Bala Kanda is the first book written in the epic, Ramayana by Sage Valmiki. It consists of around 77 Sargas or Cantos and around 1941 shlokas. Bala means child and this book in book details everything from the birth of Shri Rama to his adolescence. This book details all auspicious and inauspicious circumstances which took place in the past for which Lord Vishnu had to incarnate on earth as Shri Rama. Lord Rama was born as the eldest son to King Dashratha of Ayodhya and Mata Kaushalya, Queen of Ayodhya and first wife of King Dashratha. King Dashratha had 2 more wives, Queen Kaikeyi to whom King Bharatha was born, and Queen Sumitra, to whom twins of King Shatrughana and King Lakshmana were born.

All four brothers shared great love and respect and received their teaching from Rishi Vasistha in his Gurukul. In his gurukul, all students were considered equal, and no special provisions were given to the kings of Ayodhya as learning should be equal to all. The book also includes parts where Shri Rama killed Demon Tataka and also killed Demon Subahu and his servants who defiled the Yajna of Vishwamitra.

An important aspect of the book lists the Natal charts of Shri Rama and all the auspicious planetary positions which were aligned so Lord Vishnu could incarnate on Earth. Shloka 8 to 11 in Sarga 18 says: After completion of ritual by King Dashratha and his family and six seasons must have passed by, in the twelfth month of the ongoing year, on the Ninth day of Chaitra Month[March-April], when the presiding deity of ruling star of the day is Aditi, where the ruling star[Nakshatra] of the day is Punarvasu, the asterism is in the ascendant and five of the navagrahas, Sun, Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus are at their highest position, when Jupiter with Moon is ascendant in Cancer and when the day is advancing, then Queen Kausalya gave birth to a son with all the divine attributes like lotus-red eyes, lengthy arms, a voice like a drumbeat and who took birth to lead the Ikshwaku dynasty, is the greatly blessed incarnation of Vishnu, Shri Rama.

In the last part of the book, it details out how the entire episode of Sita Swayamwara takes place, and how Shri Rama was the only one able to break the Mighty Pinaka, the Bow of Lord Shiva to win Maa Sita's hand in marriage.