When did the gods become literate? Was: Are the gods literate?

[Robert P. Goldman]

There seems to be little in the way of unambiguous reference to writing in
the Valmiki Ramayana other than the references to Rama's signet ring,
famously given by him to Hanuman as a token of recognition for Sita.

At 4. 43 11 the ring is said to be svanAmANKopaZobhitam and again at 5.34.
2 to be rAmanAmANkitam. ( refs. are to the crit. ed.).   This would
certainly appear to suggest that some kind of writing was involved although
it is not, perhaps, conclusive..

>More specifically, are there references to Buddhism and writing
>in the Ramayana?
>
>Regards,
>Paul Kekai Manansala
>
>--
>Check out http://AsiaPacificUniverse.com/

Dr. R. P.  Goldman
Sarah Kailath Professor in India Studies
Professor of Sanskrit and
Chairman,
Center for  South Asia Studies
7303 Dwinelle Hall MC #2540
University of California at Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720-2540
email: sseas at socrates.berkeley.edu
Phone: (510) 642-4089
Fax:     (510) 643-2959