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.

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
Ganga is a goddess, the daughter of Himavan. Because of her incomparable beauty, she was given 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 the Ramayana 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.

What is the moral lesson of Ramayana?

The basic teaching fo Ramayana is that no matter how powerful evil is, it will always be defeated by Good. Truth always
wins, no matter how vicious or poisonous lie is because even a bitter truth oozes with positivity and the sweetest lie has
the darkest agenda behind it. The win of good over evil is a universal fate.