Dasaratha Jataka: Rama and Sita are brother and sister

Variant

In the Buddhist version Sita is Rama's sister, and there is no Ravana.

In Jataka 461, Rama is crown prince of Varanasi, exiled by Dasaratha who fears his stepmother may harm him. Younger brother Lakkhana and sister Sita go with him. After nine years Dasaratha dies; Bharata refuses the throne and Rama refuses to return early, giving Bharata his slippers. After twelve years Rama returns and rules 16,000 years. The Buddha tells it as a lesson on impermanence.

Who: Rama, Sita, Lakkhana, Bharata, Dasaratha

Bound to

Phra Lak Phra Lam: the Lao Ramayana as a Buddha's past life same-story-other-version

Paumachariya: Ravana is a noble Jain king, and Lakshmana kills him mirror

Places: Varanasi

Where this comes from

regional-literary · Wikipedia: Dasaratha Jataka Jataka 461
regional-literary · Sacred-texts Jataka vol IV Ja 461

See it on the tree · All stories

← Jabali's materialist argument to Rama · Guha insists on washing Rama's feet before the boat →