Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa
Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, simply known as Tulsi Ramayana, Sanskrit: तुलसी रामायण, Telugu: తులసీ రామాయణం, Hindi: तुलसी रामायण.
The Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, the Rāmacaritamānas, is the retelling of the life of Bhagavān Rāma that Gosvāmī Tulsīdāsa composed in Avadhi Hindi in the sixteenth century. It is one of the most beloved sacred texts of the Vaishṇava devotional tradition. It tells the story of Rāma in seven kāṇḍas (books), from the Bāla Kāṇḍa, which gives the causes of Rāmāvatāra (Rāma’s avatāra), his birth and childhood, and his marriage to Sītā, onward. A supplementary appendix, the Lava-Kuśa Kāṇḍa, carries the narrative to the end of Rāma’s reign.
The text is told as a nested series of dialogues. Yājñavalkya narrates to Bharadvāja at Prayāga. Within his account, Bharadvāja hears how Śiva told the kathā (sacred story) to Pārvatī on Kailāsa, and Śiva had received it from Kākabhuśuṇḍi, the crow-ṛshi who knows the Rāma story across many kalpas (cosmic ages).
The opening of the text
The Rāmacaritamānas is a deeply devotional retelling in the everyday Avadhi language, which makes the sacred story of Bhagavān Rāma open to all. Tulsīdāsa declares at the outset that he composed it for his own inner joy (svāntaḥ sukhāya), drawing on the Rāmāyaṇa and other Purāṇas. The text opens with verses of invocation. They praise Vāṇī (Sarasvatī) and Vināyaka (Gaṇeśa), then Bhavānī-Śaṅkara as the forms of śraddhā (faith) and viśvāsa (trust), and finally salute the śyāmala-varṇa (dark-hued) form of Bhagavān Vishṇu resting on the ocean of milk.
The frame of narration
The Bāla Kāṇḍa opens at Prayāga, the sacred tri-veṇī saṅgama where the Gaṅgā, Yamunā and Sarasvatī meet. The great ṛshi Bharadvāja, a devotee of Rāma, comes to Yājñavalkya at the Māgha bathing festival and asks him to clear a doubt: which Rāma is it whose name Śiva constantly repeats in japa? Is it the prince born to Daśaratha, or some other Rāma beyond description? Yājñavalkya smiles and tells how the very same question once arose in Pārvatī’s mind, and how Śiva answered it. So the frame opens, in three levels:
- First level: Yājñavalkya tells Bharadvāja, at Prayāga.
- Second level: Śiva tells Pārvatī, on Kailāsa.
- Third level: Kākabhuśuṇḍi tells Garuḍa. This is the inner source of the Rāma kathā.
The seven kāṇḍas
- Bāla Kāṇḍa: the birth and childhood of Rāma; the causes of Rāmāvatāra; Satī’s test of Rāma; Pārvatī’s birth and tapas; Kāmadahana (the burning of Kāma); the vivāha (marriage) of Śiva and Pārvatī; Rāma’s birth at Ayodhyā; the journey with Viśvāmitra; the moksha of Ahalyā; the Dhanuryajña (the contest of the bow) at Mithilā; the breaking of Śiva’s bow (Śiva-dhanus-bhaṅga); Paraśurāma’s arrival; and Sītā-Rāma Kalyāṇa, the marriage of Sītā and Rāma.
- Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa: Rāma’s exile; Kaikeyī’s varas (boons); Bharata’s vow.
- Araṇya Kāṇḍa: life in the forest of Daṇḍakāraṇya; the Kākāsura episode (Jayanta in the form of a crow, the Brahmāstra, his surrender); Sutīkshṇa’s ecstatic bhakti and his vara of akhaṇḍa-bhakti (unbroken devotion); the Ṛshi-rakshaṇa-pratijñā (Rāma’s vow to protect the ṛshis); the battle of Janasthāna, where by māyā the rākshasas see one another as Rāma; Rāma’s teachings at Pañcavaṭī on māyā, jñāna, vairāgya and navadhā-bhakti (the nine forms of devotion); Sītā-Chāyā, in which the real Sītā enters Agni before the abduction; Śūrpaṇakhā; Mārīca as the golden deer; the abduction of Sītā, in which Chāyā-Sītā (the shadow Sītā) is taken; Rāma’s viraha-vilāpa (lament in separation); Jaṭāyu’s antima-kriyā (last rites); Kabandha; Śabarī’s moksha; Pampā Sarovara and Nārada’s dialogue with Rāma on the sādhu-lakshaṇas (the marks of the good).
- Kishkindhā Kāṇḍa: Hanumān recognises Rāma by his voice alone and falls at his feet; the alliance of Rāma and Sugrīva with Agni as witness (agni-sākshi); the birth of Ṛksharāja (Brahmā’s earwax, the change at the lake, the sons of Indra and Sūrya); Takshaka’s śāpa (curse) on the seven tāl trees; Vāli-vadha, with Vāli’s Avadhi verse “Dharma hetu”; Rāma offers Vāli immortality and Vāli refuses; Vāli entrusts Aṅgada to Rāma; Rāma’s teaching on rāja-dharma to Sugrīva; the discourse on the rainy season (Varsha-Ṛtu) on Pravarashaṇa mountain, with eighteen comparisons from nature across the rains and autumn; Sugrīva’s lapse and repentance; Svayaṃprabhā in the magical cave; Sampāti’s account of the prophecy of Candra Muni and his telling where Sītā is; Jāmbavān’s awakening of Hanumān.
- Sundara Kāṇḍa: Hanumān’s crossing of the ocean (Samudra Ullanghanam); Surasā and Siṃhikā; the entry into Laṅkā; Vibhīshaṇa’s house recognised by the name of Rāma; Sītā found in the Aśoka Vaṭikā; Rāvaṇa’s threats; Trijaṭā’s prophetic dream; Hanumān’s embassy (the ring, the message, the Cūḍāmaṇi); the destruction of the Pramadā Vana; Aksha Kumāra slain; Hanumān captured by Indrajit’s Brahmāstra; Rāvaṇa’s court; Vibhīshaṇa’s defence of dūta-dharma (the law that protects envoys); the burning of Laṅkā; Sītā’s prayer to Agni; the farewell and return; Mandodarī names Rāma as Śrīmadnārāyaṇa and Sītā as Ādi Lakshmī; Vibhīshaṇa’s hitabodha (good counsel) in the sabhā, with the secret of Pulastya’s disciple; Mālyavān’s support; Rāvaṇa expels Vibhīshaṇa; Vibhīshaṇa’s śaraṇāgati (surrender) at Rāma’s feet, with the Avadhi verse “dekhihauṃ jāi”; Rāma’s embrace dissolves Vibhīshaṇa’s rākshasatva (rākshasa nature); Vibhīshaṇa crowned king of Laṅkā with sea-water; the episode of the spies Śuka and Sāraṇa (Agastya’s śāpa and Śuka’s moksha); Samudra appears as a brāhmaṇa (the “Ḍhola” verse; the vara to Nala and Nīla that came from a muni’s śāpa; the arrow shot at the Kirati land).
- Laṅkā Kāṇḍa: the building of the Setu; the installation of Rāmaliṅgeśvara, with a declaration of Śiva-bhakti; Rāvaṇa’s war council; Aṅgada’s embassy (his foot that none can move; the four crowns hurled to Rāma); Mālyavān’s second hitabodha; the first day of battle; the Dharmaratha teaching (the image of the righteous chariot); Meghanāda’s battles (the māyā-ratha, the condition of twelve years of restraint, the episode of māyā-Sītā); Kālanemi; Hanumān’s mission to Droṇādri; Bharata’s arrow-vara; Kumbhakarṇa’s awakening, counsel and vadha; Ahirāvaṇa and Makaradhvaja; Narāntaka; Indrajit’s last battle and vadha at Nikumbhilā; Sulocanā’s tri-karaṇa-śuddhi test (purity of thought, word and deed) and sahagamana; Rāvaṇa-vadha (the māyā-yuddha, the secret of the nābhi-kuṇḍa, thirty-one arrows, on Caitraśuddha Daśamī, his teja merging into Rāma); Vibhīshaṇa’s coronation; Mandodarī’s lament; the reunion of Sītā and Rāma and Sītā’s agni-praveśa (entry into the fire); Trijaṭā consoling Sītā; the tribute of the devas; Brahmā’s stotra; Daśaratha’s darśana; Indra’s gratitude; the return in the Pushpaka Vimāna; Hanumān tells Bharata; Bharadvāja’s āśrama; Gaṅgā’s blessing; Rāma’s paṭṭābhisheka (coronation).
- Uttara Kāṇḍa: Bharata’s vigil at Nandīgrāma; Hanumān, as a brāhmaṇa, brings the good news; the reunion of Rāma and Bharata; Rāma honours Guha as equal to Bharata; Rāma’s paṭṭābhisheka on Vaiśākha Kṛshṇa Saptamī; the description of Rāma Rājya; the visit of the Sanakādi Kumāras and their stotra; Rāma’s teaching to Bharata on sādhu-lakshaṇa and dujana-lakshaṇa (the marks of the good and of the wicked); Garuḍa’s doubt at the nāgāstra episode; Garuḍa sent from Nārada to Brahmā to Śiva to Nīlādri; the dialogue of Garuḍa and Kākabhuśuṇḍi (the full Rāmāyaṇa narrated); Kākabhuśuṇḍi’s teaching on Rāma’s nature and on how he is both nirguṇa and saguṇa; Kākabhuśuṇḍi’s pūrva-gātha, the story of his past (a śūdra birth in Kali Yuga; guru-droha, the wrong done to his guru; Śiva’s śāpa; the Rudrāshṭakam; births as a serpent; a brāhmaṇa birth; the meeting with Lomaśa; the śāpa that made him a crow; the varadāna from Lomaśa); the cosmic vision of Bāla Rāma (the chase through the seven coverings; a hundred kalpas inside Rāma’s belly; the same Rāma in every brahmāṇḍa; the vara of bhakti); Kākabhuśuṇḍi’s teaching on bhakti and jñāna (māyā as nāṭyakattē; the asīdhārā-vrata, the vow like walking a sword’s edge; bhakti’s freedom from māyā); Śiva’s closing teaching to Pārvatī; Tulsīdāsa’s phalaśruti (the fruit of hearing the text).
The Lava-Kuśa Kāṇḍa (Pariśishṭa)
The Lava-Kuśa Kāṇḍa is a supplementary appendix (pariśishṭa) to the Rāmacaritamānas. It tells events from the closing decades of Rāma’s long reign that are not in the seven main kāṇḍas. It keeps the same frame of narration: Kākabhuśuṇḍi tells Garuḍa more about Rāma’s avatāra, at Garuḍa’s request to continue what the main text left unsaid. The kāṇḍa has 16 chapters. It begins with Rāma’s pilgrimage to Kāśī at Makara Saṅkrānti and ends with the mahāprasthāna (the great departure) of Rāma and all of Sāketa to Vaikuṇṭha.
Its main events are the Śambūka episode; the dog’s verdict; the citizens’ censure and Sītā’s exile; the queens’ yogāgni-nirgamana (leaving the body by the fire of yoga); the Aśvamedha yajña; Lavaṇāsura-vadha by Śatrughna; the capture of the horse by Lava and Kuśa; the great battles in which all of Rāma’s champions are defeated; the reunion of father and sons through Vālmīki’s revelation; Sītā’s tri-karaṇa-śuddhi oath and bhūpraveśa (entry into the earth); the completion of the yajña; Brahmā’s message through Yama; Durvāsa’s demand and Lakshmaṇa’s willing departure; and the great procession of the mahāprasthāna, in which all of Sāketa reaches Vaikuṇṭha.
The kāṇḍa closes in the same frame. Kākabhuśuṇḍi completes his narration to Garuḍa, and the passing of the narrative through Śiva and Pārvatī and through Yājñavalkya and Bharadvāja is confirmed. The closing verse declares that those who hear the guṇas (glories) of Raghunāyaka with reverence cross saṃsāra without a boat.
Teaching
Tulsīdāsa’s Rāmacaritamānas is rooted in the Vaishṇava devotion of the bhakti movement, shaped by Viśishṭādvaita. Bhagavān Rāma is presented as the supreme sac-cid-ānanda (being, consciousness and bliss) form of the Paramātmā. Though without attributes (nirguṇa) in his ultimate nature, he takes a form with attributes (saguṇa) out of love for his devotees. The text says again and again that Śiva and Keśava are not different, and that Śiva-bhakti and Rāma-bhakti are paths that complete each other. The devotion between Śiva and Rāma runs through the whole Bāla Kāṇḍa.
Chapters
Bāla Kāṇḍa
| Section | Title (Telugu) | Title (Sanskrit/Content) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | సతీ శంకరుల సంవాదము | Satī-Śaṅkara saṃvāda — Satī tests Rāma in Sītā’s form; Śiva’s vow (Phālāksha’s pratijñā) |
| 2 | ఫాలాక్షుని ప్రతిజ్ఞ | Phālāksha’s vow — Śiva resolves to treat Satī only as a mother henceforth |
| 3 | దక్ష యజ్ఞము | Daksha Yajña — Daksha’s pride; Satī’s self-immolation; Vīrabhadra’s destruction of the yajña |
| 4 | పార్వతీ జననము | Pārvatī’s birth — Satī reborn as Pārvatī in Himavat’s home; Nārada’s prophecy |
| 5 | పార్వతి తపస్సు | Pārvatī’s tapas — Ghora tapasya; Saptarshis test Pārvatī; Brahmā’s promise |
| 6 | సప్తర్షులు పార్వతిని పరీక్షించుట | Saptarshis test Pārvatī — Pārvatī’s unwavering declaration |
| 7 | కాముని దహనము | Kāmadahana — Tārakāsura’s tyranny; Kāma sent by Brahmā; Śiva burns Kāma; Rati’s lament |
| 8 | పార్వతీ పరిణయము | Pārvatī Pariṇaya — Śiva-Pārvatī wedding at Himavat’s home; Mainādevī’s initial dismay |
| 9 | శివుడు పార్వతికి రామ మహిమను గురించి ఉపదేశించుట | Śiva’s teaching on Rāma-mahima — Pārvatī’s questions; Śiva explains nirguṇa-saguṇa; frame narrative of Kākabhuśuṇḍi |
| 10 | రామావతారమునకు కారణములు | Causes of Rāmāvatāra — Jaya-Vijaya’s three births; Jalandhara’s wife’s śāpa; general reason of dharma-decline |
| 11 | నారదుని శాపము | Nārada’s śāpa — Nārada’s pride; Viśvamohini’s svayaṃvara; Nārada’s monkey-face; śāpa on Vishṇu |
| 12 | మను చరిత్ర | Manu Carita — Svāyambhuva Manu and Śatarūpā’s tapas; Vishṇu’s promise to be born as their son |
| 13 | ప్రతాపభానుని కథ | Pratāpabhānu Kathā — King Pratāpabhānu; the false ṛshi; brāhmaṇas’ śāpa; birth as Rāvaṇa |
| 14 | రావణ వృత్తాంతము | Rāvaṇa Vṛttānta — Birth of Rāvaṇa, Kumbhakarṇa, Vibhīshaṇa; tapas; Laṅkā; Mandodarī; Meghanāda/Indrajit |
| 15 | దనుజేశుని దుండగములు | Dānava king’s misdeeds — Rāvaṇa’s conquest of the three worlds; Indra captured by Indrajit |
| 16 | భూదేవి ఆక్రందన | Bhūdevi’s lament — Earth approaches Brahmā; Vishṇu’s promise to be born at Ayodhyā |
| 17 | శ్రీరామ జననము | Śrī Rāma Janana — Daśaratha; Putrakāmeshṭi yajña; pāyasa distribution; Rāma born in Caitra śukla navamī |
| 18 | నామకరణము | Nāmakaraṇa — Vasishṭha names the four princes: Rāma, Bharata, Lakshmaṇa, Śatrughna |
| 19 | ప్రవర్ధమానులు | Growing up — Childhood līlās; Kauśalyā’s vision of Viśvarūpa; education; upanayana |
| 20 | విశ్వామిత్రుని వెంట రామలక్ష్మణులు వెళ్లుట | Journey with Viśvāmitra — Tāṭakī-vadha; Bala-Atibala vidyās; Mārīca-Subāhu episode |
| 21 | మిథిలా నగర దర్శనము | Mithilā city visit — Ahalyā’s moksha; journey to Mithilā; Janaka’s welcome |
| 22 | రామలక్ష్మణులు నగరము దర్శించుట | Rāma and Lakshmaṇa explore the city — the women of Mithilā admire them |
| 23 | రాముడు జానకిని చూచుట | Rāma sees Jānakī — First meeting in the flower garden; Sītā prays to Gaurī |
| 24 | — | Dhanuryajña assembly — Janaka’s proclamation; failed attempts by kings |
| 25 | పరశురాముని ప్రవేశము | Paraśurāma’s arrival — Śiva-dhanus broken; Paraśurāma arrives in fury; dialogue with Rāma and Lakshmaṇa; Vaishṇava-dhanus episode |
| 26 | శ్రీ సీతా రాముల కల్యాణము | Śrī Sītā-Rāma Kalyāṇa — Mithilā’s decoration; Daśaratha’s arrival; the four marriages; return to Ayodhyā |
| 27 | పెండ్లి వారి ప్రయాణము | Wedding party’s journey — Return to Ayodhyā; joyful reception; Viśvāmitra’s departure |
Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa
The Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa is the second step (dvitīyaḥ sopānaḥ) of the Rāmacaritamānasa — the stairway of devotion leading the devotee to Śrī Rāma’s feet. It narrates the events from the preparation of Rāma’s coronation to his acceptance by the people of Ayodhyā through the pādukā-rājya at Nandigrāma. Its recitation destroys the defects of the Kaliyuga and bestow jñāna and vairāgya upon the devotee.
| Section | Title (Telugu) | Title (Sanskrit/Content) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | పట్టాభిషేక ప్రయత్నము | Paṭṭābhisheka Prayatna — Daśaratha’s desire to crown Rāma; Vasishṭha’s approval; city decorated; Rāma’s reflection on his brothers |
| 2 | దేవతల భయము | Devatala Bhayamu — Devas approach Sarasvatī in fear; they plead for Rāma’s exile so that Rāvaṇa may be slain |
| 3 | మంథర! | Mantharā — Sarasvatī descends into Mantharā; Mantharā poisons Kaikeyī’s mind against Rāma’s coronation |
| 4 | కైక వరము లడుగుట | Kaikeyī’s Demands — Kaikeyī enters the kopa-bhavana; Daśaratha’s anguish; Kaikeyī demands Rāma’s exile and Bharata’s coronation |
| 5 | కైకేయి – రాముడు | Kaikeyī and Rāma — Rāma’s calm acceptance of his father’s command; his instructions to Sītā; Sītā’s resolve to accompany him |
| 6 | తల్లి వీడ్కోలు | Mother’s Farewell — Rāma takes leave of Kauśalyā and the queens; Sumitrā’s fortitude; Daśaratha’s grief; Lakshmaṇa joins Rāma |
| 7 | వన ప్రయాణము | Vana Prayāṇa — The forest journey begins; Sumantra drives the chariot; the grief of Ayodhyā’s citizens; crossing the Tamasā |
| 8 | నిషాదుడు | Nishāda — Meeting with Nishādapati Guha; Guha’s devotion; spending the night at Śṛṅgaverapura; Sumantra sent back |
| 9 | గంగను దాటుట | Gaṅgā Crossing — Kevaṭa the ferryman washes Rāma’s feet; devas rain flowers; crossing the Gaṅgā; Kevaṭa refuses payment and receives akshaya bhakti |
| 10 | భరద్వాజుని సందర్శనము | Bharadvāja’s Hospitality — Arrival at Prayāga; Maharshi Bharadvāja’s welcome; his counsel to proceed to Citrakūṭa |
| 11 | యమునా తీరము | Yamunā Tīra — Crossing the Yamunā; the beauty of the forest; the joy of the forest peoples |
| 12 | గ్రామ ప్రజల ప్రేమోత్కంఠత | Village People’s Love — The grief and devotion of the forest villages through which Rāma passes |
| 13 | వాల్మీకి ఆశ్రమము | Vālmīki Āśrama — Meeting with Maharshi Vālmīki; Vālmīki’s welcome; his guidance to settle at Citrakūṭa |
| 14 | చిత్రకూట నివాసము | Citrakūṭa Nivāsa — Rāma, Sītā, and Lakshmaṇa build their parṇaśālā at Citrakūṭa; the beauty of the mountain and the Mandākinī |
| 15 | సుమంత్రుని తిరుగు ప్రయాణము | Sumantra’s Return — Sumantra returns to Ayodhyā; delivers Rāma’s message; Daśaratha’s anguish deepens |
| 16 | దశరథుని దేహ త్యాగము | Daśaratha’s Death — Daśaratha recalls the śāpa of the blind brāhmaṇa; recounts the Śravaṇa-kumāra tragedy; dies calling Rāma’s name |
| 17 | భరత శత్రుఘ్నుల పునరాగమనము | Bharata and Śatrughna’s Return — The princes return from Kaikeyī’s maternal home at Kekaya; Bharata’s grief and rejection of his mother’s act |
| 18 | భరతుని నిర్ణయము | Bharata’s Resolution — Bharata refuses the throne; his determination to bring Rāma back; preparations for the journey to the forest |
| 19 | భరతాదుల చిత్రకూట ప్రయాణము | Journey to Citrakūṭa — Bharata leads the entire retinue of Ayodhyā towards Citrakūṭa |
| 20 | నిషాదపతిని కలుసుకొనుట | Meeting Nishādapati — Bharata’s loving reunion with Guha; Guha narrates the Gaṅgā crossing and the Kevaṭa episode |
| 21 | భరతునికి భరద్వాజుని ఆతిథ్యము | Bharadvāja’s Hospitality to Bharata — Bharata arrives at Prayāga; Bharadvāja hosts the entire army with divine hospitality |
| 22 | భరతుని పరవశత | Bharata’s Grief — Bharata’s overwhelming sorrow as he approaches Citrakūṭa; his love for Rāma |
| 23 | చిత్రకూట దర్శనము | Citrakūṭa Darśana — Bharata and the army arrive at Citrakūṭa; Rāma sees them from afar |
| 24 | సోదరుల సమాగమము | Brothers’ Reunion — The extraordinary meeting of Rāma and Bharata at Citrakūṭa; the grief and love of all present |
| 25 | చిత్రకూట సభ | Citrakūṭa Sabhā — The great assembly at Citrakūṭa including Vasishṭha, Janaka, all the queens; arguments for Rāma’s return; Rāma’s firm refusal; Janaka Mahārāja’s wisdom; Sunayā’s meeting with the queens |
| 26 | జనకుని ఆగమనము | Janaka’s Arrival — Janaka and Sunayā arrive from Mithilā; meeting with Sītā in bark-cloth; philosophical exchanges among the queens |
| 27 | భరతాదులు చిత్రకూట ప్రాంతమును తిలకించుట | Exploring Citrakūṭa — Bharata explores the sacred spots of Citrakūṭa under Atri Maharshi’s guidance; consecration of the Bharata-Kūpa |
| 28 | పాదుకా ప్రదానము | Pādukā Pradāna — Rāma bestows his pādukās upon Bharata; Bharata’s return to Ayodhyā; establishment of the pādukā-rājya at Nandigrāma; the Pādukā Pūjā |
Closing verse
The Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa concludes with the declaration:
“This is the dvitīyaḥ sopānaḥ — the second step of the Rāmacaritamānasa. He who listens to it with faith and devotion shall have the defects of the Kaliyuga destroyed, and shall be blessed with jñāna, vairāgya, and Bhagavat-kṛpā.”
Araṇya Kāṇḍa
The Araṇya Kāṇḍa is the third step (tṛtīyaḥ sopānaḥ) of the Rāmacaritamānasa — called the “step of vimala vairāgya” (spotless detachment). It narrates the events from Rāma’s initial wandering in Daṇḍakāraṇya through the Sītā abduction, Jaṭāyu’s moksha, Kabandha, Śabarī, and concludes with the Nārada-Pampā Saṃvāda. Its recitation destroys all taints of the Kali Yuga and bestow pure vairāgya and bhakti.
| Section | Title (Telugu) | Title (Sanskrit/Content) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | కాకాసురుని పరాభవము | Kākāsura Episode — Jayanta (Indra’s son) takes crow form; pierces Sītā’s foot; Rāma releases grass-blade Brahmāstra; Jayanta flees through all worlds; Nārada’s counsel; surrender; loss of one eye |
| 2 | రామలక్ష్మణులు ఋష్యాశ్రమములను దర్శించుట | Visiting the Ṛshi Āśramas — Leaving Citrakūṭa; Atri’s āśrama; Anasūyā’s teaching to Sītā and gift of divine ornaments; Virādha slain; Śarabhaṅga’s self-immolation in Rāma’s presence; munis show bones of slain ṛshis; Rāma’s vow; Sutīkshṇa’s ecstatic bhakti; journey to Agastya; Agastya recommends Pañcavaṭī; origin of Daṇḍakāraṇya |
| 3 | పంచవటి | Pañcavaṭī — Meeting Jaṭāyu; building the parṇaśālā; Lakshmaṇa’s philosophical question; Rāma’s teaching on Māyā (vidyā/avidyā), Jñāna, Vairāgya, and Navadhā Bhakti; one year of peaceful forest life |
| 4 | శూర్పణఖ | Śūrpaṇakhā — Rāvaṇa’s sister arrives in Mohinī form; Rāma sends her to Lakshmaṇa; Lakshmaṇa’s refusal; she attacks Sītā; Lakshmaṇa cuts off her nose and ears |
| 5 | ఖర దూషణుల వధ | Khara-Dūshaṇa-Vadha — Śūrpaṇakhā incites Khara-Dūshaṇa-Triśiras; army of 14,000; Rāma sends Lakshmaṇa with Sītā to cave; the unique Tulasī secret: Rāma instructs real Sītā to enter Agni, leaving the chāyā-rūpa; battle; Rāma uses māyā — rākshasas see each other as Rāma and destroy each other; all 14,000 slain |
| 6 | శూర్పణఖ రావణునితో మొరపెట్టు కొనుట | Śūrpaṇakhā’s Complaint to Rāvaṇa — Description of Sītā’s beauty; Rāvaṇa’s night reflection (recognizing Rāma as divine); Rāvaṇa goes to Mārīca |
| 7 | మారీచుడు | Mārīca — Rāvaṇa approaches Mārīca; Mārīca warns Rāvaṇa with full account of Rāma’s feats (Tāṭakā, Subāhu, Śiva-dhanus, Khara-Dūshaṇa); Rāvaṇa’s angry response |
| 8 | మాయలేడి | Māyā Deer — Mārīca’s devotional reflection (prefers death at Rāma’s hand); becomes the golden deer; Sītā’s request; Rāma chases it far; kills Mārīca whose cry “Hā Lakshmaṇā!” summons Lakshmaṇa; Sītā’s fear and insistence; Lakshmaṇa departs |
| 9 | సీతాపహరణము | Sītā’s Abduction — Rāvaṇa as false sannyāsī; Sītā’s rebuke; Rāvaṇa’s revelation; Sītā’s fearless defiance; Rāvaṇa carries chāyā-Sītā skyward; Jaṭāyu’s fierce battle; Rāvaṇa severs Jaṭāyu’s wings; chāyā-Sītā drops her jewels to Sugrīva’s group on Ṛshyamūka; imprisonment in Aśoka Vāṭikā |
| 10 | రాముని విలాపము | Rāma’s Lament — Rāma searches the forest in apparent viraha-grief; speaks to trees, birds, and animals; the poetic lament of separation |
| 11 | జటాయువు దహన సంస్కారము | Jaṭāyu’s Antima Kriyā — Rāma finds the mortally wounded Jaṭāyu; Jaṭāyu narrates the abduction; Rāma’s compassion; Jaṭāyu’s moksha as four-armed Vaikuṇṭha sārūpya; Rāma performs full funeral rites |
| 12 | కబంధుడు | Kabandha — Origin: gandharva mocked Durvāsa’s musicianship; through a śāpa took a rākshasa form; Indra’s vajra drove his head into his belly; Indra’s compensatory vara of long arms; Rāma severs his arms; Kabandha’s moksha; directs Rāma to Sugrīva |
| 13 | శబరి | Śabarī — Mataṅga’s prophecy; Śabarī’s 10,000-year wait; Rāma and Lakshmaṇa arrive; she offers pre-tasted fruit; Rāma’s joy; navadhā bhakti teaching; Śabarī’s narration of Mataṅga’s prophecy (Sītā-apahāra, Rāvaṇa-vadha, Rāma-paṭṭābhisheka); directions to Pampā and Sugrīva; Śabarī’s self-immolation and moksha |
| 14 | రామ లక్ష్మణులు పంపా సరోవరము చేరుట | Pampā Sarovara and Nārada-Pampā Saṃvāda — Rāma’s viraha lament at the lake; nature’s beauty sharpening separation; Nārada’s visit; Nārada asks why Rāma disrupted his Viśvamohinī episode; Rāma’s explanation on stṛ-māyā and devotee-protection; Nārada asks for sādhu-lakshaṇas; Rāma’s full enumeration; Nārada’s departure |
Closing verse
Iti Śrīmad Rāmacaritamānase, sakala kali-kalūsha vidhvaṃsane — vimala vairāgya sampādana-nāma — tṛtīyaḥ sopānaḥ samāptaḥ.
“Here ends the third step of the Śrīmad Rāmacaritamānasa — which destroys all the taints of the Kali Yuga and which is named the Bestower of Pure Vairāgya.”
Kishkindhā Kāṇḍa
The Kishkindhā Kāṇḍa of the Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa (Rāmacaritamānas) narrates the sacred events from Rāma’s arrival at Ṛshyamūka mountain through the departure of the southern vānara party toward the ocean. It covers the formation of the Rāma-Sugrīva alliance, the slaying of Vāli, the Varsha-Ṛtu discourse on nature and spirit, Sugrīva’s repentance and gathering of the army, and the discovery of Sītā’s location through Saṃpāti, culminating in Jāmbavān’s awakening of Hanumān’s dormant power.
| Section | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sugrīva-Rāma Maitrī | Hanumān meets Rāma in brāhmaṇa guise; recognizes him from his voice; reveals himself; carries both princes to Ṛshyamūka; Rāma-Sugrīva Agni-sākshi friendship; Sītā’s ornaments shown |
| 2 | Vāli-Sugrīva Vṛttānta | Sugrīva narrates his birth from Ṛksharāja; the Māyāvī cave episode; Rāma shows his power (Dundubhi’s skeleton, seven tāl trees pierced); Rāma’s vow to slay Vāli |
| 3 | Vāli-Vadha — First Battle | First combat fails as Rāma cannot distinguish the brothers; Rāma gives Sugrīva a garland as marker; Tārā’s warning before the second battle |
| 4 | Vāli-Vadha — Second Battle | Arrow strikes Vāli in the chest; Vāli challenges Rāma with the “Dharma hetu” verse; Rāma’s dharmic justification; Vāli’s repentance; Rāma blesses Vāli; Vāli hands over Aṅgada; Vāli’s peaceful death |
| 5 | Antima-Kriyā and Coronation | Tārā’s grief; Rāma’s jñāna-upadeśa to Tārā; Sugrīva’s coronation; Aṅgada as yuvarāja; Rāma’s rāja-dharma teaching to Sugrīva; Rāma moves to Pravarashaṇa mountain |
| 6 | Varsha-Ṛtu | Rāma and Lakshmaṇa on Pravarashaṇa mountain during the rains; eighteen philosophical comparisons from nature — clouds, lightning, rivers, peacocks, cātaka birds; Śarat-ṛtu observations |
| 7 | Sugrīvuni Paścāttāpa | Rāma’s anger at Sugrīva’s delay; Hanumān’s rebuke to Sugrīva; Sugrīva gathers the army; Lakshmaṇa goes to Kishkindhā; Aṅgada receives him; Tārā pacifies Lakshmaṇa; all return to Rāma |
| 8 | Sugrīvājñā | Sugrīva addresses the assembled vānara army; assigns search parties to all four directions; Aṅgada, Hanumān, Nīla, Jāmbavān assigned the south; Rāma gives Hanumān his signet ring |
| 9 | Anvēshaṇa | Southern party travels through forests, mountains, and caves; rākshasas encountered and slain; progress southward |
| 10 | Svayaṃprabhā | Vānaras enter a cave tormented by thirst; find a magical realm with lotus-ponds; meet the tapasvinī Svayaṃprabhā; she narrates the cave’s history (built by Hema, Viśvakarma’s daughter); transports the vānaras to the ocean shore; then goes to receive Rāma’s darśana |
| 11 | Saṃpāti | Vānaras fall into despair on the ocean shore; Saṃpāti (Jaṭāyu’s elder brother) emerges from a cave; Aṅgada names Jaṭāyu; Saṃpāti grieves for his brother; narrates his own story — the race to the sun, wings burnt, Candra Muni’s prophecy; reveals Sītā’s location in Laṅkā’s Aśoka Vāṭikā; his wings are restored by Bhagavān Rāma’s grace |
| 12 | Jāmbavān-Hanumān Saṃvāda | All vānaras assess who can cross the hundred-yojana ocean; Jāmbavān recalls his pradakshiṇa of Vishṇu’s cosmic step; Aṅgada volunteers but is restrained; Jāmbavān awakens Hanumān’s dormant power; Hanumān’s resolve; departure blessed by Jāmbavān’s final counsel |
Key Themes
- Maitrī-dharma: The Agni-sākshi alliance as the model of dharmic friendship
- Vāli-vadha controversy: The reconciliation of concealed killing with kshatriya-dharma through Rāma’s discourse
- Varsha-Ṛtu philosophy: Nature as mirror of the spiritual life — eighteen sustained philosophical comparisons
- Rāja-dharma: Rāma’s post-coronation teaching to Sugrīva on governance
- Bhakti and forgetfulness: Sugrīva’s lapse and Hanumān’s faithful intercession as a study in the distraction of prosperity and the necessity of devotion
- Śakti-Sphūrti: Jāmbavān’s awakening of Hanumān’s forgotten divine power — the pattern of the guru reminding the disciple of his own śakti
Sundara Kāṇḍa
The Sundara Kāṇḍa is the fifth staircase (pañcamaḥ sopānaḥ) of the Rāmacaritamānas composed by Gosvāmī Tulsīdāsa. The Sundara Kāṇḍa narrates Hanumān’s ocean crossing, his discovery of Sītā in the Aśoka Vaṭikā, his embassy on Rāma’s behalf, the burning of Laṅkā, and the momentous events leading to the bridge-building, including Vibhīshaṇa’s śaraṇāgati at Rāma’s feet and Samudra’s appearance. The kāṇḍa ends with Samudra suggesting the Setu construction via Nala and Nīla and Śrī Rāma shooting an arrow at the Kirati territory.
| Section | Telugu Heading | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | సముద్రోల్లంఘనము | Samudra Ullanghanam — Hanumān leaps the ocean |
| 2 | హనుమంతుడు లంకను దర్శించెను | Hanumān surveys Laṅkā |
| 3 | లంకా ప్రవేశము | Entry into Laṅkā; Vibhīshaṇa’s house; Aśoka Vaṭikā |
| 4 | మారుతి జానకిని దర్శించెను | Hanumān finds Sītā |
| 5 | రావణుడు సీతను బెదరించుట | Rāvaṇa threatens Sītā; Trijaṭā’s dream |
| 6 | వాయు పుత్రుని దౌత్యము | Hanumān’s embassy — ring, message, Cūḍāmaṇi |
| 7 | మహావీరుడు బంధితుడగుట | Garden destroyed; Aksha Kumāra slain; Brahmāstra capture |
| 8 | లంకా దహనము | Laṅkā burning; Sītā’s prayer; Vibhīshaṇa’s house spared |
| 9 | హనుమంతుడు సీతను వీడ్కొనుట | Hanumān bids farewell to Sītā |
| 10 | హనుమంతుని పునరాగమనము | Return crossing; Madhu Vana; report to Rāma; Cūḍāmaṇi |
| 11 | [Mandodarī’s Counsel] | Mandodarī identifies Rāma as Nārāyaṇa and Sītā as Ādi Lakshmī |
| 12 | విభీషణుని హితబోధ | Vibhīshaṇa’s counsel in the sabhā; Mālyavān supports; Rāvaṇa expels Vibhīshaṇa |
| 13 | విభీషణ శరణాగతి | Vibhīshaṇa’s śaraṇāgati; Rāma’s embrace and declaration; Laṅkā coronation with sea-water |
| 14 | రావణుని చారులు | Śuka-Sāraṇa spy episode; Lakshmaṇa’s mercy and letter; Śuka’s past as a ṛshi under Agastya’s śāpa |
| 15 | సముద్రుడు స్వామి సన్నిధికి వచ్చుట | Samudra appears as brāhmaṇa; “Ḍhola” verse; Nala-Nīla’s floating-stone vara; Kirati arrow |
Section by section
1. Samudra Ullanghanam (సముద్రోల్లంఘనము)
Hanumān’s leap across the hundred-yojana ocean. Maināka mountain rises to offer rest; Hanumān presses on. Surasā (mother of nāgas) tests him by expanding her mouth; Hanumān enters and exits in thumb-form and she blesses him. Siṃhikā (the shadow-seizing rākshasī) arrests his flight; Hanumān destroys her from within. He lands on Laṅkā’s northern shore and assumes a small form to move unseen.
2. Hanumān Surveys Laṅkā
Hanumān surveys the magnificent golden city of Laṅkā — its palaces, gardens, assembly halls, and armies. He enters in a subtle form and observes Rāvaṇa resting with his queens in the inner chambers.
3. Laṅkā Praveśam
Entering deeper into the city, Hanumān discovers Vibhīshaṇa’s house — recognizable by the Rāma nāma inscribed on it and by the sounds of Vishṇu-stotra within. He enters the Aśoka Vaṭikā and discovers Sītā seated beneath a Śiṃśupā tree, guarded by rākshasīs.
4. Hanumān Finds Sītā (మారుతి జానకిని దర్శించెను)
Hanumān, perched in the Śiṃśupā tree, watches Rāvaṇa arrive and threaten Sītā. Sītā refuses all enticements and insults, placing a blade of grass between herself and Rāvaṇa. After Rāvaṇa leaves, Trijaṭā narrates her prophetic dream to the assembled rākshasīs. Sītā stands in despair on the verge of ending her life when Hanumān drops Rāma’s signet ring. She is overcome with joy; Hanumān reveals himself, delivers Rāma’s message, and receives the Cūḍāmaṇi.
5. Rāvaṇa Threatens Sītā (రావణుడు సీతను బెదరించుట)
Rāvaṇa gives Sītā a final ultimatum: accept him or face death within two months. Sītā rebukes him. Rāvaṇa orders the rākshasīs to intimidate her and leaves. Trijaṭā narrates her dream: Rāma triumphed in white; Rāvaṇa fell from his chariot, smeared in oil, dragged south on a donkey; Vibhīshaṇa was crowned in Laṅkā; Laṅkā burned — all signs of Rāma’s imminent victory.
6. Vāyu-putra’s Embassy (వాయు పుత్రుని దౌత్యము)
Hanumān comes down from the tree, drops the ring, reveals his identity to Sītā, and delivers Rāma’s message of love and resolve. He offers to carry her across the ocean; Sītā declines — Rāma must come as a conqueror. She gives him the Cūḍāmaṇi and a message that includes the reference to the crow episode (Jayanta) as a recognition token.
7. Mahāvīra Captured (మహావీరుడు బంధితుడగుట)
Hanumān destroys the pleasure garden (Pramadā Vana), killing eighty thousand kiṅkaras, Jambumālī, the minister’s sons, and five generals. Aksha Kumāra — Rāvaṇa’s gifted young son — fights brilliantly but is slain. Indrajit captures Hanumān with the Brahmāstra. In Rāvaṇa’s court, Hanumān delivers Rāma’s direct message: release Sītā or face annihilation. Rāvaṇa orders him killed; Vibhīshaṇa argues dūta-dharma; Rāvaṇa relents and orders the tail burned instead.
8. Laṅkā Dāhana (లంకా దహనము)
Hanumān’s tail, ablaze, is wrapped in oil-soaked cloth by the rākshasas. Hanumān breaks free and leaps from palace to palace, setting all of Laṅkā alight. Sītā’s prayer to Agni makes the fire cool on Hanumān’s tail. He spares only Vibhīshaṇa’s house. He extinguishes his tail in the ocean, returns to confirm Sītā is safe, and prepares for departure.
9. Farewell to Sītā (హనుమంతుడు సీతను వీడ్కొనుట)
Hanumān bids formal farewell to Sītā. She gives him the Cūḍāmaṇi and her final message for Rāma — including words of her longing and her complete faith in Rāma’s rescue.
10. Hanumān’s Return (హనుమంతుని పునరాగమనము)
Hanumān crosses back over the ocean, reunites with the search party, and leads them to Madhu Vana — where the joyful vānaras eat the honey. Sugrīva forgives the transgression on hearing of Sītā’s discovery. The party returns to Śrī Rāma; Hanumān presents the Cūḍāmaṇi with Sītā’s full message. Rāma embraces the gem as he would Sītā herself. The army then sets out southward.
11. Mandodarī’s Counsel
After Laṅkā’s burning, Mandodarī approaches Rāvaṇa with anguish and devotion. She explicitly declares that Rāma is no ordinary mortal — he is Śrīmadnārāyaṇa who has descended in human form, and Sītā is Ādi Lakshmī herself. She begs Rāvaṇa to return Sītā before the entire rākshasa dynasty is destroyed. Rāvaṇa dismisses her with condescending laughter, embraces her to pacify her, and leaves.
12. Vibhīshaṇa’s Hitabodha (విభీషణుని హితబోధ)
Vibhīshaṇa addresses the war-council in Rāvaṇa’s sabhā where commanders boast of easy victory. He urges dharmic restraint: abducting a pativratā is adharma; Rāma is the Paramātman who descended for lokakshema; Pulastya’s own disciple had privately conveyed this secret to Vibhīshaṇa. Mālyavān, the senior statesman, rises and supports Vibhīshaṇa. Rāvaṇa loses his temper, accuses both of treason, and physically kicks Vibhīshaṇa out of the sabhā.
13. Vibhīshaṇa Śaraṇāgati (విభీషణ శరణాగతి)
Vibhīshaṇa rises into the sky with his four ministers and declares his departure for Rāma. He crosses the ocean and approaches the vānara camp, reciting the celebrated Avadhi verse (dekhihauṃ jāi caraṇa jalajātā). Sugrīva suspects treachery; Rāma pronounces his eternal vow of protecting all who take shelter in him. Vibhīshaṇa falls at Rāma’s feet; Rāma lifts him, embraces him, and declares his rākshasatva instantly dissolved. Rāma then consecrates Vibhīshaṇa as the new king of Laṅkā, pouring sea-water over him in a public ceremony.
14. Rāvaṇa’s Spies (రావణుని చారులు)
Rāvaṇa sends Śuka and Sāraṇa disguised as vānaras into Rāma’s camp. Vibhīshaṇa recognizes them; the vānaras seize them. Sugrīva orders their mutilation; Lakshmaṇa intervenes invoking dūta-dharma and releases them, sending a letter with Rāvaṇa’s final warning. Śuka, revealed to be a maharshi who had become a rākshasa through Agastya’s śāpa for disrespecting the ṛshi, receives moksha from Śrī Rāma’s touch.
15. Samudra Appears (సముద్రుడు స్వామి సన్నిధికి వచ్చుట)
Śrī Rāma prays to Samudra for three days and nights without response. Enraged, he takes up his bow to dry the ocean with a single arrow; the entire sea churns in terror. Samudra appears in the form of a brāhmaṇa bearing gifts, prostrates at Rāma’s feet, cites the celebrated “Ḍhola gāṃvāra śūdra paśu nārī” verse as his excuse, and proposes the bridge-building solution: Nala and Nīla, who received a vara from a muni that objects they cast into water will float. Rāma agrees. He shoots the remaining arrow at the Kirati territory on the northern shore, making it permanently fertile. Samudra tells Rāma about Rāvaṇa’s history and takes his leave.
Closing verse
The Sundara Kāṇḍa closes with a colophon verse:
Sakala sumaṅgala dāyaka Raghunāyaka guṇa-gāna — sādara sunahiṃ te tarahiṃ bhava-sindhu binā jalajāna
“Those who listen with devotion to the glories of Raghunātha, the bestower of all auspiciousness, will cross the ocean of saṃsāra without a boat.”
This is followed by the formal colophon closing the fifth staircase:
iti śrīmadrāmacaritamānase sakala kali kalūsha dhvaṃsane viśuddha jñāna sampādano nāma pañcamaḥ sopānaḥ samāptaḥ
Laṅkā Kāṇḍa
The Laṅkā Kāṇḍa is the sixth of the seven kāṇḍas of Gosvāmī Tulsīdāsa’s Rāmacaritamānas. Narrated within the frame of Śiva’s account to Pārvatī (as relayed by Kākabhuśuṇḍi to Garuḍa), the Laṅkā Kāṇḍa spans from the construction of the Setu to the return journey of Rāma, Sītā, and Lakshmaṇa in the Pushpaka Vimāna. The kāṇḍa closes with the famous phrase:
Iti Śrī Rāmacaritamānase sakala kalikalasha vidhvaṃsane vimala vijñāna saṃpādano nāma shashṭhaḥ sopānaḥ samāptaḥ
“The sixth step, named the dispeller of all Kali-blemishes and the bestower of pure wisdom, is here complete.”
1. Setu Construction and Rāmeśvara Installation
Nala and Nīla supervise the construction of the great bridge across the ocean. The Setu is completed in five days with the entire vānara army’s effort. Before crossing, Bhagavān Rāma worships Śiva with a pārthiva liṅga fashioned from seashore sand, installing the Rāmeśvara liṅga that stands as a tīrtha for all time. Tulsīdāsa records a celebrated verse affirming the non-difference of Śiva and Vishṇu. The army crosses to Laṅkā’s shore.
2. Rāvaṇa’s War Council and Suvela Mountain
Rāvaṇa convenes his ministers. Prahasta advises wisely — warning that Rāma is no ordinary mortal and that returning Sītā is the only recourse — but Rāvaṇa dismisses him. From Suvela mountain, Rāma sends an arrow that destroys Rāvaṇa’s pleasure-palace ornaments without harming anyone, showing his measureless power. Mandodarī counsels Rāvaṇa at length, identifying Rāma as the Virāṭ svarūpa. Sāraṇa, the spy, describes Rāma’s army commanders to Rāvaṇa.
3. Aṅgada’s Embassy
Rāma dispatches Aṅgada as his dūta to Rāvaṇa’s sabhā. Aṅgada enters Laṅkā, confronts the assembled rākshasas, and stamps his foot — no one in the court can move it. He then seizes Rāvaṇa’s four crowns and hurls them to Rāma’s feet, declaring that the rākshasa king has abandoned the four qualities of rājadharma they represented.
4. Mandodarī’s Hitabodha — Second Counsel
Mandodarī delivers an extended and detailed second counsel to Rāvaṇa, listing all of Rāma’s feats — the Śiva-dhanus, the Kākāsura episode, the destruction of Khara-Dūshaṇa, the Vāli-vadha, the moksha of Virādha and Kabandha, the crossing of the Lakshmaṇa-rekhā, Hanumān’s burning of Laṅkā, and the Aṅgada embassy — pleading with him to release Sītā.
5. Vidyujjihva’s Illusion and Saramā’s Comfort
Rāvaṇa commands the rākshasa Vidyujjihva to conjure an illusory head of Rāma and a bow. He shows these to Sītā, causing her to faint in grief. Saramā, wife of Vibhīshaṇa, comes to Sītā’s side and comforts her with words of truth.
6. The Four-Gate Siege
Rāma assigns the siege positions: Nīla to the eastern gate, Aṅgada to the southern, Hanumān to the western (facing Meghanāda), and Rāma himself to the northern gate. The battle commences. On the first day Rāma dispels a rākshasa-created darkness with the Āgneyāstra. Mālyavān counsels Rāvaṇa after the first day’s reverses; Rāvaṇa expels him. Meghanāda fights brilliantly; Lakshmaṇa is struck by the Vīraghātinī Śakti and falls.
7. Sañjīvanī — Hanumān’s First Journey
Susheṇa, the vānara physician, is brought from Laṅkā. He prescribes four specific herbs from the Droṇādri (Droṇa mountain). Hanumān is dispatched. Unable to identify the herbs, he uproots the entire mountain. On his return path through Ayodhyā in the night, Bharata sights the silhouette and shoots him with an arrow. Hanumān falls crying “Hā Rāmā!” — and Bharata rushes to him in remorse. Hanumān revives, meets Bharata, Śatrughna, the three queens, and the great Vasishṭha, who marvels at Rāma’s glories. Hanumān returns with Droṇādri; Susheṇa applies the herbs; Lakshmaṇa revives; all fallen vānaras revive from the mountain’s aura.
8. Kālanemi Episode
Rāvaṇa sends the rākshasa Kālanemi to mislead Hanumān by posing as a ṛshi at a fake āśrama. Kālanemi recites an Avadhi verse praising Rāma before Hanumān (aware of the deception) and then directs him to a lake. In the lake a crocodile attacks Hanumān; the crocodile is a gandharva woman, and she is released from Durvāsa’s śāpa. Hanumān kills Kālanemi.
9. Kumbhakarṇa — Awakening, Counsel, and Vadha
Rāvaṇa awakens Kumbhakarṇa. The great rākshasa prince counsels Rāvaṇa honestly — narrating how Nārada had told him long ago that Bhagavān Vishṇu would descend to relieve the earth’s burden, and that Rāvaṇa has brought disaster upon himself. Kumbhakarṇa then sets aside his counsel and chooses fraternal duty. He meets his brother Vibhīshaṇa on the battlefield, blesses him, and then launches himself at the vānara army with devastating effect. He is finally slain by Rāma. Tulsīdāsa records an Avadhi stuti of Rāma on the battlefield; Śiva tells Pārvatī that even the asuras slain by Rāma attain Vaikuṇṭha.
10. Meghanāda’s Background and Second Battle
Śiva narrates Meghanāda’s history to Pārvatī: born crying like thunder (hence Meghanāda), he conquered Indra (hence Indrajit); received the Māyā-ratha from Devī after twelve years of tapas; condition that anyone who has gone twelve years without sleep, food, or women’s company can defeat him; captured Indra and received the “Śakti” from Brahmā in exchange for Indra’s release; married Sulocanā, daughter of Vāsuki. Meghanāda creates a māyā-Sītā and kills her before Hanumān’s eyes; Hanumān is shattered with grief; Vibhīshaṇa explains it was māyā; Hanumān verifies that the real Sītā is safe.
11. Nāgāstra — Rāma-Lakshmaṇa Bound; Garuḍa’s Arrival
Indrajit, having failed with the māyā-Sītā tactic, returns to battle. He fights from the invisible Māyā-ratha and strikes down the commanders — Nala, Nīla, Aṅgada, Hanumān, Sugrīva, Vibhīshaṇa — then binds Rāma and Lakshmaṇa with the Nāgāstra. Jāmbavān alone challenges him, returns his own śūla, and hurls Meghanāda into Laṅkā. Garuḍa arrives, sent by Nārada; the serpents flee at his scent; Rāma and Lakshmaṇa are freed and rise as if from sleep.
12. Nikumbhilā Yajña and Meghanāda-Vadha
Indrajit retreats to the Nikumbhilā grove to perform his Ajaya-yajña. If completed, he becomes impossible to slay. Vibhīshaṇa informs Rāma; Lakshmaṇa is dispatched with Aṅgada, Hanumān, and a vānara host to interrupt the yajña. They drag Indrajit from the yajña-vedi; he fights furiously with his trident; Lakshmaṇa matches him with a mahāstra and slays him. Meghanāda’s dying words: “Hā Rāmā! Hā Lakshmaṇā!” Aṅgada and the others offer tribute to the fallen hero.
13. Sulocanā Episode — Patīvratā and Sahagamana
Meghanāda’s severed arm falls in Laṅkā near his home. His wife Sulocanā — Vāsuki’s daughter, the supreme patīvratā — recognizes the arm and has a servant place a leaf in the severed fingers. The arm writes a message confirming Rāma and Lakshmaṇa as avatāra purushas. Sulocanā goes first to Rāvaṇa (who makes empty promises), then to Mandodarī (who counsels her wisely), then to Rāma’s camp. Rāma offers to revive Meghanāda; Sulocanā nobly declines, saying a gift once given cannot be reclaimed, and requests permission for sahagamana. Rāma grants it. She receives her husband’s head from Sugrīva and performs sahagamana.
14. Ahirāvaṇa — Birth, Tapas, and Pātāla Episode
Rāvaṇa recalls his son Ahirāvaṇa from Pātāla. Śiva narrates Ahirāvaṇa’s history: born with twenty serpents; cast into the ocean by Rāvaṇa (on Śukrācārya’s advice); raised by Siṃhikā (Rāhu’s mother); performed fourteen-thousand-year tapas at Kāmadā Devī’s āśrama; received a vara that only Hanumān (and his master) could defeat him; ruled a nine-thousand-yojana city near Kāmadā’s temple, having married Kuṃdanī (daughter of the Nāga king Darvīka). Ahirāvaṇa disguises as Vibhīshaṇa, enters the camp, and takes Rāma and Lakshmaṇa to Pātāla to offer them as bali to the devī.
15. Makaradhvaja and Hanumān’s Rescue
At the gate of Pātāla, Hanumān encounters Makaradhvaja — a vānara who identifies himself as Hanumān’s son, born from a sweat-drop that fell in the ocean during the return from Laṅkā-dahana, swallowed by a fish. Hanumān defeats Makaradhvaja, enters the temple disguised in a flower garland, and appears as a vision of Mahākālī when Ahirāvaṇa adorns the mūrti with the garland. He slays Ahirāvaṇa and all the rākshasas, frees Rāma and Lakshmaṇa, and returns them to the camp. He then crowns Makaradhvaja king of Pātāla.
16. Narāntaka Episode
Rāvaṇa summons his son Narāntaka from the flying city of Vihvābala-pura. Śiva narrates his history: born under Abhukta-mūla nakshatra (inauspicious for parents, so Rāvaṇa cast him into the ocean); survived and performed tapas; received varas from Brahmā and Maheśvara; ruled seventy-two crore jātudharas. Narāntaka wars for many days and Rāma struggles to defeat him until Sugrīva’s son Dadhivala lends his assistance.
17. Rāvaṇa’s First Battle — Lakshmaṇa Struck
Rāvaṇa enters the field for the first time, surrounded by armies. He strikes Lakshmaṇa with the Brahma-datta Śakti; Lakshmaṇa falls. Rāvaṇa tries to lift him but cannot. Hanumān repels Rāvaṇa with a single blow and carries Lakshmaṇa away. Rāma revives Lakshmaṇa by a word. Rāvaṇa’s Vedānta discourse to the bereaved rākshasī women.
18. Rāvaṇa’s Yajña and Disruption
Rāvaṇa plans a Vijayārtha yajña (victory-homa). Vibhīshaṇa warns Rāma that if it is completed Rāvaṇa becomes invincible. Hanumān, Aṅgada, and the vānaras storm Laṅkā at dawn and disrupt the yajña with great force — toppling the vedi, biting Rāvaṇa’s ears, dragging him by his feet — until finally, when he will not break concentration even then, the rākshasī women of his household are thrown upon him and his dhyāna breaks.
19. Dharmaratha Teaching
On the battlefield, Vibhīshaṇa is troubled that Rāvaṇa has a chariot while Rāma stands on foot without armour or footwear. Rāma answers him with the celebrated Dharmaratha teaching: the chariot of victory is made of śaurya and dhairya (bravery and courage) as its wheels; satya (truth) and śīla (character) as its flag and banner; bala, viveka, and hitopakāra (strength, discernment, beneficence) as its horses; dayā and dākshiṇya (compassion and generosity) as reins; Śiva-bhakti as the sārathī. Only the one mounted on such a dharmaratha is truly unconquerable.
20. Rāma-Rāvaṇa War — Final Confrontation
The great final battle: devas gather in the sky; Mātali brings Indra’s divine chariot for Rāma. Rāvaṇa employs rākshasa-māyā (multiple Rāvaṇas appear); Rāma dispels it with a single arrow. Rāma protects Vibhīshaṇa from a powerful Śakti by stepping in front of it and taking the blow himself. Vibhīshaṇa fights Rāvaṇa; Jāmbavān kicks Rāvaṇa unconscious with his foot. Rāma’s bows and arrows dispel Rāvaṇa’s regrown heads repeatedly. Tulsīdāsa quotes the famous verse:
Rāma-Rāvaṇayor yuddhaṃ Rāma-Rāvaṇayor iva
“The Rāma-Rāvaṇa war resembles the Rāma-Rāvaṇa war alone.”
21. Rāvaṇa-Vadha — The Nābhi-Kunda Amṛta
Vibhīshaṇa, seeing Rāma puzzled by the regenerating heads and arms, whispers the secret:
nābhī-kuṇḍa sudhā basa yāke / nātha jiyata Rāvanu bala tāke
Rāvaṇa lives by the amṛta that resides in his navel-vessel. Rāma aims at and pierces the nābhi; thirty-one arrows sever head, arms, and the nābhi-kunda simultaneously. Rāvaṇa falls on Caitraśuddha Daśamī. His teja merges into Rāma. Tulsīdāsa records a magnificent Avadhi stuti of the battlefield Rāma.
22. Mandodarī’s Lament and Vibhīshaṇa’s Last Rites
Mandodarī comes to the battlefield and sees Rāvaṇa’s severed heads before her. She delivers a deeply theological lament, acknowledging all of Rāvaṇa’s greatness while attributing his fall to his opposition of Śrīpati and final blessing in that Rāma’s Vaikuṇṭha would receive him. She salutes Rāma as the embodiment of compassion. Vibhīshaṇa overcomes his grief and, on Rāma’s instruction, performs Rāvaṇa’s antya-kriyā with all honors.
23. Vibhīshaṇa’s Coronation and Sītā Reunited with Rāma
Lakshmaṇa, Sugrīva, Aṅgada, Nala, Nīla, and Hanumān go to Laṅkā and formally crown Vibhīshaṇa as king with all rāja-maryādā. Hanumān takes the news to Sītā; she is adorned by the rākshasī ladies, brought in a golden palanquin to Rāma’s camp. Rāma, for the world’s benefit, speaks words that cause Sītā to enter the Agni (completing the pre-arranged divine plan in which the real Sītā had entered the fire at the time of abduction, and Māyā-Sītā was in Laṅkā). Agni returns the true Sītā to Rāma.
24. Devas’ Stotra, Brahmā’s Hymn, and Indra’s Vara
The assembled devas hymn Rāma: even Rāvaṇa, the deva-śatru, attained Rāma’s dhāma through his varas, while the devas, distracted by svārtha, remain in saṃsāra. Brahmā then offers a magnificent stuti identifying Rāma as the sac-cid-ānanda brahman, nirguṇa in essence, saguṇa in form, the destroyer of bhava-rūpa. At Rāma’s request, Indra sends amṛta-varsha that revives all fallen vānaras; the explanation is given for why fallen rākshasas do not revive but attain moksha (their minds were on Rāma at death).
25. Daśaratha’s Descent and Moksha
Daśaratha descends from Devaloka, overwhelmed with love for his son. He blesses Rāma with tears of joy. Rāma then imparts jñāna-bodha to his father, explaining that saguṇa-bhaktas who worship him with dvaitabhāva do not attain kaivalya but receive his bhakti. Through this jñāna-bodha, Daśaratha is freed from the dvaitabhāva that had kept him from final moksha, and he attains paramapadā.
26. Śiva’s Stuti and Vibhīshaṇa’s Request
Śiva comes last of all the devas and sings an eloquent stuti of Rāma — addressing him as the pravant-wind that removes the clouds of bhaktas’ māmata, the fire that burns their doubts, the sun that pierces the darkness of bhrama. He acknowledges that his disciples (the rākshasas of Laṅkā) have troubled Rāma and begs forgiveness, before departing for Kailāsa. Vibhīshaṇa requests that Rāma rest in Laṅkā and distribute all its wealth to the vānaras; Rāma distributes from Pushpaka Vimāna; Rāma bids the vānara army farewell.
27. Return Journey in Pushpaka Vimāna
Sītā-Rāma-Lakshmaṇa board Pushpaka with Vibhīshaṇa, Sugrīva, and the chief vānaras. Rāma points out the battle sites, Rāmeśvara, Daṇḍakāraṇya, and the munivaras’ āśramas to Sītā. They stop at Atri’s and Agastya’s āśramas. They bathe at Prayāga-triveṇī. Hanumān is sent ahead to Ayodhyā to inform Bharata. Sītā performs pūjā to the Gaṅgā, who blesses her. They meet Bharadvāja Maharshi and Guha, the Nishādapati — Rāma embraces Guha with the affection of a brother. The kāṇḍa ends with the closing colophon and a phalaśruti verse.
Uttara Kāṇḍa
The Uttara Kāṇḍa is the seventh and final kāṇḍa of Tulsīdāsa’s Rāmacaritamānas. It covers the return of Bhagavān Rāma to Ayodhyā after the fourteen years of exile, the paṭṭābhisheka (coronation), the glories of Rāma Rājya, and a series of profound spiritual dialogues. The kāṇḍa’s deepest material concerns the frame-narrative: Śiva narrates to Pārvatī how Garuḍa’s doubt led him to Kākabhuśuṇḍi, the crow-ṛshi whose entire past-life story — including his śāpa, his varas, and his witnessing of Rāma’s infant līlā — is told in full. The kāṇḍa concludes with Tulsīdāsa’s benediction and phalaśruti for the entire Rāmacaritamānas.
| Section | Description |
|---|---|
| Opening Invocation | A Sanskrit daṇḍaka-verse invoking Bhagavān Rāma seated on the Pushpaka Vimāna, accompanied by Sītā, Lakshmaṇa, and the vānara host |
| Hanumān Meets Bharata at Nandīgrāma | Hanumān goes ahead to Nandīgrāma in brāhmaṇa form, delivers the good news to Bharata who is seated in dhyāna on darbha, and is embraced with joy |
| Rāma-Bharata Reunion | The Pushpaka lands; Rāma is received by Bharata, Śatrughna, Vasishṭha, the queens, and the citizens of Ayodhyā with festive honors and great joy |
| Rāma Introduces His Friends to Vasishṭha | Rāma presents Vibhīshaṇa, Sugrīva, Aṅgada, Hanumān, and the vānara-rākshasa leaders to the kula-guru with expressions of deep personal affection |
| Śrī Rāma Paṭṭābhisheka | Vasishṭha determines the auspicious muhūrta; Rāma is crowned on Vaiśākha Kṛshṇa Saptamī; the four Vedas in human form and Śiva himself offer stotras |
| Rāma Honors Vānaras, Vibhīshaṇa, and Nishāda | Rāma grants the vānara host six months of joyful residence; makes an emotional farewell speech; honors Guha the Nishādapati as equal to Bharata |
| Rāma Rājya | A celebrated description of Rāma’s ideal reign: no premature death, no disease, no drought, dharma on four legs, mutual love, devotion everywhere |
| Rāma’s Daily Life in Ayodhyā | Rāma’s morning routine (Sarayū snāna, sandhyā, pūjā, court), Sītā’s devoted service, birth of Lava and Kuśa, the brothers’ harmonious service |
| Fortune of Avadha City | An extended description of Ayodhyā’s beauty, splendor, garden-houses, ghāṭs, temples, traders, sacred wells, Sarayū-tīra, and Rāma-nāma-saṅkīrtana |
| Sanakādi Visit Rāma | The four Kumāras — Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatkumāra, Sanatsujāta — come to a garden and offer a profound stotra to Rāma as Paramātman |
| Rāma Teaches Bharata About Sādhu and Durjana | Rāma describes in detail the qualities of saintly persons (sādhu-lakshaṇa) and evil persons (dujana-lakshaṇa) in a celebrated discourse |
| Rāma Teaches the Citizens About Bhakti | Rāma addresses the gathered citizens on the preciousness of human birth, the futility of mere enjoyment, and the supremacy of bhakti as the path |
| Vasishṭha’s Joy | Vasishṭha visits Rāma in the palace and sings a praise of Rāma’s kṛpā — describing how Prajāpati had urged him to accept the Raghu-kula’s priesthood, and how that decision bore the supreme fruit of serving the avatāra |
| Nārada’s Song | The divine ṛshi Nārada arrives at the garden where Rāma is resting and sings a celebrated Avadhi-Sanskrit bhajan glorifying Rāma as Rāvaṇa’s destroyer, the moon of the Daśaratha dynasty, and the ocean of compassion |
| How Śiva Heard Rāma Kathā from Kākabhuśuṇḍi | Śiva narrates to Pārvatī that when wandering in grief after Satī’s death, he chanced to meet Kākabhuśuṇḍi on the Nīlādri and heard Rāma kathā |
| Garuḍa-Kākabhuśuṇḍi Meeting | How Garuḍa, disturbed by seeing Rāma bound in Meghanāda’s nāgāstra, went to Nārada then Brahmā then Śiva, and was directed to Kākabhuśuṇḍi |
| Kākabhuśuṇḍi Narrates the Full Rāmāyaṇa | A summary of all seven kāṇḍas of the Rāmāyaṇa as narrated by Kākabhuśuṇḍi to Garuḍa at the Nīlādri āśrama |
| Kākabhuśuṇḍi’s Teaching (Garuḍa’s Resolution) | Garuḍa’s doubt is resolved; Kākabhuśuṇḍi expounds on Rāma as saccidānanda Brahman, the supremacy of saguṇa bhakti over nirguṇa upāsanā |
| The Devotee’s Foolishness and Bhagavān Rāma’s Compassion | Kākabhuśuṇḍi narrates his childhood in Ayodhyā watching Bāla Rāma’s play, his lapse of doubt, the cosmic vision inside Rāma’s belly, and the vara of bhakti |
| The Glory of Bhakti (Kākabhuśuṇḍi to Garuḍa) | Bhakti is supreme — the discourse on why bhakti surpasses jñāna; Rāma bhakti as cintāmaṇi; sādhu-saṅgama as the vehicle of bhakti |
| Bhūśuṇḍi’s Past Lives | Kākabhuśuṇḍi reveals his full past — birth as a śūdra in Kali Yuga, Śiva’s śāpa for guru-droha, rebirth as a serpent, many lives, and the brāhmaṇa birth |
| Kali Yuga Characteristics | An extensive description of the social, moral, and spiritual deterioration in Kali Yuga as recounted by Kākabhuśuṇḍi, along with its one great virtue |
| Śiva’s Śāpa (through the temple) | The episode where, while performing Śiva-japa in a temple, the young Bhūśuṇḍi failed to acknowledge his guru; Śiva laid a śāpa on him from within the liṅga |
| Rudrāshṭakam | The guru’s eight-verse Sanskrit prayer to Śiva (Namasīśam…Bhajāmi), sung in the temple to plead for Bhūśuṇḍi’s deliverance — a beloved Śiva stotra |
| Lomaśa Maharshi’s Śāpa | In a brāhmaṇa birth, Bhūśuṇḍi encounters Lomaśa on Meru, argues about saguṇa vs. nirguṇa upāsanā, and a śāpa turns him into a crow |
| Varadāna from Lomaśa | Lomaśa recognizes Bhūśuṇḍi’s pure bhakti, gives the Rāma mantra, teaches him Bāla-Rāma dhyāna, narrates the full Rāmacaritamānas, and grants extraordinary varas |
| Bhakti vs. Jñāna — Kākabhuśuṇḍi’s Discourse | The philosophical teaching comparing bhakti and jñāna as paths; the metaphor of māyā as a woman who fears bhakti; jñāna-path as asīdhārā-vrata |
| Bhakti Is Supreme | Final summary of bhakti’s supremacy; Rāma-bhakti as cintāmaṇi; impossible things becoming possible through Rāma’s grace; Kākabhuśuṇḍi’s farewell to Garuḍa |
| Śiva’s Teaching to Pārvatī (Concluding Frame) | Śiva summarizes the Rāmāyaṇa for Pārvatī; the seven kāṇḍas as seven steps of bhakti; phalaśruti — those who hear, read, or rejoice in this kathā are freed |
| Conclusion — Tulsīdāsa’s Benediction | Tulsīdāsa prostrates before Rāma, praises the Rāmacaritamānas as pāpahara and ānandakara, and offers himself to Rāma’s lotus feet |
Lava-Kuśa Kāṇḍa (Pariśishṭa)
The Lava-Kuśa Kāṇḍa is the pariśishṭa — the supplementary appendix — appended to the Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa (Rāmacaritamānas). It is framed as a continuation of the Kākabhuśuṇḍi–Garuḍa saṃvāda: after Kākabhuśuṇḍi has narrated the full Rāma-kathā through the Uttara Kāṇḍa, Garuḍa requests the events that followed — Sītā’s exile, the Aśvamedha, the birth and exploits of Lava and Kuśa, Sītā’s bhūpraveśa, and Rāma’s mahāprasthāna to Vaikuṇṭha. The kāṇḍa covers the last phase of Rāma’s earthly avatāra — from his Kāśī pilgrimage to his final disappearance into the Sarayū — and is the culmination of the entire Rāmacaritamānas narrative.
Frame Narrative
The Lava-Kuśa Kāṇḍa opens immediately after Kākabhuśuṇḍi has concluded his narration of the Uttara Kāṇḍa to Garuḍa at the Nīlādri āśrama. Garuḍa, deeply satisfied but not yet satiated, expresses with great humility that as an ocean can never be filled by any number of rivers, his heart is still eager to hear more of the sāketasvāmi’s caritra. He specifically requests the account of Sītā’s life at Vālmīki’s āśrama, Rāma’s Aśvamedha, the glory of Lava and Kuśa, and the manner in which Śrī Rāma returned to his divine abode in Vaikuṇṭha. Kākabhuśuṇḍi, moved by the bird-king’s bhakti, closes his eyes for a moment in inner recollection and then narrates what follows.
The closing verse of the kāṇḍa confirms the full chain of transmission: Kākabhuśuṇḍi narrated this to Garuḍa; the same narrative was told by Parameśvara (Śiva) to Pārvatī; and that narrative was in turn recounted by Yājñavalkya Maharshi to Bharadvāja at Prayāga. The Rāmacaritamānas thus closes the outermost frame with which it began in the Bāla Kāṇḍa.
Duration of Rāma’s Reign
Before beginning the narrative, Kākabhuśuṇḍi establishes the temporal context: the supreme Brahman, in his Rāma-rūpa, governed the earth in Ayodhyā for eight thousand, nine hundred years — nine thousand minus one hundred. During this period he manifested the conduct of a human monarch (mānava-caryā), governing with complete dharma and showering the earth with Rāma Rājya’s unparalleled abundance. Brahmā sent Nārada to inform Yama that the avatāra’s time was approaching its end — this message was kept secret from all others.
1. Rāma’s Kāśī Pilgrimage
At the auspicious time of the Sun’s entry into Makara Rāśi (Makara Saṃkrānti), Rāma obtained Vasishṭha’s blessing and departed for Kāśī with his brothers, ministers, queens, and the full royal retinue. In Kāśī he bathed daily in the Gaṅgā, worshipped Kāśī Viśveśvara, attended bhakta-samājas, honored tapasvis and saṃnyāsīs, listened to Purāṇa recitations, fed brāhmaṇas, and gave abundantly to the needy. After many days he returned joyfully to Ayodhyā.
2. Śambūka-vadha
A brāhmaṇa came to Rāma’s court carrying the corpse of his young son, weeping and accusing Rāma’s governance. Rāma investigated and was guided by divine direction to slay Śambūka, whose prohibited practice had created a cosmic disturbance. After the vadha, the brāhmaṇa’s son revived. This event, together with the grief arising from the episode, contributed to Rāma’s resolve to perform the Aśvamedha as a purificatory rite.
3. The Dog’s Verdict
A dog came to Rāma’s court with a bleeding head wound, complaining that a brāhmaṇa beggar had struck it without cause. Rāma summoned the beggar, confirmed the act, and asked the dog to suggest a fitting punishment. The dog recommended appointing the brāhmaṇa as head of a maṭha — a verdict that baffled the assembly. The dog then explained: it had been a brāhmaṇa in its previous birth who had misappropriated funds from a temple, and was now experiencing the karmic result; the maṭha-headship would multiply the brāhmaṇa’s accumulation of pāpa in the same way.
4. The Washerman’s Words and Sītā’s Exile
Rāma’s spy Bhadra reported that a washerman had publicly abused his wife, comparing himself favorably to Rāma — who had accepted back a wife who had lived in Rāvaṇa’s palace. This report struck Rāma as a śūla. After a night of inner deliberation, knowing that the time for the avatāra’s completion was approaching, Rāma commanded Lakshmaṇa to take Sītā to the forest and leave her there. The Lava-Kuśa Kāṇḍa says that the real Sītā had inwardly already recognized the moment and voluntarily withdrawn her divine presence — what remained was her chāyā. Lakshmaṇa’s anguish in executing this order is described at length. An āśarīravāṇī reassured Lakshmaṇa as he left the forest. Vālmīki found Sītā weeping, received her with fatherly compassion, and sheltered her at his āśrama. In due course Lava and Kuśa were born there.
5. Kauśalyā and the Queens’ Departure by Yogāgni
On learning that Sītā had been left in the forest, the three mothers — Kauśalyā, Sumitrā, and Kaikeyī — were prostrated by grief. Rāma came to console them and, through his divine grace, lifted the veil of māyā from their vision. They saw him not as their son but as the sac-cid-ānanda Jagadīśvara. In that state of jñāna, they offered a stotra of the Paramātman and then voluntarily departed from their bodies by yogāgni, ascending to the divine loka. Rāma and his brothers performed their funeral rites with full honour.
6. The Aśvamedha Yajña
Rāma, wishing to purify the kingdom of all accumulated sorrow, sought Vasishṭha’s guidance for performing the Aśvamedha. Vasishṭha gave his blessing and directed Bharata to begin preparations. Since Sītā was in exile, the ṛshis and Vasishṭha resolved that a gold image (svarṇa-pratimā) of Sītā would sit at Rāma’s left side during the yajña. Invitations went out to all kings, ṛshis, devas, and Rāma’s allies — Janaka came from Mithilā, Sugrīva from Kishkindhā, Vibhīshaṇa from Laṅkā. In the auspicious Śiśira season, the horse was consecrated with the challenge-letter attached and released for the dik-vijaya.
7. Lavaṇāsura-vadha by Śatrughna
The ṛshis approached Rāma requesting the slaying of Lavaṇāsura, an asura terrorizing the world with a vara-given Śiva-trident. Vibhīshaṇa explained Lavaṇa’s lineage: he was the son of Madhu (who had been wed to Kumbhīnasā, daughter of Rāvaṇa’s step-mother) — making him Rāvaṇa’s grandnephew by a collateral line. Rāma entrusted the mission to Śatrughna, giving him a divine weapon. Śatrughna marched south, besieged Mathurā, slew Lavaṇa and his brother Kaiṭabha in fierce battle, and installed his own sons — Subāhu at Mathurā and Yūpaketu at Viśvagiri.
8–9. Lava and Kuśa Capture the Horse / The Great Battles
The aśvamedha horse entered the forested region near Vālmīki’s āśrama. Lava and Kuśa, young princes raised in the forest, saw it, read the challenge-letter, and bound it. The guardian forces were routed. Successive waves of Rāma’s greatest champions came against the two boys — Śatrughna, Lakshmaṇa, Bharata, and then the entire assembled force of vānaras and rākshasas including Sugrīva, Hanumān, and Jāmbavān. All were defeated, many rendered unconscious. Rāma himself arrived at the battlefield and met the boys. Vālmīki came, revealed their identity, and facilitated the reunion. Rāma embraced his sons, and a shower of amṛta from the devas revived all the fallen heroes.
10. Sītā’s Bhūpraveśa
Rāma sent Lakshmaṇa to Vālmīki’s āśrama to request Sītā to come and give public testimony of her purity. In the assembly of all — devas, ṛshis, kings, and citizens — Sītā gave her tri-karaṇa-śuddhi oath: she had never in thought, word, or deed known any man other than Śrī Rāma. She then turned inward and prayed to Bhūdevī to receive her. The earth split with a great sound; a gold throne on serpent-hoods rose from below; Sītā sat upon it; and the throne descended into the earth, taking her with it.
11. Yajña Completion
Vālmīki, Vibhīshaṇa, and others consoled Rāma. He returned to Ayodhyā with Lava and Kuśa and completed the Aśvamedha. All guests were honored with dāna and sent home with great respect. Rāma then continued to govern, hearing purāṇas and maintaining dharma for further years.
12. Brahmā’s Message / Yama’s Visit
Brahmā directed Nārada to summon Yama (Kāla). Yama came to Ayodhyā in the guise of a ṛshi and asked for a private audience with Rāma under an extraordinary condition: whoever overheard their conversation would be killed. Rāma placed Lakshmaṇa as doorkeeper with strict orders. Yama revealed to Rāma that the avatāra’s purpose was complete and it was time to return to Vaikuṇṭha.
13. Durvāsa’s Arrival and Lakshmaṇa’s Departure
While Rāma was in the private meeting, Durvāsa Maharshi arrived at the door demanding immediate admission, threatening a śāpa on Lakshmaṇa, his lineage, and Ayodhyā itself if refused. Lakshmaṇa, choosing the welfare of the kingdom over his own life, entered and interrupted the meeting. Rāma then recalled his oath. Vasishṭha advised that banishment (visarjana) equates to death in the dharmic sense. Lakshmaṇa, rather than live separated from Rāma, chose to surrender his life voluntarily. He went to the Sarayū, stood waist-deep in the water, entered into unbroken dhyāna, uttered the name “Rāma,” and by yogic power pierced his skull (khapaḷa-bhedana), releasing his jīva. Ādiśesha, of whom Lakshmaṇa was an avatāra, returned to Vaikuṇṭha.
14–15. Kingdom Division and Mahāprasthāna
Rāma distributed the kingdom among all the princes, gave his final blessings to Vibhīshaṇa and Jāmbavān, embraced Hanumān with the eternal vara of cirañjīvitva, and led the entire population of Ayodhyā — sāketavāsīs, ministers, friends, and the vānara and rākshasa allies — in the great mahāprasthāna to the Sarayū. Bharata merged into Rāma; Śatrughna took a lotus form and merged; Sugrīva merged into the Sun; the vānaras returned to their divine portions. Rāma entered the Sarayū, gave a vara to those who would stay at the bank for a month (attainment of Vaikuṇṭha), and disappeared like lightning from a cloud.
Closing verse
The kāṇḍa ends with the Avadhi verse:
“Sakala sumaṃgaḷadāyaka Raghunāyaka guṇagāna।
Sādara sunahiṃ tē tarahiṃ bhavasindhu vinā jalayāna॥”
“Those who reverently hear the qualities of Raghunāyaka — the giver of all auspiciousness — cross the ocean of saṃsāra without a boat.”
Sources
- Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, Bāla Kāṇḍa (Telugu prose translation)
- Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa (Telugu prose translation)
- Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, Araṇya Kāṇḍa (Telugu prose translation)
- Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, Kishkindhā Kāṇḍa
- Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, Sundara Kāṇḍa (Telugu prose translation)
- Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, Laṅkā Kāṇḍa
- Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, Uttara Kāṇḍa
- Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, Lava-Kuśa Kāṇḍa (Pariśishṭa), chapters 1–18