Who wrote Ramayana before Valmiki?

There is no consensus on who wrote the Ramayana before Valmiki. The oldest known version of the Ramayana is the Sanskrit version attributed to Valmiki, which is estimated to have been written around the 5th century BCE. However, there are many oral traditions and regional versions of the Ramayana that predate Valmiki's version.

One popular belief is that the Ramayana was first written by the sage Narada. Narada is a celestial sage and musician who is said to have witnessed the events of the Ramayana firsthand. He is also said to be the one who inspired Valmiki to write the epic poem.

Another belief is that the Ramayana was first written by Lord Hanuman himself. Hanuman is a devotee of Rama and one of the main characters in the Ramayana. He is said to have written the Ramayana on palm leaves while he was waiting for Rama to return from Lanka.

But, there is no clear proof to back up these ideas. It is possible that the Ramayana was passed down orally for many generations before it was finally written down by Valmiki.

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