| Rama | |
|---|---|
| |
| Member of Dashavatara | |
 Rama holding arrows, early 19th century depiction | |
| Other names | Ramachandra, Raghava, Purushottama |
| Devanagari | राम |
| Sanskrit transliteration | Rāma |
| Venerated in | Ramanandi Sampradaya Sri Vaishnavism Smartism |
| Affiliation | Seventh avatar of Vishnu, Brahman, Vaishnavism |
| Predecessor | Dasharatha |
| Successor | Lava (North Kosala) Kusha (South Kosala) |
| Abode | |
| Mantra | Jai Shri Ram Jai Siya Ram Hare Rama Ramanama repetition |
| Weapon | Sharanga (bow) and arrows |
| Army | Vanara Sena Ayodhyan Army |
| Symbol | Sharanga (bow) Arrows |
| Day | Thursday |
| Texts | |
| Gender | Male |
| Festivals | |
| Genealogy | |
| Avatar birth | Ayodhya, Kosala |
| Avatar end | Sarayu River |
| Parents |
|
| Siblings |
|
| Spouse | Sita[3] |
| Children | |
| Dynasty | Raghuvamsha-Suryavamsha |
| Dashavatara Sequence | |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Parashurama |
| Successor | Krishna |
| Part of a series on |
| Hinduism |
|---|
 |
Rama (/ˈrɑːmə/;[4] Sanskrit: राम, IAST: Rāma, Sanskrit: [ˈraːmɐ] ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu.[5] In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (maryāda puruṣottama), Rama is the male protagonist of the Hindu epic Ramayana. His birth is celebrated every year on Rama Navami, which falls on the ninth day of the bright half (Shukla Paksha) of the lunar cycle of Chaitra (March–April), the first month in the Hindu calendar.[6][7]
According to the Ramayana, Rama was born to Dasaratha and his first wife Kausalya in Ayodhya, the capital of the Kingdom of Kosala. His siblings included Lakshmana, Bharata, and Shatrughna. He married Sita. Born in a royal family, Rama's life is described in the Hindu texts as one challenged by unexpected changes, such as an exile into impoverished and difficult circumstances, and challenges of ethical questions and moral dilemmas.[8] The most notable story involving Rama is the kidnapping of Sita by the demon-king Ravana, followed by Rama and Lakshmana's journey to rescue her.
The entire life story of Rama, Sita and their companions allegorically discusses duties, rights and social responsibilities of an individual. It illustrates dharma and dharmic living through model characters.[8][9]
Rama is especially important to Vaishnavism. He is the central figure of the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana, a text historically popular in the South Asian and Southeast Asian cultures.[10][11][12] His ancient legends have attracted bhashya (commentaries) and extensive secondary literature and inspired performance arts. Two such texts, for example, are the Adhyatma Ramayana – a spiritual and theological treatise considered foundational by Ramanandi monasteries,[13] and the Ramcharitmanas – a popular treatise that inspires thousands of Ramlila festival performances during autumn every year in India.[14][15][16]
Rama legends are also found in the texts of Jainism and Buddhism, though he is sometimes called Pauma or Padma in these texts,[17] and their details vary significantly from the Hindu versions.[18] Jain Texts also mentioned Rama as the eighth balabhadra among the 63 salakapurusas.[19][20][21] In Sikhism, Rama is mentioned as one of twenty-four divine avatars of Vishnu in the Chaubis Avtar in Dasam Granth.[22]
- ^ SATTAR, ARSHIA (20 October 2020). Maryada: Searching for Dharma in the Ramayana. HarperCollins Publishers, India. ISBN 978-93-5357-713-1. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
- ^ "Dharma Personified". The Hindu. 5 August 2011. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ James G. Lochtefeld 2002, p. 555.
- ^ "Rama". Webster's Dictionary. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
- ^ Tulasīdāsa (1999). Sri Ramacaritamanasa. Translated by Prakash, RC. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 871–872. ISBN 978-81-208-0762-4.
- ^ The nine-day festival of Navratri leading up to Sri Rama Navami has bhajans, kirtans and discourses in store for devoteesArchived 7 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Ramnavami The Times of India, 2 April 2009.
- ^ a b William H. Brackney (2013). Human Rights and the World's Major Religions, 2nd Edition. ABC-CLIO. pp. 238–239. ISBN 978-1-4408-2812-6. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
- ^ Roderick Hindery (1978). Comparative Ethics in Hindu and Buddhist Traditions. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 95–124. ISBN 978-81-208-0866-9. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
- ^ Vālmīki (1990). The Ramayana of Valmiki: Balakanda. Translated by Goldman, Robert P. Princeton University Press. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-4008-8455-1. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
- ^ Dimock Jr, E.C. (1963). "Doctrine and Practice among the Vaisnavas of Bengal". History of Religions. 3 (1): 106–127. doi:10.1086/462474. JSTOR 1062079. S2CID 162027021.
- ^ Marijke J. Klokke (2000). Narrative Sculpture and Literary Traditions in South and Southeast Asia. BRILL. pp. 51–57. ISBN 90-04-11865-9.
- ^ Ramdas Lamb 2012, p. 28.
- ^ Schechner, Richard; Hess, Linda (1977). "The Ramlila of Ramnagar [India]". The Drama Review: TDR. 21 (3). The MIT Press: 51–82. doi:10.2307/1145152. JSTOR 1145152.
- ^ James G. Lochtefeld 2002, p. 389.
- ^ Jennifer Lindsay (2006). Between Tongues: Translation And/of/in Performance in Asia. National University of Singapore Press. pp. 12–14. ISBN 978-9971-69-339-8.
- ^ Dalal 2010, pp. 337–338.
- ^ Peter J. Claus; Sarah Diamond; Margaret Ann Mills (2003). South Asian Folklore: An Encyclopedia : Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka. Taylor & Francis. p. 508. ISBN 978-0-415-93919-5.
- ^ King, Anna S. (2005). The intimate other: love divine in Indic religions. Orient Blackswan. pp. 32–33. ISBN 978-81-250-2801-7. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
- ^ Matchett, Freda (2001). Krishna, Lord or Avatara?: the relationship between Krishna and Vishnu. 9780700712816. pp. 3–4. ISBN 978-0-7007-1281-6.
- ^ James G. Lochtefeld 2002, pp. 72–73.
- ^ Robin Rinehart 2011, pp. 14, 28–30.