It never mentions the death of Lakshman or How Sita was disappeared...