The Ramayana
in brief
Ramayana - character list (pg 2)
Main characters:
Rama: hero of the Ramayana, an incarnation
of the God Vishnu
Sita: heroine of the Ramayana, also
called Janaki, an incarnation of the Goddess Laxmi (Lakshmi)
Laxman/Lakshmana: Rama's brother,
very devoted to him
Hanuman: helper and friend of Rama,
also called Anjaneya, son of the God of Wind, belongs to the monkey
race
Ravana: the "villain" of
the Ramayana, ten-headed and twenty-armed demon, ruler of Lanka
Other characters in alphabetical order:
(note: characters marked with * are not mentioned
in my summary of the Ramayana but appear in R.K.Narayan's Ramayana)
Angada: son of Vali and Tara, nephew
of Sugreeva, belongs to the monkey race, helps Rama
Bharata: half brother of Rama, becomes
temporary regent of Ayodhya till the return of Rama
Dasaratha: King of Ayodhya, father
of Rama
Indrajit: son of Ravana, who can
make himself invisible; is killed in battle by Laxman
Jambavan: wise elder of Rama's search
party, in form of a bear
Janaka: father of Sita, King of Mithila
Jatayu: the Great Eagle, friend of
King Dasaratha, dies in a fight with Ravana when he tries to rescue
Sita
Kaikeyi: Dasaratha's favourite wife,
mother of Bharata
Kamavalli: appears as beautiful woman
in front of Rama, real name is Soorpanaka; Ravana's sister
* Kara: commander of demon Soorpanaka's
army of rakshasas (demons)
* Kausalya: Dasaratha's wife, mother
of Rama
Kooni: servant of Kaikeyi
Kumbakarna: brother of Ravana, famous
for deep sleep; is killed in battle
* Mandodari: wife of Ravana
Mareecha: the demon's Thataka's son,
Ravana's uncle; appears as golden deer in front of Rama and Sita
Matali: charioteer of God Indra's
chariot, helps Rama
Maya: divine architect, rebuilds
Ravana's capital
Sampathi: brother of Jatayu the Great
Eagle; knows that Sita and Ravana are in Lanka
* Sathrugna: half brother of Rama,
twin of Laxman
Soorpanaka: female demon, Ravana's
sister, falls in love with Rama
Sugreeva: new King of Kiskinda (land
of the monkey race), helps Rama
* Sumanthra: chief minister of King
Dasaratha
* Sumithra: Dasaratha's wife, mother
of Laxman and Sathrugna
* Tara: Vali's (the former King of
Kiskinda) wife
Thataka: female demon; is killed
by Rama
Vali: former King of Kiskinda (land
of the monkey race); is killed by Rama
Vibishana: brother of Ravana, supplies
Rama with information
Vishwamithra: sage, mentor and teacher
of Rama
Places:
Ayodhya: where Rama was born, where
King Dasaratha (Rama's father) rules
Kiskinda: capital of the land of
the monkey race, where Rama's helpers Hanuman and Sugreeva come
from
Lanka: where Ravana rules
Mithila: where Sita comes from, where
King Janaka rules
Sidhasrama, Sarayu River: where Rama
kills his first demon
page 3: ramayana story >>
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