What does it mean to call Rama by the name Ramachandra? Or Raghava? Or Kakutstha? Each epithet he carries is not merely a label but a doorway into a different facet of his story, his lineage, and his divine nature. In this illuminating volume, Vikram Shastri Menon guides readers through the rich landscape of Rama’s names as they appear across the great tellings—from Valmiki’s Sanskrit epic and Tulsidas’s devotional Ramcharitmanas to Kamban’s Tamil masterpiece, the Jain Paumachariya, and the Thai Ramakien. You will discover how Kakutstha recalls an ancestor’s ride on a bull, how Ramachandra evokes the cool light of the Raghu clan, and how Maryada Purushottama became a modern ethical ideal. Drawing on scripture, commentary, and living practice, this book shows how each name carries its own narrative weight, theological nuance, and devotional charge. Whether you are a lifelong devotee, a student of world literature, or simply curious about how an ancient culture remembers its hero, this journey through a single character’s many names will deepen your understanding of one of humanity’s greatest epics. Part of The Ramayana Character Library.
About the author
Vikram Shastri Menon writes for The Ramayana Character Library.
