Ramayana
रामायण
The Sanskrit epic traditionally attributed to Valmiki, with many regional retellings.
Index to the Proper Names Occurring in Valmiki’s Ramayana
Artistic representation · not a historical depiction
Epic character · Sri Lanka and Pan-Indian
Ravana
रावण
One who roars
Sanskrit · Pan-Indian
A formidable, learned, and deeply contested epic character.
ScholarshipPowerComplexity
The story behind the name
Who is behind this name?
- Character
- Ravana
- Source
- Ramayana
- Role
- King of Lanka and principal antagonist of the Ramayana
Ravana is the king of Lanka in the Ramayana. Literary and regional traditions portray his power, learning, devotion, and wrongdoing with differing emphases.
A formidable, learned, and deeply contested epic character.
Interpretations and spellings may vary across editions, languages, regions, and living traditions.
Source trail
Where this story appears
Sanskrit · Devanagari
Editorial method
Source reviewed.
Entries keep common spellings beside scholarly transliterations and native scripts. The archive grows source by source and never presents itself as exhaustive.