Mandodarī

Mandodari (, , lit. "soft-bellied";) was the queen consort of Ravana, the king of Lanka, according to the Hindu epic Ramayana. The Ramayana describes her as beautiful, pious, and righteous. She is extolled as one of the Panchakanya, the recital of whose names is believed to dispel sin.

Key facts

Deity.type: Hindu
Deity.member_of: Panchakanya
Deity.image: File:Mandodari based on Raja Ravi Varma's painting (cropped).jpg
Deity.texts: Ramayana and its versions
Deity.caption: Raja Ravi Varma's lithograph on Mandodari
Deity.affiliation: Rakshasi Panchakanya
Deity.Devanagari: मंदोदरी
Deity.Sanskrit_transliteration: Mandodarī
Deity.abode: Lanka
Deity.father: Mayasura
Deity.mother: Hema
Deity.consort: Ravana, and later Vibhishana
Deity.children: Meghanada, Atikaya, Akshayakumara (sons)
Deity.siblings: Mayavi, Dundubhi and Vyomasura (brothers)

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Wikidata facts

Image: Mandodari based on Raja Ravi Varma's painting (cropped).jpg

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Commons category: Mandodari

Sources (3)

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Article

9 sections

Contents

Birth and early life
Marriage with Ravana
Saviour of Sita
During the war
Remarriage to Vibhishana
Mother of Sita
Assessment
References
External links

Mandodari was the daughter of Mayasura, the King of the Asuras (demons), and the apsara (celestial nymphs) Hema. She marries Ravana and bears three sons: Meghanada (Indrajit), Atikaya and Akshayakumara. Despite her husband's faults, Mandodari loves him and advises him to follow the path of righteousness. She repeatedly advises Ravana to return Sita to Rama, but her advice falls on deaf ears. Her love and loyalty to Rāvana are praised in the Rāmāyana.