Ganga is a goddess, the daughter of Himavan.
Because of her incomparable beauty, she was given
The Ramayana
Character List
Rama
The son of King Dasaratha and Queen Kausalya,
Rama is the prince of Ayodya. He is an avatara of
Vishnu, the Blue God and the sustainer of worlds.
He is also a virtuous, strong, and just man in his
own right. He is married to Sita, whom he loves
deeply. He has a strong bond with his brother
Lakshmana as well.
Sita
Sita's father, King Janak, found her lying in a
furrow on sanctified ground and decided to raise her
as his daughter. She marries Rama, and loves him
so much that she follows him into exile. She is
famed for her virtue and beauty, and is regarded as
an avatara of the goddess Lakshmi, Vishnu's
consort.
Ravana
Ravana is a rakshasa who performed penance for
the God Siva for many years, and in return received
a great blessing from the God: he cannot be killed
by any God, demon, or other divine being. His
arrogance combined, with great intelligence and
power, has led him to rule over much of the earth,
spreading terrible evil everywhere he goes.
Lakshmana
Son of King Dasaratha, and brother of Rama. He is
deeply devoted to his brother, whom he follows
through many dangerous adventures and quests. He
is married to Sita's younger sister, Urmila.
King Dasaratha
King of Ayodhya, father of Rama, Lakshmana,
Bharata, and Shatrughna. Of all his three sons, he
loves Rama most deeply, and tries to shelter the boy
from any danger. He is a good king: kind, just and
well-liked by his people.
Viswamitra
Viswamitra is a great sage and wise man who was
once a king. Through long meditation, he gained a
number of magical powers. He takes Rama on a
quest to defeat a demon and to lift the bow of Siva,
the first step in the future king's great journey.
Ganga
to the Devas, and she became the Milky Way. Later,
Siva brought her down to earth and she became the
river Ganges.
Siva
Siva is part of the great trinity in Hindusim, along
with Vishnu and Brahma. He is a great ascetic, and
often sits in meditation. He is able to tame the
power of other gods, devas, and supernatural
beings, and he often grants blessings and wishes to
those who sit in dedication meditation ('tapasya').
His wife is Parvati.
Lava
Along with Kusha, one of the youths to whom
Valmiki taught the Ramayana that he received
from Narada. He is one of the sons of Rama, but he
does not know this.
Kusha
Along with Lava, one of the youths to whom
Valmiki taught theRamayana that he received
from Narada. He is one of the sons of Rama, but he
does not know this.
Vasishta
Guru to King Dasaratha, he offers religious advice
to the king and the royal family.
Rishyaringa
A great rishi; he presides over the sacrifice that
King Dasaratha offers in order to get a son. He is
sometimes depicted as a combination of a deer and
a man.
Tataka
A beautiful woman who was transformed into a
demon (rakshasi) when she tried to seduce the rishi
Agastya. As a demon, she drinks the blood of living
creatures and kills anything she can see. In one of
his first great acts, Rama breaks her curse by
slaying her.
Kaikeyi
The third and youngest wife of King Dasaratha, and
mother of Bharata. She is famed for her beauty.
After she saved the life of Dasaratha in battle, he
offered to grant anything she would ask of him. She
later calls in this favor to have Bharata crowned
king and Rama sent into the forest, inspired by the
worlds of her maid, Manthara.
Sumitra
Second wife of Dasaratha. She is the mother of
Lakshmana and Shatrughna.
Kausalya
The first wife of Dasaratha and mother of Rama.
She is the oldest wife, and very kind and wise. She
does not have a close relationship with her husband,
but she loves her son Rama very deeply.
Manthara
An old maid of Kaikeyi's. She is a wicked woman,
and gives Kaikeyi the idea to ask Dasaratha to exile
Rama and crown Bharata king instead.
Guha
King of the hunters, he rules near the wilderness in
Shringiberapura. He is fiercely loyal to Rama.
Kausalya
Wife of Dasaratha, mother of Rama. She is wise
and kind, but she is not close with her husband; the
greatest joy in her life is Rama.
Bharata
Son of King Dasaratha and Queen Kaikeyi, he is
half-brother to Rama, Lakshmana, and Shatrughna.
He is devoted to his brother Rama, and he tries
desperately to undo the damage committed by his
mother Kaikeyi.
Shatrughna
Son of King Dasaratha and Queen Sumitra (she
drank two sips from the sacred cup, and
consequently had twins). His twin brother is
Lakshmana, and his half-brothers are Rama and
Bharata. He follows his brother Bharata
everywhere.
Sumantra
Chief counselor of Dasaratha. He is the one who
unwillingly brings Rama into exile.
Surpanakha
The sister of Ravana, she is a powerful rakshasi.
She attempts to seduce Rama and kill Sita, but the
princely brothers attack her. She tries to muster the
rakshasa army against Rama.
Maricha
A rakshasa, uncle of Ravana. Rama defeated him
with a purifying magical weapon, and he renounced
his evil ways to become a rishi.
Khara
A rakshasa, cousin to Ravana. He rules the area of
Janasthana, near the forest of Rama's exile. He is
very powerful, and likes to kill rishis and despoil
sacred rituals.
Jatayu
A powerful golden eagle who speaks in the voice of
a human being. He was loyal to King Dasaratha,
and pledges his service to Rama. He dies defending
Sita from Ravana.
Kabandha
A terrible rakshasa who has the form of a body with
no legs or head -- only arms and a gaping mouth.
He was transformed into this ugly shape by Indra;
formerly, he was a celestial archer. He tells the
brothers to seek Sugriva, the prince of vanaras.
Sugriva
The rightful king of the vanaras, a race of magical
monkeys. He was usurped by his brother Vali, and
pledges his service to Rama and Lakshmana if they
can restore him to his throne.
Hanuman
Advisor to Sugriva. He is the son of the wind god
Vayu and a vanari woman.
Angada
A vanara youth, son of Vali and nephew of Sugriva.
He is brave and intelligent.
Vibheeshana
Young brother of Ravana. Though he is a rakshasa,
he is wise and good. When Ravana refuses to listen
to his counsel, he joins Rama's army.
Sampati
A great golden eagle, brother of Jatayu. His wings
were burned when he flew too close to the son.
Jambavan
King of the Riksharaj (magical bears). He is an ally
of Sugriva and Rama. He is known for his gentle
wisdom and quiet strength.
Indrajit
The favorite son of Ravana, and his most powerful
warrior. He earned his name after he captured Indra,
the king of the gods.
Kumbhakarna
Ravana's brother. He is a giant with infinite strength
who sleeps for six months at a time before waking
up and eating everything he can see.
Agastya
An elderly and extremely powerful rishi who
blesses Rama. Later when Rama is king of
Ayodhya, he comes to Rama's palace and tells him
secret tales about the people he met on his journeys.
The Ramayana Themes
Romantic Love
A central focus of the Ramayana is the love
between Sita and Rama. As incarnations of the
goddess Lakshmi and the god Vishnu, they are
literally been made for each other. They fall in love
at first sight, and their relationship is characterized
by harmony and devotion. Sita follows Rama into
exile out of her love for him, and she
refuses Ravana's advances at great risk to herself
because of her loyalty to her husband. Rama, in
turn, defends Sita fiercely and cares for her
tenderly. For centuries, the love between Rama and
Sita has been a model relationship for South Asians.
The Perfect Man
Rama is the time-honored symbol of the perfect
man: he is generous, just, merciful, the master of his
emotions, and a valiant warrior. He is a dedicated
son and a loyal husband. Other characters exemplify
perfect virtues as well. Sita, with her perfect
devotion to her husband, is the eternal symbol of the
perfect woman and wife. Lakshmana, who never
leaves his brother's side despite the horrible
dangers, is the image of the perfect
brother. Hanuman, witty, loyal, and wise, is the
perfect advisor.
Dharma
A central concept in Hinduism and Indian
philosophy, dharma may be translated as truth,
justice, and duty. It refers to the central purpose of a
particular being, as well as the correct path that she
or he should follow in this world. Dharma also
describes a conduct defined by truth and justice,
which is divinely commanded. Populated with
perfect characters, the Ramayana offers a
playbook for how to behave with virtue and dharma
in the world.
Brotherly Love
Lakshmana is an exemplar of brotherly love. He is
never envious of his more accomplished brother
Rama, and supports him in his every adventure.
When they are still boys, Lakshmana accompanies
Rama into the forest to defeat the rakshasa Tataka,
having full faith in his brother despite their youth
and inexperience. Rama tells Lakshmana that he is
like part of his own body; Rama is never more
devastated than when Lakshmana falls injured on
the battlefield.
Good and Evil
In the Ramayana, good and evil are diametrically
opposed forces, locked in eternal combat. They are
frequently represented as a contrast between
human/god and rakshasa. The rakshasas exhibit a
number of vices (violence, blasphemous impulses,
sexual indiscretions), while the righteous humans
are exemplars of every virtue. Though good and
evil are opposed, the Ramayana suggests that
they are not innate but rather the result of choice.
Some rakshasas have been turned into demons as
punishment for a transgression, while previous
virtuous human beings can become wicked when
they choose to abandon the path of dharma.
Combat
Large portions of the Ramayana describe
incredible battles between Rama and various
wicked rakshasa. These battles are intense and
described in evocative prose, featuring a great deal
of violence and magical weapons. Rama's success
in combat is part of his identity as the perfect man,
an unconquered warrior. The centrality of combat in
the Ramayana may also be symbolic: the
rakshasas symbolize the evil impulses in every
person, which must be destroyed in order for the
soul to be made pure.
Human and Divine
The differences and similarities between human and
divine are a major theme in the Ramayana. Rama
himself is the incarnation of a god, but much of his
goodness is the result of his own personal choices
rather than this divine heritage. Rama has been born
into the world because an enormously powerful
rakshasa, Ravana, cannot be killed by any deity or
supernatural creature; the gods themselves are
unable to defeat them. In some ways, some human
beings and vanaras (magical monkeys) are superior
to the gods in their virtuous conduct. However, the
gods still have the power to offer boons to mortals,
such as weapons and invincibility.
The Ramayana
Summary
Born during an age when the
demon Ravana terrorized the world, Rama is the
virtuous, wise, and powerful prince of Ayohya. As a
young man, he is able to accomplish what no other
man has ever done: he lifts and strings the bow
of Siva, and by so doing her earns the right to
marry the beautiful Sita.
Just when he is about to ascend the throne of
Ayodhya, his father Dasaratha is forced to exile him
for fourteen years to the forest due to a vow made
long ago. Unruffled, Rama accepts his exile; his
wife Sita and his loyal
brother Lakshmana accompany him. In the forest,
the princely brothers kill many demons and visit
many wise men and women.
The evil demon Ravana hears of Sita's beauty, and
kidnaps her. He has fallen in love with her and tries
to seduce her, but she rebuffs his advances for
nearly ten months.

Desperate to win her back, Rama and Lakshmana

form an alliance with the monkey king Sugriva,
and invade Lanka with an army of monkeys. After
many violent battles, Rama defeats Ravana and
wins back Sita. He is concerned that she has been
unfaithful during her long captivity, and so Sita
undergoes a trial by fire to prove her chastity. Rama
takes her back, and they return to rule Ayodhya for
many wonderful years.
In another version of the tale, Rama hears his
people gossiping about Sita's imagined
indiscretions, and he banishes her to the forest,
where she gives birth to Rama's twin sons. Sita and
the children confront him years later; he tries to
explain his harsh actions to Sita, but she vanishes
into the earth to escape him.