Guha (Ramayana)

Guha
Painting of Guha offering to help Rama, Sita and Lakshmana to cross the Ganga river
AffiliationNishada, Rama
TextsRamayana
RegionŚṛṅgiverapura

Guha (Sanskrit: गुह, romanized: Guha) was the king of Śṛṅgiverapura, the nation of the Nishadas,[1] in the Hindu epic Ramayana. Guha was Rama's first ally in latter's exile.[2]

Guha is known for arranging the boat and helmsmen who ferried Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita across the river Ganga in the Ayodhya Kanda.[3][4] Later in the same Kanda spotting from a distance Bharata's army approaching and being unsure of his intentions, Guha commanded his Dasa army troops to take positions along the banks of the river Ganga, and his naval army troops of kaivartas to keep vigil with five hundred boats, each manned by one hundred young men.[5]

  1. ^ Das, G. N. (1998). Shri Rama: The Man and His Mission. Abhinav Publications. p. 111.
  2. ^ Thapar, Romila (2013-10-14). The Past Before Us: Historical Traditions of Early North India. Harvard University Press. p. 231. ISBN 978-0-674-72652-9.
  3. ^ www.wisdomlib.org (2012-06-29). "Guha, Guhā, Gūhā: 36 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2022-11-06.
  4. ^ "Sloka & Translation | Valmiki Ramayanam". www.valmiki.iitk.ac.in. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  5. ^ "Sloka & Translation | Valmiki Ramayanam". www.valmiki.iitk.ac.in. Retrieved 2022-11-18.