NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Sri Rama

Rāmachandra, simply known as Rama (rāma in IAST, राम in Devanāgarī) or Srī Rāma (श्रीराम in Devanagari), was a king of ancient India and is the Seventh Avatara of Vishnu, and one of the most important manifestations of God in Hinduism. He is one of the most popular heroes of Hindu mythology and folktales in South and Southeast Asia. Born as the eldest son of Kousalya and Dasaratha, king of Kosala, he is the embodiment of the Supreme Brahman and Dharma. Rama is Mariyada Purshottama, literally The Perfect Man. He is the hero of the ancient Hindu epic poem, The Ramayana (from Sanskrit, The Journey of Rama). Rama is the husband of Sita Devi, who is the Avatara of Lakshmi, and the embodiment of perfect womanhood. Image File history File links Created by me. ... The Brahmic family is a family of abugidas used in South Asia, Tibet and Southeast Asia. ... Download high resolution version (640x850, 107 KB)Lord Ram This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (640x850, 107 KB)Lord Ram This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Sita Devi SITA ... Lakshaman (far left) with Rama (centre), Sita (far right) and Hanuman (kneeling) - Bhaktivedanta Manor, Watford, England Lakshmana (Sanskrit: à¤²à¤•à¥à¤·à¥à¤®à¤£; IAST Laká¹£maá¹‡a) was the brother and close companion of Rama, and himself a hero of the epic Ramayana. ... Lord Hanuman In Hinduism, Hanuman (Sanskrit: à¤¹à¤¨à¥à¤®à¤¤à¥ Hanumat; nominative singular à¤¹à¤¨à¥à¤®à¤¾à¤¨à¥ HanumÄn) is a vanara who aided Lord Rama (an avatar of Vishnu) in rescuing His Consort, Sita, from the Rakshasa king Ravana. ... Kshatriya is the title of the military order within the Hindu varna system. ... Dharma (Sanskrit: à¤§à¤°à¥à¤®) Dhamma [Pali] means Natural Law or Reality, and with respect to its significance for spirituality and religion might be considered the Way of the Higher Truths. ... IAST, or International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration is the academic standard for writing the Sanskrit language with the Latin alphabet and very similar to National Library at Calcutta romanization standard being used with many Indic scripts. ... DevanÄgarÄ« (Sanskrit: â€”, pronounced , in English pronounced ) is an abugida writing system used to write, either along with other scripts, or exclusively, several North Indian languages, including Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi, Sindhi, Bihari, Bhili, Konkani, Bhojpuri, Nepali from Nepal and sometimes Kashmiri and Romani. ... See Avatar (disambiguation) for other meanings. ... For other uses of the name Vishnu, see Vishnu (disambiguation). ... Hinduism (Sanskrit/Hindi â€”, also known as , and ) is a religion originating in the Indian subcontinent, based on the Vedas and the beliefs of other people of India. ... Hindu mythology is a term used by modern scholarship for a large body of Indian literature that details the lives and times of legendary personalities, deities and divine incarnations on earth interspersed with often large sections of philosophical and ethical discourse. ... South Asia or Southern Asia is a southern geopolitical region of the Asian continent comprising territories on and in proximity to the Indian subcontinent. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... Kousalya, Sumitra and Kaike are the three wives of King Dasaratha of Ayodhya, in the 24,000-verse Sanskrit epic called the Ramayana, and the mothers of the heroes Rama, Bharatha, and Lakshmana. ... Dasaratha (Sanskrit: à¤¦à¤¶à¤°à¤¥, IAST DaÅ›aratha) in Hindu history is the king of Ayodhya and a descendant of Raghuvamsa. ... Kosala was an ancient Indian kingdom, corresponding roughly in area with the region of Oudh. ... For other uses of this word and similar words, see Brahman (disambiguation). ... Dharma (Sanskrit: à¤§à¤°à¥à¤®) Dhamma [Pali] means Natural Law or Reality, and with respect to its significance for spirituality and religion might be considered the Way of the Higher Truths. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Ramayana (Sanskrit: march or journey (ayana) of Rama) is part of the Hindu smriti, written by Valmiki. ... Sanskrit ( à¤¸à¤‚à¤¸à¥à¤•à¥ƒà¤¤à¤®à¥ ; pronunciation : ) is a classical language of India and a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. ... This article is about Sita Devi, the wife of Rama. ... Image of Goddess Lakshmi Sculpture of Lakshmi In Hinduism, Lakshmi or Laxmi (Sanskrit: à¤²à¤•à¥à¤·à¥à¤®à¥€ ) is the goddess of wealth, light, wisdom and fortune, as well as (secondarily) luck, beauty and fertility. ...

Rama's life and journey is one of perfect adherence of dharma despite harsh tests of life and time. For the sake of his father's honour, Rama abandons his claim to Kosala's throne to serve an exile in the forest. The kidnapping of his wife Sita by Ravana, the Rakshasa monarch of Lanka leaves him desperate. After a long and arduous search that tests his personal strength and virtue, Rama fights a colossal war against Ravana's armies. In a war of powerful and magical beings, greatly destructive weaponry and battles, Rama slays Ravana in battle and liberates his wife. Having completed his exile, Rama returns to be crowned King in Ayodhya (the capital of his Kingdom) and eventually becomes Emperor of the World, after which he reigns for eleven thousand years - an era of perfect happiness, peace, prosperity and justice known as Rama Rajya. Dharma (Sanskrit: à¤§à¤°à¥à¤®) Dhamma [Pali] means Natural Law or Reality, and with respect to its significance for spirituality and religion might be considered the Way of the Higher Truths. ... A dipiction of Ravana, Hindu Demon King of Lanka In Hindu mythology, Ravana (Devanagari: à¤°à¤¾à¤µà¤£, IAST RÄvaá¹‡a; sometimes transliterated Raavana and as Ravan) is the principal antagonist of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. ... A rakshasa (Sanskrit: à¤°à¤•à¥à¤·à¤¸, raká¹£asa; alternately, raksasa or rakshas) is a demon or unrighteous spirit in Hinduism. ... Lanka is the name given in Hindu mythology to the island fortress capital of the evil king Ravana in the epic Ramayana. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Rama's courage in searching for Sita and fighting a terrible war to rescue his wife and their honour is complimented by Sita's absolute devotion to her husband's love, and perfect chastity despite being Ravana's captive. Rama's younger brothers, namely Lakshmana, Shatrughna and Bharata strongly complement his piety, virtue and strength, and they are believed by many to belong to the Mariyada Purshottama and the Seventh Avatara, mainly embodied by Rama. Rama's piety and virtue attract powerful and devoted allies such as Hanuman and the Vanaras of Kishkindha, with whose help he rescues Sita. The legend of Rama is deeply influential and popular in the societies of the Indian subcontinent and across South East Asia. Rama is revered for his unending compassion, courage and devotion to religious values and duty. Lakshaman (far left) with Rama (centre), Sita (far right) and Hanuman (kneeling) - Bhaktivedanta Manor, Watford, England Lakshmana (Sanskrit: à¤²à¤•à¥à¤·à¥à¤®à¤£; IAST Laká¹£maá¹‡a) was the brother and close companion of Rama, and himself a hero of the epic Ramayana. ... Shatrughna (Sanskrit: à¤¶à¤¤à¥à¤°à¥à¤˜à¥à¤¨, á¹£atrughna), in Hindu epic Ramayana was the youngest brother of Lord Rama. ... Bharata (Sanskrit: à¤à¤°à¤¤, IAST Bharata) was the youngest brother of Lord Rama, and the son of Emperor Dasaratha and Kaikeyi of the Solar Dynasty. ... Lord Hanuman In Hinduism, Hanuman (Sanskrit: à¤¹à¤¨à¥à¤®à¤¤à¥ Hanumat; nominative singular à¤¹à¤¨à¥à¤®à¤¾à¤¨à¥ HanumÄn) is a vanara who aided Lord Rama (an avatar of Vishnu) in rescuing His Consort, Sita, from the Rakshasa king Ravana. ... Vanara is a Sanskrit word literally meaning a human having the fur or tail of a monkey. It popularly refers to the race of monkey-like humanoids in the Hindu epic Ramayana who are brave and inquisitive in nature. ... Satellite image of the Indian subcontinent Map of South Asia (see note) The Indian subcontinent is a peninsular landmass of the Asian continent occupying the Indian Plate and extending into the Indian Ocean, bordered on the north by the Eurasian Plate. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ...

Etymology of Rama

Rāmá in the Rigveda and the Atharvaveda is an adjective meaning "dark, black", or a noun meaning "darkness", e.g. RV 10.3.3 (trans. Griffith): Hinduism (Sanskrit/Hindi â€”, also known as , and ) is a religion originating in the Indian subcontinent, based on the Vedas and the beliefs of other people of India. ... Image File history File links Aum. ... Hinduism (à¤¸à¤¨à¤¾à¤¤à¤¨ à¤§à¤°à¥à¤®; also known as SanÄtana Dharma, and Vaidika-Dharma) is a worldwide religious tradition that is based on the revealed knowledge of the Veda and the direct descendant of the Vedic religion. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Hinduism encompasses many movements and schools fairly organized within Hindu denominations. ... Hindu mythology is a term used by modern scholarship for a large body of Indian literature that details the lives and times of legendary personalities, deities and divine incarnations on earth interspersed with often large sections of philosophical and ethical discourse. ... Hindu philosophy (one of the main divisions of Indian philosophy) is traditionally seen through the prism of six different systems (called darshanas in Sanskrit) that are listed here and make up the main belief systems of Hinduism. ... Past Lives redirects here. ... Moksha - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Karma is a concept in Hinduism, based on the Vedas and Upanishads, which explains causality through a system where beneficial events are derived from past beneficial actions and harmful events from past harmful actions, creating a system of actions and reactions throughout a persons reincarnated lives. ... A small prayer setup This article is about Hinduism. ... ... In the Indian religions Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism, nirvÄna (from the Sanskrit à¤¨à¤¿à¤°à¥à¤µà¤¾à¤£, Pali: NibbÄna -- Chinese: æ¶…æ§ƒ; Pinyin: niÃ¨ pÃ¡n), literally extinction and/or extinguishing, is the culmination of the yogis pursuit of liberation. ... Dharma (Sanskrit: à¤§à¤°à¥à¤®) Dhamma [Pali] means Natural Law or Reality, and with respect to its significance for spirituality and religion might be considered the Way of the Higher Truths. ... Yoga is a family of ancient spiritual practices that originated in India, where it remains a vibrant living tradition and is seen as a means to enlightenment. ... Ayurveda (à¤†à¤¯à¥à¤°à¥à¤µà¥‡à¤¦ Sanskrit: ayuâ€”life; vedaâ€”knowledge of) or ayurvedic medicine is a comprehensive system of medicine, first described by Charaka around the beginning of the Common Era, Presently the central document of Ayurveda is considered to be Charaka Samhita which is a treatise of 500 drugs compiled by Charaka under... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Vegetarianism is the practice of not eating meat, including beef, poultry, fish, or their by-products, with or without the use of dairy products or eggs. ... Bhakti - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Artha is a Sanskrit term referring to the idea of material prosperity. ... Hindu scripture is overwhelmingly written in Sanskrit. ... The Upanishads (उपनिषद्, Upanişad) are part of the Hindu Shruti scriptures which primarily discuss meditation and philosophy and are seen as religious instructions by most schools of Hinduism. ... The Vedas (Sanskrit: à¤µà¥‡à¤¦), collectively refers to a corpus of ancient Indo-Aryan religious literature that are associated with the Vedic civilization and are considered by adherents of Hinduism to be revealed knowledge. ... The Brahmana (Sanskrit à¤¬à¥à¤°à¤¾à¤¹à¥à¤®à¤£) are part of the Hindu Shruti; They are composed in Vedic Sanskrit, and the period of their composition is sometimes referred to as the Brahmanic period or age (approximately between 900 BC and 500 BC). ... Bhagavad Gīta भगवद्गीता, composed ca the fifth - second centuries BC, is part of the epic poem Mahabharata, located in the Bhisma-Parva chapters 23–40. ... The RÄmÄyaÅ†a (Sanskrit: à¤°à¤¾à¤®à¤¾à¤¯à¤£ (a sandhi form of rÄma-ayana = march or journey (Ä€yana) of RÄma) is part of the Hindu smriti, written by Valmiki. ... The Mahabharata (Devanagari: à¤®à¤¹à¤¾à¤à¤¾à¤°à¤¤, phonetically MahÄbhÄrata - see note), sometimes just called Bharata, is one of the two major ancient Sanskrit epics of India, the other being the Ramayana. ... The Puranas are part of Hindu Smriti; these religious scriptures discuss devotion and mythology. ... The Aranyakas (Sanskrit à¤†à¤°à¤£à¥à¤¯à¤•, Forest Books, Forest Treatises) are part of the Hindu Shruti; these religious scriptures are sometimes argued to be part of either the Brahmanas or Upanishads. ... The percentage of Hindu population of each country was taken from the US State Departments International Religious Freedom Report 2004. ... These are some of the most noteworthy Gurus and Saints of Hinduism: Shankara Ramanuja Amritanandamayi Paramahansa Yogananda Madhvacharya Raghavendra Swami Ramakrishna Vivekananda Sree Narayana Guru Aurobindo Ramana Maharshi Sivananda Chinmayananda Yogaswami Sivaya Subramuniyaswami Swaminarayan Shriram Sharma Acharya A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Satya Sai Baba Shirdi Sai Baba Bhakti Vaibhava... The Gopuram of temples, in south India, are adorned with colourful icons depicting a particular story surrounding the temples deity. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... A mantra is a religious syllable or poem, typically from the Sanskrit language. ... Glossary of terms in Hinduism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The Nataraja is one of the most famous images of Lord Shiva Murtis (singular Murti, also spelled Murthi or Murthy) refers to deities or images used by Hindus and also by some Mahayana Buddhists during worship as points of devotional and meditational focus. ... The Rigveda (Sanskrit: , a tatpurusha compound of praise, verse and knowledge) is a collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns counted among the four Hindu religious texts known as the Vedas. ... The Atharvaveda (Sanskrit: à¤…à¤¥à¤°à¥à¤µà¤µà¥‡à¤¦, , a tatpurusha compound of , a type of priest, and meaning knowledge) is a sacred text of Hinduism, and one of the four Vedas, often called the fourth Veda. According to tradition, the Atharvaveda was mainly composed by two groups of rishis known as the Bhrigus and the... Ralph Thomas Hotchkin Griffith (1826-1906), scholar of indology, translated the vedic scriptures into English. ...

The feminine form of the adjective, rāmīˊ is an epitheton of the night (Ratri), as is kṛṣṇīˊ, the feminine of kṛṣṇa, viz. "the dark one; the black one". Mayrhofer (1996) suggests a derivation from PIE (H)reh₁-mo-, cognate to OHG rāmac "dirty". // In Hinduism In Hindu mythology, the Asura (Sanskrit: à¤…à¤¸à¥à¤°) are a group of power-seeking deities, sometimes misleadingly referred to as demons. ... Hindu goddess of night, and the sister of Ushas, the goddess Dawn. ... Krishna (à¤•à¥ƒà¤·à¥à¤£ in Devanagari, IAST The All-Attractive) is according to common Hindu tradition the eighth avatar of Vishnu. ... Manfred Mayrhofer (born 26 September 1926 in Linz, Austria) is an Indo-Europeanist specialized on Indo-Iranian languages. ... A slice of strawberry-rhubarb pie Ã la mode A pie is a baked dish, with a baked shell usually made of pastry that covers or completely contains a filling of meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, cheeses, creams, chocolate, custards, nuts, or other sweet or savoury ingredients. ... The term Old High German (OHG, German: Althochdeutsch) refers to the earliest stage of the German language and it conventionally covers the period from around 500 to 1050. ...

Two Ramas are mentioned in the Vedas, with the patronymics Mārgaveya and Aupatasvini; another Rama with the patronymic Jāmadagnya is the supposed author of a Rigvedic hymn. According to Monier-Williams, three Ramas were celebrated in post-Vedic times, The Vedas (Sanskrit: à¤µà¥‡à¤¦), collectively refers to a corpus of ancient Indo-Aryan religious literature that are associated with the Vedic civilization and are considered by adherents of Hinduism to be revealed knowledge. ... Photo of Monier Monier-Williams by Lewis Carroll Sir Monier Monier-Williams (1819-1899) studied, documented and taught Asian languages in England, and compiled one of the most widely-used Sanskrit-English dictionaries. ...

In the Vishnu sahasranama, Rama is the 394th name of Vishnu. In the interpretation of Adi Sankara's commentary, translated by Swami Tapasyananda of the Ramakrishna Mission, Rama has two meanings: the supreme Brahman who is the eternally blissful spiritual Self in whom yogis delight or the One (i.e., Vishnu) who out of his own will assumed the enchanting form of Rama, the son of Dasaratha. Dasaratha (Sanskrit: à¤¦à¤¶à¤°à¤¥, IAST DaÅ›aratha) in Hindu history is the king of Ayodhya and a descendant of Raghuvamsa. ... In Hindu mythology, Raghu was a valorous king of the Ikshavaku dynasty. ... Parashurama Bhargava or Parasurama (Axe-wielding Rama), is the Sixth avatara of Vishnu, and a son of Jamadagni. ... Keira Knightley as Guinevere with a battle axe in the 2004 film King Arthur. ... Bhrigu, a sage in indian mythology, was said to have stepped on Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu to test who of the three gods was the greatest. ... Balarama (left) with his brother Krishna Krishna-Balarama Mandir, Vrindavan, India // Introduction In mainstream Hindu tradition, Balarama (phonetically BalarÄma - his other names include Baladeva, Balabhadra and Halayudha) is the name of the elder brother of Sri Krishna. ... Krishna (à¤•à¥ƒà¤·à¥à¤£ in Devanagari, IAST The All-Attractive) is according to common Hindu tradition the eighth avatar of Vishnu. ... Vishnu The Vishnu sahasranÄma (literally: thousand names of Vishnu) is a list of 1,000 names for Vishnu, one of the main forms of God in Hinduism and the only Ultimate Reality for Vaishnavites (followers of Vishnu). ... Sri Adi Sankara Adi Shankaracharya or Adi Shankara (the first Shankara in his lineage), reverentially called Bhagavatpada Acharya (the teacher at the feet of Lord), Shankara (approximately 509- 477 BC (though some claim 788-820 CE)) was the most famous Advaita philosopher who had a profound influence on the growth... Swami Tapasyananda was a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Mission. ... The Ramakrishna Mission is an association founded by Sri Ramakrishnas chief disciple and religious leader, Swami Vivekananda on May 1, 1897. ... For other uses of this word and similar words, see Brahman (disambiguation). ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

Literary sources

The primary source of the life and journey of Rama is the Ramayana as composed by the Rishi Valmiki. However, other scriptures in Sanskrit relect the life of Ramayana. For example, the Vishnu Purana also recounts Rama as Vishnu's seventh avatara and in the Vayu Purana, a Rama is mentioned among the seven Rishis of the 8th Manvantara. Additionally, the tales of Rama are reverently spoken of in the later epic, the Mahabharata. Another important shortened version of the epic in Sanskrit is the Aadhyaatma Ramayana. Maharishi Valmiki is the author of the Hindu epic Ramayana. ... The Vishnu Purana is one of the oldest of the Puranas (dating to maybe the 5th century), containing some 23,000 shlokas, presented as a dialogue between Parasara with his disciple Maitreya. ... The Vayu Purana is a Shaiva Purana, dedicated to Vayu (the wind), containing some 24,000 shlokas. ... In Hinduism, a Rishi () is a sage and/or seer who heard (cf. ... Manvantara (Sanskrit). ... The Mahabharata (Devanagari: à¤®à¤¹à¤¾à¤à¤¾à¤°à¤¤, phonetically MahÄbhÄrata - see note), sometimes just called Bharata, is one of the two major ancient Sanskrit epics of India, the other being the Ramayana. ...

The epic had many versions across India's regions. For example, vernacular versions of the Ramayana which include the life, deeds and divine philosophies of Rama are elaborated in the epic poem Ramacharitamanasa, a Hindi version of the Ramayana by the 16th century poet Tulsidas and Kambaramayanam by the poet, Kamban in Tamil. Other vernacular versions also exist in most major Indian languages. Contemporary versions of the Ramayana include Shri Ramayana Darshanam by Dr. K. V.Puttappa in Kannada and Ramayana Kalpavrikshamu by Viswanatha Satyanarayana in Telugu, both of which have been awarded the Jnanpith Award. The epic has transformed across the diverse regions of India, which boast their own unique languages and cultural traditions.^[1] The vernacular is the native language of a country or locality. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Sri Ramacharit Manas. ... Hindi (à¤¹à¤¿à¤¨à¥à¤¦à¥€ hind), an Indo-European language spoken mainly in North, Central, and West India, is the official language of the Indian Union. ... Goswami Tulsidas (1532-1623; Hindi: à¤¤à¥à¤²à¤¸à¥€à¤¦à¤¾à¤¸) was a Awadhi poet and philosopher. ... Kamba Ramayanam is a Tamil epic that was written by Kamban during the 9th century. ... Kambar is one of the greatest Tamil poets. ... Tamil (à®¤à®®à®¿à®´à¯ ) is a classical language and one of the major languages of the Dravidian language family. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Viswantha Satyanarayana (1895-1976), popularly known as the Kavi Samraat or the emperor of poetry, was a modern Telugu poet. ... Telugu (à°¤à±†à°²à±à°—à±) belongs to the Dravidian language family but with ample influence from the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European family and is the official language of the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. ... The Jnanpith Award is Indias most respected literary honour. ...

The essential tale of Rama has also spread across South East Asia, and evolved into unique renditions of the epic - incorporating local history, folktales, religious values as well as unique features from the languages and literary discourse. The Kakawin Ramayana of Java, Indonesia, the Ramakavaca of Bali, Hikayat Seri Rama of Malaysia, Maradia Lawana of the Philippines, Ramakien of Thailand (which calls him Phra Ram) are great works with many unique characteristics and differences in accounts and portrayals of the legend of Rama. The legends of Rama are witnessed in elaborate illustration at the Wat Phra Kaew temple in Bangkok. The national epic of Myanmar, Yama Zatdaw is essentially the Burmese Ramayana, where Rama is named Yama. In the Reamker of Cambodia, Rama is known as Preah Ream. In the Pra Lak Pra Lam of Laos, Rama is regarded as an incarnation of Buddha. Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Indonesian version of the Ramayana. ... Java (Indonesian, Javanese, and Sundanese: Jawa) is an island of Indonesia, and the site of its capital city, Jakarta. ... Bali is an Indonesian island located at , , one of the Lesser Sunda Islands. ... Figure of a giant at the golden chedi in Wat Phra Kaew Ramakien is Thailands national epic, derived from the Indian Ramayana epic. ... Outside view The Wat Phra Kaew (English: Temple of the Emerald Buddha) is the most important Buddhist temple of Thailand. ... Bangkok from the Chao Phraya River at sunset, July 2004 The Wat Phra Kaew temple Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep ( ), or Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Krung Thep Maha Nakhon is the abbreviation of its full ceremonial name Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani... Yama Zatdaw, unofficially Myanmars national epic, is the Burmese version of the Ramayana. ... Reamker, [riËÉ™mkeË], is a Cambodian epic poem, based on Indias Ramayana epic. ... Phra Lak Phra Lam, pronounced [pÊ°aË lÉ‘k pÊ°aË laËm] (in Lao script: àºžàº®àº°àº¥àº±àºàºžàº®àº°àº®àº²àº¡), is the Lao version of Indias Ramayana. ... A stone image of the Buddha. ...

Avatara

The Ramayana speaks of how the Goddess Earth, Bhumidevi, came to the Lord Creator, Brahma begging to be rescued from evil kings who were plundering her resources and destroying life through bloody wars and evil conduct. The Devas also came to Brahma fearful of the rule of Ravana, the ten-headed rakshasa emperor of Lanka. Ravana had overpowered the Devas and now ruled the heavens, the earth and the netherworlds. Although a powerful and noble monarch, he was also arrogant, destructive and a patron of evil doers. He had boons that gave him immense strength and was invulnerable to all living and celestial beings, save man.^[2] In Hinduism, Bhumidevi, who may also be called Bhumi, is the goddess of the earth. ... Brahma carving at a temple in Halebid. ... Deva (à¤¦à¥‡à¤µ in Devanagari script, pronounced as dÃ©vÉ™) is the Sanskrit word for god, deity. It can be variously interpreted as a spirit, demi-god, celestial being, angel, deity or any supernatural being of high excellence. ...

Brahma, Bhumidevi and the Devas worshipped Vishnu, the Preserver, for deliverance from Ravana's tyrannical rule. Vishnu promised to kill Ravana by incarnating as a man - the eldest son of Kosala's king Dasaratha.^[3] His eternal consort, Lakshmi took birth as Sita, daughter of King Janaka of Mithila and Goddess Bhumi. Vishnu's eternal companion, the Ananta Sesha is said to have incarnated as Lakshmana to stay at his Lord's side on earth. Throughout his life, neither Rama nor his family know of his divine nature, nor his purpose upon earth. Only a few select sages, including Vasishta, Sharabhanga, Agastya and Vishwamitra know of his destiny. Rama is continually revered by the many sages he encounters through his life, but only the most learned and exalted know of his true identity. At the end of the war between Rama and Ravana, just as Sita passes her Agni pariskha, Lord Brahma, Indra and the Devas, the celestial sages and Lord Shiva appear out of the sky. They affirm Sita's purity and ask him to end this terrible test. Thanking the Avatara for delivering the universe from the grips of evil, they reveal Rama's divine identity upon the culmination of his mission.^[4] Image of Goddess Lakshmi Sculpture of Lakshmi In Hinduism, Lakshmi or Laxmi (Sanskrit: à¤²à¤•à¥à¤·à¥à¤®à¥€ ) is the goddess of wealth, light, wisdom and fortune, as well as (secondarily) luck, beauty and fertility. ... In Ancient India, Janaka was the King of Mithila Kingdom. ... Mithila (Sanskrit: à¤®à¤¿à¤¥à¤¿à¤²à¤¾, mithilÄ) was a kingdom in ancient India. ... In Hindu mythology, Shesha (Åšeá¹£a in IAST transliteration) is a naga, one of the serpent beings. ... Lakshaman (far left) with Rama (centre), Sita (far right) and Hanuman (kneeling) - Bhaktivedanta Manor, Watford, England Lakshmana (Sanskrit: à¤²à¤•à¥à¤·à¥à¤®à¤£; IAST Laká¹£maá¹‡a) was the brother and close companion of Rama, and himself a hero of the epic Ramayana. ... Vasishta, in Hindu mythology was chief of the seven venerated sages (or Saptharishi) and the Rajaguru of the Suryavamsha or Solar Dynasty. ... In Hinduism, Agastya (à¤…à¤—à¤¸à¥à¤¤à¥à¤¯ in devanagari, pronounced as /É™ gÉ™s tyÉ™/; also transliterated as Agathiar, Agasthiar, Agastyar and in other ways) is a legendary Vedic sage or rishi. ... Brahmarishi Viswamitra is one of the seven venerated sages of Hindu mythology. ...

Prince of Ayodhya

King Dasaratha performs a putrakami yajna, a sacrifice to obtain offspring by pleasing the Gods. He gives the sacred, sacrificial nectar to his three wives according to their seniority: Kousalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi. On the night of the ninth day after Amavasya, under the asterism of Punarvasu and the cardinal sign of the Crab, Rama was born in the city of Ayodhya, which is the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kosala. The city and the area are located in the central region of the modern state of Uttar Pradesh in India. Rama was the prince of the Suryavamsha (Sun Dynasty) House of Ikshvaku, descendant of great monarchs like Ikshvaku, Raghu and Bhagiratha. He is the eldest brother to Bharata, son of Kaikeyi, and the twin sons of Sumitra, Lakshmana and Shatrughna. Rama is dark-complexioned, mainly bluish - a symbol of divinity.^[5] Dasaratha (Sanskrit: à¤¦à¤¶à¤°à¤¥, IAST DaÅ›aratha) in Hindu history is the king of Ayodhya and a descendant of Raghuvamsa. ... Kousalya, Sumitra and Kaike are the three wives of King Dasaratha of Ayodhya, in the 24,000-verse Sanskrit epic called the Ramayana, and the mothers of the heroes Rama, Bharatha, and Lakshmana. ... Kousalya, Sumitra and Kaike are the three wives of King Dasaratha of Ayodhya, in the 24,000-verse Sanskrit epic called the Ramayana, and the mothers of the heroes Rama, Bharatha, and Lakshmana. ... Kousalya, Sumitra and Kaike are the three wives of King Dasaratha of Ayodhya, in the 24,000-verse Sanskrit epic called the Ramayana, and the mothers of the heroes Rama, Bharatha, and Lakshmana. ... In astronomy, an asterism is a recognized pattern of stars seen in Earths sky which is neither an official constellation nor a true star cluster. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Kosala was an ancient Indian kingdom, corresponding roughly in area with the region of Oudh. ... Uttar Pradesh (Hindi: à¤‰à¤¤à¥à¤¤à¤° à¤ªà¥à¤°à¤¦à¥‡à¤¶, Urdu: Ø§ØªØ± Ù¾Ø±Ø¯ÛŒØ´), also popularly known by its abbreviation UP, is the most populous and fifth largest state in the Union of India. ... The Sun Dynasty is one of the most prominent dynasties in the history of Hinduism. ... The introduction of this article does not provide enough context for readers unfamiliar with the subject. ... The introduction of this article does not provide enough context for readers unfamiliar with the subject. ... In Hindu mythology, Raghu was a valorous king of the Ikshavaku dynasty. ... Bhagiratha was a great king in Hindu mythology who brought the River Ganga to Earth. ... Bharata (Sanskrit: à¤à¤°à¤¤, IAST Bharata) was the youngest brother of Lord Rama, and the son of Emperor Dasaratha and Kaikeyi of the Solar Dynasty. ... Kousalya, Sumitra and Kaike are the three wives of King Dasaratha of Ayodhya, in the 24,000-verse Sanskrit epic called the Ramayana, and the mothers of the heroes Rama, Bharatha, and Lakshmana. ... Kousalya, Sumitra and Kaike are the three wives of King Dasaratha of Ayodhya, in the 24,000-verse Sanskrit epic called the Ramayana, and the mothers of the heroes Rama, Bharatha, and Lakshmana. ... Lakshaman (far left) with Rama (centre), Sita (far right) and Hanuman (kneeling) - Bhaktivedanta Manor, Watford, England Lakshmana (Sanskrit: à¤²à¤•à¥à¤·à¥à¤®à¤£; IAST Laká¹£maá¹‡a) was the brother and close companion of Rama, and himself a hero of the epic Ramayana. ... Shatrughna (Sanskrit: à¤¶à¤¤à¥à¤°à¥à¤˜à¥à¤¨, á¹£atrughna), in Hindu epic Ramayana was the youngest brother of Lord Rama. ...

The Ramayana describes the relationship between the brothers as intensely loving and devotional, although Rama and Lakshmana share a special, inseparable bond, while Bharata is especially close to Shatrughna. The four brothers enjoy an undiscriminating love from Dasaratha and his three queens, but Dasaratha's main affections are affixed upon Rama. Rama and his brothers are trained by Rishi Vasishta in the Vedas, religion, philosophy and the sciences. They are described as taller than the tallest men of modern times, possessive of exceptional acumen and prowess in the military sciences and arts.^[6] In Hinduism, a Rishi () is a sage and/or seer who heard (cf. ... Vasishta, in Hindu mythology was chief of the seven venerated sages (or Saptharishi) and the Rajaguru of the Suryavamsha or Solar Dynasty. ... The Vedas (Sanskrit: à¤µà¥‡à¤¦), collectively refers to a corpus of ancient Indo-Aryan religious literature that are associated with the Vedic civilization and are considered by adherents of Hinduism to be revealed knowledge. ...

Initiation of the Avatara

Sage Vishwamitra takes the two princes, Rama and Lakshmana, to the Swayamvara ceremony for Sita. The challenge is to string the bow of Shiva, and shoot an arrow with it. This task is considered impossible for any ordinary king or living being, as this is the personal weapon of Shiva, more powerful, holy and of divine creation than conceivable. While attempting to string the bow, Rama breaks it into two. This feat of unbelievable strength, to have broken the bow of Shiva, spreads his fame across the worlds and seals his marriage to Sita.^[7] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (489x650, 87 KB) Skildring Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Ramayana ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (489x650, 87 KB) Skildring Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Ramayana ... Swayamvara, in ancient India, was a practice of choosing a life partner, among a list of suitors by a girl of marriageable age. ... This article is about the Hindu God Åšiva. ...

After Rama weds Sita and the entire royal family and the Ayodhya army begin their journey back, the great rishi Parashurama Bhargava appears before them, having descended from his mountainous hermitage. Parashurama is an extremely powerful rishi, responsible for killing all of the world's warriors and kings 21 times. He was the sixth Avatara of Vishnu, and finds it unbelievable that anybody could break the bow of Shiva. Considering himself to still be the most powerful warrior-rishi on earth, he brings with them the bow of Vishnu, and intends to challenge Rama to prove his strength by stringing it, and then fighting a battle with him to prove superiority.^[8] Although the entire Ayodhya army is forestalled by his mystical power, Rama is himself angered. He respectfully bows to Parashurama, and within a twinkling of an eyelid snatches the bow of Vishnu, strings it, places an arrow and points it straight at the challenger's heart. Rama asks Parashurama what he will give as a target to the arrow in return for his life? At this point, Parashurama feels himself devoid of the tremendous mystical energy he possessed for so long. He realizes that Rama is Vishnu incarnate, his successor and definitely his superior. He accepts Rama's superiority, devotes his tapasya to him, pays homage to Rama and promises to return to his hermitage and leave the world of men.^[9] Parashurama Bhargava or Parasurama (Axe-wielding Rama), is the Sixth avatara of Vishnu, and a son of Jamadagni. ... For other uses of the name Vishnu, see Vishnu (disambiguation). ... Tapasya is a principle of austerity or willingness to bear suffering in Hinduism and related religions such as Buddhism and Jainism. ...

Rama then fired the arrow up into the sky with Vishnu's bow, performing a feat true to his Supreme, divine nature with his natural weapon. His overpowering of Parashurama and using the supreme weapon with incredible ease and perfection dazzle the spectators and his relatives, but no one save Parashurama and Vasishta associate this with his true identity. It is said that the Rama's arrow is still flying across space, across time and across all of the universe. The day it will return to earth, it is said, it will bring the end of the world. Others say that the flying arrow destroys all evil on earth to uphold dharma and righteousness.^[10] Vasishta, in Hindu mythology was chief of the seven venerated sages (or Saptharishi) and the Rajaguru of the Suryavamsha or Solar Dynasty. ...

Another Version

Another version of the story is, that Sage Vishvamitra along with Prince Rama and Lakshmana attended the Swayamvara of Sita Princess Sita. To find the best match for Sita, King Janaka held a test in which the successful contestant was able to life the bow of Lord Shiva and string it, would be able to wed Sita. However, none of the Kings were able to achieve this task, and disappointed, King Janaka pours out his dilemma and misery. Upon hearing this Lakshmana is enraged and offended that King Janaka did not offer Rama the same test. Upon the invitation of King Janaka, Lord Rama proceeded to the bow of Lord Shiva. Paying reverence to the bow, Rama was able lift the bow, string it and in the same process broke the bow in two. This event sent a loud thundering sound throughout the whole planet and the noise reached the ears of Parasurama who was at that time meditating and knew that the sound made was the bow of Lord Shiva's being broken. When parasurama arrived at the court of King Janaka, he confronted the prince and issued a challenge. This led to a confrontation between Lakshmana and Parusurama, who's rage was increasing at Lakshmana's impetuous backtalk. However, Lord Rama without any physical confrontation was able to pacify Parasurama. After Calming down Parasurama realised that Rama was Lord Vishnu Incarnate and granted Lord Rama all the weapons he had obtained from his tapas.

Dharma of exile

King Dasaratha announces to Ayodhya that he plans to crown Rama, his eldest child the yuvaraja (crown prince). While the news is welcomed by everyone in the kingdom, the mind of queen Kaikeyi is poisoned by her wicked maid-servant, Manthara. Kaikeyi, who is initially pleased for Rama, is made to fear for the safety and future of her son Bharata. Fearing that Rama would ignore or possibly victimize his youngest brother for the sake of power, Kaikeyi demands that Dasaratha banish Rama to a forest exile for fourteen years, and that Bharata be crowned in Rama's place. She had been granted two boons by the king when she had saved his life a long time ago, and the queen now used them to serve her purpose.^[11] The king's court and the people are outraged at this turn of events. Dasaratha loved and cherished Rama dearly, and was in personal turmoil. Completely estranged now from his younger wife, he abhors the prospect of separation from Rama. But Rama realizes that the king must not break a solemn promise at any time, and neither should a son disobey his father's command. Sita joins her husband in exile despite his discouraging her, as it is her duty and out of love for Rama that she must be at his side at all times. His younger brother Lakshmana also immediately decides to join Rama rather than remain in the city. ^[12] A Yuvaraja, alternatively spelled Yuvraj or Yuvaraj, is literally the Crown Prince of a kingdom, in the languages of India, especially Sanskrit, Hindi and Gujarati. ...

As he leaves for exile, the people of Ayodhya are deeply saddened and angered at Dasaratha and Kaikeyi. Dasaratha's heart is broken and he collapses and dies by the next day, unable to bear the agony of separation from Rama. Despite the reasoning of Vasishtha and the pleas of his brothers, Rama refuses to return. Although horrified at the news of his father's death, Rama finds it impossible that he should break his dead father's word. Rama does not bear any anger towards Kaikeyi, believing firmly in the power of destiny.^[13] According to the explanation of the classic, this exile actually presents Rama the opportunity to confront Ravana and his evil empire.

Rama and Sita

Rama and Sita are the protagonists in one of the most famous love stories of all time. They are deeply and natural in love and union as they are Vishnu and Lakshmi incarnate respectively, and embody the perfect manhood and womanhood respectively. When Rama is banished from the kingdom, he attempts to convince Sita not to join him in a potentially dangerous and certainly arduous existence in the jungle, but Sita rejects this. When Rama orders her in his capacity as husband, Sita rejects it, asserting that it was an essential duty of a wife to be at her husband's side come good or ill.^[14] Rama in turn is assiduously protective and caring for Sita throughout the exile. For other uses of the name Vishnu, see Vishnu (disambiguation). ... Image of Goddess Lakshmi Sculpture of Lakshmi In Hinduism, Lakshmi or Laxmi (Sanskrit: à¤²à¤•à¥à¤·à¥à¤®à¥€ ) is the goddess of wealth, light, wisdom and fortune, as well as (secondarily) luck, beauty and fertility. ...

When Sita is kidnapped by Ravana, both Sita and Rama undergo great personal hardships during their separation. Sita protects her chastity assiduously, and survives over a year in captivity on the strength of her love and assiduous attention to religious values and duty. She is completely unfettered in her resolve despite Ravana's courting, cajoling and threats. Meanwhile Rama, not knowing who had kidnapped Sita or where was she taken, often succumbs to despair and tears, denouncing himself for failing to defend her and agonizing over her safety and pain. Sita knows that it is in Rama's destiny to fight to rescue her (she refuses to be rescued thus by Hanumana, who discovers her), but is deeply anxious for his safety and fearful of Ravana's power. Lord Hanuman There is also a character in Larry Nivens Known Space universe called Hanuman. ...

Agni pariksha

After Rama slays Ravana and wins the war, Sita wants to come before him in the state which over a year's imprisonment had reduced her to, Rama arranges for Sita to be bathed and given beautiful garments before they are re-united. But even as Sita comes before him in great excitement and happiness, Rama does not look at her, staring fixedly at the ground. He tells her that after a long period in the captivity of an enemy, her purity could not be ascertained, and that he could not accept her. He reiterates that he had fought the war only to avenge the dishonour that Ravana had inflicted on Rama, and now Sita was free to go where she pleased, but she could not be accepted as his wife anymore. At this sudden turn of events, all the vanaras, rakshasas, Sugriva, Hanumana and Lakshmana are deeply shocked.^[15]

A devastated Sita, shaking with grief and humiliation, begs Lakshmana to build her a pyre upon which she could end her life, as she could not live without Rama. At this point, Lakshmana is angered at Rama for the first time in his life, but following Rama's nod, he builds a pyre for Sita. At the great shock and sorrow of the watchers, Sita walks into the flames. But to their greater shock and wonder, she is completely unharmed. Instead, she glows radiantly from the centre of the pyre. Immediately Rama runs to Sita and embraces her. He had never doubted her purity for a second, but, as he explains to a dazzled Sita, the people of the world would not have accepted or honoured her as a queen or a woman if she had not passed this Agni pariksha before the eyes of millions, where Agni would destroy the impure and sinful, but not touch the pure and innocent.^[16] Agni is a Hindu deity. ...

Sita's banishment

In the Uttara Kanda, Rama banishes his wife Sita, even as she is pregnant with his child, asking Lakshmana to deliver her safely to Rishi Valmiki's ashram. He does so when it is reported to him that some subjects of his in Ayodhya believe that Sita is unchaste due to her long captivity in Ravana's city. The Agni pariksha fails to convince these few critics, but Rama, by his understanding of the dharma of a king, decides to banish Sita so as to maintain his respect amongst his people. Rama is criticized in contemporary times for this injustice to his wife, whose purity and love for Rama is one of the epic's central themes. However, according to a legend described by Rishi Agastya in the epic, Vishnu in a previous age had been cursed by a rishi, whose wife had been killed by Vishnu for sheltering his enemies escaping from battle. The Rishi condemns Vishnu to be denied for a long age, the companionship of his soul mate, just as Vishnu, by an inadvertent display of anger, had deprived the rishi of his loving wife. Thus Rama, Vishnu's incarnation, must live the rest of his life without Sita.^[17] Maharishi Valmiki is the author of the Hindu epic Ramayana. ... Dharma (Sanskrit: à¤§à¤°à¥à¤®) Dhamma [Pali] means Natural Law or Reality, and with respect to its significance for spirituality and religion might be considered the Way of the Higher Truths. ... In Hinduism, Agastya (à¤…à¤—à¤¸à¥à¤¤à¥à¤¯ in devanagari, pronounced as /É™ gÉ™s tyÉ™/; also transliterated as Agathiar, Agasthiar, Agastyar and in other ways) is a legendary Vedic sage or rishi. ... For other uses of the name Vishnu, see Vishnu (disambiguation). ...

Mariyada Purshottama

Rama's purity and piety in his intentions and actions inspires affection and devotion for him from a variety of characters from different backgrounds. Even as Rama is the ideal conception of manhood, he is often aided and complemented in different situations by the characteristics by those who accompany him. They serve Rama devotedly, at great personal risk and sacrifice.

Bharata and Lakshmana

Absent when Rama is exiled, upon his return Bharata is appalled to learn of the events. And even though Kaikeyi had done all this for his benefit, Bharata is angered at the suggestion that he should take Ayodhya's throne. Denouncing his mother, Bharata proclaims to the city that he would go to the forest to fetch Rama back, and would serve out his term of exile himself. Although initially resentful and suspicious, the people of Ayodhya hail Bharata's selfless nature and courageous act. Despite his fervent pleas to return, Rama asserts that he must stay in the forest to keep his father's word. He orders Bharata to perform his duty as king of Ayodhya, especially important after Dasaratha's death, and orders Shatrughna to support and serve him. Returning saddened to the city, Bharata refuses to wear the crown or sit on the throne. Instead, he places the slippers of Rama that he had taken back with him on the throne, and rules Ayodhya assiduously keeping Rama's beliefs and values in mind. When Rama finally returns, Bharata runs personally to welcome him back.

Bharata is hailed for his devotion to his elder brother and dharma, distinguished from Lakshmana as he is left on his own for fourteen years. But he unfailingly denies self-interest throughout this time, ruling the kingdom only in Rama's image.^[18] Vasishtha proclaims that no one had better learnt dharma than Bharata ^[19], and for this piety he forms an essential part of the conception of perfect manhood, of the Seventh Avatara of Vishnu. Shatrughna's role to Bharata is akin to that of Lakshmana to Rama. Believed to be one-quarter of Vishnu incarnated, or as the incarnation of his eternal companion, Ananta Sesha, Lakshmana is always at Rama's side.^[20] Although unconstrained by Dasaratha's promise to Kaikeyi, Lakshmana resists Rama's arguments and accompanies him and Sita into the forest. During the years of exile, Lakshmana constantly serves Rama and Sita - building huts, standing guard and finding new routes. When Sita is kidnapped, Rama blazes with his divine power and in his immense rage, expresses the desire to destroy all creation. Lakshmana prays and pleads for Rama to calm himself, and despite the shock of the moment and the promise of travails to come, begin an arduous but systematic search for Sita. During times when the search is proving fruitless and Rama fears for Sita, and expresses despair in his grief and loneliness, Lakshmana encourages him, providing hope and solace. In Hindu mythology, Shesha (Åšeá¹£a in IAST transliteration) is a naga, one of the serpent beings. ...

When Rama in his despair fears that Sugriva has forgotten his promise to help him trace Sita, Lakshmana goes to Kishkindha where he reminds the complacent monarch of his promise to help. But Lakshmana also threatens Sugriva with destruction with his own divine, personal power, unable to tolerate the scene where Sugriva is enjoying material and sensual pleasures while Rama suffers alone. In the war, Lakshmana is uniquely responsible for slaying Indrajit, the invincible son of Ravana who had humiliated Indra and the Devas, and outwitted the brothers and the Vanaras on several occasions. Rishi Agastya later points out that this victory was the turning point of the conflict. Rama is often overcome with emotion and deep affection for Lakshmana, acknowledging how important and crucial Lakshmana's love and support was for him. He also trusts Lakshmana to carry out difficult orders - Lakshmana was asked to take Sita to the ashrama of Valmiki, where she was the spend her exile. Lakshmana's deep love for Rama, his unconditional service and sacrifice, as well as qualities of practical judgment and clear-headedness make him Rama's superior in certain situations and perspectives. Lakshmana symbolizes a man's duty to his family, brothers and friends, and forms an essential part of the conception of ideal manhood, that Rama primarily embodies. A mythical character from the Indian epic Ramayana. ...

Jatayu, Hanumana and Vibheeshana

When Rama and Lakshmana begin the desperate search to discover where Sita had been taken. After traversing a distance in many directions, they come across the magical eagle Jatayu, who is dying. They discover from Jatayu that a rakshasa was flying away with a crying, struggling Sita towards the south. Jatayu had flown to the rescue of Sita, but owing to his age and the rakshasa's power, had been defeated. With this, Jatayu dies in Rama's arms. Rama is overcome with love and affection for the bird which sacrificed its own life for Sita, and the rage of his death returns to him in the climactic battle with Ravana. Jatayu Airlines (Jatayu Gelang Sejahtera) is an airline based in Jakarta, Indonesia. ...

Rama's only allies in the struggle to find Sita are the Vanaras of Kishkindha. Finding a terrified Sugriva being hunted by his own brother, king Vali, Rama promises to kill Vali and free Sugriva of the terror and the unjust charge of plotting to murder Vali. The two swear everlasting friendship over sacred fire. Rama's natural piety and compassion, his sense of justice and duty, as well as his courage despite great personal suffering after Sita's kidnapping inspire devotion from the Vanaras and Sugriva, but especially Hanumana, Sugriva's minister. Devoted to Rama, Hanumana exerts himself greatly over the search for Sita. He is the first to discover that Sita was taken to Lanka, and volunteers to use his divine gifts in a dangerous reconnaissance of Lanka, where he is to verify Sita's presence. Hanumana hands Rama's ring to Sita, as a mark of Rama's love and his imminent intention of rescuing her. Though captured, he candidly delivers Rama's message to Ravana to immediately release Sita, and when his tail is burned, he flees and sets Lanka on fire. When Lakshmana is struck down and near death and Rama overcome with love and concern for his brother, Hanumana flies to the Himalayas on the urgent mission to fetch the sanjeevani medicinal herbs, bringing the entire mountain to Lanka so that no time is lost in saving Lakshmana.^[21] The Vanaras fight the rakshasas, completely devoted to Rama's cause. They angrily dismiss Ravana's efforts to create divisions by suggesting that Rama considered them, monkeys, as mere animals. At the end of the war, Rama worships Brahma, who restores life to the millions of fallen Vanaras.^[22] Lord Hanuman File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Lord Hanuman File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Vanara is a Sanskrit word literally meaning a human having the fur or tail of a monkey. It popularly refers to the race of monkey-like humanoids in the Hindu epic Ramayana who are brave and inquisitive in nature. ... In Hinduism, Sugriva was the younger brother of Vali. ... In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Vali was the monkey-King of Kishkindha, a son of Indra and the elder brother of Sugriva. ... Lord Hanuman There is also a character in Larry Nivens Known Space universe called Hanuman. ... Perspective view of the Himalaya and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ...

Before the onset of war, rakshasa prince Vibheeshana, Ravana's youngest brother comes to join Rama. Although he loves his brother and Lanka, he fails in repeated efforts to make Ravana follow religious values and return Sita. Vibheeshana believes that Ravana's arrogance and callousness will cause the destruction of Lanka, which is a gross violation of a king's duty, and that Ravana's actions have only propagated evil. Vibheeshana refuses to defend the evil of Ravana's ways and inspired by Rama's compassion and piety, leaves Lanka to join the Vanara Army.^[23] His knowledge of rakshasa ways and Ravana's mind help Rama and the Vanaras overcome black magic and mystical weapons. At the end of the war, Rama crowns Vibheeshana as the king of Lanka. Vibheeshana, and to a greater extent Hanumana, embody the perfect devotee in the wider conception of perfect manhood. This article needs to be wikified. ...

Rama in War

When Rama is sixteen years old, he and his brother Lakshmana are taken by Vishwamitra to the forests, with the purpose of killing rakshasas who are wrecking the tapasya and sacrifices of brahmins. Rama and Lakshmana are taught the advanced military arts and given the knowledge of all celestial weapons by Vishwamitra. Rama proceeds to slay Taraka, a cursed demoness. When asked to slay the yaksha demon, Rama demurs, considering it sinful to kill a woman. But Vishwamitra explains that evil has no gender. The killing of Taraka liberates the yaksha soul who was cursed for a sin, and had to adopt a rakshasa's body. It restores the purity of the sacrifices of the brahmins who live nearby, and protects the animals who live in the forest, and travelers. The main purpose of Vishwamitra's exursion is to conduct his yagna without interruption from two evil demons, Maricha and Subahu. Rama and Lakshmana guard the sacrifice, and when the two demons appear, Rama fires a missile that carries Maricha across the lands and into the ocean, but does not kill him. Rama and his brother then proceed to kill Subahu and accompanying demons. Rama explains to Lakshmana that leaving Maricha alive was an act of compassion, but the others did not heed the point and chose to attack.^[24] During the forest exile, sages plead for protection and help against evil rakshasas who spoil their sacrifices and religious activities and terrorize them. Many rakshasas had even killed and eaten sages and innocent people. At Janasthana, Rama uses his exceptional prowess to single-handedly kill over fourteen thousand demon hordes led by the powerful Khara, who is a cousin of Ravana. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (913x623, 162 KB)Source: [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (913x623, 162 KB)Source: [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Brahmarishi Viswamitra is one of the seven venerated sages of Hindu mythology. ... A rakshasa (Sanskrit: à¤°à¤•à¥à¤·à¤¸, raká¹£asa; alternately, raksasa or rakshas) is a demon or unrighteous spirit in Hinduism. ... Tapasya is a principle of austerity or willingness to bear suffering in Hinduism and related religions such as Buddhism and Jainism. ... Young Indian brahmachari Brahmin A Brahmin (less often Brahman) is a member of the Hindu priestly caste. ... Taraka is the name of two characters from Hindu mythology. ... Greek scroll supported by Indian Yaksha, Amaravati, 3rd century CE, Tokyo National Museum. ... Yagna is an ancient vedic ritual, where sacrifices are made to a particular divinity, using fire (Agni) as a medium. ... In Hindu mythology, Maricha was a demon who played a very important part in twisting the tale of Ramayana. ... Subahu, in Hindu mythology was a demon who tried to interrupt Viswamitras yaga. ...

Varuna

Faced with the dilemma of how to cross the ocean, Rama performs a tapasya, fasting and meditating in perfect dhyana for three days and three nights to Varuna, the Lord of Oceans. The ocean does not respond, and Rama arises on the fourth morning, enraged by the God's arrogance. With his bow and arrow, he angrily begins attacking the oceans with celestial weapons - burning up the waters and killing its life and creatures. The Vanaras are dazzled and fearful at witnessing the enraged Rama demolish the oceans, and Lakshmana prays to calm Rama's mind. Just as Rama invokes the brahmastra, considered the most powerful weapon capable of destroying all creation, Varuna arises out of the oceans. He bows to Rama, explaining that he himself was at a loss to answer Rama's question. Begging him not to destroy the oceans with the missile, he suggests Rama re-direct the weapon at a demonic race that lives in the heart of the ocean. Rama's missile destroys the demons, and establishes a purer, liberated environment there. Varuna promises that he would keep the oceans still for all of Rama's army to pass, and Nala constructs a bridge across to Lanka. Rama justifies his angry assault on the oceans as he followed the correct process of petitioning and worshipping Varuna, but obtaining the result by force for the greater good.^[25] Tapasya is a principle of austerity or willingness to bear suffering in Hinduism and related religions such as Buddhism and Jainism. ... DhyÄna is a term in Sanskrit which refers to a type or aspect of meditation. ... This article is about the god. ... Brahmastra is an arrow created by Brahma. ...

Facing Ravana

Rama asserts his dedication to dharma when he undertakes to offer Ravana a final chance to make peace, despite his heinous actions and patronage of evil, by immediately returning Sita and apologizing to both Rama and Sita, but Ravana refuses. In the war, Rama slays the most powerful rakshasa commanders, including Prahasta, Atikaya and with his brother, Kumbhakarna along with hundreds of thousands of rakshasa soldiers. He outfights Ravana in their first battle, destroying his chariot and weapons, and severely injuring him, but due to this, he allows him to live and return to fight another day. But as a human being, Rama also proves vulnerable on occasion to his enemies. He is put to a deep sleep with Lakshmana by the nagapoosas of Indrajit, but they recover when Hanumana obtains the magical medicine according to Vibheesana's advice. Download high resolution version (610x890, 400 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (610x890, 400 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Look up monarch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In the Hindu epic the Ramayana, Prahasta was a powerful rakshasa warrior and chief commander of Ravanas army of Lanka. ... Kumbhakarna is the Rakshasa brother of Ravana, and is said to be 420,000 meters high. ...

In the grand finale of the battle, Rama engages Ravana, who through the devastation of losing his sons, his brothers and friends and millions of his warriors, arouses his awesome and magical powers and makes full use of the boons of Siva and Brahma, and the magical knowledge of warfare possessed by the greatest of rakshasas. Rama and Ravana compete fiercely, inflicting severe injuries on one another with the most powerful weapons that could destroy the universe. After a long and arduous battle, Rama successfully decapitates Ravana's central head, but an ugly head, symbolic of all of Ravana's evil powers arises in its place. After another long battle, Rama decapitates it, only to find another growing in its place. This cycle continues, and as darkness approaches, Ravana's magical powers increase in force. Vibheeshana, seeing this then tells Rama something vital. Ravana had obtained amrit, the nectar of immortality, from the gods. Though he could not consume it, he nevertheless stored a vessel of it in his stomach. This amrit was causing his heads to regenerate as soon as they were cut off. Upon the advice of Agastya, Rama worships Lord Aditya, the Sun, with the famous Aditya Hridayam prayer and then invokes the most powerful weapon, the Brahmastra. Rama fires the great missile that enters Ravana's chest/stomach and destroys the store of amrit, killing him finally.^[26] Following Ravana's death, Rama is immediately compassionate. After investing Vibheeshana as the next king of Lanka, he asks the new king and the surviving rakshasas to properly cremate their dead king, who he acknowledges was a great being worthy of respect and admiration, despite his patronage of evil.^[27] Amrit is a Sanskrit word and it means the holy water of immortality, or the elixir of life. ... In Hinduism, Agastya (à¤…à¤—à¤¸à¥à¤¤à¥à¤¯ in devanagari, pronounced as /É™ gÉ™s tyÉ™/; also transliterated as Agathiar, Agasthiar, Agastyar and in other ways) is a legendary Vedic sage or rishi. ... This article is in need of attention. ... The Aditya Hridayam, is a hymn associated with the Sun or Surya and was recited by the great sage Agastya to Rama on the battlefield before fighting with Ravana. ... Brahmastra is an arrow created by Brahma. ...

Rama Rajya

The end of the war coincides with the end of Rama's tenure of exile. Flying home on the Pushpaka Vimana, Rama returns to a joyous Ayodhya. His mothers, brothers and the people joyously welcome him. Kaikeyi is repentant of her deeds, and Rama forgives her. The next day, Rama is invested as the King of Ayodhya, and Emperor of the World. Although he first asks Lakshmana to become the yuvaraja, upon the advice of Lakshmana he invests the position to Bharata, who has had fourteen years of experience as the ruler of Ayodhya. Rama performs the holy Ashwamedha sacrifice, purifying and establishing religion across earth.^[28] Pushpaka Vimana in Hindu mythology was a vehicle that could fly in the air. ... The Ashvamedha, or the horse-sacrifice is one of the most important royal rituals from Vedic India, described in detail in the Yajurveda (books 22–25) and the pertaining commentaries. ...

Beyond the Ramayana, the eleven thousand years of Rama's rule over the earth represent to millions of modern Indians a time and age when God as a man ruled the world. There was perfect justice and freedom, peace and prosperity. There are no natural disasters, diseases, ailments or ill-fortune of any nature for any living being. There are no sins committed in the world by any of his people. Always attentive and accessible to his people, Rama is worshipped and hailed by all - the very symbol of moksha, the ultimate goal and destination of all life, and the best example of perfect character and human conduct, inspiring human beings for countless succeeding ages. Moksha - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

In myth and history

Astronomical data in the Ramayana has been interpreted to suggest that his birth would have been at approximately 7323 BC (in the very early Treta Yuga). It is known that the Ramayana was written before the other great Hindu epic, the Mahabharata, whose tradition of oral transmission is accepted to have existed around 1000 BC although there is little indication of when it actually began. Thus, the Ramayana may have been documented anywhere from around 7323 BC to more conservative estimates of 500 BC. It should be noted that Indian culture has had a tradition of oral transmission of knowledge, considering it sacred and confidential. The Ramayana is a great literary work and piece of devotional and philosophical literature revered by both Hindus and individuals of other cultures. The Treta Yuga is the second Yuga in the four yugas. ... The Mahabharata (Devanagari: à¤®à¤¹à¤¾à¤à¤¾à¤°à¤¤, phonetically MahÄbhÄrata - see note), sometimes just called Bharata, is one of the two major ancient Sanskrit epics of India, the other being the Ramayana. ... Centuries: 12th century BC - 11th century BC - 10th century BC Decades: 1050s BC 1040s BC 1030s BC 1020s BC 1010s BC - 1000s BC - 990s BC 980s BC 970s BC 960s BC 950s BC Events and trends 1006 BC - David becomes king of the ancient Israelites (traditional date) 1002 BC - Death... The RÄmÄyaÅ†a (Sanskrit: à¤°à¤¾à¤®à¤¾à¤¯à¤£ (a sandhi form of rÄma-ayana = march or journey (Ä€yana) of RÄma) is part of the Hindu smriti, written by Valmiki. ... Centuries: 7th century BC - 6th century BC - 5th century BC Decades: 550s BC - 540s BC - 530s BC - 520s BC - 510s BC - 500s BC - 490s BC - 480s BC - 470s BC - 460s BC - 450s BC Events and trends 509 BC - Foundation of the Roman Republic 509 BC September 13 - The temple of... The RÄmÄyaÅ†a (Sanskrit: à¤°à¤¾à¤®à¤¾à¤¯à¤£ (a sandhi form of rÄma-ayana = march or journey (Ä€yana) of RÄma) is part of the Hindu smriti, written by Valmiki. ...

Several historians interpret the epic as inspired by a real king from ancient northern India of Indo-Aryan heritage, who spread Vedic civilization and religious values across southern India by defeating powerful southern monarchs like Vali and Ravana. While Ravana is depicted as an evil demon in northern versions of the epic, different renditions from southern India describe Ravana as a powerful and noble monarch whose undoing was due to his lust and arrogance. Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatama Gandhi and a Rajasthani tribesman The Indo-Aryans are the ethno-linguistic descendents of the Indic branch of the Indo-Iranians. ... The Vedic Civilization is the Indo-Aryan culture associated with the Vedas. ... A dipiction of Ravana, Hindu Demon King of Lanka In Hindu mythology, Ravana (Devanagari: à¤°à¤¾à¤µà¤£, IAST RÄvaá¹‡a; sometimes transliterated Raavana and as Ravan) is the principal antagonist of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. ...

Rama and the World

Be it as a manifestation of God or simply as a legendary hero of myths and folktales, Rama is an immensely revered and inspirational figure to people across the Indian subcontinent and South East Asia, as well as increasingly across Western civilization, where the Hindu epics and values are gaining recognition and popularity. In Jainism, Rama is enumerated among the nine white Balas. He is revered in Sikhism, and by the International Society of Krishna Consciousness, which regards Rama in the same breath as it reveres Krishna, its main inspiration. Image of Sri sri Sita Rama Laxmana and Hanuman at the bhaktivedanta Manor, Watford, England File links The following pages link to this file: Rama Categories: GFDL images ... Image of Sri sri Sita Rama Laxmana and Hanuman at the bhaktivedanta Manor, Watford, England File links The following pages link to this file: Rama Categories: GFDL images ... Hare Krishna Mantra in Devanagari. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the British Isles Languages None official English de facto Capital None official London de facto Largest city London Area â€“ Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 kmÂ² Population â€“ Total (mid-2004) â€“ Total (2001... Pre-Kushana Ayagapatta from Mathura Jainism (pronounced in English as //), traditionally known as Jain Dharma (à¤œà¥ˆà¤¨ à¤§à¤°à¥à¤®), is a religion and philosophy originating in the prehistory of South Asia. ... The Golden Temple is a sacred shrine for Sikhs Sikhism (Punjabi: , , []), is a monotheistic religion based on the teachings of ten Gurus who lived in northern India during the 16th and 17th centuries. ... The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), popularly called Hare Krishna, is a new religious movement based on Gaudiya Vaishnavism founded by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, referred to by followers as Prabhupada, in New York in 1966. ... Krishna (à¤•à¥ƒà¤·à¥à¤£ in Devanagari, IAST The All-Attractive) is according to common Hindu tradition the eighth avatar of Vishnu. ...

Rama is a great hero to the adherents of Agama Hindu Dharma and to the Muslims who practice Abangan, a syncretic form of Islam and Hinduism, in Indonesia. He is revered by the people of Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam, who otherwise adhere to different forms of Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism. The Rama Leela is performed across South East Asia in numerous local languages and the story has been the subject of art, architecture, music, folk dance and sculpture. The ancient city of Ayutthaya stands in Thailand, as the tribute of an ancient Thai kingdom to the great legend. Many ancient and medieval era kings of South East Asia have adopted Rama as their name. Agama Hindu Dharma is the formal name of Hinduism in Indonesia. ... A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... The Abangan form a large majorty of the Javanese Muslims. ... Islam (Arabic: ; ) is a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the Quran. ... Hinduism (Sanskrit/Hindi â€”, also known as , and ) is a religion originating in the Indian subcontinent, based on the Vedas and the beliefs of other people of India. ... Buddhism is a religion and philosophy focusing on the teachings of the Buddha ÅšÄkyamuni (PÄli:Sakyamuni), born SiddhÄrtha (PÄli: Siddhattha) of the Gautama (PÄli: Gotama) gotra, who probably lived in the 5th century BCE. Buddhism spread throughout the ancient Indian sub-continent in the five centuries... Islam (Arabic: ; ) is a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the Quran. ... Ayutthaya (also spelled Ayudhya or Ayuthia) refers to The old capital of Thailand, see Ayutthaya (city) The province around the city, Ayutthaya province The ruins of the old palace, see Ayutthaya historical park Ayutthaya kingdom as the period of Thai history (1365-1768) in which Ayutthaya was capital This is...

Festivals of Rama

Rama's day and time of birth, as well as marriage to Sita are celebrated by Hindus across the world as Rama Navami. It falls on the ninth day of a Hindu lunar year, or Chaitra Masa Suklapaksha Navami. This day is observed as the marriage day of Rama and Sita as well as the birthday of Rama. People normally perform Kalyanotsavam (marriage celebration) for small statues of Rama and Sita in their houses and at the end of the day the idols are taken in a procession on the streets. This day also marks the end of nine day utsavam called Vasanthothsavam (Festival of Spring), that starts with Ugadi. Some highlights of this day are: Image File history File links Diwali_goldentemple. ... Image File history File links Diwali_goldentemple. ... The Golden Temple is a sacred shrine for Sikhs Sikhism (Punjabi: , , []), is a monotheistic religion based on the teachings of ten Gurus who lived in northern India during the 16th and 17th centuries. ... This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). ... The Golden Temple The Golden Temple is also known as Harmandir Sahib or Hari Mandir by the Sikhs. ... Amritsar (Punjabi: , , Hindi: . ), meaning Pool of the Nectar of Immortality, is the administrative headquarter of the Amritsar District in Punjab, India. ... Rama Navami falls on the ninth day of a Hindu lunar year (or Chaitra Masa Suklapaksha Navami). ...

The occasion of victory over Ravana and the rakshasas is celebrated as the 10-day Vijayadashami, also known as Dussehra. The Ram Leela is publicly performed in many villages, towns and cities in India. Rama's return to Ayodhya and his coronation are celebrated as Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights. The latter two are the most important and popular festivals in India and for Hindus across the world. In Malaysia, Diwali is known as Hari Deepavali, and is celebrated during the seventh month of the Hindu solar calendar. It is a federal public holiday. In many respects it resembles the traditions followed in the Indian subcontinent. In Nepal, Diwali is known as Tihar and celebrated during the October/November period. Here, though the festival is celebrated for five days, the traditions vary from those followed in India. On the first day, cows are worshipped and given offerings. On the second day, dogs are revered and offered special food. On the third day, celebrations follow the same pattern as in India, with lights and lamps and much social activity. On the fourth day Yama, the Lord of Death, is worshipped and appeased. On the fifth and final day, brothers sisters meet and exchange pleasantries. In Trinidad and Tobago, Diwali is marked as a special occasion and celebrated with a lot of fanfare. It is observed as a national holiday in this part of the world and some ministers of the Government also take part in the celebrations publicly. Bhadrachalam shrine is a site of pilgrimage for Hindus. ... The Godavari River is a major waterway in India, next to the Ganges and Indus rivers. ... Khammam is a city and district in Indias Andhra Pradesh state. ... Andhra Pradesh : (à°†à°‚à°§à±à°° à°ªà±à°°à°¦à±‡à°¶à±; Ä€ndhra PrÄdesh), is a state in South India. ... Vijayadashami is a festival celebrated across India. ... Dussehra (also transliterated as Dasara) or Vijaya Dasami is an important Hindu festival. ... DiwÄlÄ« or DÄ«pÄvali (also transliterated Deepavali; Sanskrit: row of lights) is the Hindu Festival of Lights. Diwali festival symbolizes the victory of good over evil and the lamps are lit as a sign of celebration and hope for mankind. ...

Inspiration

Mohandas Gandhi, the Indian spiritual and political leader was deeply inspired by Rama's strict adherence of satya (truth) and dharma despite hardship and personal travails. Gandhi was encouraged by Rama's example when he faced personal crises and crucial difficulties. A chapter in his autobiography is titled the same: Nirbal ke Bal Ram (Rama is the strength for the weak). When Gandhi was shot three times in the chest on January 30, 1948, his dying words were He Ram, He Ram. On religious occasions, Hindus often chant the name of Rama to express their devotion to God and invoke the holy. Ram Naam Jhaapo (Chant the name of Rama) is a popular bhajan, devotional song and a meditative mantra. In the ceremony of cremating the dead, Hindus often chant Ram Nam Satya Hai (Rama's name is Truth). Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (October 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948) (Devanagari: मोहनदास करमचन्द गांधी), called Mahatma Gandhi, was the charismatic leader who brought the cause of Indias independence from British colonial rule to world attention. ... Satya is a true badman. ... January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... A bhajan or kirtan is a Hindu or Sikh devotional song, often of ancient origin. ... A mantra is a religious syllable or poem, typically from the Sanskrit language. ...

Notes

References

Ramesh Menon is an Indian author and former journalist. ... Jonah Blank is an American author, journalist and foreign policy expert, specializing in the culture, history and affairs of the Indian subcontinent. ...

External links

The RÄmÄyaÅ†a (Sanskrit: à¤°à¤¾à¤®à¤¾à¤¯à¤£ (a sandhi form of rÄma-ayana = march or journey (Ä€yana) of RÄma) is part of the Hindu smriti, written by Valmiki. ... Maharishi Valmiki is the author of the Hindu epic Ramayana. ... Dasaratha (Sanskrit: à¤¦à¤¶à¤°à¤¥, IAST DaÅ›aratha) in Hindu history is the king of Ayodhya and a descendant of Raghuvamsa. ... Kousalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi are the three wives of King Dasaratha of Ayodhya, in the 24,000-verse Sanskrit epic called the Ramayana, and the mothers of the heroes Rama, Lakshmana, Bharatha, and Shatrughna. ... Kousalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi are the three wives of King Dasaratha of Ayodhya, in the 24,000-verse Sanskrit epic called the Ramayana, and the mothers of the heroes Rama, Lakshmana, Bharatha, and Shatrughna. ... Kousalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi are the three wives of King Dasaratha of Ayodhya, in the 24,000-verse Sanskrit epic called the Ramayana, and the mothers of the heroes Rama, Lakshmana, Bharatha, and Shatrughna. ... In Ancient India, Janaka was the King of Mithila Kingdom. ... Manthara, in the Hindu epic Ramayana, is a servant who convinced Kaikeyi that the Ayodhya throne belonged to her son Bharata and that Rama should be exiled from the kingdom. ... Bharata (Sanskrit: à¤à¤°à¤¤, IAST Bharata) was the youngest brother of Lord Rama, and the son of Emperor Dasaratha and Kaikeyi of the Solar Dynasty. ... Lakshaman (far left) with Rama (centre), Sita (far right) and Hanuman (kneeling) - Bhaktivedanta Manor, Watford, England Lakshmana (Sanskrit: à¤²à¤•à¥à¤·à¥à¤®à¤£; IAST Laká¹£maá¹‡a) was the brother and close companion of Rama, and himself a hero of the epic Ramayana. ... Shatrughna (Sanskrit: à¤¶à¤¤à¥à¤°à¥à¤˜à¥à¤¨, á¹£atrughna), in Hindu epic Ramayana was the youngest brother of Lord Rama. ... This article is about Sita Devi, the wife of Rama. ... In Hindu epic Ramayana, Urmila was the daughter of King Janaka of Mithila and the younger sister of Sita. ... In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Mandavi was the daughter of Kushadvaja, a brother of King Janaka of Mithila and hence a cousin of Sita. ... In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Shrutakirti was the daughter of Kushadvaja, a brother of King Janaka of Mithila and hence a cousin of Sita. ... Brahmarishi Viswamitra or Vishwamitra (Sanskrit: à¤µà¤¿à¤¶à¥à¤µà¤®à¤¿à¤¤à¥à¤°, viá¹£vamitra) is one of the most venerated sages of Hinduism. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Jatayu (Sanskrit: à¤œà¤Ÿà¤¾à¤¯à¥‚, jatÄyÅ«) is the son of Aruna and nephew of Garuda. ... In Hindu mythology, Sampati was one of the two sons of Aruna the brother of Garuda. ... Lord Hanuman In Hinduism, Hanuman (Sanskrit: à¤¹à¤¨à¥à¤®à¤¤à¥ Hanumat; nominative singular à¤¹à¤¨à¥à¤®à¤¾à¤¨à¥ HanumÄn) is a vanara who aided Lord Rama (an avatar of Vishnu) in rescuing His Consort, Sita, from the Rakshasa king Ravana. ... In Hinduism, Sugriva was the younger brother of Vali. ... In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Vali was the monkey-King of Kishkindha, a son of Indra and the elder brother of Sugriva. ... In Hinduism, Angada is a Vanara who helped Rama find Sita in the Hindu epic Ramayana. ... In Hinduism, Jambavantha or Jambavan is a bear who helped Rama find Sita in the Hindu epic Ramayana. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... For the municipality in the Philippines, see Taraka, Lanao del Sur. ... Surpanakha is Ravanas sister in the epic Ramayana Surpanakha is Ravanas sister in the epic Ramayana. ... In Hindu mythology, Maricha was a demon who played a very important part in twisting the tale of Ramayana. ... Subahu, in Hindu mythology was a demon who tried to interrupt Viswamitras yaga. ... Khara, in the Hindu epic Ramayana, was a man-eating Rakshasa. ... A dipiction of Ravana, Hindu Demon King of Lanka In Hindu mythology, Ravana (Devanagari: à¤°à¤¾à¤µà¤£, IAST RÄvaá¹‡a; sometimes transliterated Raavana and as Ravan) is the principal antagonist of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. ... Kumbhakarna is the Rakshasa brother of Ravana, and is said to be 420,000 meters high. ... Mandodari was the daughter of the King of Danavas, Maya and celestial dancer, Hema. ... In Hindu mythology, Maya, or Mayasura was a great ancient king of the Asura, Daitya and Rakshasa races upon earth. ... A mythical character from the Indian epic Ramayana. ... In the Hindu epic the Ramayana, Prahasta was a powerful rakshasa warrior and chief commander of Ravanas army of Lanka. ... Akshayakumara was one of the sons of Ravana. ... Atikaya was the son of Lord of Lanka, Ravana and Queen Dhanyamalini, who was the second wife of Ravana. ... Lava and his twin brother Kusha are the children of the Hindu God Rama and his wife Sita Devi, whose story is told in the Ramayana. ... Kusha, in Hindu mythology, was one of the twin sons of Lord Rama and Sita (the other being Lava). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Kosala was an ancient Indian kingdom, corresponding roughly in area with the region of Oudh. ... Mithila (Sanskrit: à¤®à¤¿à¤¥à¤¿à¤²à¤¾, mithilÄ) was a kingdom in ancient India. ... Lanka is the name given in Hindu mythology to the island fortress capital of the evil king Ravana in the epic Ramayana. ... The Sarayu was a river in ancient India, flowing beside the ancient city of Ayodhya, located in the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. ... The Treta Yuga is the second Yuga in the four yugas. ... // Introduction Raghuvamsa, in Hindu mythology is believed to be a lineage/race of warrior kings tracing its ancestry to Surya. ... Lakshman Rekha (Sanskrit: à¤²à¤•à¥à¤·à¥à¤®à¤£ à¤°à¥‡à¤–à¤¾), in Hindu mythology, is a line drawn by Lakshmana around their abode, to protect Sita, while he is away searching for Rama. ... The Aditya Hridayam, is a hymn associated with the Sun or Surya and was recited by the great sage Agastya to Rama on the battlefield before fighting with Ravana. ... Oshadhiparvata, that is the mountain of medicinal herbs, was a mythical mountain described in the Ramayana. ... Sundara Kanda is a book of almost unbelievable spiritual quality which is reputed by its readers to be virtually death defying. ... Pushpaka Vimana in Hindu mythology was a vehicle that could fly in the air. ... In Hindu mythology, Vedavati is speculated to have been the spirit of Sita Devi, the wife of Rama in the epic Ramayana. ... Vanara is a Sanskrit word literally meaning a human having the fur or tail of a monkey. It popularly refers to the race of monkey-like humanoids in the Hindu epic Ramayana who are brave and inquisitive by nature. ...

Hinduism (Sanskrit/Hindi â€”, also known as , and ) is a religion originating in the Indian subcontinent, based on the Vedas and the beliefs of other people of India. ... The 10 avatars of Lord Vishnu In Hinduism, an avatar or avatara or avataram(Sanskrit à¤…à¤µà¤¤à¤¾à¤°), is the incarnation (bodily manifestation) of an Immortal Being, or of the Ultimate Supreme Being. ... For other uses of the name Vishnu, see Vishnu (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Hindu_swastika. ... Matsya or Machcha (Sanskrit for fish) was the name of a tribe and the state of the Vedic civilization of India. ... In Hinduism, Kurma was the second avatar of Vishnu. ... Varaha is the third avatar of Vishnu, a boar sent to defeat Hiranyaksha, a horrible demon who had taken the Earth (prthivi) and carried it to the bottom of the ocean. ... A monolithic statue of Narasimha at Vijayanagara. ... In Hinduism, Vamana is the fifth avatar of Vishnu, a dwarf. ... Parashurama Bhargava or Parasurama (Axe-wielding Rama), is the Sixth avatara of Vishnu, and a son of Jamadagni. ... Krishna (à¤•à¥ƒà¤·à¥à¤£ in Devanagari, IAST The All-Attractive) is according to common Hindu tradition the eighth avatar of Vishnu. ... Balarama (left) with his brother Krishna Krishna-Balarama Mandir, Vrindavan, India // Introduction In mainstream Hindu tradition, Balarama (phonetically BalarÄma - his other names include Baladeva, Balabhadra and Halayudha) is the name of the elder brother of Sri Krishna. ... A stone image of the Buddha. ... In Hindu traditions, Kalki (also rendered by some as Kalkin and Kalaki) is the tenth and final Maha Avatara (Great Avatar) of Vishnu the Preserver, who will come to end the current Kali Yuga, (The Age of Darkness and Destruction). ...

Categories: Articles containing Indic text | Vaishnavism | Ramayana epic | Forms of Vishnu | Characters in Ramayana Hinduism (Sanskrit/Hindi â€”, also known as , and ) is a religion originating in the Indian subcontinent, based on the Vedas and the beliefs of other people of India. ... Hindu mythology is a term used by modern scholarship for a large body of Indian literature that details the lives and times of legendary personalities, deities and divine incarnations on earth interspersed with often large sections of philosophical and ethical discourse. ... Itihasa (Sanskrit: à¤‡à¤¤à¤¿à¤¹à¤¾à¤¸ - itihÄsa in IAST notation, literally meaning that which happened) is the word for History. ... Image File history File links Hindu_swastika. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article concerns the Hindu creator god, Brahma. ... For other uses of the name Vishnu, see Vishnu (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Hindu God Åšiva. ... Krishna (à¤•à¥ƒà¤·à¥à¤£ in Devanagari, IAST The All-Attractive) is according to common Hindu tradition the eighth avatar of Vishnu. ... Lord Ganesha In Hinduism, Ganesha (Sanskrit: à¤—à¤£à¥‡à¤¶ or à¤¶à¥à¤°à¥€à¤—à¤£à¥‡à¤¶ ( (helpÂ· info)) (when used to distinguish lordly status) (or lord of the hosts, also spelled as Ganesa and Ganesh, sometimes also referred to as Ganapati) is one of the most well-known and venerated representations of God (Brahman). ... This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... Lakshaman(far left) with Rama(center) and Sita (far right) and Hanuman(kneeling)-Bhaktivedanta Manor, Watford, England Lakshmana was the son of Dasaratha, King of Ayodhya and Sumitra. ... Lord Hanuman In Hinduism, Hanuman (Sanskrit: à¤¹à¤¨à¥à¤®à¤¤à¥ Hanumat; nominative singular à¤¹à¤¨à¥à¤®à¤¾à¤¨à¥ HanumÄn) is a vanara who aided Lord Rama (an avatar of Vishnu) in rescuing His Consort, Sita, from the Rakshasa king Ravana. ... This article is in need of attention. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Gayatri (gÄyatrÄ« Sanskrit: à¤—à¤¾à¤¯à¤¤à¥à¤°à¥€) is the feminine form of gÄyatra, a Sanskrit word for a song or a hymn. ... Image of Goddess Lakshmi Sculpture of Lakshmi In Hinduism, Lakshmi or Laxmi (Sanskrit: à¤²à¤•à¥à¤·à¥à¤®à¥€ ) is the goddess of wealth, light, wisdom and fortune, as well as (secondarily) luck, beauty and fertility. ... Saraswati, goddess of knowledge Saraswati (Sanskrit: à¤¸à¤°à¤¸à¥à¤µà¤¤à¥€) is the first of the three great goddesses of Hinduism, the other two being Lakshmi and Durga. ... It has been suggested that Durgastami be merged into this article or section. ... Commonly known as Devi (goddess), Vaishnodevi (à¤¦à¥‡à¤µà¥€, DevÄ« in Hindi and Sanskrit) is the Divine Mother of Hinduism. ... This article is about Sita Devi, the wife of Rama. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A common scene depicting Kali standing over Shiva. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Vedas (Sanskrit: à¤µà¥‡à¤¦), collectively refers to a corpus of ancient Indo-Aryan religious literature that are associated with the Vedic civilization and are considered by adherents of Hinduism to be revealed knowledge. ... The Upanishads (उपनिषद्, Upanişad) are part of the Hindu Shruti scriptures which primarily discuss meditation and philosophy and are seen as religious instructions by most schools of Hinduism. ... The Puranas (Sanskrit à¤ªà¥à¤°à¤¾à¤£, purÄá¹‡Ã¡ ancient, since they focus on ancient history of the universe) are part of Hindu Smriti; these religious scriptures discuss varied topics like devotion to God in his various aspects, traditional sciences like Ayurveda, Jyotish, cosmology, concepts like dharma, karma, reincarnation and many others. ... The RÄmÄyaÅ†a (Sanskrit: à¤°à¤¾à¤®à¤¾à¤¯à¤£ (a sandhi form of rÄma-ayana = march or journey (Ä€yana) of RÄma) is part of the Hindu smriti, written by Valmiki. ... The Mahabharata (Devanagari: à¤®à¤¹à¤¾à¤à¤¾à¤°à¤¤, phonetically MahÄbhÄrata - see note), sometimes just called Bharata, is one of the two major ancient Sanskrit epics of India, the other being the Ramayana. ...

Contents

Etymology of Rama GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");