सर्गः १ — In which Rama enters Dandakaranya, wondering sages welcome and feast him, then teach that a revenue-taking king must shelter ascetics.
सर्गः २ — In which the man-eating Viradha snatches Sita for his wife, Rama laments Kaikeyi's triumph, and Lakshmana vows his arrow will fell Viradha.
सर्गः ३ — In which Rama maims spear-hurling Viradha, the fallen foe confesses cursed Tumburu freed by Rama's blows, and burial wins him heaven.
सर्गः ४ — In which Indra in his sky-chariot courts Sharabhanga heavenward, the sage waits to see Rama, then sheds his body in fire for Brahmaloka.
सर्गः ५ — In which gathered ascetics show Rama slaughtered bodies, plead that a sixth-share king must guard them, and Rama vows slaughter before seeking Sutikshna.
सर्गः ६ — In which awaiting Sutikshna embraces Rama, offers his heaven-won worlds for Rama's household stay, and Rama refuses long lodging to spare the trusting deer.
सर्गः ७ — In which Rama worships at dawn, embraces farewell with Sutikshna, views lotus lakes and peacock woods, and Sita arms both brothers for the road.
सर्गः ८ — In which Sita pleads against vow-driven slaughter of Dandaka rakshasas, citing the ascetic whose entrusted sword bred cruelty and dragged him to hell.
सर्गः ९ — In which Rama answers Sita that pity-seeking sages won his sworn word, truth forbids recall, and pledged brahmanas outweigh life itself.
सर्गः १० — In which Rama marvels at five-apsara music, dwells ten years touring hermitages, hears Vatapi digested and Ilvala burnt, and nears Agastya bidding Lakshmana announce him.
सर्गः ११ — In which Lakṣmaṇa announces Rāma at the āśrama, and delighted Agastya welcomes the trio, feasts them, and bestows Viṣṇu weapons
सर्गः १२ — In which Agastya consoles the weary trio, praises steadfast Sītā, and sends Rāma to dwell at Pañcavaṭī by the Gōdāvarī
सर्गः १३ — In which Rāma meets Jaṭāyu, learns his birth from Aruṇa through cosmic progeny, and wins a mighty guardian for Sītā
सर्गः १४ — In which Rāma picks a flowering Gōdāvarī site, Lakṣmaṇa builds and blesses a leaf hut, and Rāma settles joyfully
सर्गः १५ — In which Lakṣmaṇa paints frostbound Hēmanta and suffering Bharata, censures Kaikēyī, and Rāma bathes forbidding her blame
सर्गः १६ — In which hideous Śūrpaṇakhā desires godlike Rāma, tells her Rāvaṇa kin, and demands marriage while threatening to devour Sītā
सर्गः १७ — In which Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa toss Śūrpaṇakhā between them, she attacks Sītā, and Lakṣmaṇa severs her ears and nose
सर्गः १८ — In which bloodied Śūrpaṇakhā tells Khara of two youths and Sītā, craves their blood, and Khara sends fourteen Rākṣasas
सर्गः १९ — In which fourteen demons menace Rāma at his leaf hut, Rāma smashes their pikes, and fells them all with fiery shafts
सर्गः २० — In which Śūrpaṇakhā mourns fourteen slain heroes, demands Rāma's death threatening suicide, and doubts Khara facing Rāma
सर्गः २१ — In which stung Khara consoles Śūrpaṇakhā, musters fourteen thousand demons, mounts his golden chariot, and rolls roaring toward Rāma
सर्गः २२ — In which bloody omens terrify the marching host, Khara boasts he can fell stars and Indra, and sages pray for Rāma
सर्गः २३ — In which Rāma reads dire omens, hides Sītā with Lakṣmaṇa in a cave, arms himself, and faces the roaring demon ocean alone
सर्गः २४ — In which Khara besets lone Rāma with every missile, Rāma stands firm as a mountain, and his arrows mow the demon ranks
सर्गः २५ — In which Rāma maims club-swinging Dūṣaṇa, fells Mahākapāla and two chiefs, and leaves fourteen thousand demons a bloody field
सर्गः २६ — In which Triśiras begs single combat with Rāma, grazes his brow, and loses chariot, horses, and all three heads
सर्गः २७ — In which Khara and Rāma darken the sky with arrows, Rāma smashes chariot and bow, and gods applaud from the heavens
सर्गः २८ — In which Rāma preaches doom to mace-bearing Khara, Khara boasts and hurls his blazing mace, and Rāma shatters it sky-high
सर्गः २९ — In which Rāma answers Khara boasts, fells him with an Indra-given shaft, and sages hail Daṇḍaka made safe for ascetics
सर्गः ३० — In which Śūrpaṇakhā flees slaughter to Laṅkā and beholds twenty-armed Rāvaṇa, scourge of gods, enthroned among ministers
सर्गः ३१ — In which wrathful Shurpanakha shames spy-less pleasure-bound Ravana, reports lone Rama slaughtering Khara's fourteen thousand, and warns fallen kings perish.
सर्गः ३२ — In which Ravana demands Rama's strength and weapon, and Shurpanakha paints tireless archer Rama, loyal Lakshmana, and Sita fit only for Ravana's bed.
सर्गः ३३ — In which Ravana hides his plan, rides a mule-drawn golden chariot seaward past ashrams and towns, hears Garuda's banyan feat, and finds fasting Maricha.
सर्गः ३४ — In which Ravana begs Maricha to become a silver-spotted golden deer, draw Rama and Lakshmana away, and let him steal moonlike Sita unopposed.
सर्गः ३५ — In which Maricha calls pleasant speakers cheap, defends truthful forest-bound Rama as blazing untouchable fire, and bids Ravana consult wise ministers.
सर्गः ३६ — In which Maricha recalls elephant-strong youth devouring sages, despising boy Rama at Vishvamitra's rite, and waking in ocean flung by Rama's shaft.
सर्गः ३७ — In which Maricha tells stalking ascetics as blood-drunk deer, dodging Rama's triple shafts, and trembling at Rama's name in trees, dreams, and jewels.
सर्गः ३८ — In which Ravana scorns healing advice, lectures that kings embody fire and death, and commands Maricha to become a golden deer or die by him.
सर्गः ३९ — In which Maricha blames death-worthy ministers, likens sharp masters to jackals guarding sheep, and warns bringing Sita erases Lanka itself.
सर्गः ४० — In which resigned Maricha flies with Ravana to Rama's plantain-ringed hut, turns a rainbow-tailed jewel deer, and lures wondering Sita from flowers.
सर्गः ४१ — In which Sītā charmed by a golden jeweled deer demands it for play or hide, Lakṣmaṇa warns of Mārīca māyā, and Rāma charges him to guard Sītā
सर्गः ४२ — In which Rāma pursues the vanishing golden deer, fells Mārīca with a Brahmā shaft, and hearing his dying Rāma-voiced cry hurries toward Janasthāna fearing for Sītā
सर्गः ४३ — In which Sītā hearing a Rāma-voiced cry sends Lakṣmaṇa to rescue Rāma, accuses his refusal as hidden lust and treachery, and drives him weeping toward Rāma
सर्गः ४४ — In which Rāvaṇa seizing Lakṣmaṇa absence nears Sītā as robed mendicant with staff and waterpot, and extols her beauty while she welcomes him as honored guest
सर्गः ४५ — In which Sītā tells the seeming brāhmaṇa her Janaka birth and forest exile, learns he is Rāvaṇa seeking her as queen, and scorns him as jackal craving a lioness
सर्गः ४६ — In which Rāvaṇa vaunts his terror over gods wind and sun and jeweled Laṅkā joys, and Sītā retorts his doomed race cannot steal Rāma wife and live
सर्गः ४७ — In which Rāvaṇa resumes his ten-faced dread form, drags wailing Sītā hair and thigh aboard, and she calls on Janasthāna Gōdāvarī and beasts to report her theft
सर्गः ४८ — In which ancient vulture Jaṭāyu halts Rāvaṇa bearing Sītā, preaches that kings must guard others wives, and vows old wings shall still bar her theft
सर्गः ४९ — In which Jaṭāyu shatters Rāvaṇa bow parasol chariot and mules with talons, fells him applauded by beings, then falls wing-shorn after renewed grappling
सर्गः ५० — In which Rāvaṇa grips wailing Sītā by hair aloft while Brahmā marks his doom, blossoms anklets and necklaces shower earth, and sun beasts and mountains grieve
सर्गः ५१ — In which Sītā, borne through sky in Rāvaṇa's lap, scorns his thieving cowardice and foretells death at Rāma's hands
सर्गः ५२ — In which Sītā drops rich garments to watching monkeys below, and Rāvaṇa bears her over ocean into guarded Laṅkā
सर्गः ५३ — In which Rāvaṇa displays palace towers, ponds, and riches, then lovestruck presses Sītā to forget Rāma and wed him
सर्गः ५४ — In which Sītā behind straw scorns Rāvaṇa, warning Rāma's arrows mean death, and he grants twelve months before cooks kill her
सर्गः ५५ — In which Rāma, returning after killing Mārīca, reads dire omens and rebukes Lakṣmaṇa for leaving Sītā alone
सर्गः ५६ — In which Rāma demands where supportive Sītā is, dreads Kaikēyī triumph and demon revenge, and reaches vacant Janasthāna
सर्गः ५७ — In which Lakṣmaṇa recounts Sītā's tearful go-go order and cruel suspicion, and Rāma calls leaving her a grievous wrong
सर्गः ५८ — In which Rāma, confronting vacant leaf hut and ill omens, wanders wailing and implores every tree and animal for Sītā
सर्गः ५९ — In which Rāma cries to fawns and absent Sītā, Lakṣmaṇa counsels hopeful search, and both comb woods mountains and lakes vainly
सर्गः ६० — In which Rāma pleads with Gōdāvarī, traces petals blood and broken weapons, and threatens sky earth and gods for Sītā
सर्गः ६१ — In which Lakṣmaṇa restrains world-burning Rāma, reads a lone broken chariot and blood, and urges search before righteous war
सर्गः ६२ — In which Lakṣmaṇa consoles senseless Rāma, cites Yayāti and bereaved Vasiṣṭha bowed by fate, and bids him hunt the foe
सर्गः ६३ — In which Rāma takes bloodied Jaṭāyus for Sītā's eater, then weeps as the dying bird names Rāvaṇa and tells its doomed fight
सर्गः ६४ — In which dying Jaṭāyus names Rāvaṇa and foretells his fall, and Rāma burns him as kin and offers water
सर्गः ६५ — In which the brothers march west past dire omens and fall seized by yojana-armed, belly-mouthed Kabandha blocking their path
सर्गः ६६ — In which the brothers sever Kabandha's arms, name their stolen Sītā quest, and hear his glad welcome and promised tale
सर्गः ६७ — In which Kabandha tells his curse and Indra's thunderbolt maiming, seeks burning, and promises a friend who knows Sītā
सर्गः ६८ — In which burnt Kabandha rises shining heavenward and bids Rāma befriend Sugrīva, knower of every haunt, to find Sītā
सर्गः ६९ — In which skyborne Kabandha maps flowering roads to Pampā, deathless Mataṅga blooms, Śabarī, and Sugrīva's cave refuge
सर्गः ७० — In which the brothers reach Śabarī's hermitage, hear her sages foretold Rāma, and grant her burning ascent to heaven
सर्गः ७१ — In which Rāma praises the wonder āśrama, reaches lotus Pampā, laments in love, and turns toward Sugrīva on R̥sr̥yamūka
वाल्मीकिरामायणम् Baroda Critical EditionCC0. No rights reserved