RAMAYANA

An Ancient Sanskrit Epic of India . Ramayana-Cartoon- Prince of Light(English)
Ramayana attributed by a poet and Adikavi Valmiki as a poem of several kaandas. Ramayan depicts the duties of relationships, portraying ideal characters like the ideal son, the ideal Wife, the ideal King, the ideal brother, the ideal servant. The epic belongs to Treta Yuga 880,000 years in the past.
The characters of Ramayana
Rama: The central figure of the Ramayana. He is portrayed as seventh incarnation of the god Vishnu. He is the eldest and the favorite son of the King of Ayodhya, Dasharatha and his wife Kousalya.
Sita: The beloved wife of Rama and the daughter of king Janaka. Sita is also known as Janaki. She is the incarnation of goddess Lakshmi, the consort of god Vishnu. Sita is the epitome of female purity and virtue.
Hanuman: a vanara belonging to the kingdom of Kishkindha. He is portrayed as an incarnation of god Shiva (the Eleventh Rudra). He is born as the son of Kesari, a vanara king and goddess Anjana.
Dasharatha: the king of Ayodhya and the father of Rama. He has three queens, Kousalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi, and three other sons; Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrughna
Lakshmana: the younger brother of Rama, who chose to go into exile with him. He is portrayed as an incarnation of the Shesha, the nāga associated with god Vishnu. He spends his time protecting Sita and Rama.
Bharata: the son of Dasharatha. When he learns that his mother Kaikeyi had forced Rama into exile and caused Dasharatha to die broken hearted, he storms out of the palace and goes in search of Rama to the forest.
Ravana: a rakshasa, is the king of Lanka. After performing severe penance for ten thousand years he received a boon from the creator-god Brahma that he could not be killed by either gods, demons or spirits. He has ten heads and twenty arms.

Ramayana : The poem is divided into several kandas or books

Bala Kanda(Birth of Rama,Book of youth): Dasharatha was the king of Kosala, the capital being the city of Ayodhya. He had three queens—Kausalya, Kaikeyi and Sumithra. He was childless for a long time, and anxious to produce an heir, he performs a fire sacrifice known as Putra-Kameshti Yaga. As a consequence, Rama is first born to Kausalya, Bharata is born to Kaikeyi and Sumithra gives birth to twins named Lakshmana and Shatrughna. These sons are infused with varying portions of the essence of god Vishnu, born as a ordinary mortal to destroy the demon king Ravana. They are reared as the princes of the realm, receiving instructions from the scriptures and in warfare. when Rama is sixteen years old, the sage Vishwamitra comes to the court of Dasaratha in search of help against demons, who distrubed the sacrificial rites. He chooses Rama, who is followed by Lakshmana—his constant companion throughout the story. Rama and Lakshmana receive instructions from Vishwamitra and also supernatural weapons, from which they destroy the demons.
Janaka was the king of Mithila. One day, a female child was found in the field by the king Janaka in the deep furrow dug by this plough. Overwhelmed with joy, the king regarded the child as a "miraculous gift of god". The child was named Sita, the Sanskrit word for furrow. Sita grew up to be a girl of unparalleled beauty and charm. When Sita was of marriageable age, the king decided to have a swayamvara which had a contest. The king placed a heavy bow, presented to him by god Shiva and anyone who could wield the bow would marry Sita. The sage Vishwamitra attends the swayamvara with Rama and Lakshmana. Only Rama wields the bow and breaks it.
Marriages are arranged between the sons of Dasarahta and daughters, nieces of Janaka. The weddings are celebrated with great festivity at Mithila and the marriage party returns to Ayodhya

Ayodhya Kanda(Book of Ayodhya):After Rama and Sita have been married for twelve years, Dasharatha who had grown old expresses his desire to crown Rama, to which the Kosala assembly and his subjects express their support.On the eve of the great event, Kaikeyi—her jealousy aroused by Manthara, a wicked maidservant—claims two boons that Dasaratha had long ago granted her. Kaikeyi demands Rama to be exile into wilderness for fourteen years, while the succession passes to her son Bharata. The heartbroken king, constrained by his rigid devotion to his given word, acceds to Kaikeyi's demands.Rama accepts his father's reluctant decree with absolute submission and calm self-control which characterizes him throughout the story.He is joined by Sita and Lakshmana. When he asks Sita not to follow him, she says, "the forest where you dwell is Ayodhya for me and Ayodhya without you is a veritable hell for me. "After Rama's departure, king Dasaratha, unable to bear the grief, passes away.Meanwhile, Bharata who was on a visit to his maternal uncle, learns about the events in Ayodhya. Bharata refuses to profit from his mothers' wicked scheming and visits Rama in the forest. He requests Rama to return and rule. But Rama, determied to carry out his fathers orders to the letter, refuses to return before the period of exile. However, Bharata carries Rama's sandals, and keeps them on the throne, while he rules as Rama's regent.

Aranya Kanda(Book of Forest): Rama, Sita and Lakshmana journeyed southward along the banks of river Godavari, where they built cottages and lived by what the forest had to offer. At the Panchavati forest, they are visited by rakshasa woman, Surpanakha, the sister of Ravana. She attempts to seduce the brothers and failing in this, tries to kill Sita. Lakshmana, stops her and mutilates her. Later her demon brother Khara, organizes a expedition against the princes. Rama annihilates these demons and Khara.The news of these events reach Ravana, and resolves to destroy Rama by carrying off Sita. With the aid of rakshasa Maricha. Maricha—who assumes the form of a golden deer—captivates Sita's attention and is followed by Rama into the woods. Later, urged by Sita, Lakshmana disregarding Rama's orders, leaves Sita alone and follows him.Now Ravana appears in the disguise of a beggar and forcefully carries Sita. Jatayu, a vulture tries to rescue Sita and falls mortally wounded. At Lanka, Sita is kept in the heavy guard of rakshasis. Ravana demands Sita to marry him, but Sita who was forever devoted to Rama, refuses.Rama and Lakshmana learn about Sita's abduction from Jatayu, and immediately set out searching for Sita.During their search, they meet Shabari, a woman ascetic directs them towards Sugriva and Hanuman.

Kishkindha Kanda(The Empire of Holy Monkeys): The Kishkindha Kanda is set in the monkey citadel of Kishkindha. Rama and Lakshmana meet Hanuman, the greatest of monkey heroes and a adherent of Sugriva, the banished pretender to the throne of Kishkindha.Rama befriends Sugriva and helps him win over his brother Vali and regain the kingdom of Kiskindha.In exchange for the help received from Rama, Sugriva sends search parties to the four corners of the earth, only to return without success from north, east and west.The southern search party under the leadership of Angad and Hanuman, learns from a vulture named Sampati, that Sita was taken to Lanka.
Sundara Kanda(Book of Beauty): The Sundara Kanda forms of the heart of the Valmiki's Ramayana and consists of detailed, vivid account of Hanuman's adventures. After learning about Sita, Hanuman assumes a gargantuan form and makes a colossal leap across the ocean to Lanka. Here, Hanuman, explores the demon's city and spies on Ravana. He locates Sita in Ashoka vana (Ashoka grove), who is wooed and threatened by Ravana and his rakshasis to marry Ravana. He reassures her, giving Rama's signet ring as a sign of good faith. He offers to carry Sita back to Rama, however she refuses, reluctant to allow herself to be willingly touched by a male other than her husband. She says that Rama himself must come and avenge the insult of her abduction.
Hanuman then wrecks havoc in Lanka, by destroying trees, buildings and killing Ravana's warriors. He allows himself to be captured and produced before Ravana. He gives a bold lecture to Ravana to release Sita. He is condemned and his tail is set on fire. But, Hanuman escapes his bounds and leaping from roof to roof, sets fire to Ravana's citadel and makes the giant leap back. The joyous search party returns to Kishkindha with the news.

Yudha Kanda( Book of War): This book describes the Yudha (battle) between forces between Rama and Ravana. Having received Hanuman's report on Sita, Rama and Lakshmana proceed with their allies towards the shore of the southern sea.There are joined by Ravana's renegade brother Vibhishana. The monkeys construct a bridge (known as Rama Setu) across the ocean, and the princes and their army cross over to Lanka.Lakshmana will be severely wounded by Indrajit (son of Ravana) during the war against Ravana, Hanuman is sent to fetch the Sanjeevani
,a powerful life-restoring herb from the Dronagiri mountain in the Himalayas, to revive him.
A lenghty battle ensues and Rama kills Ravana.
Rama then installs Vibhishana on the throne of Lanka. On meeting Sita, Rama asks her to undergo agni Pariksha (test of fire) to prove her purity, since she stayed at the demon's place. When Sita plunges into the sacrificial fire, Agni the lord of fire raises carrying unharmed Sita on the throne, to testify her purity. The episode of agni pariksha has variations in the versions of Ramayana by Valmiki, Tulsidas. At the expiration of his term of exile, Rama returns to Ayodhya with Sita and Lakshmana, where the coronation is performed.

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