RAMAYANA

By: Valmiki

Reporter:
Nicole Mamogay
Lecha Mae Sorita Calvo
I. Author’s background
• Was born as Agni Sharma to a Brahmin named
Pracheta (also known as Sumali) of Bhrigu gotra.
• Valmiki is the author of the great Indian epic
Ramayana, was a Hindu sage who lived around the
beginning of the first millennium B.C.
• He is referred to as the 'adikavi', the original creator
of the Hindu 'sloka' a verse form in which most of Maharshi Valmiki
the great epics such as Ramayana, Mahabharata,
Puranas, and other works are composed.
II. Background of the Work
• The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic which follows
Prince Rama's quest to rescue his beloved wife Sita from the
clutches of Ravana with the help of an army of monkeys.
• It is traditionally attributed to the authorship of the sage
Valmiki and dated to around 500 BCE to 100 BCE.
• Consist of 24,000 verses in seven cantos.
• Contains the teachings of the very ancient Hindu sages.

• One of the most important literary works of ancient India,

it has greatly influenced art and culture in the Indian
subcontinent and South East Asia.
• It is one of the staples of later dramatic traditions, re-enacted
in dance-dramas, village theatre, shadow-puppet theatre and
the annual Ram-lila (Rama-play).
III. Characters and Characterization
Rama is the hero of the Ramayana epic, an incarnation of
the God Vishnu. The eldest and favourite son of Dasaratha,
King of Ayodhya, he is a virtuous prince and is much loved
by the people. He is exiled from Ayodhya due to the
plotting of his stepmother, Kaikeyi.

Sita is Rama's wife and daughter of King Janaka of

Mithila. Sita is the epitome of womanly purity and
virtue.
Hanuman is the wise and resourceful monkey
who helps Rama in his quest to defeat Ravana
and rescue Sita.

Laksmana (seen here) is Rama's younger brother.

Completely loyal to Rama, he chooses to go with
Rama and Sita when they are exiled from Ayodhya.
Ravana is the king of Lanka and has 10 heads
and 20 arms. He received a boon from the God
Brahma that he cannot be killed by gods,
demons or by spirits.

Dasaratha is the King of Ayodhya, Rama's

father.
Bharata is the second son of Dasaratha. When
he learns that his mother Kaikeyi had forced
Rama into exile, causing Dasaratha to die
broken hearted, he storms out of the palace and
goes in search of Rama.

Vishvamitra is the sage who takes Rama into

the forest at the behest of defeating the
demons destroying his Vedic sacrifices.
IV. Setting
Ayodhya: Capital city of Kosala where Rama's father,
Dashratha rules.

Ashoka van: This is where Ravana kept Sita after the

abduction; a place in Lanka.
Chitrakoot or Chitrakut: During exile, in this forest
place Rama, Sita, and Laxman stayed.

Dandakaranya: Where Rama, Sita, and Laxman traveled

in this forest place during exile.
Godavari: River crossed by Rama, Sita, and Laxman to
reach Panchavati.

Kailash: Mountain where Hanuman found sanjivani;

Abode of Lord Shiva.
Kiskindha: The kingdom ruled by Sugriva, leader of
monkey tribe.

Kosala: Kingdom ruled by Dashratha.

Mithila: Kingdom ruled by king Janaka, Sita's father.

Lanka: Island kingdom ruled by demon king
Ravana.

Panchavati: Forest hut of Rama, Sita, and

Laxman, from where Sita was abducted by
Ravana.
Prayag: Confluence of river Ganga, Yamuna, and
Saraswati (presently known as Allahabad).

Sarayu: River on the banks of which Ayodhya is

situated.
V. Summary each chapter
“Rama’s Youth”
Brama, creator of the universe, could not revoke the boon he gave the demon
king Ravana, as a reward for his severe penances, that he should not be slain
by gods, demons, or spirits. The good king Dasharatha of Ayodhya, has
become anxious for his successor, for he had no sons to take over the
kingdom after him. Taking advice from his ministers and priest he organized
a Putrakameshti Yagna. The boys grew up learning the scriptures and the art
of bowmanship from the sage Vasishta. One day, the sage Vishwamitra
visited the kingdom and asked King Dasharatha to send Rama to protect him
from demons.
 “Rama's exile”
King Dasharatha, began to feel weary of reigning, and decided to make
Rama, his eldest son and heir-apparent, the co-regent (Yuvaraja).
However, Kaikeyi was jealous because her darling son Bharata was not to
be made co-regent, so she fled to an ante-chamber where Dasharatha
found her in tears. She required him, first, to appoint her son Bharata as
co-regent and, second, to exile Rama for 14h years to the terrible forest of
Dandaka.
 “Sita's
Rama, Sita and Lakshmana left behind Ayodhya and its people, crossed
abduction”
the river Ganges and went into the forest. Meanwhile, Bharata returned to
Ayodhya and, being also devoted to Rama, became furious with Kaikeyi.
One day, the demoness Surpanakha, chanced upon Rama's hermitage and
saw the handsome Rama and became enamored. Taking the form of a
beautiful young girl, she tried to seduce Rama. Ravana approached the
hermitage in the guise of an old man and asked Sita to give him some
food. Ravana grabbed Sita and fled in his airborne vehicle. Jatayu, seeing
them fly, attempted to save Sita, but Ravana engaged Jatayu in combat
and chopped off the vulture's wings.
 “Monkey kingdom”
Continuing their search, they encountered the monkey king of
Kishkindha, Sugriva, and Hanuman, one of his generals, among whom
Sita had dropped from the chariot her scarf and some ornaments. Sugriva
and Rama sent the monkey soldiers in various directions in search of Sita.
However their efforts didn't bear fruit until they met another ancient
vulture, Sampati, who was the brother of the slain Jatayu. Sampati's
vision was incredibly powerful, spanning several hundred yojanas and
enabling him to see farther than anyone else.
 “Hanuman in Lanka”
Sugriva dispatched his monkey army to the south with his nephew Angad at
the head. Hanuman expanded his body to enormous proportions, leaped the
vast expanse of water, and alighted upon a mountain Trikuta from which he
could look down upon Lanka. Assuming the form of a tiny monkey,
Hanuman crept down the tree, and giving her the ring of Rama, took one
from her. He offered to carry her away with him, but Sita declined.
 “Battle of Lanka”
In his anger at being so ignored, Rama turned his weapons against the
ocean, until from the terrified waves arose Varuna, the god of the ocean.
Terror reigned in Lanka at the news of the approach of Rama. At each shot
Rama's mighty bow cut off a head of Ravana, which at once grew back, and
the hero was in despair until Vibishana told him to aim at Ravana's belly-
button.
 “Sita banished”
Ayodhya was prosperous, the people were happy, and for a time all went
well. It was not long, however, before whispers concerning Sita's long stay
in Lanka spread through the city, and Rama came to hear the gossip that a
famine in the country was due to the guilt of Sita, who had suffered the
caresses of Ravana while in captivity. Without a murmur the unhappy Sita
dragged herself to the forest, and, torn with grief of body and spirit, found
the hermitage of Valmiki, where she gave birth to twin sons, Lava and
Kuça.
Sita had had time to recover from the love of her youth, and the prospect of
life with Rama, she felt, was not altogether pleasant. She appealed to the
earth, if she had never loved any man but Rama, if her truth and purity were
known to the earth, let it open its bosom and swallow her whole.
VI. Point of View

The Epic poem is written in the third person.

VII. Conflict

Man vs. Supernatural

Man vs. Nature
Man vs. Self
VIII. Theme

Duty, Honor, and Loyalty

Heroism
IX. Cultural Implication

The Ramayana teaches us how an ideal king, an

ideal father, an ideal mother, an ideal son,
an ideal brother, an ideal servant, an ideal
husband and an ideal wife should behave in
life.
X. Implication of the Title

The Ramayana is an all-popular epic in South and Southeast

Asia. It is the story of King Rama who must save his
kidnapped wife, Sita. Along the way, it teaches Hindu life
lessons. The Ramayana is told and retold orally, through
literature (and comic books!), plays, movies and is reference
in many other forms of popular culture today.