Srimad Valmiki Ramayana is an epic poem of India which narrates the story of its hero, Rama and his journey in life - aayana . This epic poem Ramayana is a smriti which is translated as "from memory", Devout Hindus worship Sri Rama as a God incarnate, He is our revered ancestor who is mentioned in Sri Guru Granth Sahib , the Sikh scriptures, and Indian philosophers make him Maryada Purushottam , the "Perfect Man of Social Virtue", While at the same time, rationalists condemn the legacy of Rama on how women and people of lower caste were treated during his reign. I came across this interesting story of Shambooka in Valmiki's Ramayana and I would like to share it with you with my dismay on how our ancestors treated fellow Indians belonging to the so called lower caste of the society. This story is described in Uttara-kanda , the last book of Valmiki Ramayana which depicts the period of his reign and demise by suicide. Death of a Brahmin Boy The story