Exploring Indian Epics is exhilarating and intellectually stimulating.
In my eight years of research on Santana Dharma and Ancient Indian texts, I am yet to find a contradiction .
One has to delve deeper to get clarified on the seeming contradictions on the surface.
Dates mentioned in these texts,geological data,flora and fauna check out with present day findings.
I have written on these ,they are under ‘Hinduism’
One of the greatest Epics of India,Ramayana,the other being Mahabharata,was written by Sage Valmiki .
And he has written more than one version of Ramayana.
Please read in detail my articles Ramayana Valmiki.
Though there are over a thousand versions of the Ramayana,including in Regional languages and in foreign languages ,the essential facts of Ramayana remain the same.
However major deviations are found in the Adyatma Ramayana.
This version is attributed to Valmiki and also to unnamed author in the middle ages.
However, the style of the Epic and the usage of words indicate this was indeed by Valmiki.
This is my opinion.
I shall be writing in detail on this.
Now there is an interesting event narrated in Adhyaatma Ramayana.
When Rama wanted to build a bridge near Rameswaram,India to cross over to Lanka to free Sita,defeat Ravana,Rama performed a Yaaga to assure him of his victory over Ravana.
This home was Vijaya Himachal and this homa is performed even today in India to ensure success.
This homa ,to be successful,should be performed by a learned Brahmin priest.
Rama being a Kshatriya needed a Brahmin to conduct this homa.
And Ravana,being a Brahmin of excellent knowledge of the Vedas and an ardent devotee of Shiva, appeared before and conducted the Vijaya Homa to assure Rama’s victory in the war with him(Ravana).
This is not found in the Valmiki Ramayana.
However Hanuman in effusive in his praise of Ravana’ learning and valour in the Sundaram Nanda.
Rama also praises Ravana to Lakshmana in the Yuddha Nanda.
There is another version which states that Ravana performed the Yaaga for Rama for successful construction of the bridge from Rameswaram to Lanka.