Valmiki’s Ramayana has seven kandas: Bala, Ayodhya, Aranya, Kishkindha, Sundara, Yuddha and Uttara. Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas also has seven kandas, which he calls sopanas (steps); there the sixth is named Lanka Kanda.
| # | Name | Sargas (critical / southern) | Story |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bala Kanda | 76 / 77 | The birth of Rama and his brothers, the journey with Vishvamitra, Ahalya freed, Shiva’s bow broken and the marriage with Sita |
| 2 | Ayodhya Kanda | 111 / 119 | Preparations for the coronation, Kaikeyi’s two boons, the exile of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana, Dasharatha’s death, Bharata going to Chitrakuta and returning with the sandals |
| 3 | Aranya Kanda | 71 / 75 | The Dandaka forest and Panchavati, Shurpanakha, Maricha as the golden deer, Sita carried off, and Jatayu |
| 4 | Kishkindha Kanda | 66 / 67 | Meeting Hanuman and Sugriva, Vali slain, Sugriva crowned, the vanaras sent in all directions to find Sita |
| 5 | Sundara Kanda | 66 / 68 | Hanuman leaps the ocean, meets Sita in the Ashoka grove, sets Lanka on fire and brings the news back to Rama |
| 6 | Yuddha Kanda | 116 / 128 | The bridge to Lanka, the war, Ravana slain, Sita’s ordeal by fire, the return to Ayodhya and Rama’s coronation |
| 7 | Uttara Kanda | 100 / varies by edition | The earlier story of Ravana and his line, Rama’s reign, Sita sent to the forest, the birth of Lava and Kusha, the ashvamedha and Rama’s departure from the world |
About the sarga counts
The first figure is that of the Baroda Critical Edition, built by comparing manuscripts, which has 606 sargas in all. The second is that of the text current in South India. The current text (1.4.2) itself says the sage spoke 24,000 verses, 500 sargas, six kandas and ‘the Uttara’; the Critical Edition does not keep this verse in its main text. The sargas of the Uttara Kanda are counted differently in different editions, some printing the interpolated sargas separately.
The seven kandas of the Ramcharitmanas
Goswami Tulsidas began the Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi on Ram Navami of Samvat 1631 (1574 CE). Its seven kandas are Bala, Ayodhya, Aranya, Kishkindha, Sundara, Lanka and Uttara. In the Bala Kanda he calls the Manas a lake and its seven kandas its beautiful steps: ‘sapta prabandha subhaga sopana’. Valmiki’s Yuddha Kanda is the Lanka Kanda here.
Where the sources differ
- Two views on the Uttara Kanda: the tradition holds it to be Valmiki’s seventh kanda, and the current text (1.4.2) names ‘the Uttara’ alongside the six kandas. Many scholars, such as Hermann Jacobi and Robert Goldman, take the Bala and Uttara Kandas to be later additions, on grounds of language, style and narrative differences.
- The name of the sixth kanda: Yuddha Kanda in Valmiki’s Ramayana, Lanka Kanda in the Ramcharitmanas.
- The number of sargas changes with the edition: the Sundara Kanda, for example, has 66 sargas in the Critical Edition and 68 in the southern text.
Frequently asked questions
What are the names of the 7 kandas of the Ramayana?
Seven kandas (many also call them the seven parts, khand): Bala, Ayodhya, Aranya, Kishkindha, Sundara, Yuddha and Uttara Kanda.
Which is the longest kanda of the Ramayana?
By number of sargas, the Yuddha Kanda: 116 in the Critical Edition and 128 in the southern text.
How many verses does Valmiki’s Ramayana have?
According to the current text (1.4.2), 24,000 verses. The actual count in printed editions can differ somewhat.
How do the kandas of the Ramcharitmanas differ from the Ramayana?
Both have seven kandas with nearly the same names; only the sixth is called Lanka Kanda in the Manas. The Manas is Tulsidas’s own work in Awadhi, Valmiki’s Ramayana is in Sanskrit.
Is the Uttara Kanda by Valmiki?
The tradition holds it to be Valmiki’s. Many modern scholars take the Bala and Uttara Kandas to be later additions. This page gives both views and does not judge between them.
Sources
- Valmiki Ramayana, Baroda Critical Edition (Sanskrit text, GRETIL; Muneo Tokunaga and John Smith): sarga counts
- Valmiki Ramayana, southern text, kanda contents and Bala Kanda 1.4.2 (valmikiramayan.net)
- Ramcharitmanas, Bala Kanda: ‘sapta prabandha subhaga sopana’ (Bharatkosh)
- Wikipedia articles on the Ramcharitmanas and the Uttara Kanda (date, kanda names, scholarly views)
Something wrong? Report a mistake
