Rama
Eldest son of King Dasharatha and Kausalya. As a boy he goes with the sage Vishvamitra to guard his rites, and earns the sage's divine weapons.
Meet them in Issue 1, page 16, Issue 2, page 3
Who's who
The people you meet in our Ramayana comic and in the daily Gita readings, with links to where they appear. New names are added as the stories go on.
The Ramayana
Lakshmana
Son of Sumitra, called Rama's second self. He goes everywhere with Rama.
Meet them in Issue 1, page 17, Issue 2, page 9
Dasharatha
King of Ayodhya of the house of Ikshvaku. Grieving for want of a son, he holds a great sacrifice; later he reluctantly lets Rama go with Vishvamitra.
Meet them in Issue 1, page 5
Vishvamitra
Also called Kaushika, son of Gadhi
Once a king, now a great sage. He asks for Rama to protect his sacrifice, then leads the brothers through the forest, telling the story of every place they pass.
Meet them in Issue 1, page 19, Issue 2, page 3
Vasishtha
Royal priest of Ayodhya. He names the four princes and persuades Dasharatha to keep his word to Vishvamitra.
Meet them in Issue 1, page 17, Issue 1, page 22
Kausalya
Dasharatha's first queen and Rama's mother.
Meet them in Issue 1, page 16
Sumitra
Dasharatha's queen and mother of the twins Lakshmana and Shatrughna.
Meet them in Issue 1, page 17
Kaikeyi
Dasharatha's youngest queen, from Kekaya, and Bharata's mother.
Meet them in Issue 1, page 17
Bharata
Son of Kaikeyi, who grows up close to Shatrughna.
Meet them in Issue 1, page 17
Shatrughna
Son of Sumitra and Lakshmana's twin, who grows up close to Bharata.
Meet them in Issue 1, page 17
Valmiki
The poet. He asks the sage Narada whether any man is truly good, and is told by Brahma to sing Rama's story.
Meet them in Issue 1, page 3
Narada
The wandering sage who tells Valmiki Rama's story by the Tamasa river.
Meet them in Issue 1, page 3
Rishyashringa
A young sage raised in the forest. He brings rain to Anga, marries Shanta, and performs the rite that gives Dasharatha his sons.
Meet them in Issue 1, page 7
Shanta
Daughter of King Romapada of Anga, married to Rishyashringa.
Meet them in Issue 1, page 7
Sumantra
Dasharatha's minister and charioteer, who tells the king the old story of Rishyashringa.
Meet them in Issue 1, page 5
Ravana
King of the rakshasas. His boon means no god or demon can kill him, but it never named men. So far he is seen only as a ten-headed shadow.
Meet them in Issue 1, page 11
Vishnu
Preserver of the worlds. He agrees to be born as Dasharatha's four sons to end Ravana. In Issue 2 his earlier form Vamana wins back the worlds from the asura king Bali.
Meet them in Issue 1, page 13, Issue 2, page 14
Brahma
The four-faced creator. He sets Valmiki to his poem and explains the gap in Ravana's boon.
Meet them in Issue 1, page 4, Issue 1, page 11, Issue 2, page 19
Indra
King of the gods. He pleads with Brahma about Ravana; in the forest stories he steals Sagara's horse and deceives Ahalya.
Meet them in Issue 1, page 10, Issue 2, page 6, Issue 2, page 22
Tataka
A yakshi with the strength of a thousand elephants, cursed by Agastya into a man-eater. Rama strikes her down at Vishvamitra's urging.
Meet them in Issue 2, page 9
Maricha
Tataka's son, a rakshasa who defiles Vishvamitra's sacrifice. Rama's arrow carries him far away alive.
Meet them in Issue 1, page 20, Issue 2, page 7, Issue 2, page 15
Subahu
Maricha's companion in attacking Vishvamitra's sacrifice.
Meet them in Issue 1, page 20
Agastya
The sage whose curse turned Tataka and Maricha into man-eaters.
Meet them in Issue 2, page 7
Ahalya
Wife of the sage Gautama, cursed to remain unseen until Rama comes. Rama's arrival frees her.
Meet them in Issue 2, page 22, Issue 2, page 23
Gautama
The great sage who curses Ahalya and Indra, and is later reunited with his wife.
Meet them in Issue 2, page 22
Sagara
Rama's ancestor, a king of Ayodhya whose sixty thousand sons were burned to ash by the sage Kapila.
Meet them in Issue 2, page 18
Bhagiratha
Sagara's descendant who gave up his kingdom for long austerities and brought the river Ganga down to earth.
Meet them in Issue 2, page 19, Issue 2, page 20
Ganga
The river goddess, caught in Shiva's hair and led by Bhagiratha to free Sagara's sons.
Meet them in Issue 2, page 20
Shiva
Burns Kama, the god of desire, with his anger; later catches the falling Ganga in his locks.
Meet them in Issue 2, page 4, Issue 2, page 20
Garuda
King of birds, who carries Vishnu.
Meet them in Issue 1, page 12, Issue 2, page 19
Vali, Sugriva and Jambavan
Among the vanara and bear allies born to the gods to help Vishnu: Vali son of Indra, Sugriva son of the Sun, Jambavan king of the bears.
Meet them in Issue 1, page 15
The Bhagavad Gita
Who is on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, and which readings mention them so far.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra Dhritarashtra
The blind Kuru king, father of Duryodhana. The whole Gita is told in answer to his question about the battlefield.
Sañjaya Sanjaya
The king's minister, given divine sight so he can see the battle and report it, word for word.
Krishna Kṛṣṇa
Arjuna's friend and cousin, serving as his charioteer. Most of the Gita is his teaching.
Arjuna
The third of the five Pāṇḍava brothers and the great archer, whose doubt on the battlefield opens the dialogue.
Duryodhana
Eldest son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra and leader of the Kaurava side.
Bhīṣma Bhishma
The family's revered elder, great-uncle to both sides, commanding the Kaurava army.
Droṇa Drona
The archery teacher of both the Kaurava and Pāṇḍava princes, now fighting for Duryodhana.
Bhīma Bhima
The second Pāṇḍava brother, famed for his strength.
Yudhiṣṭhira Yudhishthira
The eldest Pāṇḍava brother, known for his devotion to what is right.
In readings 1.13–16
Nakula and Sahadeva
The youngest Pāṇḍava brothers, twins.
In readings 1.13–16
Karṇa Karna
A great warrior on the Kaurava side, secretly the Pāṇḍavas' elder brother.
In readings 1.5–8
Dhṛṣṭadyumna Dhrishtadyumna
Son of King Drupada and commander of the Pāṇḍava army, trained by Droṇa himself.
Abhimanyu
Arjuna's young son by Subhadrā.
Hanuman
The vanara hero of the Ramayana, pictured on Arjuna's banner. In our Ramayana comic he is hinted at, unnamed, as 'a son of the wind' (Issue 1, page 15).
In readings 1.17–20
No one by that name yet. They may appear in a later issue or reading.