The Tree of the Rāmāyaṇa

Every story on this tree

Bāla — The krauncha birds and the first shloka · Narada briefs Valmiki: the Ramayana in a nutshell · Lava and Kusha sing the epic, Rama listens · Rishyashringa lured from the forest · Horse-sacrifice, divine dessert, and the births · Tataka and the cursed provinces of Malada and Karusha · Vamana and the Siddha Ashrama · Vishvamitra's ancestry; sister Satyavati became the river Kaushiki · Kushanabha's hundred daughters and Brahmadatta · Ganga, elder daughter of Himavan · Uma's curse: gods' wives shall bear no children · Kartikeya's birth · Sagara's 60,000 sons burnt by Kapila · Bhagiratha brings Ganga down · The churning of the Milk Ocean (Valmiki's version) · Diti, Indra and the forty-nine Maruts · Ahalya: Indra's disguise, the curse, the redemption · Vishvamitra covets Vashishtha's wish-cow Shabala · Vishvamitra and Menaka; Rambha sent by Indra · Trishanku's attempt to go to heaven bodily · Shunashepa sold for sacrifice · Shiva's bow from Daksha's sacrifice to Janaka · Parashurama confronts the wedding party · Ahalya in Kampan: she knew, and could not let go · Ananda Ramayana: Ravana locks Kausalya in a box · Sita as Ravana's daughter · Tamburi Dasayyas: Sita born from Ravana's nose · Vishvamitra hands Rama the divine weapons · Shiva's bow at Janaka's court (Janakpur) · Janakpur: the wedding that is re-enacted every year · Parashurama challenges Rama with Vishnu's bow · Sita found in a furrow: Sitamarhi and Punaura Dham · Buxar: where Tadaka fell and Rama bathed · Chandkhuri: Kaushalya's parental home · Sihawa: Rishi Shringi's hermitage

Ayodhyā — Kaikeyi's two boons · Dasharatha's night hunt and the blind parents' curse · Jabali's materialist argument to Rama · Dasaratha Jataka: Rama and Sita are brother and sister · Guha insists on washing Rama's feet before the boat · Urmila's fourteen-year sleep · Rama's exile: Ayodhya to Chitrakoot · Guha the boatman-king at Shringverpur · Bharadwaj's ashram at Prayag · Chitrakoot: where Rama learned of his father's death · Bharata's journey to bring Rama back · Bharata rules from Nandigram with Rama's sandals

Araṇya — Mareecha: Tataka's son who warns Ravana · Viradha is the cursed gandharva Tumburu · Mandakarni's Five-Apsara Lake · Agastya digests Vatapi; Vindhya lowered · Jatayu's lineage: Kashyapa, Vinata, Aruna · Jatayu fights Ravana and dies · Kabandha: Danu's son cursed by Sthulashira · Shabari and the Matanga sages' prophecy · Maya Sita: the real Sita hidden in fire · Lakshmana Rekha: the line that is not in Valmiki · Shabari's tasted berries · Entering Dandakaranya at Harchowka · Chhattisgarh's Ram Van Gaman Path: 75 places, 51 stays · Shivrinarayan: a second Shabari claim · Bastar and Sukma: footprints and a Shiva worshipped · Agastya: bow, arrow and the lowered Vindhya · Nashik: the town named for a nose · Lepakshi: 'Le Pakshi' (rise, bird) · Jatayu Earth's Center, Kerala · Thiruputkuli: Jatayu's last rites · Sampati and Jatayu race the sun · Shabari's tasted berries

Kiṣkindhā — Sampati and Jatayu race to the sun · Dundubhi, Vali and Matanga's curse · Mayavi, the cave and the brothers' feud · Hanuman's birth, the sun, and the thunderbolt · Hampi as Kishkindha

Sundara — The crow (Indra's son) and Rama's grass-blade missile · Lankini: the city's guard who knows the end · Mainaka, the mountain that kept its wings in the sea · Hanuman's ring and the plate of identical rings · Sita Eliya: the Ashok Vatika claim · Ravana's flight and hiding places in Sri Lanka

Yuddha — Rama's sand linga and Hanuman's pride · Paumachariya: Ravana is a noble Jain king, and Lakshmana kills him · Suvannamaccha: Hanuman falls in love with a mermaid · Macchanu: the fish-tailed son who meets Hanuman · Makaradhwaja: Hanuman's son born from sweat · Mahiravana: Hanuman's five faces in Patala · Panchamukha Hanuman: Garuda, Narasimha, Varaha and Hayagriva added · Satakantaravana: the hundred-headed Ravana that Sita defeats · Bilanka Ramayana: Sahasrasira Ravana of Bilanka · The squirrel and the bridge: Ranganatha's stripe origin · Tribal puppet tellings: only Ravana's shadow was killed · Reamker: mortals, a mermaid and a lintel at Phimai · Aditya Hridayam: a hymn taught mid-battle · Rameswaram: two lingams, one from Kailash · Ram Setu: the bridge Nala built · Dhanushkodi: the tip of the bridge · Divurumpola: Sita's trial by fire · The last Brahmastra: Dunuvila and Yudhaganawa · Lanka's Shiva temples tied to Rama's sin · Vibhishana crowned; Kelaniya's guardian · Hanuman fetches the herbs: Valmiki's account · Dronagiri: villagers who withhold Hanuman · Rumassala: a fallen piece in Galle · Veezhumala: 'the fallen mountain' in Kerala · Indrajit's Brahmastra, Nagapasha and Garuda · The Shakti spear and Lakshmana · Nikumbhila yagna and Gayathri Peedam · Kumbhakarna: twisted tongue and six-month sleep · Mahiravana and Hanuman's five faces

Uttara — The sages' curse: Hanuman forgets his strength · Ravana's ancestry, birth and boons · Kubera, the Pushpaka and Lanka · Ravana under Kailasa and the naming of Ravana · Vedavati's immolation and curse · Rambha, Nalakubara and the curse on Ravana · Ravana captured by thousand-armed Arjuna · Ravana under Vali's arm · Hanuman's boons · Shambuka and the dead brahmin boy · King Nriga turned into a chameleon · Nimi and Vashishtha curse each other · Sita is left at the Ganga · Birth of Lava-Kusha and the reunion · Kala visits Rama; Lakshmana's departure; Rama's end · Jain Sita: the drawing of Ravana's feet and the deer's heart · Adbhuta Ramayana: Sita becomes Kali against the thousand-headed Ravana · Chandrabati: a woman's Ramayana that criticizes Rama · Jagamohana (Dandi) Ramayana: Sita is never exiled · Return from Lanka: Bharat Milap · Turturiya: Lava and Kusha born in Chhattisgarh · Sita Samahit Sthal: where Sita entered the earth · Bithoor: Valmiki's ashram and the twins' birth

Beyond Valmiki — Kamban's Ramavataram: the Tamil Ramayana that names its patron every 1,000 verses · Ramcharitmanas: three conversations nested inside each other · Kakbhushundi: the crow who has watched Rama's childhood in every age · Adhyatma Ramayana: Rama as Brahman, told by Shiva · Ezhuthachan's parrot sings the Ramayana · Phra Lak Phra Lam: the Lao Ramayana as a Buddha's past life · Krittivasi Ramayan: the Bengali Ramayana nobody could ban · Madhava Kandali: the first regional Ramayana, with a human Rama · Torave Ramayana: Kumara Valmiki's Shiva-told Ramayana · Gond and Baiga Ramayanas: Lakshmana as hero · Mappila Ramayana: Lama and Lavana · Hikayat Seri Rama: Dasarata, great-grandson of Adam · Kakawin Ramayana: Java adds the clown servants · Ramakien: Rama I's Thai epic · Yama Zatdaw: the Ramayana Burma took as war booty · Ramnagar Ramlila: a town that becomes the Ramayana · Bhavartha Ramayan (Eknath, Marathi) · Molla Ramayanam: a potter-poet's Telugu Ramayana