Quiz English 8 Ramayana

Name: ________________________________________________________________ 9 – Sampaguita
Directions: Read the summary of the Ramayana and do the activity that follows.
The Story of Ramayana
by Maharshi Valmiki
Long ago, Dasharatha, the wise king of Ayodhya of
Sarayu, India had three wives. Though the King had three
wives, he didn’t have any children with them. The Chief
priest Vasishta advised the king to make fire sacrifice to
obtain a blessing from the gods.
After the gods were pleased, one of them appeared
out of the flame and handed him a pot full of nectar. The god
told the king to share the nectar with his three queens
namely Kausalya, Kaikeye, and Sumitra.
While the nectar had been shared, the three queens gave birth to sons: Kausalya had Rama; Kaikeye had
Bharatha; and Sumitra had twins Lakshmana and Shatrughna. A sage took the boys out to train them in archery.
In a neighboring city, the ruler's daughter was named Sita. When it was time for Sita to choose her bridegroom, at a
ceremony called a Swayamvara, the princes were asked to string a giant bow. No one else could even lift the bow,
but as Rama bent it, he did not only string it but also broke it into two. Sita indicated that she chose Rama as her
husband by putting a garland around his neck. The disappointed suitors were watching.
King Dasharatha, Rama's father, decided it was time to give his throne to his
eldest son Rama and retired to the forest to seek moksha. Everyone seems
pleased. This plan fulfilled the rules of dharma because an eldest son should
rule and, if a son can take over one's responsibilities, one's last years may be
spent in a search for moksha.
In addition, everyone loved Rama. However, Rama's stepmother, the king's
second wife, was not pleased. She wanted her son, Bharata, to rule. Because of
an oath Dasharatha had made to her years before, she got the king to agree to
banish Rama for fourteen years and to crown Bharata even though the king, on
bended knee, begged her not to demand such things. Broken-hearted, the
devastated king could not face Rama with the news that Kaikeyi must tell him.
Rama, always obedient, was as content to go into banishment in the forest as
to be crowned king. Sita convinced Rama that she would always be at his side
and his brother Lakshmana also begged to accompany them. Rama, Sita, and
Lakshmana set out to the forest.
Bharata, whose mother's evil plot had won him the throne, was very upset when he found out what had
happened. Not for a moment he did consider breaking the rules of dharma and becoming king in Rama's place. He
went to Rama's forest retreat and begged Rama to return and rule, but Rama refused. "We must obey father," Rama
says. Bharata then took Rama's sandals saying, "I will put these on the throne, and every day I shall place the fruits
of my work at the feet of my Lord." Embracing Rama, he took the sandals and returned to Ayodhya.
Years passed and Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana were very happy in the forest. Rama and Lakshmana destroyed the
rakshasas (evil creatures) who disturbed the sages in their meditations.
One day a rakshasa princess named Shurpanakha tried to seduce Rama, and Lakshmana wounded her and
drove her away. She returned to her brother Ravana, the ten-headed ruler of Lanka (Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon),
and told her brother, who is always attracted to beautiful women, about lovely Sita.
Ravana devised a plan to abduct Sita. He sent a magical golden deer which Sita desired Rama to hunt. A long
time had passed, but Rama didn’t return. Thus, Lakshmana went off to find his brother. Before leaving Sita,
Lakshmana drew a protective circle around Sita and warned her that she would be safe if she would stay within the
circle. As they went off, Ravana, who could change his shape, appeared as a holy man begging alms. The moment
Sita stepped outside the circle to give him food, Ravana grabbed her and carried her off to his kingdom in Lanka.
Rama was broken-hearted when he returned to the empty hut and could not
find Sita. A band of monkeys led by Hanuman offered to help him find Sita. Ravana
carried Sita to his palace in Lanka, but he could not force her to be his wife. So, he put
her in a grove and alternately sweet-talked her and threatened her in an attempt to get
her to agree to marry him. Sita would not even look at him but thought only of her
beloved Rama. Hanuman, the general of the monkey band could fly since his father was
the wind, and he flew to Lanka and found Sita in the grove, comforted her, and told her
Rama would come soon and save her.
Ravana's men captured Hanuman, and Ravana ordered them to wrap
Hanuman's tail in cloth and to set it on fire. With his tail burning, Hanuman hopped
from house-top to house-top, setting Lanka a fire. He then flew back to Rama to tell him
where Sita was. Rama, Lakshmana, and the monkey army built a causeway from the tip of India crossing over to Lanka. A
mighty battle took place. Rama killed several of Ravana's brothers and then Rama confronted ten-headed Ravana. Rama finally
killed Ravana and freed Sita. After Sita gained her freedom from Ravana, she proved her purity through the trial by fire. Then,
they returned to Ayodhya and Rama became the king. As Rama became the king, he ruled Ayodhya with Ramrajya - an ideal
time when everyone does his or her duties and responsibilities.
1. Who is the eldest

son of King
Dasharata?
2. Who is the lover

of Rama?
6. What is the name
of the Kingdom
ruled by Rama’s
Father?
3. Who is the 10-

headed enemy of
Rama?
5. What trait of
Rama do you like
the most?
4. Who is the
general of the
band of
monkeys?

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Name: ________________________________________________________________ 9 – Sampaguita

1. Who is the eldest

2. Who is the lover

3. Who is the 10-

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