REQUIRED READING

• Rama is the protagonist and Prince of Ayodhya.
• Sita is the protagonist wife who was abducted by Ravana.
• Kausalya is the wife of Dasaratha and the mother of Rama.
• Lakshimana is Rama’s younger brother who accompanied Rama and Sita during their exile.
• Dasaratha is the King of Ayodhya and the father of Rama, Bharatha, Lakshamana and Shatrughna.
• Dasaratha has three wives: Kausalya, Kaikeyi, and Madri.
• Bharatha is Rama’s younger half-brother who respects Rama.
• Shatrughan is the youngest half-brother of Rama.
• Kaikeyi is one of the wives of King Dasaratha and the mother of Bharatha.
• Surpanakha is a demoness and the sister of Ravana who abducted Sita.
• Ravana is the antagonist and demon king of Lumika who abducted Sita.
• Hanuman is a devoted monkey god and an ally of Rama.
• Sugriva is the monkey king who becomes an ally of Rama.
• Vibhishana is Ravana’s brother who defeats and protects Rama.
• Janaka is the father of Sita.
• Maharshi Valmiki is the father of Indian poetry and is referred to as Adi Kavi.
• The epic poem Ramayana consists of 7 books and 24,000 verses.
• Ramayana is a narrative that follows the life of Rama from his childhood to adulthood.
• Ratnakar, the real name of Rama, was a sage's son who got lost in the forest and was raised by a hunter, Simba.
• Ratnakar married into the hunter's family to be part of the family.
• Ratnakar was one of the best hunters, but had a hard time providing for his family.
• Ratnakar became a thief to support his family.
• Ratnakar met another sage, Sage Narad, and desired the Absolute Truth.
• Ratnakar meditated and chanted the name "Rama" to attain Nevah Clarity.
• Sage Narad returned to Ratnakar after a few years, still meditating covered in an ant hill, chanting the name "Rama".
• Brahma gave visions of the Ramayana to Valmiki.
• Rama is reincarnated as the god Vishnu.
• Dasaratha, king of Kosala, is childless and desperately wants a son to succeed him as king.
• Dasaratha asks his mentor for help, who remembers a vision in which the gods appealed to Vishnu to help them defeat Ravana, a demon who uses his powers for evil.
• Vishnu agrees to incarnate as a human to defeat Ravana.
• The messenger tells Dasaratha to call a specific sage to conduct a sacrifice.
• When the sacrifice is complete, Dasaratha's three wives bear sons: Kausalya has Rama, Kaikeyi has Bharatha, and Sumithra has the twins Lakshmana and Sathrugna.
• One day, the sage Viswamithra comes to Dasaratha and asks that Rama accompany him to protect him during a sacrifice.
• Dasaratha is heartbroken, but agrees, and sends Lakshmana with Rama.
• As Viswamithra travels with the boys, he tells them the story of a demoness named Thataka.
• Thataka appears and threatens to eat the travelers, but Viswamithra instructs Rama to kill her.
• Rama does, and the gods ask Viswamithra to teach Rama about weapons.
• Viswamithra tells the boys several more stories before they reach the site of the sacrifice.
• Rama assures the sages and saints of their safety as they begin the sacrifice, and he shoots the gathered demons with his bow.
• Viswamithra then takes the boys to Mithila City.