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Names in Ramayana and their meaning
RAM: Pleasing, delighting, rejoicing, beautiful, lovely, charming, dark-coloured
SITA: A furrow, track or line of ploughshare, a tilled or furrowed ground.
VALMIKI or VALMIKHA : Valmika means "ant-hill". He was brahmin by birth, but being abandoned by his parents in his childhood, he was found by some wild mountaineers who taught him the art of thieving. He son became expert in the art and pursued the business of plundering and killing travellers. One day he saw a grat sage whom he asked on the pain of death to deliver his possessions. But the sage asked him to go home n ask his wife n children if they r willing to be his partners in the innumerable sin he had committed. He accordingly went home, but returned dismayed at their unwillingness. He wanted to do "PRAYASCHIT". The sage asked him to utter "RAMA". But he was unable to do so because of his sins. The sage again asked him ot utter "MARA" (which is Rama inverted). He started repeating the word for years without moving from the place n as a result he got covered up with ant-hills. The same sage reappered n got him out of the ant hill. He got enlightened with Divine knowledge n his mind became pious because of the constant chanting of the name "RAMA". He afterwards became a eminent sage. One day while he was performing his ablutions, he saw one pair of Krauncha birds being killed bu a fowler, at which he cursed the wretch in words which unconsciously took the form of a verse in the Anushtubh metre. This was a new mode of composition and at the command of Lord Brahma he composed the first poem the Ramayana.
BHARAT : one who bears, sustainer
LAKSHMAN : Possessed of good or auspicious marks, fortunate, lucky, prosperous, thriving.
SHATRUGHNA : Destroyer of enemies
DASHRATH : a man whose power is equal to the power of ten MahaRathis. "Rathi" means chariot fighter.
JANAK : Generator, producer, father
SUMITRA : A good friend
AHILYA : This word means 'Unploughed'. She is 'Maanas' daughter of Lord Brahma. She is one of the five very chaste n pure woman whose name every one is recommended to repeat in the morning (she's one of the PANCHAKANYA OR PANCHAMAHASATI). Other four r Sita, Tara, Mandodari n Draupadi.
HANUMAAN : "Hanu" means chin. When Maaruti was young once Indra gave him a fatal hit on his chin by his fatal weapon VAJRA. Indra later on realised his fault. Lord Brahma then reinstalled his life n made Maaruti immortal. Indra n other Gods gave him special boons. He is called so because of the mark in his chin caused by Vajra
RAAVAN: 'Raav' means a cry, scream, or roar. Ravan means crying, roaring, screaming. He was named so by Lord Shiva. Once he tried to uplift the Kailasa Mountain, but Lord Shiva pressed it down so as to crush his fingers under it. He therefore prayed Shiva for one thousand years so loudly that Lord Shiva gave him the name Raavan n freed him from his painful position n gave him boons n Chandrahass Khadak.
BIBHISHANA ; Brother of Raavan n one of the Chirajivins. He is one of the seven persons who r considered to be deathless. They r Bali (a demon king who was sent to patala by Lord Vishnu in his Vaman avtaar), Hanuman, Parshurama, Ashwathama, Rishi Vyasa, Kripah n Vibhishana.
SHURPANAKHA : (Ravan's sister). The word means one having finger nails like winnowing baskets (sup).
AKSHAY : (son of Raavan.) Word Akshay means undecaying
MEGHNAAD : (son of Raavan). 'Megh' means cloud n 'Naad' means sound. He was named so because a terrific thunder occurred when he took birth.
SUGRIVA : one having a beautiful neck. (Baali's younger brother)
PANCHAVATI: It means a place having five auspecious trees- Bel, Vat , Dhatri, Ashoka, Ashwatha. A part of Dandaka forest where Godavari river rises n where Ram lived for a considerable time during exile. It is near Nasik
AGASTYA : The word means "pitcher- born". Agastya n Vashishta r offspring of Mitra n Varuna. He humbled Vindhya Mountain. Once he drank up the whole Indian ocean. In astronomy he is Star 'Canopus' which appears in the month of August.
I could'nt find the meaning of the names of other characters of Ramayana. Do post if u find the meaning of the name of other characters like Urmila, Maandavi etc
Hav u guys noticed a interesting thing in the name of the four couples Ram-Sita, Lakshaman-Urmila, Bharat-Maandavi, n Shatrughna-Shrutkirti. If u write these names in HINDI (Devnagri script) or any other script derived from Sanskrit(devnagri script) u'll notice a interesting thing in the names of the couple
(pls note--dont take maatraas into account. concentrate only on no. of Akshars)
RAM-SITA--- In the name RAM there r two AKSHARS (letters)-- Ra & Ma. In his wife's name also there r two Akshars Sa & Ta.
BHARAT-MANDAVI------- In bharat name there r three akshars BHa, Ra, Ta n in his wife's name also there r 3 akshars Ma, Da, & Va
LAKSHAMAN-URMILA-------- In lakshaman' name there r three full Akshars La, La is followed by half "ksha" then Ma, Na In his wife's name also there r three full akshars OO, Ma, La and first akshara Oo is followed a half Ra.
SHATRUGHNA- SHRUTKIRTI------- in Shatrughna's name there r two full akshars Sha & Na n two combined aksharas TRa & GNa
. Similarly in his wifes name the akshars r "SHra" (combined one formed with Sha n Ra)Ta, Ka (akshar Ra is added on Ka) n Ta
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