Aṅgada, Son of Lakshmaṇa

Aṅgada, simply known as Angada, Sanskrit: अङ्गद, Telugu: అంగదుడు, Hindi: अंगद.

Aṅgada was the firstborn son of Lakshmaṇa and Ūrmilā. He was one of the eight royal princes of Ayodhyā born in the time of Rāma-rājya (the rule of Rāma). He is not the same person as the vānara prince Aṅgada, the son of Vāli, who served in Rāma’s army at Laṅkā. Lakshmaṇa’s son Aṅgada was raised in the royal palace of Ayodhyā. He took the upanayana (sacred thread rite) together with his cousin Kuśa and the other princes. After that he made a pilgrimage (tīrtha-yātrā) to all the holy places of Bhāratavarsha.

Birth and early childhood

Lakshmaṇa and Ūrmilā were blessed with the birth of Aṅgada in the years of Rāma-rājya. As at the birth of all the royal sons, the devas played instruments, showered flowers on the child and his parents, and the apsarasas (heavenly dancers) danced in svarga (heaven). Rāma held great festivals along the royal roads of Ayodhyā in honour of Lakshmaṇa’s firstborn. Vasishṭha and other learned brāhmaṇas performed the jātakarma (birth rite) and all the later saṃskāras (life rites). Vasishṭha named Aṅgada in front of the whole royal family.

Aṅgada grew up in the palace among the other seven princes. They were his brother Citraketu, his cousins Kuśa and Lava (the sons of Rāma and Sītā), Pushkara and Taksha (the sons of Bharata), and Subāhu and Yūpaketu (the sons of Śatrughna). The Janma Khaṇḍa describes all eight princes as moon-faced. They delighted their mothers with their play, crawling, first steps and sweet words. They were dressed in golden ornaments and sat in golden swings, and they wore crowns with pearl pendants hung on golden pīpal leaves.

Upanayana and brahmacarya

When the time for the upanayana came, Rāma arranged the rite with the same splendour as for all the royal sons. He called kings from the seven dvīpas (islands of the earth), ṛshis and brāhmaṇas. Vasishṭha performed the rite. Each son received the Gāyatrī mantra and the rules of brahmacarya (the student’s life):

  • One meal a day.
  • No madhu (honey) and no māṃsa (meat).
  • No contact with women.
  • Never to say the teacher’s name without a mark of respect.
  • To cover the ears at any criticism of the guru.
  • Study of the Vedas at dawn and dusk.
  • Proper washing and fire rites.

Rāma held the upanayana of each nephew with even more festival than that of his own sons. Aṅgada and the other royal sons then studied the Vedas (veda-adhyayana) under Vasishṭha, with great intelligence and effort.

The pilgrimage

After their Vedic studies, all eight princes went on a tīrtha-yātrā through the holy places of the whole of Bhāratavarsha, with a great army and their ministers. In five months they visited every holy tīrtha in the land. When they came back, Lakshmaṇa rode out on the royal elephant to meet them. The princes bowed to Lakshmaṇa, and he embraced them. They entered Ayodhyā amid great rejoicing. The women of the city welcomed them with nīrājana (the waving of lamps). The princes bowed to Sītā and all the mothers, bowed to their grandmothers, and gave many kinds of gifts to brāhmaṇas.

Not the Aṅgada of Kishkindhā

This Aṅgada, son of Lakshmaṇa and Ūrmilā, must not be confused with the vānara prince Aṅgada, son of Vāli and Tārā. That Aṅgada was yuvarāja (crown prince) of Kishkindhā and Rāma’s ally in the war against Rāvaṇa. They have the same name but are different persons.

Marriages

At the svayaṃvara (the bride’s own choice of husband) of Sumatī at Vaṭapura, Aṅgada was among the princes presented to her. She passed him over and chose Lava.

Twelve daughters of the gandharvas and nāgas were freed from the captivity of Jaladevi at the Pañcappa lake. Afterwards Vasishṭha Maharshi gave two brides to Aṅgada:

  • Kañjākshī, a nāgakanyā (a daughter of the nāgas). They were married at Ayodhyā at a muhūrta (auspicious time) in the dark fortnight of Vaiśākha.
  • Candrikā, a gandharva princess. They were married at Ayodhyā at a muhūrta in Māgha.

The family record says that each wife bore Aṅgada eight sons and one daughter.

Sources

  • Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Janma Kāṇḍa, Chapter 9
  • Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Vivāha Kāṇḍa, Chapters 3, 6–7, 9