About
Angada — Son of Lakshmana and Urmila, Prince of Ayodhya
Angada · Lakshmana-putra · Angadiya-pati
Angada is a prince of Ayodhya, named in the Uttara Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana as the son of Lakshmana — the third son of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya and devoted companion of Rama — and of Urmila, the daughter of King Janaka of Mithila. He is one of two sons of Lakshmana and Urmila named in that text, the other being Chandraketu. At the close of the events narrated in the Uttara Kanda, Rama installs Angada as king of a territory called Angadiya. Beyond this notice, the Valmiki Ramayana does not provide narrative detail about Angada's life, deeds, or character. He should not be confused with Angada, the son of the Vanara king Vali and his wife Tara, who is a significant and extensively narrated character in the Kishkindha Kanda and Yuddha Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana — that Angada and this Angada are entirely distinct figures who happen to share a name.
✦ Lineage
- Father: Lakshmana, third son of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya by his queen Sumitra, younger brother and devoted companion of Rama throughout the forest exile, a warrior of supreme skill, regarded in the devotional tradition as an avatara of Shesha the cosmic serpent.
- Mother: Urmila, second daughter of King Janaka of Mithila, wed to Lakshmana at the great marriage ceremony at Mithila in which Sita was wed to Rama.
- Paternal uncle: Rama, eldest son of Dasharatha, the hero of the Ramayana and seventh avatara of Vishnu, who installs Angada as king of Angadiya.
- Brother: Chandraketu, also a son of Lakshmana and Urmila, installed by Rama as king of a separate territory at the same time.
- Paternal grandmother: Sumitra, one of the three queens of Dasharatha and mother of both Lakshmana and Shatrughna.
- Maternal grandfather: Janaka, philosopher-king of Mithila in the Videha kingdom.
✦ Installation as King
The Uttara Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana records that after the conclusion of Rama's reign and before certain final events of the epic, Rama makes territorial arrangements for the sons of his brothers. In this context Angada is installed as the king of Angadiya — a territory named after him. The text does not describe the location of Angadiya with precision, nor does it provide narrative detail about Angada's conduct as king or about any subsequent events in his life. His installation is recorded as one of several parallel acts of royal provision by Rama for the next generation of the Ayodhya house.
✦ References
Primary Sources
- Valmiki Ramayana, Uttara Kanda: The sole primary source naming Angada as the son of Lakshmana and Urmila and recording his installation as king of Angadiya; provides no further narrative detail about the figure.
Modern Reference Works
- Vettam Mani, Puranic Encyclopaedia (Motilal Banarsidass, 1975), entry on Angada: Distinguishes between the several figures named Angada in the Ramayana tradition and notes this Angada as the son of Lakshmana.