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Hanuman seated at the feet of Rama. Ramayana is one of the two major Sanskrit ancient epics (Itihasa s) of Hindu literature. It was composed by sage Valmiki. This is a list of important figures that appear in the epic.
- Sages of Ramayana
- Characters from Ayodhya
- Characters from Mithila
- Vanar Sena of Ramayana
- Characters from Lanka
- Allies and Friends of Lord Rama
- Demons and Allies of Ravana
- Deities of Ramayana
Vasistha the guru of King Dashratha as well as an advisor to the Ayodhya Kingdom.
Sage Agastya was the uncle of Ravana who lived in the Dandaka forest on the southern slopes of the Vindhya Mountains. When Lord Rama met Sage Agastya, he gifted him a divine bow and arrow, which would help him to defeat Ravana.
Ahalya
Ahalya, the wife of Maharishi Gautami was depicted as seduced by Lord Indra, which led her to commit infidelity, for which her husband cursed her. The curse transformed her into a stone and was able to regain her human form when she was touched by Lord Rama’s feet.
Dasharatha
Dasharatha, King of Ayodhya, had three queens Kausalya, Kaikeyi, and Sumitra with five offspring, sons Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana, and Shatrughna, and daughter Shanta.
Kausalya
Kausalya is the mother of Lord Rama and is often mentioned as the elder and favorite wife of Dasharatha.
Kaikeyi
The second wife of King Dasharatha, Kaikeyi, was the mother of Bharata. She and her maid Manthara were the reason for Lord Rama’s exile and she did this to make his son the King of Ayodhya.
Janaka
King Janaka was the king of Mithila and the father of Maa Sita and Urmila.
Sunaina
Queen Sunaina was the wife of King Janaka and the mother of Maa Sita and Urmila.
Kushadhwaja
Kushadhwaja is the younger brother of King Janaka whose two daughters, Mandavi and Shrutakirti, were married to Rama’s younger brothers, Bharata and Shatrughna, respectively.
Vali
Vali (Balli) was the king of Kishkindha, known as the spiritual son of Indra. He was the elder brother of Sugriva, husband of Tara, and father of Angada.
Tara
Famous as one of the Panchakanyas, Tara was the wife of Vali and the mother of Angada.
Sugriva
The ruler of Kishkinda, Sugriva aided Lord Rama to rescue Maa Sita from captivity at the hands of Ravana.
Pulastya
Pulatsya is mentioned as one of the ten Prajapatis, or progenitors of creation, and is the father of Vishrava, who is the father of Ravana.
Sumali
Sumali, the father of Kaikashi, was the maternal grandfather of Ravana, Kumbhakarna, Vibhishana, and Shurpanakha.
Malyavan
Malyavan was a maternal granduncle of Ravana, the brother of Sumali, and was one of the Rakshasa opposing Sita’s abduction.
Jambavan
Jambavan, the king of the sloth bear, fought from Rama’s side in his battle against the Lankan Army.
Jatayu
Jatayu tried to save Maa Sita during her abduction but this divine bird who was also an old friend of King Dasharatha was killed in the process.
Nishada Raja
The king of the forest tribe Nishada Raja was a childhood friend of Lord Rama.
Dushana
Dushana, the younger male cousin of Ravana, was a flesh-eating rakshasa of the Dandaka forest. He and his brother Khara were killed in the war against Rama and Lakshmana resulting from Shuparnakha’s humiliation.
Kabandha
Kabandha was cursed to be Rakshasa who got freed after being killed by Lord Rama.
Khara
Khara, the flesh-eating rakshasa, cousin of Ravana, and twin brother of Dushana was the ruler of Danda Kingdom, on the border of Rama’s kingdom Kosala. He was killed in battle against Rama and Lakshmana.
Shiva
Both Rama and Ravana have strong devotees towards Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva had his presence on providing a boon to Ravana, the marriage of Lord Rama and Sita, and incarnated as Lord Hanuman to guide Lord Rama.
Brahma
Brahma granted a boon to Ravana that he could not be killed by any god, demon, or mortal. Similarly, Brahma had granted a boon to Hanuman that he would have immense strength, wisdom, and knowledge of the scriptures.
Vishnu
Lord Rama is the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu, who came to earth to defeat Ravana and restore order and righteousness in the world. His Sheshnaga incarnated as Lakshmana to aid Lord Rama in his journey.
The princes Rama and Lakshmana must give up their silks and finery when they are exiled to the forest on the orders of Kaikeyi. Silks, jewels, and perfumes are signs of wealth and purity, but also of spiritual favor and righteousness. As they delight the eye, so they delight the heart as well.
Aug 20, 2024 · Ramayana, shorter of the two great epic poems of India, the other being the Mahabharata (“Great Epic of the Bharata Dynasty”). The Ramayana was composed in Sanskrit, probably not before 300 bce, by the poet Valmiki and in its present form consists of some 24,000 couplets divided into seven books.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Subhamoy Das
- Ramayana Characters from Ahalya to Jatayu. Ahalya: Wife of sage Gautama, who was turned into a stone and was later freed from the curse by the touch of Rama.
- Ramayana Characters from Kaikeyi to Nala. Kaikeyi: Dashartha's youngest queen and mother of Bharata who asked for Rama's exile. Kausalya: Dashratha's queen and Rama's mother.
- Ramayana Characters from Rama to Sushen. Rama: The main protagonist of the Ramayana-- an avatar of Lord Vishnu; the prince of Ayodha, son of King Dasharatha of Kosala.
- Ramayana Characters from Tataka to Vishwamitra. Tataka: Demoness or rakshasi killed by Rama; mother of Mareecha. Tulsidas: Sanskrit scholar and poet who created Ramacharitmanas, a version of Valmiki Ramayana in local Avadhi language.
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The title of the Ramayana means “Rama’s Journey” in Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language, and the motif of journeys, both physical and metaphysical, is present throughout the epic. Rama’s journey takes physical form as soon as the sage Viswamithra appears at Dasaratha’s palace in need of Rama’s assistance.