Ramayana - Study Guide

Questions

RAMAYANA by Valmiki (Study Guide – Questions)
Valmiki's Ramayana, illustrated version
[Note: The illustrated version of the Ramayana has one question per page. The entire epic is divided into 9 parts.]
Part 1:
1. What is a payasa? What is it used for? (p. 1)

2. What kind of education did the princes get? (p. 2)

3. What is the purpose of sage Vishwamitra’s visit? (p. 3)

4. Who are the Rakshasas?

5. Who is Vasishtha? What is his advice?

6. What does Rama and his brother have to cross?

7. How is Rama able to defeat the Rakshashi Tataka?

8. What is an ashram?

9. What reward will Rama receive if he strings the bow of Shiva?

10. How many men needed to pull the eight-wheeled box?

11. Where was the marriage ceremony held?

Part 2:
12. What does Rama receive from the sage Parashurama? (p. 12)

13. How many years passed before the king decided to name his successor?

14. What does Yuvaraja mean? (p. 14)

15. How does Manthara, the maid, convince Kaikeyi to suspect Rama?

16. What will Kaikeyi use to persuade the king to fulfill her wish?

17. What does Rama think of Kaikeyi?

18. How does Rama react to the mention of Kaikeyi’s two boons?

19. Why did the king promise two boons to Kaikeyi?

20. What two requests (favors) does Kaikeyi make of the king?

21. How does Rama feel about the coronation of Bharata?

22. What is the meaning of dharma?

23. What did Kausalya apply to Rama’s forehead? Why?

24. Who wants to go into the forest with Rama? (p. 24)

Part 3:
25. Name at least three of Rama’s qualities? (p. 25)

26. What kind of wealth is enough for Rama? (p. 26)

27. What is an ascetic?

28. What is Vasishtha’s contention about Sita’s appearance?

29. Where does Rama build a hut?

30. What kind of news does Bharata bring?

31. What does Rama offer in honor of his father?

32. Why does Bharata offer to place Rama’s sandals on the throne?

33. Where is Rama’s next destination? (p. 33)

Part 4:
34. Who befriends Rama on the way to Panchavati? (p. 34)

35. Who wants to marry Rama? (p. 35)

36. What happened to the Rakshasi when Lakshmana defaced her?

37. Who helped Rama defeat the Rakshasas?

38. Where is Ravana’s kingdom?

39. What does Maricha tell his brother is the greatest sin?

40. How does Maricha lure Rama away from Sita?

41. How does Maricha lure Lakshmana away from Sita?

42. How does Sita convince Lakshmana to go help Rama?

Part 5:
43. How does Ravana disguise himself? (p. 43)

44. According to Sita, what happens to a man who insults a chaste lady?

45. How did Ravana take Sita to Lanka? (p. 45)

46. According to Lakshmana, what caused Sita to force him to look for Rama?

47. Who does Rama ask for help in finding Sita?

48. Rama finally seeks for help from which celestial body?

49. Which animal points Rama southward in his search for Sita?

50. What act is Rama angry enough to commit if Sita is not returned to him?

51. What did Jataya, the vulture, destroy? (p. 51)

52. How did Jataya lose his ability to fly? (p. 52)

Part 6:
53. Who is Hanuman? (p. 53)

54. Where does Sugreeva live? (p. 54)

55. How does Rama keep his pledge to Sugreeva?

56. What sign does Rama give Hanuman in case he finds Sita?

57. How much is 300 Yojanas?

58. What did Hanuman do when he was a child?

59. What two obstacles rise up from the ocean to test Hanuman?

60. What did the water Rakshasi Simhika try to grab? (p. 60)

61. What prophecy does the guardian of the city remember? (p. 61)

Part 7:
62. Where did Hanuman find Sita? (p. 62)

63. What does Sita place between Ravana and herself? (p. 63)

64. How much longer will Ravana give Sita to yield to him? (p. 64)

65. How does Hanuman gain Sita’s confidence?

66. What makes Sita finally trust Hanuman?

67. According to Sita, what is the only thing that will vindicate her honor?

68. Who was the last warrior Hanuman had to face?

69. Who intervenes to save Hanuman’s life? (p. 69)

70. What does Hanuman do to the city of Lanka? (p. 70)

Part 8:
71. Why was the garden of Madhuvana ruined by Hanuman and his monkeys?

72. What does Hanuman give Rama to prove he saw Sita? (p. 72)

73. Why does Vibhushana, Ravana’s younger brother, come to join Rama?

74. What advice does Sagara, lord of the ocean, give to Rama?

75. Who supervises the building of the bridge?

76. Where did Rama’s army assemble?

77. Who is the last messenger from Rama to Ravana?

78. How is Indrajit able to finally shoot down Rama and Lakshama?

79. Who comes to heal Lakshama?

80. Why doesn’t Rama kill Ravana?

81. Who is Ravana’s last hope to defeat Rama? (p. 81)

82. How was the giant defeated? (p. 82)

83. According to Indrajit, who is the cause of the war between Rama and Ravana? (p. 83)

Part 9:
84. Why does Ravana shoot Lakshama in the heart?

85. What does Lakshmana need in order to revive?

86. Why did Hanuman carry the whole mountain to Lanka?

87. Whose chariot does Rama use in his final battle with Ravana?

88. How is Rama finally able to defeat Ravana?

89. Who is Agni? (p. 89)

90. What test did Sita pass? What did the test prove? (p. 90)

91. What path did Rama follow in ruling the kingdom of Kosala? (p. 91)