Introduction
Rama is the hero of the Ramayana, one of the two great Sanskrit epics of India. He is the eldest son of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya and is traditionally regarded as an avatar (earthly incarnation) of the god Vishnu. In the story he is a prince, a warrior, a husband, a son and finally a king, and in each role he is shown as someone who puts duty (dharma) and truth ahead of his own comfort.
For many devotees and readers, he is regarded as a model of ideal conduct and kingship. He is widely known as Maryada Purushottama, a title associated with his idealized adherence to dharma and moral conduct, including keeping his word even when it costs him dearly.
This article primarily follows the Valmiki Ramayana. Where a well-known detail comes from a later retelling or tradition, the article identifies it.
Words to Know
Dharma: duty, right conduct, the way one ought to live.
Avatar: a form taken by a god on earth. Rama is an avatar of Vishnu.
Kanda: a major book or section of the Ramayana. There are seven.
Vanara: the forest-dwelling, monkey-like people who help Rama. Hanuman and Sugriva are Vanaras.
Rakshasa: a class of powerful beings, often hostile to sages and humans. Ravana is the best-known Rakshasa.
Ikshvaku dynasty: the royal family of Ayodhya, also called the Solar dynasty (Suryavamsha), to which Rama belongs.
Family
Father: Dasharatha, king of Ayodhya.
Mother: Kaushalya, Dasharatha's first queen.
Stepmothers: Kaikeyi and Sumitra.
Brothers: Bharata (son of Kaikeyi), and the twins Lakshmana and Shatrughna (sons of Sumitra).
Wife: Sita, daughter of King Janaka of Mithila.
Sons: the twins Lava and Kusha.
Birth and Childhood
Dasharatha had no children for many years. On the advice of the sages he performed a great sacrifice, and a divine being rose from the fire carrying a bowl of sweet rice pudding (payasa). The king shared it among his three queens, and four sons were born. Valmiki describes Rama as born from a portion (amsha) of Vishnu.
Rama was born on the ninth day of the bright half of the month of Chaitra, under the star Punarvasu. This day is still celebrated every year as Rama Navami.
Even as a child he was gentle, truthful and respectful. He was closest to his brother Lakshmana, who followed him everywhere. The four brothers grew up learning the Vedas and the use of weapons under their teachers.
Appearance
Valmiki describes Rama as having a dark, blue-black complexion, often compared to a blue lotus or a rain cloud, along with broad shoulders, long arms that reach his knees, and large lotus-petal eyes. Because of this, he is often shown with blue-toned skin in paintings and images.
With the Sage Vishvamitra
While Rama was still a teenager, the sage Vishvamitra came to Ayodhya and asked Dasharatha to send Rama and Lakshmana with him. Rakshasas were disturbing his fire rituals. Dasharatha was reluctant but agreed.
On this journey Rama killed the Rakshasi Tataka, defended Vishvamitra's ritual against her son Subahu and drove away Maricha. In the forest he also met Ahalya, a woman who had been cursed to live unseen. She was freed from her curse by his arrival.
Marriage to Sita
Vishvamitra then took the brothers to Mithila, where King Janaka held a contest: whoever could string the enormous bow of Shiva would marry his daughter Sita. Rama lifted and strung the bow, and it broke in his hands. He and Sita were married. His three brothers were married in the same ceremony to other women of Janaka's family. Lakshmana married Urmila, Janaka's own daughter. Bharata married Mandavi and Shatrughna married Shrutakirti, daughters of Janaka's brother Kushadhwaja.
On the way home, the warrior-sage Parashurama challenged Rama, but Rama proved himself and Parashurama withdrew.
The Plan to Crown Rama
Years later, Dasharatha, growing old, decided to make Rama the crown prince. The people of Ayodhya were delighted. But Manthara, a maidservant of Queen Kaikeyi, convinced Kaikeyi that Rama's rise would ruin her own son Bharata. Kaikeyi reminded Dasharatha of two boons he had once promised her, and demanded them: Rama must go into exile in the forest for fourteen years, and Bharata must be crowned in his place.
Dasharatha was devastated but could not break his promise. When Rama heard, he accepted the command without anger or complaint. He said that a son must honour his father's word.
The Exile
Sita insisted on going with Rama, and Lakshmana refused to be left behind. The three left Ayodhya wearing the simple clothes of forest dwellers. Dasharatha died of grief soon afterwards.
At the Ganga they were helped across by Guha, the king of the Nishadas, and they settled at Chitrakuta. Bharata, who had been away and knew nothing of Kaikeyi's plan, refused the throne and went to the forest to bring Rama back. Rama refused, because he had promised to complete the exile. Bharata took Rama's sandals and placed them on the throne as a symbol, and ruled Ayodhya as Rama's representative while living simply outside the city.
Rama, Sita and Lakshmana moved deeper into the Dandaka forest, where they met many sages and protected them from Rakshasas. Eventually they settled at Panchavati, on the banks of the Godavari.
The Abduction of Sita
At Panchavati, Shurpanakha, the sister of Ravana, fell in love with Rama and, when rejected, attacked Sita. Lakshmana cut off her nose and ears. Her brothers Khara and Dushana, whose Rakshasa settlement of Janasthana lay in the Dandaka forest, attacked with a large army, and Rama defeated them almost alone.
Shurpanakha went to Ravana, king of Lanka, and urged him to take revenge by carrying off Sita. Ravana sent Maricha, disguised as a golden deer, to lure Rama away from the hut. Sita asked Rama to catch it. Rama shot the deer, and as it died it imitated Rama's voice and cried out for help. Fearing for Rama, Sita made Lakshmana go after him. In their absence, Ravana came disguised as a holy man and carried Sita away in his flying chariot.
The vulture Jatayu, a friend of Dasharatha, tried to stop Ravana and was fatally wounded. He told Rama what he had seen before he died, and Rama performed his funeral rites.
Friendship with Sugriva and Hanuman
While searching for Sita, Rama and Lakshmana met the demon-turned-spirit Kabandha and the devout tribal woman Shabari. Then they reached Kishkindha, the Vanara kingdom, where Hanuman met them. Hanuman brought them to Sugriva, a Vanara prince who had been driven from his kingdom by his brother Vali.
Rama and Sugriva promised to help each other. Rama killed Vali with an arrow, and Sugriva became king. In return, Sugriva sent Vanara search parties in all directions to find Sita. This episode, in which Rama shoots Vali while unseen, has been discussed and debated by readers and commentators for centuries.
Hanuman Finds Sita
Hanuman leapt across the ocean to Lanka and found Sita in the Ashoka grove, where Ravana was holding her. He gave her Rama's ring and returned with her message. He also set fire to part of Lanka before leaving.
The War in Lanka
Rama and the Vanara army reached the sea. With the help of the builder Nala, they built a bridge of stones across it. Ravana's brother Vibhishana urged Ravana to return Sita, and when Ravana refused, Vibhishana joined Rama. Rama welcomed him despite the doubts of others.
The war was long and fierce. Lakshmana killed Ravana's son Indrajit, and Rama killed Ravana's giant brother Kumbhakarna. Finally, Rama killed Ravana in single combat. Rama then crowned Vibhishana king of Lanka.
Reunion and Return
Sita was brought before Rama. In the Valmiki Ramayana, she proves her purity by entering a fire, and the god Agni returns her unharmed and declares her innocent. The fourteen years of exile were now complete.
Rama, Sita and Lakshmana returned to Ayodhya in the aerial chariot Pushpaka. Bharata welcomed them, gave back the sandals, and Rama was crowned king by the sage Vasishtha. In some traditions, Rama's return to Ayodhya is associated with Diwali, the festival of lights.
Rama's Reign
Rama's rule is called Rama Rajya. Valmiki describes it as a time of peace, justice and prosperity, with no fear of hunger or disease. The text gives different figures for its length: ten thousand years in the Yuddha Kanda, and eleven thousand in another passage.
The Last Book
The Uttara Kanda, the final book, is considered by many scholars to have been added later than the rest. It tells of how rumours about Sita spread among the people of Ayodhya, and Rama, putting his duty as king before his personal feelings, sent Sita away. She lived at the hermitage of the sage Valmiki, where she gave birth to the twins Lava and Kusha. Valmiki taught them the Ramayana, and they sang it before Rama. When Rama asked Sita to prove herself again, she called on the earth, her mother, and the earth took her back.
At the end of his life, Rama walked into the Sarayu river with the people of Ayodhya and returned to Vaikuntha, the home of Vishnu. This decision by Rama to send Sita away is one of the most discussed and questioned moments in the whole epic.
Character
Rama is presented as truthful, loyal to his word, respectful to elders, kind to those in need and fair to friends and allies. He is also shown to feel deep grief, especially when he loses Sita. Readers have long debated whether some of his choices, such as the death of Vali or the treatment of Sita, are fully just. The epic does not hide these questions.
Legacy
The Ramayana has been retold in many languages and regions. Well-known versions include the Ramcharitmanas by Tulsidas in Hindi, the Kamba Ramayanam in Tamil, the Ramakien in Thailand and the Kakawin Ramayana in Java. Rama Navami, Diwali and Dussehra all connect to his story. In many parts of India, people greet each other with his name.