DharmSetu

The Family Tree of Rama

Forty generations, from Brahma to the sons of Sita

When Rama asks for Sita, Janaka does not take the match on trust. The sage Vasistha stands up in the assembly at Mithila and recites the line of the Ikshvakus, generation by generation, from the unmanifest down to the four sons of Dasharatha. Janaka answers with his own descent from Nimi. What follows is those two recitations, in the order Valmiki gives them and with nothing added.

90 named in the text6 sectionsValmiki Ramayana only
Divine descentIkshvaku lineVideha lineRakshasa lineHouse of Lanka

The descent from Brahma

Bala Kanda 70.19–20

Vasistha begins before persons: from the unmanifest — avyakta — came Brahma, timeless and imperishable. The four steps after him are cosmic rather than royal.

  1. Brahmaब्रह्मा↗The self-born
    Generation 1
  2. MarichiमरीचिPrajapati, mind-born son of Brahma
    Generation 2
  3. Kashyapaकश्यप
    Generation 3
  4. Vivasvanविवस्वान्↗The Sun

    The dynasty is called Suryavamsha — the solar line — from him.

    Generation 4
  5. ManuमनुVaivasvata Manu, the earliest Prajapati
    Generation 5

The Ikshvaku kings of Ayodhya

Bala Kanda 70.21–43

Thirty-three reigns in one unbroken patriline. Valmiki gives most of them as a name and nothing more; the notes below appear only where the text itself stops to say something.

  1. Ikshvakuइक्ष्वाकुFirst king of Ayodhya

    Manu gave him the earth to rule. The dynasty and the city both begin here.

    Generation 6
  2. Kukshiकुक्षि
    Generation 7
  3. Vikukshiविकुक्षि
    Generation 8
  4. Banaबाण
    Generation 9
  5. Anaranyaअनरण्य
    Generation 10
  6. Prithuपृथु
    Generation 11
  7. Trishankuत्रिशंकु

    The king of the Trishanku story told earlier in this same kanda, at sargas 57–60.

    Generation 12
  8. Dhundhumaraधुन्धुमार
    Generation 13
  9. Yuvanashvaयुवनाश्व
    Generation 14
  10. Mandhataमान्धाता
    Generation 15
  11. Susandhiसुसंधि

    Susandhi had two sons — Dhruvasandhi and Prasenajit. The line to Rama runs through Dhruvasandhi; Prasenajit is named once and never returns.

    Generation 16
  12. Dhruvasandhiध्रुवसंधि
    Generation 17
  13. Bharataभरत

    Not Rama’s brother. An earlier king of the same name, twenty-one generations above him.

    Generation 18
  14. Asitaअसित
    Generation 19
  15. Sagaraसगर

    Born to Asita’s queen Kalindi after the king’s defeat and exile, by the boon of the sage Chyavana — the one place in the recitation where Valmiki names a mother.

    Generation 20
  16. Asamanjaअसमंज
    Generation 21
  17. Amshumanअंशुमान्
    Generation 22
  18. Dilipaदिलीप
    Generation 23
  19. Bhagirathaभगीरथ

    The king whose austerities brought the Ganga down to earth, told at Bala Kanda 42–44.

    Generation 24
  20. Kakutsthaककुत्स्थ

    Rama is called Kakutstha after him, as well as Raghava after Raghu.

    Generation 25
  21. Raghuरघु

    The line is called the Raghuvamsha — the house of Raghu — from this name.

    Generation 26
  22. Pravriddhaप्रवृद्धAlso called Kalmashapada
    Generation 27
  23. Shankhanaशंखण
    Generation 28
  24. Sudarshanaसुदर्शन
    Generation 29
  25. Agnivarnaअग्निवर्ण
    Generation 30
  26. Shighragaशीघ्रग
    Generation 31
  27. Maruमरु
    Generation 32
  28. Prashushrukaप्रशुश्रुक
    Generation 33
  29. Ambarishaअंबरीष
    Generation 34
  30. Nahushaनहुष
    Generation 35
  31. Yayatiययाति
    Generation 36
  32. Nabhagaनाभाग
    Generation 37
  33. Ajaअज
    Generation 38

The house of Dasharatha

Bala Kanda 18

Three queens, four sons. Valmiki is precise about which queen bore whom, and the whole of the Ayodhya Kanda turns on it.

DasharathaदशरथKing of Ayodhya
Kausalyaकौसल्याEldest queen
Ramaराम↗Raghava, eldest son of Dasharatha
KaikeyiकैकेयीPrincess of Kekaya
Bharataभरत
Sumitraसुमित्रा
Lakshmanaलक्ष्मण
Shatrughnaशत्रुघ्न

Sumitra alone bore two sons, and Valmiki calls them together the embodied halves of one portion.

The Videha line of Mithila

Bala Kanda 71

Janaka answers Vasistha with his own descent — the line of Nimi, which produced the brides of all four brothers. It runs on its own count, not continuing the Ikshvaku numbering.

  1. NimiनिमिFounder of the Videha line
    Generation 1
  2. Mithiमिथि

    Mithila takes its name from him.

    Generation 2
  3. Janakaजनक

    The first to bear the name, which afterwards becomes the title of the kings of Mithila.

    Generation 3
  4. Udavasuउदावसु
    Generation 4
  5. Nandivardhanaनन्दिवर्धन
    Generation 5
  6. Suketuसुकेतु
    Generation 6
  7. Devarataदेवरात
    Generation 7
  8. Brihadrathaबृहद्रथ
    Generation 8
  9. Mahaviraमहावीर
    Generation 9
  10. Sudhritiसुधृति
    Generation 10
  11. Dhrishtaketuधृष्टकेतु
    Generation 11
  12. Haryashvaहर्यश्व
    Generation 12
  13. Maruमरु
    Generation 13
  14. Pratindhakaप्रतीन्धक
    Generation 14
  15. Kirtirathaकीर्तिरथ
    Generation 15
  16. Devamidhaदेवमीढ
    Generation 16
  17. Vibudhaविबुध
    Generation 17
  18. Mahidhrakaमहीध्रक
    Generation 18
  19. Kirtirataकीर्तिरात
    Generation 19
  20. Maharomaमहारोमा
    Generation 20
  21. Swarnaromaस्वर्णरोमा
    Generation 21
  22. Hrasvaromaह्रस्वरोमा
    Generation 22

The daughters of Mithila

Bala Kanda 66, 71

Hrasvaroma had two sons. The elder, Janaka — Seeradhwaja — is Sita’s father; the younger, Kushadhwaja, provides the other two brides.

JanakaजनकSeeradhwaja, king of Mithila

Valmiki names no wife here.

SitaसीताRaised, not borne

Janaka says it plainly: ploughing the ritual field, he raised a baby girl from the furrow, and named her Sita for the furrow itself. "Hers is a non-uterine birth, as she surfaced from the surface of the earth, but fostered as my own soul-born girl."

Urmilaउर्मिला

Valmiki does not name Janaka’s queen in either recitation, so no wife is shown here. The name given her in later retellings is not in this text.

Bala Kanda 66, 71

Kushadhwajaकुशध्वजYounger brother of Janaka

Valmiki names no wife here.

Mandaviमाण्डवी
Shrutakirtiश्रुतकीर्ति

Bala Kanda 71

The four marriages, and what came of them

Bala Kanda 71–73; Uttara Kanda 66, 101, 102

Four brothers, four brides, one ceremony. The children below are born far later, in the last book, after the war and after Sita has left Ayodhya.

Ramaराम↗
⚭
Sitaसीता
KushaकुशThe elder twin
LavaलवThe younger twin

Kusha and Lava are born in Valmiki’s own ashram after Sita’s banishment, and are named by him: he cut a blade of kusha grass in two — lava — and gave a half to each.

Bala Kanda 73; Uttara Kanda 66

Lakshmanaलक्ष्मण
⚭
Urmilaउर्मिला
Angadaअंगद

Not the vanara Angada, son of Vali, who fights in the war.

Chandraketuचन्द्रकेतु

Rama settles both sons in kingdoms of their own — Angada in Angadiya, Chandraketu in Chandrakanta.

Bala Kanda 73; Uttara Kanda 102

Bharataभरत
⚭
Mandaviमाण्डवी
Takshaतक्ष
Pushkalaपुष्कल

Bharata established Taksha at Takshashila and Pushkala at Pushkalavata, in the Gandhara country.

Bala Kanda 73; Uttara Kanda 101

Shatrughnaशत्रुघ्न
⚭
Shrutakirtiश्रुतकीर्ति
Subahuसुबाहु
Shatrughatiशत्रुघाती

Cited to the kanda only — these two are named in the closing chapters, but the sarga was not pinned against the text.

Bala Kanda 73; Uttara Kanda

Notes on the sources

  • Bala Kanda 70 is a king-list. It names fathers and sons, and almost no mothers — so this tree shows wives only where the text actually names one, rather than filling the gaps from later retellings.
  • The sons of Shatrughna are cited to the Uttara Kanda without a sarga number: they are named in the closing chapters, but the exact sarga was not pinned against the text, and inventing the precision seemed worse than admitting it.
  • Many scholars regard the Bala Kanda and the Uttara Kanda as later additions to the older core of books two through six. The genealogies live almost entirely in those two books, which is worth knowing while reading them.