Rāma as Avatara
Viṣṇu descended as Rāma, son of King Daśaratha of Ayodhyā, to uphold dharma and destroy the demon king Rāvaṇa. The charama-śloka of the Rāmāyaṇa — sakṛd eva prapanno — comes from Rāma's own declaration to Vibhīṣaṇa: "Whoever takes refuge in me even once, I grant them fearlessness forever." This verse is one of the foundational texts of the Sri Vaishnava prapatti tradition.
Rāma in the Āzhvār Literature
The Divya Prabandham is filled with Rāma-bhakti. Kulashekhara Āzhvār's Perumāḷ Tirumozhi is largely devoted to Rāma-anubhavam (the aesthetic enjoyment of Rāma's story). Namāzhvār's Tiruvāymozhi references Rāma's qualities and the Rāmāyaṇa story. Many Divya Desam Perumāḷs have a special relationship with the Rāmāyaṇa narrative — particularly the temples at Śrīraṅgam, Kaṅkāḍam, and Tirupati.
The Rāmāyaṇa as Veda
In the Sri Vaishnava tradition, the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa is regarded as the "Veda spoken in the human tongue" (vedam prācetasādāsīt). It reveals the nature of the ātman, the path of śaraṇāgati, the role of the ācārya (represented by Hanumān), the compassionate purushakāra of Sītā, and the unconditional rakṣaṇa (protection) of Rāma.
Sītā and Rāma
Sītā is identified with Lakṣmī — she is Periya Pirāṭṭi in avatara form. The Rāmāyaṇa is thus not merely a historical epic but a rahasya — a mystery text revealing the relationship between jīva (Sītā in separation), Bhagavān (Rāma), and the ācārya (Hanumān who finds and comforts her).