भट्टिकाव्यम् (रावणवधः)

Summary AI : Daśaratha rules Ayodhyā. To obtain sons, he performs a sacrifice with Ṛṣyaśṛṅga. His wives consume the sacrificial caru, leading to the birth of Rāma, Bharata, Lakṣmaṇa, and Śatrughna. The princes study the Vedas and weaponry under Vasiṣṭha. Viśvāmitra arrives to request protection for his rituals from rākṣasa spirits. Daśaratha sends Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa with the sage. The brothers depart with their bows as auspicious omens occur.

२

द्वितीयः सर्गः

Protection of the sacrifice and marriage in Mithilā

Summary AI : Rāma receives the Jayā and Vijayā spells from Viśvāmitra. He kills the rākṣasī Tāḍakā and protects the sacrificial rite by driving away Mārīca. In Mithilā, he breaks the bow of Śiva and marries Sītā. During the return to Ayodhyā, he encounters Paraśurāma and defeats him by stringing a divine bow. The wedding party reaches the city, which has been decorated for their arrival.

३

तृतीयः सर्गः

Exile of Rāma and the death of Daśaratha

Summary AI : Daśaratha plans Rāma’s consecration, but Kaikeyī demands Rāma’s exile and Bharata’s kingship. Rāma departs for the forest, and Daśaratha dies. Bharata refuses the throne and seeks Rāma at Citrakūṭa. After visiting the sage Bharadvāja, he finds Rāma and reports their father’s death. Rāma refuses to return, citing his father's command. He gives Bharata his pādukā to represent royal authority while he remains in the forest.

४

चतुर्थः सर्गः

Conflict with rākṣasas in the Daṇḍakā forest

Summary AI : Rāma enters the Daṇḍakāraṇya and kills the demon Virādha. He visits the sage Śarabhaṅga and settles into an ascetic life. The rākṣasī Śūrpaṇakhā approaches the brothers with desire, and Lakṣmaṇa mutilates her. Her brothers Khara, Dūṣaṇa, and Triśiras attack with fourteen thousand soldiers. Rāma kills the three leaders and the entire army using his bow and arrows.

५

पञ्चमः सर्गः

Abduction of Sītā by Rāvaṇa

Summary AI : Śūrpaṇakhā describes Sītā’s beauty to Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa compels Mārīca to transform into a golden deer to lure Rāma away. Disguised as a maskarin ascetic, Rāvaṇa approaches Sītā and seizes her. The vulture Jaṭāyu fights Rāvaṇa in the air, but the demon clips his wings and destroys the chariot. Rāvaṇa carries Sītā across the sea to Laṅkā.

६

षष्ठः सर्गः

Alliance with Sugrīva and the death of Bāli

Summary AI : Rāma searches for Sītā and finds the dying Jaṭāyu, who identifies Rāvaṇa as the abductor. After meeting Śabarī, Rāma reaches Ṛṣyamūka and forms an alliance with Sugrīva. Rāma pierces seven tāla trees with one arrow to prove his strength. During a battle between the monkey brothers, Rāma kills Bāli from cover. The dying Bāli entrusts his kingdom and his son Aṅgada to Sugrīva.

७

सप्तमः सर्गः

Search for Sītā and the journey south

Summary AI : Rāma waits through the monsoon on Mālyavat. In autumn, Sugrīva gathers the monkey hosts. Rāma gives Hanumān a signet ring, the aṅgulīyaka. The southern search party enters the cave of Svayamprabhā. They meet the vulture Sampāti, who confirms Sītā is in Laṅkā. The army reaches the southern ocean, and the monkeys choose Hanumān to leap across the water.

८

अष्टमः सर्गः

Hanumān finds Sītā in the Aśoka grove

Summary AI : Hanumān leaps the ocean and enters Laṅkā at night. He finds Sītā in the Aśoka grove and witnesses Rāvaṇa threatening her. Hanumān speaks to Sītā, presents the aṅgulīyaka, and receives her cūḍāmaṇi as a token. Before departing, he destroys the grove and kills the rākṣasa guards to display his strength.

९

नवमः सर्गः

Capture of Hanumān and the burning of his tail

Summary AI : Hanumān kills Rāvaṇa’s son Akṣa and several guards using a parigha and uprooted trees. Indrajit captures him with the brahmapāśa. Although the demons add rope restraints, Hanumān remains still out of respect for the divine weapon. In court, Vibhīṣaṇa argues for the safety of an envoy. Rāvaṇa rejects the plea and orders Hanumān’s tail to be set on fire.

१०

दशमः सर्गः

Burning of Laṅkā and return to Rāma

Summary AI : Hanumān burns Laṅkā with his tail and returns across the ocean. He presents Sītā’s cūḍāmaṇi to Rāma. The monkey army marches to the southern shore. While Rāma grieves by the sea, Lakṣmaṇa encourages him. The army establishes a camp. This section of the text utilizes various poetic figures (alaṅkāras) to describe the landscape and the army's movements.

११

एकादशः सर्गः

The morning in Laṅkā and the royal court

Summary AI : The sun rises over Laṅkā. Women finish their morning rites and remove their night ornaments. The city awakens with the sound of music and Vedic chanting. Rāvaṇa, adorned in jewels and accompanied by his retinue, enters the assembly hall. He ascends his throne to consult with his ministers and generals regarding the approaching army.

१२

द्वादशः सर्गः

Vibhīṣaṇa joins Rāma and is consecrated

Summary AI : Vibhīṣaṇa advises Rāvaṇa to return Sītā, citing nīti and bad omens. Rāvaṇa rejects the advice and insults his brother. Vibhīṣaṇa leaves Laṅkā with four ministers and seeks refuge with Rāma. Rāma welcomes him and performs an abhiṣeka, consecrating Vibhīṣaṇa as the future king of the rākṣasas.

१३

त्रयोदशः सर्गः

Construction of the bridge and arrival at Suvela

Summary AI : Rāma threatens the ocean with his bow. The ocean deity appears and suggests building a bridge. Nala directs the monkeys to cast mountains and rocks into the water. The army crosses the setu and occupies Mount Suvela. From the heights, Rāma and his allies observe the fortifications of Laṅkā and Rāvaṇa’s forces.

१४

चतुर्दशः सर्गः

Healing of the princes and death of Prahasta

Summary AI : War begins. Indrajit binds Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa with nāgapāśas. Garuḍa descends, causing the serpents to flee and reviving the brothers. Hanumān kills Dhūmrākṣa and Akampana. Nīla kills the commander Prahasta with a stone. The rākṣasa army retreats into the city after these losses.

१५

पञ्चदशः सर्गः

Death of Kumbhakarṇa and the revival of the army

Summary AI : The rākṣasas wake Kumbhakarṇa. He enters the battle and devours monkeys until Rāma kills him with an aindra missile. Lakṣmaṇa and the monkeys kill Atikāya and other generals. When Indrajit incapacitates the host, Hanumān brings medicinal herbs from the Himālayas to revive them. The monkeys set fire to Laṅkā and kill Nikumbha and Kumbha.

१६

षोडशः सर्गः

Rāvaṇa's grief and Indrajit’s vow

Summary AI : Rāvaṇa laments the death of Kumbhakarṇa and his sons. He resolves to kill Rāma or die in battle. Indrajit comforts his father and vows to destroy the enemy. He describes his previous victory over the gods. Indrajit prepares his chariot and weapons for a final assault on the monkey army.

१७

सप्तदशः सर्गः

The deaths of Indrajit and Rāvaṇa

Summary AI : Lakṣmaṇa disrupts Indrajit’s ritual and kills him. A vengeful Rāvaṇa enters the field and strikes Lakṣmaṇa with a spear. After Lakṣmaṇa recovers, Rāma engages Rāvaṇa from a chariot sent by Indra. They exchange divine missiles until Rāma uses the brahmāstra. The weapon pierces Rāvaṇa, killing him.

१८

अष्टादशः सर्गः

Vibhīṣaṇa’s lament and funeral preparations

Summary AI : Vibhīṣaṇa mourns over Rāvaṇa’s body, reflecting on his brother's refusal to follow nīti. The women of the harem lament on the battlefield. Rāma consoles Vibhīṣaṇa and instructs him to perform the funeral rites (anantarāṇi). Vibhīṣaṇa prepares to take up the governance of Laṅkā as Rāma directs.

१९

एकोनविंशः सर्गः

Consecration of Vibhīṣaṇa as King

Summary AI : Vibhīṣaṇa cremations Rāvaṇa with sandalwood and Vedic rites. Rāma consecrates Vibhīṣaṇa as the king of Laṅkā. Rāma then instructs the new king on the duties of royalty, including the protection of subjects and the administration of justice according to dharma. He emphasizes the use of sound policy to ensure the stability of the kingdom.

२०

विंशः सर्गः

The fire ordeal of Sītā

Summary AI : Vibhīṣaṇa brings Sītā to Rāma. Rāma publicly expresses doubt regarding her conduct during captivity. Sītā asserts her purity and enters a fire (citā) prepared by Lakṣmaṇa. She invokes the gods to witness her character. The fire does not harm her, proving her fidelity to Rāma.

२१

एकविंशः सर्गः

Divine confirmation of Sītā’s purity

Summary AI : Agni emerges from the flames and returns Sītā to Rāma, testifying to her virtue. Brahmā and Śiva appear and declare Rāma’s identity as the deity Nārāyaṇa. Indra revives the fallen monkeys. The landscape of Suvela transforms, providing food and honey for the army as they prepare to depart from Laṅkā.

२२

द्वाविंशः सर्गः

Return to Ayodhyā and Rāma’s coronation

Summary AI : Rāma, Sītā, and the army return to Ayodhyā on the puṣpaka chariot. Rāma points out landmarks from the war to Sītā. They meet Bharata and enter the city. Rāma is crowned king and appoints Bharata as the heir (yuvarāja). The text concludes by stating its purpose as a guide to Sanskrit grammar composed in Valabhī.

Other texts to read

कुमारसंभवम् कालिदासः

महाभारतम् वेदव्यासः

About

Resources