Shatrughna
Encyclopedia
Shatrughna was the youngest brother of Lord Rama
in the Hindu
epic Ramayana
. He is the twin brother of Lakshmana
.
, and his third wife, Queen Sumitra
. His other two wives, Kaushalya and Kaikeyi
, had sons as well. Kaushalya had Rama
and Kaikeyi had Bharat who were Shatrughna's half-brothers. Shatrughna also had a blood-brother called Lakshmana
. Shatrughna's name means "destroyer of enemies". Shatrughna was married to Shrutakeerti
, the daughter of King Kusadhbojan
and his wife. Shrutakeerti was the cousin of Sita
, daughter of King Janaka
and his wife. He is supposed to be the reincarnation of Vishnu's sacred conch.
(who was responsible for poisoning the queen's mind against Rāma) and makes an attack to kill her, but he is restrained by Bharata
who feels that Rāma would not approve.
Bharata goes to Rama and asks him to come back to Ayodhya but Rama refuses. Bharata rules Ayodhya from Nandigramam and is an excellent leader, often referred to as the avatar of dharma. Shatrughna is instructed to stay in the palace during this time.
Shatrughna is important to the main story and goal of the epic. His chief exploit is the killing of Lavanasura
the demon King of Mathura, who was a nephew of Ravana
the King of Lanka
slain by Rama.
Lavanasura was the son of Madhu
, the pious demon-king after whom the city of Mathura was named. Madhu's wife and Lavanusara's mother was Kumbhini, a sister of Ravana
. Lavanasura was the holder of the divine Trishula (Trident) of Lord Shiva
, and nobody was able to kill him or prevent him from committing sinful activities.
Shatrughna begged Rama and his elder brothers to allow him the opportunity to serve them by killing Lavnasura. Shatrughna killed the great demon with an arrow imbibed with the power of Vishnu
.
of Vishnu
completes 10,000 years of perfectly pious rule upon earth, he walks into the river Sarayu
to return to his true and eternal Mahavishnu
form. Bharata
and Shatrughna follow him into the river, and merge into Mahavishnu
.
is located at Payammal in Thrissur District
of Kerala
in India
.
Another temple of Shatrughna is situated at Muni Ki Reti
, Rishikesh.
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
in the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
epic Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
. He is the twin brother of Lakshmana
Lakshmana
Lakshmana was the brother and close companion of Rama, and himself a hero in the famous epic Ramayana...
.
Birth and family
Shatrughna was born to the virtuous king of Ayodhya, DasarathaDasaratha
Dasharatha was a king of Ayodhya of the Ikshvaku dynasty whose life story is narrated principally in the Hindu epic Ramayana...
, and his third wife, Queen Sumitra
Sumitra
Sumitra in the Indian Ramayana epic, was the third of King Dasaratha's three wives and a queen of Ayodhyā. She was the mother of twins Lakshmana and Shatrughna. She came from the ancient kingdom of Kashi. She was supposed to be the wisest of the wives of Dasaratha. She was the one to first...
. His other two wives, Kaushalya and Kaikeyi
Kaikeyi
Kaikeyi , in the Hindu epic Rāmāyaṇa, was the second of King Daśaratha's three wives and a queen of Ayodhyā. She was the mother of Bharata...
, had sons as well. Kaushalya had Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
and Kaikeyi had Bharat who were Shatrughna's half-brothers. Shatrughna also had a blood-brother called Lakshmana
Lakshmana
Lakshmana was the brother and close companion of Rama, and himself a hero in the famous epic Ramayana...
. Shatrughna's name means "destroyer of enemies". Shatrughna was married to Shrutakeerti
Shrutakirti
In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Shrutakirti/Shrutkeerti was the daughter of Kushadbhojan, a brother of King Janaka of Mithilā; hence, she is a cousin of Sītā. Her name signifies "she whose fame is heard". Shrutakīrti was married to Shatrughna, the youngest brother of Lord Rāma. She bore him two sons....
, the daughter of King Kusadhbojan
Kushadhwaja
Kushadhwaja, was a younger brother of Janaka, the father of Sita, the heroine of Ramayan. He ruled the kingdom of Benares. He had two daughters, Mandavi and Shrutakeerti who were wedded to Bharata and Shratughna, the brothers of Lord Rama and sons of Dasaratha.Sudhanva, supposedly an evil king of...
and his wife. Shrutakeerti was the cousin of Sita
SITA
SITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry...
, daughter of King Janaka
Janaka
Janaka or Raja Janaka were the kings of Videha Kingdom. Their capital was Mithila, which is believed to be present day Janakpur, Nepal...
and his wife. He is supposed to be the reincarnation of Vishnu's sacred conch.
Rama's exile
When Rama is exiled, Shatrughna drags Kaikeyī's old nurse MantharāManthara
Manthara , in the Hindu epic Ramayana, is a servant who convinced Kaikeyi that the throne of Ayodhya belonged to her son Bharata and that Rama should be exiled from the kingdom....
(who was responsible for poisoning the queen's mind against Rāma) and makes an attack to kill her, but he is restrained by Bharata
Bharata (Ramayana)
In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Bharata was the second brother of the main protagonist Rama, and the son of Dasaratha and Kaikeyi. Dasaratha was the Emperor of Ayodhya and belonged to the Suryavansha or Solar Dynasty...
who feels that Rāma would not approve.
Bharata goes to Rama and asks him to come back to Ayodhya but Rama refuses. Bharata rules Ayodhya from Nandigramam and is an excellent leader, often referred to as the avatar of dharma. Shatrughna is instructed to stay in the palace during this time.
The slaying of Lavanasura
Although he plays a relatively minor role in the RāmāyaṇaRamayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
Shatrughna is important to the main story and goal of the epic. His chief exploit is the killing of Lavanasura
Lavanasura
In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Lavanasura was an Asura who was killed by Shatrughna, the youngest brother of Lord Rama.During Rama's reign, while peace prevailed in most places, Lavanasura continued to torment the innocent and destroy many sacrifices of sages and terrify them in many ways. Many kings...
the demon King of Mathura, who was a nephew of Ravana
Ravana
' is the primary antagonist character of the Hindu legend, the Ramayana; who is the great king of Lanka. In the classic text, he is mainly depicted negatively, kidnapping Rama's wife Sita, to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister...
the King of Lanka
Lanka
Sri Lanka is the name given in Hindu mythology to the island fortress capital of the legendary king Ravana in the great Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata...
slain by Rama.
Lavanasura was the son of Madhu
Madhu
Madhu may refer to:* Madhu, a term in Hindi-Urdu, Sanskrit, and other languages for honey and alcohol * Madhu, in Hindu mythology, one of the asura brothers Madhu-Kaitabh, killed by Lord Vishnu...
, the pious demon-king after whom the city of Mathura was named. Madhu's wife and Lavanusara's mother was Kumbhini, a sister of Ravana
Ravana
' is the primary antagonist character of the Hindu legend, the Ramayana; who is the great king of Lanka. In the classic text, he is mainly depicted negatively, kidnapping Rama's wife Sita, to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister...
. Lavanasura was the holder of the divine Trishula (Trident) of Lord Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
, and nobody was able to kill him or prevent him from committing sinful activities.
Shatrughna begged Rama and his elder brothers to allow him the opportunity to serve them by killing Lavnasura. Shatrughna killed the great demon with an arrow imbibed with the power of Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
.
Retirement
After Rama, the seventh AvatarAvatar
In Hinduism, an avatar is a deliberate descent of a deity to earth, or a descent of the Supreme Being and is mostly translated into English as "incarnation," but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation"....
of Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
completes 10,000 years of perfectly pious rule upon earth, he walks into the river Sarayu
Sarayu
The Sarayu is a river that flows through the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. This river is of ancient significance, finding mentions in the Vedas and the Ramayana. The Sarayu forms at the confluence of the Karnali and Mahakali in Bahraich District...
to return to his true and eternal Mahavishnu
Mahavishnu
Image:Hinducosm Map1.svg|thumb|Click an area to go there. This is one of many material universes which expand from Mahavishnu when He breathes.|300px|alt=One Brahmanda, with Garbhodakashayi-Vishnurect 216 61 277 80 Brahma...
form. Bharata
Bharata (Ramayana)
In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Bharata was the second brother of the main protagonist Rama, and the son of Dasaratha and Kaikeyi. Dasaratha was the Emperor of Ayodhya and belonged to the Suryavansha or Solar Dynasty...
and Shatrughna follow him into the river, and merge into Mahavishnu
Mahavishnu
Image:Hinducosm Map1.svg|thumb|Click an area to go there. This is one of many material universes which expand from Mahavishnu when He breathes.|300px|alt=One Brahmanda, with Garbhodakashayi-Vishnurect 216 61 277 80 Brahma...
.
Temple
The Shatrughna TempleShatrughna Temple
The Shatrughna Temple is situated at Payammal, which is 6 km from the Koodalmanikyam temple at Irinjalakuda in Thrissur District of Kerala in India. This is one of the few temples in India that is dedicated to Lord Shatrughna.-Description:...
is located at Payammal in Thrissur District
Thrissur district
Thrissur is a revenue district of Kerala situated in the central part of that state. Spanning an area of about 3,032 km2, Thrissur district is home to over 10% of Kerala’s population. Thrissur district was formed on July 1, 1949, with the headquarters at Thrissur City. Thrissur is known as...
of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Another temple of Shatrughna is situated at Muni Ki Reti
Muni Ki Reti
Muni Ki Reti is a town and a nagar panchayat in Tehri Garhwal district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It lies close to pilgrimage town of Rishikesh, and is most known for a host of ashrams in the area, including the Shri Shivananda Ashram of Swami Sivananda, the founder of Divine Life...
, Rishikesh.