Dr. J. TaylorIndian Epic Study QuestionsName ______
The Ramayana:
Main Characters:
RamaDasharatha
SitaSoorpanakha
Lakshmana
Hanuman
Ravana
Green answers are to help you out because Sita Sings the Blues didn’t answer all of the questions.
1. Why does Vishnu incarnate as Rama?To rid the world of Ravana
2. How did Ravana gain so much power?
3. How many children are born to King Dasharatha and his three wives?
4. Which brother is Rama’s closest friend? Lakshmana
5. What task does king Janaka set for a suitor to win Sita’s hand in marriage?
String Shiva’s bow
6. What favor does Kaikeya, the youngest wife, request of Dasharatha the night before Rama and Sita’s coronation?
7. How many years must Rama spend in the forest?
8. Who is Soorpanakha?
9. What does Lakshmana do to Soopanakha?
Cut off her nose and breasts as a sign she was an adultress
10. How does Ravana trick Rama away from Sita?
11. Where does Ravana live?
12. How does Hanuman cross the ocean?
13. What token does Sita give Hanuman?
14. Why won’t Sita return with Hanuman?
15. What does Hanuman do to Ravana’s city before he returns to Rama and the army?
16. How does Rama defeat Ravana?
17. What is Rama’s reaction when he is reunited with Sita? Why?
18. What trial must Sita endure? What happens?
19. Various Endings – try to answer the following questions based on the various endings discussed in class.
After returning to their kingdom and ruling wisely for a while, Sita becomes pregnant.
What does Rama decided to do with Sita and why?
Where does Sita go and why?
Who is the sage Valmiki? How does he help Sita?
What event causes Rama to search for Sita?
What happens when Sita and Rama are reunited finally after many years?
How long does Rama rule on earth?
The Mahabharata – 90,000 stanza epic poem, history of ancient India’s great war between the Keravas and the Pandavas, cousins fighting for the throne of India’s ancient kingdom. The most important chapter in the Mahabharata is the Bhagavad-Gita (Song of God) which contains the core teachings of Hinduism as Krishna advises Arjuna on how to follow dharma.
Main characters:
DritarashtraYudhisthira
GandhariBhima
DuryodhanaArjuna
PanduNakula
KuntiSahadeva
MadhriDraupadi
KrishnaVyasa – the poet
1. Why do the cousins argue over the throne?
2. How do the Keravas take away the Pandavas’ half of the kingdom?
3. How long do the Pandavas have to remain in exile?
4. Why does Arjuna hestitate to fight on the day of the battle against his cousins?
5. What does Krishna show or tell Arjuna to reassure him that he must fight?
6. Who wins the war?