Ramayana deep - characters + Sundara Kanda

Birth - Eldest son of Dasharatha + Kausalya. Born at Ayodhya on Chaitra Shukla Navami (Rama Navami). 7th avatar of Vishnu.

Feats - Strung the bow of Shiva at Mithila + won Sita. Slew Tataka, Subahu (in childhood). Vanquished Khara, Dushana, Trishira in the Dandaka forest. Killed Vali (Sugriva's brother). Built the Setu-bandhana bridge to Lanka. Slew Ravana with the Brahmastra.

Fate - Coronated emperor of Ayodhya. Ruled the Rama-rajya for ~11,000 years. Departed by walking into the Sarayu river (sasarira).

Lesson - Maryada Purushottama - the man who never broke maryada (boundary of dharma) even at terrible personal cost. The model of every relational dharma.

Birth - Found in a furrow by King Janaka of Mithila - hence "Janaki / Maithili / Vaidehi". Incarnation of Lakshmi.

Feats - Won by Rama at the bow-breaking swayamvara. Voluntarily accompanied Rama into 14-year exile. Abducted by Ravana while Rama chased the golden Maricha-deer. Refused Ravana's every advance during her year in Ashoka Vatika. Trial-by-fire (agni-pariksha) to prove her purity.

Fate - After return to Ayodhya, exiled by Rama (responding to public rumour) when she was pregnant. Lived in Valmiki's ashrama; gave birth to Lava + Kusha. Years later, summoned again - asked Mother Earth to receive her - the earth opened and she descended.

Lesson - Pativrata supreme. Yet her final return to the earth is her dharmic verdict on Rama's having doubted her - the dharma of self-respect.

Birth - Son of Dasharatha + Sumitra. Twin of Shatrughna. Considered the avatar of Adi-Shesha (Vishnu's serpent-bed).

Feats - Voluntary companion of Rama through 14-year exile. Slept for the entire 14 years (Nidra-jit - conqueror of sleep) so that Rama + Sita could be guarded continuously. Cut off Surpanakha's nose. Fought + defeated Indrajit (Ravana's eldest son). Drew the Lakshmana-rekha at the parnashala that Sita then crossed.

Fate - After Rama's decision to part with Sita, Lakshmana was assigned an impossible task by Rama; failed; entered the Sarayu river. Returned to Adi-Shesha form.

Lesson - Bhratri-dharma supreme. Service to the elder brother above own family, own pleasure, own life.

Birth - Son of Dasharatha + Kaikeyi.

Feats - Refused the throne his mother won for him. Travelled to Chitrakoot to plead with Rama. Rama refused to break their father's word. Bharata took Rama's sandals (paduka) back to Ayodhya - placed them on the throne + ruled in Rama's name for 14 years from Nandigrama (not in the palace).

Fate - On Rama's return, joyfully restored the kingdom. Lived a kingly life. On Rama's departure, also entered the Sarayu.

Lesson - Renunciation supreme. The throne offered by his own mother - declined, because dharma is to follow the eldest brother.

Birth - Son of Dasharatha + Sumitra. Lakshmana's twin. Considered partial avatar of Vishnu's chakra.

Feats - Served Bharata as Lakshmana served Rama. Killed Lavanasura (rakshasa terrorising the Mathura region). Established Mathura as his capital.

Fate - Followed Bharata into the Sarayu after Rama's departure.

Lesson - The youngest, the least-songed - yet equally dharmic. The dharma of supporting your supporting brother.

Birth - Son of Anjana + Vayu (god of wind). Born after Anjana's tapas. Also identified as a partial avatar of Shiva.

Feats - Leaped from Rishyamukha mountain to Lanka in a single leap (~100 yojanas). Found Sita at Ashoka Vatika. Burnt down Lanka with his fiery tail. Carried the Drona-giri mountain back to Lanka twice to save Lakshmana with the Sanjivani herb. The supreme bhakta of Rama in all of Itihasa.

Fate - Chiranjivi (immortal). Said to still walk the earth wherever Ramayana is recited. Promised to appear at every Hanuman-mantra recitation.

Lesson - Bhakti supreme. Sevak-dharma at its highest. Strength + intellect + humility - combined in one being.

Birth - Son of Surya + Aruni. Younger brother of Vali.

Feats - Wrongly exiled by his elder brother Vali (a misunderstanding about a magical battle). Sheltered on Rishyamukha. Met Rama in exile through Hanuman. Rama killed Vali (controversially, from behind cover) to restore Sugriva to Kishkindha throne. Sugriva then ordered the vanara armies to find Sita - the entire Kishkindha Kanda + Sundara Kanda mobilisation.

Fate - After Ravana's defeat, returned to rule Kishkindha. Long-lived. After Rama's departure, lineage continued.

Lesson - A fallen prince restored by alliance with the dharmic. Loyalty pays.

Birth - Son of Indra. Elder brother of Sugriva. King of Kishkindha.

Feats - Possessed a boon - half of any opponent's strength flowed to him during single combat. Defeated Ravana himself. Exiled his brother Sugriva over a misunderstanding. Took Sugriva's wife Ruma.

Fate - Killed by Rama - Rama shot from concealment while Vali was fighting Sugriva. The ethics-question still discussed by Vedanta scholars: was this dharma or adharma? Rama justified it: a kshatriya may use any method against an adharmic king.

Lesson - Power abused destroys the wielder. Vali's strength + boon could not protect him from a single hidden arrow.

Birth - Bear-king. Witness of all the avatars (he is chiranjivi). Said to have circumambulated Vamana when he became Trivikrama, which is why he is so ancient.

Feats - Senior counsellor of Sugriva. Reminded Hanuman of his own forgotten powers, igniting the leap to Lanka. Fought Krishna himself in the Bhagavata (Krishna won the Syamantaka jewel + Jambavan's daughter Jambavati).

Fate - Chiranjivi. Continues from age to age. Also met Krishna 5,000 years later in the Bhagavata.

Lesson - The wise elder. Without Jambavan reminding Hanuman of his strength, the entire Sundara Kanda would not have happened.

Birth - Son of Sage Vishrava + the rakshasi Kaikesi. Born with 10 heads + 20 arms. Half-brother of Kubera. Performed thousand-year tapas - received boon from Brahma that no deva or asura could kill him (forgot to include "man" - Rama's loophole).

Feats - Conquered the 3 worlds. Defeated even Yama himself. King of Lanka (the golden city). Vasthrahara of Sita. Refused EVERY request - from Mandodari, Vibhishana, Hanuman as envoy - to return Sita.

Fate - Slain by Rama on the 10th day of the war at Lanka. The Brahmastra hit his navel-nectar-store (the only vulnerable spot, hidden in his body).

Lesson - A brahmana by birth, a great scholar (knew all the Vedas), great Shiva-bhakta (composed the Shiva Tandava Stotram). YET destroyed by one desire - the abduction of another's wife. The cautionary tale of how a single adharmic act outweighs lifetimes of merit.

Birth - Younger brother of Ravana. Of mountain-size. Performed tapas with Ravana - asked for "Nirdevatvam" (godlessness) but said "Nidravatvam" (sleepiness) by Saraswati's tricky tongue-twist. Cursed to sleep 6 months at a time.

Feats - Devoured villages when awake. Loyal to Ravana even when he knew Ravana's cause was wrong. On Day 6 of the war, awakened from sleep to fight the vanaras. Killed countless vanaras + ate them.

Fate - Slain by Rama. His head was severed and rolled into the city.

Lesson - Loyalty to adharma is adharma. He KNEW his brother was wrong but chose blood over dharma. The choice cost him his life + his loka.

Birth - Son of Ravana + Mandodari. Earned the title "Indrajit" (Indra-conqueror) by defeating Indra in heavenly war.

Feats - Master of all the divyastra. Captured Indra (which is how he earned the name). Defeated Lakshmana with the Nagastra (snake-arrow) - only Garuda revived Lakshmana. Killed countless vanaras + maharathas during the war.

Fate - Slain by Lakshmana on Day 7-8 of the Lanka war, at Nikumbhila yajna (where Indrajit was performing a death-immortality yajna; if completed, he would have been invincible). Vibhishana revealed the yajna location to Rama.

Lesson - The supreme warrior who could have been Rama's equal - born to the wrong family. Family-loyalty in the wrong direction destroys.

Birth - Youngest brother of Ravana + Kumbhakarna. Performed tapas + received boon of dharmic mind (unlike his brothers).

Feats - Argued with Ravana to return Sita. Was kicked out of Lanka by Ravana. Came to Rama at the seashore as sharanagati. Rama accepted him IMMEDIATELY - his "sakrid-prapanna" boon ("one who comes even once, I grant abhaya") is the foundation of all sharanagati doctrine.

Fate - After Ravana's death, anointed king of Lanka by Rama. Chiranjivi - said to still rule Lanka.

Lesson - Dharma above family. Vibhishana left his brother's side at terrible personal cost, but won eternal kingship + Rama's eternal protection.

Birth - Son of Aruna (Surya's charioteer) + Shyeni. Brother of Sampati. Ancient friend of Dasharatha.

Feats - On seeing Ravana abducting Sita, Jatayu (old and frail) attacked Ravana's flying chariot. Battled Ravana until Ravana cut off his wings + struck him down. Lived just long enough to tell Rama + Lakshmana what direction Ravana had taken.

Fate - Rama performed Jatayu's funeral rites personally - an extreme dharmic honour (kshatriyas not normally performing funeral rites for non-relatives).

Lesson - Sacrifice for dharma. An old bird willing to die for an injured woman - and granted moksha by Rama's final-rites.

Birth - Elder brother of Jatayu. Burned his wings shielding Jatayu from the heat of the sun in their youth.

Feats - On the vanaras' search for Sita, Sampati (now wingless) appeared. Told them that he had SEEN Ravana take Sita to Lanka (across the sea). With this information, Hanuman knew where to leap.

Fate - On seeing Rama-katha-shravana, Sampati's wings regrew + he flew away.

Lesson - Even past actions of love (shielding his brother) yield future fruit. Hearing Rama-katha can restore what was lost.

Birth - King of Ayodhya, descendant of Raghu, of the Ikshvaku dynasty.

Feats - Performed Putra-Kameshti yajna with sage Rishyashringa → received the divine kheer that produced Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana, Shatrughna. 3 wives - Kausalya, Sumitra, Kaikeyi. Had once granted Kaikeyi 2 boons for saving his life in war - she cashed them on the eve of Rama's coronation.

Fate - Died of grief after Rama left for exile. Could not survive without his eldest son.

Lesson - A vow taken in passion bound a king for life. Word given is sacred. But also: the danger of granting open-ended boons.

Birth - Princess of Kekaya. Married Dasharatha as his 3rd wife.

Feats - Saved Dasharatha's life in the war between devas + asuras (replaced a missing chariot-axle with her own finger). Received 2 boons. Influenced by her maid Manthara, demanded those 2 boons: (1) Bharata be crowned king; (2) Rama be exiled for 14 years. Forced Dasharatha to fulfil them.

Fate - After Dasharatha's death + Bharata's refusal of the throne, lived in shame. After Rama's return, restored to royal honour by Rama's compassion.

Lesson - A single moment of greed (Manthara's whispering) destroyed everything Kaikeyi loved - her husband, her sons' respect, her own peace. The tragic catalyst of the entire epic.

The leap from Mahendra mountain

Encounter with Mainaka

Encounter with Surasa

Encounter with Simhika

Encounter with Lankini

Search through Lanka

Finding Sita at Ashoka Vatika

Hanuman's self-introduction to Sita

Sita refuses to leave with Hanuman

Burning of Lanka

Return leap