India, June 18 -- By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik - Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist

The Ramayana and the Mahabharata reached their final written form around 2000 years ago, exactly when the Dharma-shastra was being coded. There is a Ramayana inside the Mahabharata, known as the Ramopakhyana, narrated by Markandeya Rishi to the Pandavas. In this telling, the role of Brahmin teachers is limited. The story focuses more on Rama as a king and warrior, less as a defender of Brahminical order.

But in the Valmiki Ramayana, composed a bit later, Brahmins are central. Rama's life is shaped by sages: Vishvamitra takes him from Ayodhya to the forest, Vashishta is the royal priest, Agastya arms him with divine weapons, Gautama and Atri appear in ...