The People of the Rāmāyaṇa

Rāma रामः

Rāghava, Dāśarathi, Kākutstha, Kausalyā-suprajā

Eldest son of Daśaratha and Kausalyā; the seventh avatāra of Viṣṇu; Maryādā Puruṣottama.

The nameFrom ram, “to delight”: ramante yoginaḥ asmin — “he in whom the yogīs delight”, or ramayati — “he who delights all”. The Symbolism notes give ramate iti rāmaḥ — one who revels in the Self.

Back storyBorn of the putrakāmeṣṭi to end Rāvaṇa, Rāma grows up as the ideal prince, is trained by Vasiṣṭha and Viśvāmitra, wins Sītā by breaking Śiva’s bow, and on the eve of his coronation accepts fourteen years’ exile to keep his father’s word. He loses Sītā to Rāvaṇa, allies with the vānaras, kills Rāvaṇa, and returns to rule. As king he sends Sītā away for the people’s sake, and at the end walks into the Sarayū.

GreatnessPerfection in every role at once — son, brother, husband, friend, king, enemy — and above all the unbroken word. He lives entirely as a man (“I think of myself as a man”) so that his life can be followed. See the page Rāma’s Character for every quality, with the verses that show it.

SymbolThe Self (Ātman) — born of a mind that has mastered the ten senses (Daśaratha), wedded to the world (Sītā), separated from it by desire, and reunited by knowledge.

Appears inThe Birth of the PoemAyodhyā, the Sacrifice and the Birth of RāmaViśvāmitra Comes for RāmaTāṭakā and the Guarded SacrificeStories on the RoadAhalyā Set FreeŚiva’s Bow and the Wedding of SītāParaśurāma HumbledThe Coronation AnnouncedRāma Receives the SentenceThree Who Would Not Let Him GoLeaving Ayodhyā — Guha and the CrossingThe Meeting at CitrakūṭaThe Sandals on the ThroneAtri and AnasūyāThe Vow in the Daṇḍaka ForestAgastya’s Gift and PañcavaṭīŚūrpaṇakhā and the Fourteen ThousandThe Golden Deer and the AbductionJaṭāyu’s Last BattleRāma’s Grief and the Leashed FuryKabandha and ŚabarīRāma Meets HanumānThe Pact by Fire and Sītā’s OrnamentsSugrīva’s Story and the Seven Sāla TreesThe Killing of VāliThe Monsoon and Lakṣmaṇa’s AngerThe Search Begins — the Ring Given to HanumānHanumān Meets Sītā“I Have Seen Sītā”Two CouncilsVibhīṣaṇa’s Refuge — the Charter of ŚaraṇāgatiThe Ocean and the BridgeOvertures and UltimatumsThe Battles Begin — and a Disarmed Enemy Sent HomeKumbhakarṇaIndrajit’s War of IllusionLakṣmaṇa Falls — Rāma’s LamentThe Āditya-hṛdaya and the Fall of RāvaṇaThe Fire and the RevelationThe Return and Rāma-rājyaThe Rumour and Sītā’s ExileEpisodes of the ReignLava and Kuśa Sing the RāmāyaṇaSītā Returns to the EarthThe Departures

VersesBāla 1.1.2–3Bāla 1.18.8–10Bāla 1.19.14Bāla 1.23.2Bāla 1.73.26–27Bāla 1.1.4Bāla 1.1.8Bāla 1.1.17–19Bāla 1.18.30–31Ayodhyā 2.1.10–11Ayodhyā 2.18.28–30Ayodhyā 2.19.20Ayodhyā 2.19.33Ayodhyā 2.21.40Ayodhyā 2.40.9Ayodhyā 2.105.16Ayodhyā 2.105.26–27Ayodhyā 2.109.13Ayodhyā 2.25.32Ayodhyā 2.100.19Ayodhyā 2.105.21–22Ayodhyā 2.109.4Araṇya 3.10.3Araṇya 3.10.18–19Araṇya 3.37.13Araṇya 3.9.3–4Araṇya 3.47.45Kiṣkindhā 4.3.28–29Kiṣkindhā 4.18.18–19Kiṣkindhā 4.8.9Kiṣkindhā 4.8.21Kiṣkindhā 4.30.81Sundara 5.16.27Sundara 5.42.33Yuddha 6.1.13Yuddha 6.18.3Yuddha 6.18.33–34Yuddha 6.90.71Yuddha 6.101.15Yuddha 6.105.3Yuddha 6.109.25Yuddha 6.117.11Yuddha 6.128.99–100Yuddha 6.21.14–15Yuddha 6.105.4Uttara 7.40.17

In the Yoga VāsiṣṭhaRāma as the student who becomes free — the Yoga Vāsiṣṭha

Lakṣmaṇa लक्ष्मणः

Saumitri

Son of Sumitrā; Rāma’s inseparable companion; twin of Śatrughna.

The nameLakṣmaṇa — “bearing auspicious marks”, also “one whose aim (lakṣya) is fixed” — on Rāma.

Back storyFrom infancy he would not sleep or eat without Rāma. He follows him to Viśvāmitra, into exile and to war, guards him every night for fourteen years, builds his huts, and fights Indrajit and kills him. He bows daily to Sītā’s feet and recognises only her anklets. His wife Ūrmilā stays behind. At the end he gives his life to protect Rāma’s word and line.

GreatnessTotal, wakeful service (sevā) and fierce loyalty — together with a temper Rāma must often calm. He is the counsellor in Rāma’s grief and the one whose purity alone could kill Indrajit.

SymbolThe one-pointed mind (or the jīva in perfect discipleship) that never leaves the Self; tradition says he is Ādiśeṣa, the serpent on which Viṣṇu rests.

Appears inAyodhyā, the Sacrifice and the Birth of RāmaViśvāmitra Comes for RāmaTāṭakā and the Guarded SacrificeŚiva’s Bow and the Wedding of SītāRāma Receives the SentenceThree Who Would Not Let Him GoLeaving Ayodhyā — Guha and the CrossingThe Meeting at CitrakūṭaAtri and AnasūyāThe Vow in the Daṇḍaka ForestAgastya’s Gift and PañcavaṭīŚūrpaṇakhā and the Fourteen ThousandThe Golden Deer and the AbductionJaṭāyu’s Last BattleRāma’s Grief and the Leashed FuryKabandha and ŚabarīRāma Meets HanumānThe Pact by Fire and Sītā’s OrnamentsThe Monsoon and Lakṣmaṇa’s AngerThe Ocean and the BridgeThe Battles Begin — and a Disarmed Enemy Sent HomeIndrajit’s War of IllusionLakṣmaṇa Falls — Rāma’s LamentThe Fire and the RevelationThe Return and Rāma-rājyaThe Rumour and Sītā’s ExileThe Departures

VersesBāla 1.18.30–31Ayodhyā 2.40.9Kiṣkindhā 4.6.22–23Kiṣkindhā 4.30.81Sundara 5.42.33Yuddha 6.90.71Yuddha 6.101.15Yuddha 6.21.14–15

Bharata भरतः

Kaikeyī-suta

Son of Kaikeyī; ruled Ayodhyā for fourteen years as Rāma’s trustee.

The nameBharata — “one who bears, sustains” (bhar) — he bore the burden of the kingdom without owning it.

Back storyAbsent when the boons were asked, he returns to find his father dead and his brother exiled in his name. He disowns his mother, refuses the throne, walks to Citrakūṭa to bring Rāma back, and, when Rāma will not come, carries his sandals home on his head. For fourteen years he lives as an ascetic at Nandigrāma, governing in the sandals’ name, vowing to enter fire if Rāma is a day late.

GreatnessThe purest renunciation in the epic — Rāma gives up the kingdom; Bharata refuses to take it. Rāma himself says there is no one like Bharata. Kamban and Tulasīdāsa call him the greatest devotee.

SymbolThe sincere devotee who holds the world as the Lord’s trust — the pādukā on the throne: ego dethroned, the Self enthroned.

Appears inAyodhyā, the Sacrifice and the Birth of RāmaŚiva’s Bow and the Wedding of SītāBharata Refuses the ThroneThe Meeting at CitrakūṭaThe Sandals on the ThroneThe Return and Rāma-rājyaThe Departures

VersesAyodhyā 2.105.16Ayodhyā 2.105.26–27Ayodhyā 2.100.19Ayodhyā 2.105.21–22

Śatrughna शत्रुघ्नः

Saumitri

Son of Sumitrā, twin of Lakṣmaṇa, companion of Bharata.

The name“Slayer of enemies” — and, in the tradition, the one who had no inner enemies.

Back storyHe speaks rarely and serves Bharata as Lakṣmaṇa serves Rāma. When he finds Mantharā, he drags her by the hair and would kill her, but Bharata stops him. In the Uttara Kāṇḍa he kills the demon Lavaṇa and founds Mathurā.

GreatnessSilent service — he asks for nothing and is mentioned least, yet is always where he is needed. He shows that devotion does not need a stage.

Appears inAyodhyā, the Sacrifice and the Birth of RāmaŚiva’s Bow and the Wedding of SītāBharata Refuses the ThroneThe Sandals on the ThroneThe Return and Rāma-rājyaEpisodes of the ReignThe Departures

Daśaratha दशरथः

king of Kosala

King of Ayodhyā; father of the four princes.

The name“He of ten chariots” — whose chariot could go in all ten directions; symbolically, master of the ten senses.

Back storyA great king who fought for the gods and was childless till old age. Once, saved in battle by Kaikeyī, he gave her two boons. As a young man he killed the ascetic boy Śravaṇa by mistake and was cursed to die grieving for a son. When Kaikeyī claims her boons, he is trapped between his word and his love, and dies six days after Rāma leaves, calling his name.

GreatnessHis word was sacred enough that he died rather than break it; and he raised Rāma. His weakness — attachment, and a hasty promise — makes him the most human figure in the epic.

SymbolThe mind that rules the ten senses gives birth to the Self; the same mind, overcome by attachment (Kaikeyī), loses it.

Appears inAyodhyā, the Sacrifice and the Birth of RāmaViśvāmitra Comes for RāmaŚiva’s Bow and the Wedding of SītāParaśurāma HumbledThe Coronation AnnouncedMantharā’s Poison and Kaikeyī’s Two BoonsRāma Receives the SentenceThe Death of Daśaratha

VersesBāla 1.19.14Ayodhyā 2.18.28–30Ayodhyā 2.63.6

Kausalyā कौसल्या

Eldest queen; mother of Rāma.

The namePrincess of Kosala.

Back storyA neglected queen whose whole hope was Rāma’s coronation. She first begs him to stay, then blesses him with the famous “svasti” verses, and endures fourteen years of waiting. In her grief she speaks harshly to Daśaratha and then begs his forgiveness.

GreatnessA mother who lets go. Her blessing on Rāma’s departure is one of the tenderest passages in Sanskrit.

Appears inAyodhyā, the Sacrifice and the Birth of RāmaThe Coronation AnnouncedThree Who Would Not Let Him GoThe Death of DaśarathaBharata Refuses the ThroneThe Meeting at CitrakūṭaThe Return and Rāma-rājya

VersesBāla 1.18.8–10Ayodhyā 2.21.40Ayodhyā 2.25.32

Sumitrā सुमित्रा

Second queen; mother of Lakṣmaṇa and Śatrughna.

The name“Good friend.”

Back storyShe speaks once and says the wisest thing in the Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa: “Look on Rāma as your father, on Sītā as me, on the forest as Ayodhyā.” She gives both her sons to serve.

GreatnessSelfless motherhood and spiritual vision — she sees Rāma as the centre of the family and her sons as his servants, without a trace of rivalry.

Appears inAyodhyā, the Sacrifice and the Birth of RāmaThree Who Would Not Let Him GoThe Death of Daśaratha

VersesAyodhyā 2.40.9

Kaikeyī कैकेयी

Youngest queen; mother of Bharata.

The namePrincess of Kekaya.

Back storyA brave queen who once drove Daśaratha’s chariot in battle and saved his life, and who loved Rāma as her own. Turned by Mantharā, she claims her two boons — Bharata’s coronation and Rāma’s exile. She is rejected by her own son. Later she goes with Bharata to Citrakūṭa, and Rāma always treats her with respect.

GreatnessNot a villain but a warning: goodness without discrimination can be turned by a single voice. Rāma never blames her, and forbids Lakṣmaṇa to speak ill of her.

SymbolThe good intellect that listens to the crooked thought (Mantharā) and is overcome by selfish desire.

Appears inAyodhyā, the Sacrifice and the Birth of RāmaMantharā’s Poison and Kaikeyī’s Two BoonsRāma Receives the SentenceBharata Refuses the Throne

VersesAyodhyā 2.18.28–30

Mantharā मन्थरा

Kubjā

Kaikeyī’s hunchbacked maid.

The name“Slow, crooked” — she is literally bent, and her counsel is crooked.

Back storyShe sees the city decorated for Rāma’s coronation and poisons Kaikeyī’s mind with fear for Bharata, reminding her of the two boons.

GreatnessShe is the epic’s portrait of evil counsel: not powerful in herself, only in the minds that give her a hearing.

SymbolThe crooked thought — fear and envy in a servant’s voice.

Appears inMantharā’s Poison and Kaikeyī’s Two BoonsBharata Refuses the Throne

Lava and Kuśa लवकुशौ

Twin sons of Rāma and Sītā.

The nameNamed after the kuśa grass and its tip (lava) with which Vālmīki protected them at birth.

Back storyBorn in Vālmīki’s hermitage, they learn the Rāmāyaṇa by heart and sing it at Rāma’s horse sacrifice, where he recognises them. They inherit the kingdom.

GreatnessThe first singers of the epic — the story returns to its hero through his children.

Appears inEpisodes of the ReignLava and Kuśa Sing the RāmāyaṇaSītā Returns to the Earth

Sītā सीता

Jānakī, Vaidehī, Maithilī, Bhūmijā

Daughter of the Earth, found by Janaka in a furrow; wife of Rāma.

The nameSītā means “furrow” — she was found in the earth by the plough. Jānakī: daughter of Janaka; Vaidehī: princess of Videha.

Back storyRaised by Janaka, she marries Rāma and insists on following him into exile. Tempted by the golden deer, she is abducted by Rāvaṇa and held for ten months in the Aśoka grove, where she refuses every threat and promise, speaking to Rāvaṇa only across a blade of grass. Freed, she passes through fire; later, exiled while pregnant, she raises Lava and Kuśa in Vālmīki’s hermitage, and when asked to prove herself again, returns to the Earth.

GreatnessUnshakeable fidelity combined with fearless speech: she argues with Rāma, rebukes Rāvaṇa, refuses Hanumān’s rescue for the sake of honour, and forgives the rākṣasīs who tortured her (“who has never erred?”). Vālmīki calls the whole epic “the great story of Sītā” (sītāyāś caritaṃ mahat).

SymbolThe jīva or prakṛti — the world of matter and the individual soul. Without Sītā there is no Rām-āyaṇa: the unmanifest is known only through the manifest. Her journey from Laṅkā to Ayodhyā is the path from sensuality to spirituality.

Appears inŚiva’s Bow and the Wedding of SītāThree Who Would Not Let Him GoLeaving Ayodhyā — Guha and the CrossingAtri and AnasūyāThe Vow in the Daṇḍaka ForestAgastya’s Gift and PañcavaṭīŚūrpaṇakhā and the Fourteen ThousandThe Golden Deer and the AbductionJaṭāyu’s Last BattleSītā in the Aśoka GroveHanumān Meets SītāOvertures and UltimatumsThe Battles Begin — and a Disarmed Enemy Sent HomeThe Fire and the RevelationThe Return and Rāma-rājyaThe Rumour and Sītā’s ExileLava and Kuśa Sing the RāmāyaṇaSītā Returns to the Earth

VersesBāla 1.73.26–27Ayodhyā 2.27.6–7Ayodhyā 2.40.9Araṇya 3.10.18–19Araṇya 3.9.3–4Araṇya 3.47.37Araṇya 3.47.45Kiṣkindhā 4.6.22–23Sundara 5.21.15Sundara 5.34.6Sundara 5.16.27Sundara 5.21.16Yuddha 6.113.45–46Uttara 7.97.14–16

Ūrmilā ऊर्मिला

Janaka’s daughter; Sītā’s sister; wife of Lakṣmaṇa.

The name“Wave.”

Back storyMarried to Lakṣmaṇa on the same day as Sītā to Rāma, she stays behind in Ayodhyā for fourteen years. Vālmīki is silent about her; later tradition says she took on Lakṣmaṇa’s sleep so that he could guard Rāma every night.

GreatnessThe forgotten sacrifice — poets like Rabindranāth Tagore and Maithilīśaraṇ Gupta wrote of her as the “neglected heroine” of the epic.

Appears inŚiva’s Bow and the Wedding of Sītā

Janaka जनकः

Sīradhvaja, Videha

King of Mithilā; father of Sītā.

The nameJanaka — “father”, the dynastic name of the kings of Videha.

Back storyA royal sage who found Sītā while ploughing the sacrificial field and set Śiva’s bow as the test for her hand. He gives her to Rāma with the words “she will follow you like your shadow”.

GreatnessThe rājarṣi — a king who is also a knower of the Self (the Janaka of the Upaniṣads is his ancestor). Proof that wisdom does not require renouncing the world.

Appears inŚiva’s Bow and the Wedding of Sītā

VersesBāla 1.73.26–27

In the Yoga VāsiṣṭhaJanaka’s awakening — the Song of the Siddhas

Vasiṣṭha वसिष्ठः

Family priest and guru of the Ikṣvākus.

The name“The most excellent.”

Back storyHe guides Daśaratha, persuades him to send Rāma with Viśvāmitra, performs the coronation, and at Citrakūṭa urges Rāma to return. The Yoga-Vāsiṣṭha presents his teaching to Rāma.

GreatnessThe steady guru — forgiving (he forgave Viśvāmitra the murder of his hundred sons) and wise. His staff overcame all of Kauśika’s weapons.

SymbolBrahma-tejas — the power of spirit that is greater than all force.

Appears inAyodhyā, the Sacrifice and the Birth of RāmaViśvāmitra Comes for RāmaViśvāmitra’s Own StoryThe Coronation AnnouncedBharata Refuses the ThroneThe Meeting at CitrakūṭaThe Sandals on the ThroneThe Return and Rāma-rājya

VersesBāla 1.56.23

In the Yoga VāsiṣṭhaVasiṣṭha’s teaching to Rāma — the Yoga Vāsiṣṭha

Viśvāmitra विश्वामित्रः

Kauśika, Gādhi-suta

King who became a brahmarṣi; Rāma’s teacher.

The name“Friend of the universe.”

Back storyBorn King Kauśika, he coveted Vasiṣṭha’s cow, was defeated by his staff, and renounced his throne to become a brahmarṣi. Falling again and again to anger and desire, he rose each time, until Vasiṣṭha himself called him brahmarṣi. He takes the boy Rāma to the forest, gives him the divine weapons, and brings him to Sītā.

GreatnessThe seeker’s seeker — proof that one is not born a sage but becomes one. He also gave the world the Gāyatrī mantra.

SymbolThe guru who takes the student out of comfort into discipline.

Appears inViśvāmitra Comes for RāmaTāṭakā and the Guarded SacrificeStories on the RoadAhalyā Set FreeViśvāmitra’s Own StoryŚiva’s Bow and the Wedding of Sītā

VersesBāla 1.19.14Bāla 1.23.2Bāla 1.56.23

In the Yoga VāsiṣṭhaViśvāmitra at the court of Ayodhyā, where the Yoga Vāsiṣṭha opens

Paraśurāma परशुरामः

Bhārgava, Jāmadagnya

Brāhmaṇa warrior; the sixth avatāra.

The name“Rāma with the axe.”

Back storyHe destroyed the kṣatriyas twenty-one times to avenge his father. Enraged at the breaking of Śiva’s bow, he challenges Rāma with Viṣṇu’s bow, is defeated, and yields his worlds.

GreatnessHe recognises the greater power and gives way gracefully — the old order handing over to the new.

SymbolRighteous anger that must finally surrender to the calm Self.

Appears inParaśurāma Humbled

Ahalyā अहल्या

Wife of the sage Gautama.

The name“Without blemish” (a-halya) — the first woman created by Brahmā.

Back storyDeceived by Indra in Gautama’s form, she is cursed to live unseen in penance until Rāma comes; he touches her feet, and she is restored.

GreatnessLong penance and acceptance; counted among the pañca-kanyās, the five women whose names are recited at dawn.

SymbolThe mind turned to stone by a fall, awakened by the touch of the Self.

Appears inAhalyā Set Free

Agastya अगस्त्यः

The great sage of the south.

The name“He who stilled the mountain” (aga) — he made the Vindhyas bow.

Back storyHe drank the ocean, digested the demon Vātāpi, gave Rāma the weapons of Viṣṇu, and on the battlefield taught him the Āditya-hṛdaya. In the Uttara Kāṇḍa he tells Rāma the history of Rāvaṇa.

GreatnessThe teacher who appears at the decisive moment — Rāma’s strength in the final duel is his gift.

Appears inAgastya’s Gift and PañcavaṭīThe Āditya-hṛdaya and the Fall of RāvaṇaThe Prehistory of Rāvaṇa

VersesYuddha 6.105.3Yuddha 6.105.4

Vālmīki वाल्मीकिः

Ādi-kavi

The first poet; author of the Rāmāyaṇa; shelter of Sītā and teacher of Lava and Kuśa.

The nameFrom valmīka, “ant-hill” — tradition says he meditated so long that ants built a hill over him.

Back storyPopular tradition says he was once the robber Ratnākara, transformed by Nārada (who taught him to chant “marā” until it became “Rāma”). His grief at the krauñca bird’s death became the first verse.

GreatnessCompassion turned into art; and the proof that no past is a bar to sainthood.

Appears inThe Birth of the PoemThe Rumour and Sītā’s ExileLava and Kuśa Sing the RāmāyaṇaSītā Returns to the Earth

VersesBāla 1.1.2–3Bāla 1.2.15Bāla 1.2.36Bāla 1.1.4Bāla 1.1.8

Guha गुहः

Niṣāda-rāja

Chief of the Niṣāda hunters at Śṛṅgaverapura.

The name“The hidden one” (also a name of Skanda).

Back storyHe offers Rāma his kingdom, keeps watch with Lakṣmaṇa through the night, and ferries the exiles across the Gaṅgā. When Bharata comes with an army he suspects him, then weeps with him.

GreatnessFriendship that crosses every social barrier — Rāma embraces him as a brother.

Appears inLeaving Ayodhyā — Guha and the CrossingBharata Refuses the ThroneThe Return and Rāma-rājya

Jaṭāyu जटायुः

King of vultures; friend of Daśaratha.

The name“He of matted (jaṭā) feathers.”

Back storyOld and alone, he attacks Rāvaṇa to save Sītā, destroys his chariot, and has his wings cut off. He lives just long enough to tell Rāma, and dies in his arms. Rāma cremates him as a son.

GreatnessThe first martyr of dharma — he fought knowing he would lose. His brother Sampāti later points the way to Laṅkā.

SymbolThe conscience that resists evil even when it cannot win.

Appears inAgastya’s Gift and PañcavaṭīJaṭāyu’s Last Battle

VersesAraṇya 3.50.8

Śabarī शबरी

A tribal ascetic woman, disciple of the sage Mataṅga.

The nameA woman of the Śabara tribe.

Back storyHer guru told her Rāma would come; she waited for years, preparing. She receives Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa with fruits and worship, guides them to Pampā, and ascends in the fire.

GreatnessBhakti as pure, patient waiting — no learning, no status, only love. Later tradition adds the tasted berries she offered.

SymbolThe devotee for whom the Lord Himself comes.

Appears inKabandha and Śabarī

Sampāti सम्पातिः

Elder brother of Jaṭāyu.

The name“He who flies together.”

Back storyHe burnt his wings shielding his brother from the sun. Hearing of Jaṭāyu’s death, he tells the vānaras where Sītā is — and his wings grow again.

GreatnessService restores what was lost: by helping Rāma’s cause he regains his wings.

Appears inDespair by the Sea — Sampāti and the Waking of Hanumān

Hanumān हनुमान्

Āñjaneya, Māruti, Vāyu-putra, Kesari-nandana

Minister of Sugrīva; son of Añjanā and the Wind; Rāma’s greatest devotee.

The name“One with a (broken) jaw” (hanu) — from Indra’s thunderbolt that struck him as a child leaping at the sun.

Back storyCursed as a child to forget his powers until reminded, he serves Sugrīva in exile, meets Rāma at Pampā, and is woken to his strength by Jāmbavān. He leaps the ocean, finds Sītā, burns Laṅkā, carries the mountain of herbs twice, and brings Bharata the news of Rāma’s return. He asks only to live as long as Rāma’s story is told.

GreatnessStrength, learning, eloquence and humility in one person — and all of it offered: “I am the servant of Rāma.” He is the model of dāsya-bhakti and of the four secrets of success (dhṛti, dṛṣṭi, mati, dākṣya).

SymbolThe disciplined mind (son of Prāṇa, the Wind) that, remembering its true nature, crosses the ocean of saṃsāra and unites the jīva with the Self.

Appears inRāma Meets HanumānThe Pact by Fire and Sītā’s OrnamentsThe Monsoon and Lakṣmaṇa’s AngerThe Search Begins — the Ring Given to HanumānDespair by the Sea — Sampāti and the Waking of HanumānThe Leap Across the OceanLaṅkā by NightAnirveda — the Turn from DespairSītā in the Aśoka GroveHanumān Meets SītāFrom Grove to Court to Burning City“I Have Seen Sītā”Two CouncilsVibhīṣaṇa’s Refuge — the Charter of ŚaraṇāgatiThe Battles Begin — and a Disarmed Enemy Sent HomeIndrajit’s War of IllusionLakṣmaṇa Falls — Rāma’s LamentThe Fire and the RevelationThe Return and Rāma-rājyaEpisodes of the ReignThe Departures

VersesKiṣkindhā 4.3.28–29Sundara 5.1.39Sundara 5.1.198Sundara 5.12.10Sundara 5.42.34Sundara 5.16.27Sundara 5.42.33Sundara 5.55.3–4Yuddha 6.1.13Yuddha 6.113.45–46Uttara 7.40.17

Sugrīva सुग्रीवः

Vānara king of Kiṣkindhā; younger brother of Vāli; Rāma’s ally.

The name“Beautiful-necked.”

Back storyDriven out by Vāli after a misunderstanding, he lives in fear on Ṛṣyamūka. Rāma kills Vāli and crowns him; he forgets his promise in comfort, is rebuked, and then leads the search and the war faithfully. He crowns Vāli’s son Aṅgada as his heir.

GreatnessAn ordinary person made great by friendship with the Lord — fearful, forgetful, but loyal in the end.

SymbolThe chastened mind that, having suffered under desire, can be harnessed in the service of the Self.

Appears inRāma Meets HanumānThe Pact by Fire and Sītā’s OrnamentsSugrīva’s Story and the Seven Sāla TreesThe Killing of VāliThe Monsoon and Lakṣmaṇa’s AngerThe Search Begins — the Ring Given to Hanumān“I Have Seen Sītā”Two CouncilsVibhīṣaṇa’s Refuge — the Charter of ŚaraṇāgatiOvertures and UltimatumsKumbhakarṇa

VersesKiṣkindhā 4.18.18–19Kiṣkindhā 4.8.9Kiṣkindhā 4.8.21Kiṣkindhā 4.30.81Sundara 5.42.33Yuddha 6.18.3

Vāli वाली

Bāli

Vānara king; son of Indra; elder brother of Sugrīva.

The name“The tailed one” — or, in tradition, from bala, strength.

Back storySo strong that he took half the strength of anyone who faced him; he defeated Rāvaṇa and carried him round the seas. He drove out Sugrīva and took his wife. Killed by Rāma from behind a tree, he argues with him, accepts the answer and entrusts his son Aṅgada to Rāma.

GreatnessImmense valour and a noble death — he repents and dies blessing his brother.

SymbolLust and power that usurp the kingdom of the mind; it cannot be fought head-on, only avoided and struck from a distance.

Appears inSugrīva’s Story and the Seven Sāla TreesThe Killing of Vāli

VersesKiṣkindhā 4.18.18–19

Tārā तारा

Queen of Vāli; mother of Aṅgada.

The name“Star” — or “she who helps cross over”.

Back storyShe warns Vāli not to fight; after his death her lament is one of the great laments of the epic. She later calms Lakṣmaṇa’s fury at the gates of Kiṣkindhā.

GreatnessWisdom and diplomacy; one of the pañca-kanyās.

Appears inThe Killing of VāliThe Monsoon and Lakṣmaṇa’s Anger

Aṅgada अङ्गदः

Vāli-putra

Son of Vāli and Tārā; crown prince of Kiṣkindhā; Rāma’s envoy.

The name“Armlet” — an ornament worn on the arm.

Back storyEntrusted to Rāma by his dying father, he leads the southern search party, despairs by the sea, and is saved by Sampāti’s news. Before the war Rāma sends him as envoy to Rāvaṇa; he delivers the ultimatum fearlessly and smashes the palace roof as he leaves. (Later tellings add that no one in Rāvaṇa’s court could move his planted foot.)

GreatnessLoyalty to the one who killed his father — he sees past personal grievance to dharma.

Appears inThe Killing of VāliThe Search Begins — the Ring Given to HanumānDespair by the Sea — Sampāti and the Waking of Hanumān“I Have Seen Sītā”Overtures and Ultimatums

Jāmbavān जाम्बवान्

Ṛkṣa-rāja

King of the bears; the elder of the army.

The nameOf the Jambū (rose-apple) land.

Back storyBorn of Brahmā and present since the churning of the ocean, he wakes Hanumān to his forgotten power by the sea, and after the Brahmāstra asks only, “Is Hanumān alive?”

GreatnessThe elder who knows who others are — the guru-function in the army.

SymbolThe guru who reminds the seeker of his true nature.

Appears inThe Search Begins — the Ring Given to HanumānDespair by the Sea — Sampāti and the Waking of Hanumān“I Have Seen Sītā”Indrajit’s War of Illusion

Nala नलः

Vānara engineer, son of Viśvakarmā.

Back storyAt the Ocean’s suggestion he designs and builds the bridge to Laṅkā in five days.

GreatnessSkill offered in service.

Appears inThe Ocean and the Bridge

Vibhīṣaṇa विभीषणः

Youngest brother of Rāvaṇa; king of Laṅkā after him.

The name“The terrifying one” — though he was the gentlest of the three brothers.

Back storyHe asked Brahmā only that he never swerve from dharma. He advises Rāvaṇa to return Sītā, is insulted and kicked, and crosses to Rāma, who receives him with the vow of refuge and crowns him before the war. He reveals Indrajit’s illusions and guides Lakṣmaṇa to Nikumbhilā.

GreatnessChoosing dharma over blood. He is honoured as one of the seven cirañjīvīs (the immortals).

SymbolThe sāttvika conscience in the city of the ego, which, rejected, takes refuge in the Self.

Appears inFrom Grove to Court to Burning CityTwo CouncilsVibhīṣaṇa’s Refuge — the Charter of ŚaraṇāgatiThe Ocean and the BridgeKumbhakarṇaIndrajit’s War of IllusionLakṣmaṇa Falls — Rāma’s LamentThe Āditya-hṛdaya and the Fall of RāvaṇaThe Fire and the RevelationThe Prehistory of RāvaṇaThe Departures

VersesYuddha 6.18.3Yuddha 6.18.33–34Yuddha 6.109.25

Rāvaṇa रावणः

Daśānana, Daśagrīva, Laṅkeśa

King of Laṅkā; ten-headed rākṣasa; abductor of Sītā.

The name“One who makes the worlds cry” (ru, to roar) — the name Śiva gave him when he roared under Kailāsa.

Back storyGrandson of the sage Pulastya, learned in the Vedas and a devotee of Śiva, he won invulnerability through tapas, took Laṅkā from Kubera and conquered the worlds. He abducts Sītā to avenge Śūrpaṇakhā, ignores every counsellor, loses his brothers and sons, and dies by Rāma’s Brahmāstra.

GreatnessGreat gifts — learning, devotion, valour, power — all turned to ego and lust. Rāma himself honours him in death. The epic’s warning that knowledge without humility makes demons.

SymbolThe ego with ten heads: the ten senses turned outward. Daśa-mukha is the opposite of Daśa-ratha.

Appears inRāvaṇa Resolves — Mārīca’s WarningThe Golden Deer and the AbductionJaṭāyu’s Last BattleLaṅkā by NightSītā in the Aśoka GroveFrom Grove to Court to Burning CityTwo CouncilsOvertures and UltimatumsThe Battles Begin — and a Disarmed Enemy Sent HomeKumbhakarṇaLakṣmaṇa Falls — Rāma’s LamentThe Āditya-hṛdaya and the Fall of RāvaṇaThe Prehistory of Rāvaṇa

VersesAraṇya 3.37.2Araṇya 3.47.37Araṇya 3.47.45Araṇya 3.50.8Sundara 5.21.15Sundara 5.21.16Yuddha 6.109.25Yuddha 6.63.5Yuddha 6.111.18

Kumbhakarṇa कुम्भकर्णः

Giant brother of Rāvaṇa.

The name“Pot-eared.”

Back storyHe meant to ask Brahmā for Indra’s seat (indrāsana) but, his tongue tied by Sarasvatī, asked for sleep (nidrāsana). Woken for the war, he tells Rāvaṇa he is wrong — and fights and dies for him anyway.

GreatnessHonest and loyal; his tragedy is loyalty without conscience.

SymbolTamas — sleep, gluttony and inertia.

Appears inTwo CouncilsKumbhakarṇaThe Prehistory of Rāvaṇa

VersesYuddha 6.63.5

Indrajit इन्द्रजित्

Meghanāda, Rāvaṇi

Eldest son of Rāvaṇa; master of illusion.

The name“Conqueror of Indra.” Meghanāda — “thunder-voiced”.

Back storyHe bound Indra and was named by Brahmā. In the war he fights invisibly, binds Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa with serpents, fells the army with the Brahmāstra, and kills an illusory Sītā. Lakṣmaṇa interrupts his sacrifice at Nikumbhilā and kills him.

GreatnessThe most dangerous warrior in Laṅkā — and a devoted son.

SymbolSubtle desire that defeats even the lord of the senses (Indra) and hides in illusion; only the disciplined mind can slay it.

Appears inFrom Grove to Court to Burning CityThe Battles Begin — and a Disarmed Enemy Sent HomeIndrajit’s War of Illusion

VersesYuddha 6.90.71

Mandodarī मन्दोदरी

Chief queen of Rāvaṇa; mother of Indrajit.

The name“Slender-waisted.”

Back storyDaughter of the architect Maya. She counsels Rāvaṇa to return Sītā; Hanumān at first mistakes her for Sītā. Her lament over Rāvaṇa is one of the most moving passages in the epic.

GreatnessVirtue and good counsel in the house of the enemy; one of the pañca-kanyās.

Appears inLaṅkā by NightThe Āditya-hṛdaya and the Fall of Rāvaṇa

VersesYuddha 6.111.18

Śūrpaṇakhā शूर्पणखा

Sister of Rāvaṇa.

The name“She whose nails are like winnowing fans.”

Back storyWidowed when Rāvaṇa killed her husband by mistake, she wanders the Daṇḍaka. Infatuated with Rāma, she is spurned and disfigured by Lakṣmaṇa, and her rage sets the whole war in motion.

GreatnessShe shows how lust refused turns into revenge. Kamban gives her a richer, more poignant portrait.

SymbolLust that grasps; the first spark of the inner war.

Appears inŚūrpaṇakhā and the Fourteen ThousandRāvaṇa Resolves — Mārīca’s WarningThe Prehistory of Rāvaṇa

Mārīca मारीचः

Rākṣasa, son of Tāṭakā; the golden deer.

The nameFrom marīci, “a ray of light, a mirage”.

Back storyThrown into the sea by Rāma’s arrow as a youth, later chased off again, he becomes an ascetic. He warns Rāvaṇa with the truth about Rāma, then, under threat, becomes the golden deer and dies crying in Rāma’s voice.

GreatnessHe spoke the truest words about Rāma in the epic: rāmo vigrahavān dharmaḥ.

SymbolMāyā — the mirage that draws the mind away from the Self.

Appears inTāṭakā and the Guarded SacrificeRāvaṇa Resolves — Mārīca’s WarningThe Golden Deer and the Abduction

VersesAraṇya 3.37.2Araṇya 3.37.13

Trijaṭā त्रिजटा

An old rākṣasī guarding Sītā.

The name“With three braids.”

Back storyShe dreams of Rāvaṇa’s fall and Rāma’s victory, stops the others tormenting Sītā, and consoles her when Rāma seems dead on the battlefield.

GreatnessKindness from within the enemy’s camp.

Appears inSītā in the Aśoka Grove