Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa
A readable, citable edition of the Valmiki Ramayana held in this project: the Baroda Critical Edition Sanskrit text and Southern-only verses, together with ten source-only character articles. Every citation in an article opens the matching sarga and scrolls to that verse.
Character articles
Rama
Rama is the son of Dasharatha and Kausalya and grandson of Aja in the Valmiki Ramayana , called Raghava and Kakutstha . He is the husband of Sita, daughter of Janaka , and elder brother of Bharata, Lakshmana and the slayer of Lavana . The opening sarga describes him as broad-chested, knee-armed, wide-eyed and bearing auspicious marks . Speakers including Kaikeyi, Sita and the villagers credit him with…
25,146 words · 962 citations
Sita
Sita, also called Vaidehi and Maithili, is the wife of Rama in the Valmiki Ramayana . She identifies herself as the daughter of Janaka, king of Mithila , and as the daughter-in-law of Dasharatha . In her own account, Janaka found her covered in dust in a ploughed field . She declares her husband her deity and accompanies him to the forest, aware of its hardships . Ravana abducts her , and in Lanka she lives in…
22,539 words · 916 citations
Lakshmana
Lakshmana is a son of King Dasharatha and of Sumitra . He is commonly called Saumitri and is the younger half-brother of Rama by a different mother . He is the father of Angada and Chandraketu . He follows Rama into exile and guards him . Rama calls him a brother without equal and a helper in battle , and Lakshmana declares himself devoted to Rama in feeling and in truth . Several speakers call him a knower of…
19,900 words · 786 citations
Kaikeyi
Kaikeyi is the wife (bhāryā) of King Dasharatha in the Valmiki Ramayana, styled devī and called his chief queen (mahiṣī) . She is the mother of Bharata . Rama names her as the daughter of King Ashvapati , though Bharata denies that she is Aśvapati's daughter . Dasharatha says that apart from Rama no one is dearer to him . The king had granted her a boon , and her stated wish is that Rama should not obtain the…
11,281 words · 419 citations
Ravana
Ravana is the king of the rakshasas in the Valmiki Ramayana. He is repeatedly called rākṣasendra and rākṣasādhipa , and is known by the epithets Dashagriva, "ten-necked" , and Paulastya . He is called the son of Vishrava (speaker: Ekajata) and the younger brother of Vaishravana (speaker: Mandodari) . His son is Indrajit . The gods attribute his position to Brahma's favor and describe him as dreadful in appearance…
19,793 words · 774 citations
Mandodari
Mandodari (Mandodarī) is the wife of Ravana in the Valmiki Ramayana and is described as his chief wife (jyeṣṭhā patnī) . Maya names her as his daughter, borne by the apsaras Hema . Meghanada (Indrajit) is her son . When Hanuman searches Ravana's inner apartments, he sees her lying there: fair, gold-radiant, of charming form, and mistress of the inner apartments . He briefly takes her for Sita . Earlier, she urges…
3,461 words · 123 citations
Vibhishana
Vibhishana is the younger brother of Ravana and the last son of Kaikasi . He leaves Ravana's court with four rakshasas after being harshly addressed . He then places his kingdom, life and comforts in Rama's hands . The text repeatedly calls him wise and a knower of dharma . Brahma says his mind does not turn to adharma despite his rakshasa birth (speaker: Brahma) . Opposing judgments come from Indrajit, who calls…
9,931 words · 394 citations
Kumbhakarna
Kumbhakarna is a rakshasa of the Valmiki Ramayana. He is the son of Vishravas and the younger brother of Ravana , and Ravana calls him Prajapati's grandson . His wife is Vajrajvala , and his sons are Kumbha and Nikumbha . He lies under a curse of Brahma and is known for prolonged sleep . He is described as mountain-sized , crowned , and armed with a spear of dark iron and gold . When roused for the war, he…
9,626 words · 379 citations
Surpanakha
Surpanakha is a rakshasi who names herself in the Aranya Kanda and is described as a dweller in Janasthana . She is the sister of Ravana and of Khara . Bewildered by desire on seeing Rama , she proposes herself as his wife and disparages Sita , then turns to Lakshmana . When she charges at Sita, her ears and nose are cut off . She appeals first to Khara, who sends rakshasas against the brothers , and she is named…
6,505 words · 277 citations
Indrajit
Indrajit, also called Meghanada , is the son of Ravana in the Valmiki Ramayana . He is often designated by the patronymic Ravani . He is the brother of Aksha and the nephew of Vibhishana , and Ravana's lament says he held the position of heir-apparent . Ravana praises him as the best of weapon-knowers and attributes his weapons to propitiation of the Grandfather . The narrator states that after completing his…
11,905 words · 470 citations