Ramayana

By Valmiki

KING DASARATHA

Family Tree
KAUSALYA

KAIKEIYI

RAMA

BHARAT

SUMITRA

LAKSHMA
N

SATRUGH
NA

PLOT OF THE

SITA CHOOSES A
HUSBAND
Sita is the daughter of a
neighboring ruler.
Swayamvara ceremony
Sita chooses Rama.

1.How was Sitas husband decided? Who won?

How then, did the two powerful races form a
bond?

KAIKEYIS DECEIT
Rama's faher decides to give his
throne to Rama, his eldest son.
Bharata's mother takes
Dasharatha up on an old oath.
Dasharatha is forced to agree to
banish Rama for fourteen years
and crown Bharata.

1.Who did not agree with the impending honor

bestowed on Kausalya? How does jealousy
figure in this story?
2.How did Kaikeyi blackmail Dasaratha in order
to remove Rama from the kingdom? Who will
take the place of Rama?
3.Did Bharata agreed with his mother?

RAMA'S
BANISHMENT
Rama goes into the forest, and Sita
and Lakshman accompany him.
Loyal people of the city of Ayodia
even followed them.
Bharata does not want to become
king this way and begs Rama to
come back.
Rama refuses to go against his
father's orders, so Bharata brings
Rama's sandals and puts them on
the throne.

1.How did Sita and the other people react to Ramas

banishment? How does this show the kind of
character Rama had?
2.Do you think Rama and Sita come to revered in
modern times? Can they be called cultural icons?
Why?
3.How did Bahrata reacted to what his mother did?
What does this reveal about the character of
Bharata?
4.If you were Bharata, would you also do the same
thing? Why or why not?
5.What was the symbolism of Ramas sandals on the
throne of Ayodia?

FOREST
ADVENTURES

They live happily in the forest

and destroy rakshasas (evil
creatures).
A rakshasa princess fell in love
with Rama and tried to seduce
him.
In her jealousy, she attacks Sita
but Rama rescued her.

1.What disrupted the peaceful life that Rama,

Sita, and Lakshman lived in the forest?
2.How did Rama respond?

TROUBLE IN
PARADISE

The rakshasa princess runs

back home to her brother
Ravana (the monster king), ruler
of Lanka, and tells him about
how beautiful Sita is (he has a
weakness for women).
Ravana disguises himself as a
holy man begging alms, abducts
Sita, and carries her back to
Lanka.

1.How did the wicked princess get her revenge

on Rama?
2.Is revenge something that we should desire if
people hurt us? Why or Why not?

MONKEY
BUSINESS
Rama asked the general of the
monkey band, Hanuman, for help.
He flies to Lanka (because his father is
the wind), finds Sita, and comforts her.
Ravana's men capture Hanuman and
light his tail on fire, but he uses his
burning tail to set the houses of Lanka
ablaze then flies back to Rama.

HAPPY ENDING
Rama, Lakshman, and the
monkeys build a causeway from
India to Lanka, they battle
Ravana and his brothers and kill
them.
Rama frees Sita and after she
proves her purity through a fire
ordeal.
They return to Ayodhya and
Rama becomes King.

1.Was Sita able to escape Ravans clutches?

How did the story end?