D

FSC
www.fsc.org
MIX
Paper from
responsible sources
FSC® C104723
 liro

••
INTRODUCTION

EPIC MYTHOLOGY WITHOUT ALL THE PAPER CUTS

Books put me to sleep. I can't even read a comic book without getting distracted by the cool artwork. As bad
as I am about reading, I'm even worse with writing.

Despite this fact, I decided I was going to write my own book. I illustrated it and composed it, and it actually
got published as The Little Book of Hindu Deities . And believe it or not, people liked it. I was so inspired by
the experience that I decided to make a second book. I tossed around a lot of ideas, but once I picked up on the
Ramayana, all other potential book proposals hit the back burner. I was hooked on this epic Indian tale.
I'm certain that, for most people, "Ramayana" (RHA-mah-YAH -nah) is just an unpronounceable word .
But for me, the Ramayana is part of my cultural identity, though until recently I wouldn't have been able to
explain what it meant if someone had asked. The world of the Ramayana was ingrained in me as a kid through
the details of living with Hindu parents. For instance, every time I sneezed, my mom or dad would say, "Sita
Rama,"-I had no idea what the phrase meant. Just like I had no idea why we had a framed illustration of a giant
monkey carrying a mountain. Or why my dad made me count mala beads while chanting Rama, Rama, Rama.
Eventually, as I started researching Hindu mythology for my first book, I began to scratch the surface of the
Ramayana. But the story didn't really come alive for me until I picked up a book and read the entire saga.

I discovered a wonderful English-language adaptation of the Ramayana by the esteemed author Ashok K.
Banker. His retelling weighed in at roughly three thousand pages, and it took me the better part of a year to read.
As I read, the mythology sprang to life with full force, in all its wisdom, and I could feel my life being changed.
For the first time, I began to see and understand the characters Rama and Sita as my parents did. I began to
understand why it would be considered auspicious to speak their names, or why Hanuman's devotion to Prince
Rama-epitomized by the extraordinary feat of moving a literal mountain of medicine-would be worthy of
worship. It all began to make sense as I discovered a story that is the bedrock of Hindu and Indian culture.
The Ramayana's characters and legends have been deified and worshipped throughout India and much
of Southeast Asia as well. The enduring story is revered in Thailand as the Reamker, performed as well as in
Burma, Laos, and Malaysia. The Ramayana has crossed cultures and eras and shows no sign of dying, as its
conflicts and themes are as relevant and constant as the human spirit.

The more I began to understand the Ramayana, the more inspired I felt to carryon the tradition of retelling
the tale by creating an illustrated version. Since most people aren't inclined to sit through a thousand-page-long
adaptation, I relied on graphic storytelling to capture attention and imagination. With this same spirit in mind,
I wrote a much shorter and surmised version of the mythology. So if you're familiar with the Ramayana, chances
are some anecdotes and details may be missing or reimagined in this version . My aim isn't to butcher this great
mythology, but simply to share it with people in a casua l and entertaining way. If I've done my job right, this
book will serve as a vivid introduction to a much fuller version of the story. At the very least, it will help people
understand why Hindus honor a blue warrior and a flying monkey holding a mountain .

Jaya Hanuman, jaya Rama (Victory to Hanuman, victory to Rama.)

Sanjay Patel
Oakland, CA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACT ONE: BLUE PRINCE
13 Desperate Demon 126 Vishnu
14 Cosmic Bully 128 Vayu
17 Hostile Takeover 129 Brahma
18 Vishnu's Loophole 130 Vishvamitra
20 Blue Boy 131 Agastya
24 Deeds of Rama WARRIORS/KSHATRIYAS
26 Break a Bow, Tie the Knot 134 Dasaratha
29 Rama& Sita 136 Kausalya
30 Exile 137 Sumitra
34 Royal Rescue 138 Kaikeyi
36 Sacred Shoes 140 Rama
ACT TWO: JUNGLE DRAMA 141 Lakshman
41 Forest Dwellers 142 Bharata
42 Hermit Handouts 143 Shatrughna
46 Fatal Attraction 144 Sita
49 Nosey Demon ANlMALS/PRANI
53 Divine Arrow 148 Jambavan
56 Aftermath 150 Jatayu
61 Deer of Deception 152 Hanuman
63 Abduction 154 Sugriva
64 Valiant Eagle DEMONS/RAKSHASAS
66 Search for Sita 158 Ravana
72 Monkey God
160 Tataka
77 Princess Prisoner 161 Maricha
79 Burning Tail 162 Soorpanaka
AGT THREE: ENDLESS WAR
85 Oceans Apart GEOGRAPHY/Route of Rama
93 Battle of Lanka
99 Evil Arrows SKETCHES/Process
101 Ravana's Rampage
102 Leaf of Life ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
104 Mountain of Medicine
110 Undying Demon
114 Sita's Honor
117 Glowing Goddess
119 Time Flies
120 King at Last
 U[ :
[-3 [ I

PI~TNC[ : ~ ,
 VISHNU'S
LOOPHOLE
AT THIS POINT, the gods were in deep
trouble with demons running amok over
every corner of their world . They had no
choice but to pay a visit to Vishnu, the
god of preservation and general cosmic
referee. The blue god of justice calmed
everyone down and quickly pointed out
that Ravana's plan had a divine loophole:
Ravana only asked never to be defeated
by a god or a demon-he was still vulner-
able to humans and animals. Suddenly,
there seemed to be hope. Vishnu then
gathered the gods together and revealed
a secret: He would reincarnate himself
on Earth as a human to rid the world of
Ravana. His avatar would be known as
Rama, the blue warrior.

18
-
\-
,
--
•

••

••
•
+
: ..
~: t' *
rJ'
t~
lI
 T
•

••
•
t.. .
..

•••,
<
:
t
• ,,

•• ..
• l ,
R AMA CALMLY ACCEPTED his fate
and headed out for the jungle. Fortunately,
the prince wasn't alone, for both Sita and
Lakshman were at his side. Sadly, soon
afterward, this chapter of Rama's youth
came to a close when his father, consumed
by guilt, died of a broken heart.
 ~
--
-
i

JUNGLE
DRAMA
Act Two
FOR THE NEXT thirteen years,
Rama, Sita, and Lakshman wandered from
ashram to ashram in the jungle, personally
ensuring everyone's safety. They stayed
at each ashram for several months at a
time, and, in turn, the monks taught them
about the bounty of nature. Over the
years, they became experts in all variety
of plants, trees, roots, and animals. Once
Rama even went so far as to name an
attractive variety of custard apples after
Sita, calling it "Sitaphal"; in turn, Sita did
the same, naming a different color of the
same fruit "Ramaphal."
Eventually, the three built a cottage in
the lush hills of Panchavati. They found
comfort in their routine and lived peace-
fully under the watchful eye of a great
guardian eagle named Jatayu. Little did
they know that their journey was about
to come to a surprising end, all because
of Rama's good looks.
•
•• •
••
••
•• ·· •
••
••
•• ··
••
•
••• · •
•
•
•• · ••
•
•

•
• •
•
...../.
•
• .. •
• . ••
.. • ••
.....,#111
/"

• •
S OORPANAKA WAS SEETHING with rage and hurried back to
her brother Ravana's lair. She spoke cunningly to Ravana in hopes of
fanning his fury. She explained what had happened and how it was
only a matter of time before Rama and his brother marched toward his
domain and destroyed his throne. The demon knew this mortal was
special, so he took no chances; Ravana commanded his chief to gather
his entire army of thousands of demons and make ready for war.
Soorpanaka personally led the death squad to Rama's doorstep to
reclaim her honor.
LIFE RETURNED TO normal in the jungle as nature wiped away all
the evidence of warfare and the hills began to blossom once again.
One day Sita spotted a very unusual creature. It was a deer unlike
any she had ever seen before. As the creature moved, its pelt shim-
mered like pure gold. Holding her breath, Sita moved as slowly as
possible and extended her hand toward the deer. Just then, Rama
and Lakshman approached through the trees, startling the deer;
in one easy hop, it vanished into the jungle. Still mesmerized, Sita
begged Rama to catch the animal for her. Lakshman, ever cautious,
told his brother that there was something odd about the deer. Rama
agreed and asked Lakshman to stay with the princess and guard her
with his life while he retrieved the animal.
But Sita was
nowhere to be found .
HANUMAN SQUATTED DOWN, coiling up his energy. With a look of determination
he shot forward toward the ocean, and then, in one massive step, he leaped off the
tip of the Gontinent.
f --.,!flIJo:.......
As
'}
lie jumped, he . shouted, "Jaya
.. . " .,"
Rama!" (Victory to Rama!) in
a booming voice, and theri;lie was airoorn$=!' The group on the beach gazed in amazement
as the vanara was now-flying straight toward Lanka, die land of demons.
 BURNING
TAIL
EXCITED TO BRING back the good news of
Sita's discovery, Hanuman was caught off guard
as he was leaving the palace. The demons quickly
surrounded the vanara, who stood unarmed with
his palms joined in a gesture of peace. With spears
and swords held to his throat, Hanuman humbly
surrendered and politely explained that he was an
envoy with an urgent message for King Ravana.
The demons bound Hanuman in chains and
brought him before the demon king. He respect-
fully told Ravana that Rama had raised an army
that would fight for Sit a's freedom unless she was
released. Each of Ravana's many heads laughed
mightily at this news as his eyes flared with rage.
His teeth flashed as he declared death to Rama-
and death to his messenger. The demon king then
deemed that since this messenger was clearly a
spy, he would first be tortured with fire, smelling
his own flesh burn. Looking Hanuman over, the
demon decided to burn what was most precious
to a monkey; he ordered that the vanara's tail be
set on fire. Hanuman's tail was wrapped with oil-
soaked rags while the guards waved torches near
his face, taunting him. Then, slowly, a flame was
brought near his back and then down to the tip
of his tail. The vanara's lips trembled, but it was
not fear that moved his mouth: He was chanting
a mantra. Over and over again he whispered
Rama's name: Rama, Rama, Rama ....

79
 ... .............. . .
~-- ...................... :.: : ...... .. ... .......
LUCKILY, JAMBAVAN WAS very clever and figured out a solution to the problem. The
bear remembered that if a god's name was written on a stone, it would float . After trying
several names on stones that sank, Hanuman tried Rama's name, and, to everyone's
surprise, the stone floated . Sugriva and Jambavan were thrilled and ordered their tribe
to begin building a bridge of stones with Rama's name written on them. The entire army
of vanaras and bears gathered up every pebble, rock, and boulder from the beach and set
them upon the ocean. It was as if an entire section of the mainland had been stretched out
into the sea. For five days the animals worked nonstop to build what came to be known as
"The Great Bridge of Rama."
, ,
A s THE SUN finally re;ched its highest point in the sky, Rama issued the order to attack. A
deafening roar erupted from the charging vanaras and bears as they surged toward the hordes
of demons, who responded in kind, blowing their horns and conchs. The rancor was terrible as
the armies thundered toward each other: .
••••••••••••••••••
...........•......
........
...••
.. ••

...
••••
R AVANA WAS ASTONISHED to see Rama and Lakshman returning to the battlefield.
The demon king was frustrated and annoyed that the war had not yet ended. He chaUenged
Rama to a duel once the sun had risen.
R AMA AND RAVANA saluted each other and faced off once more, and soon their weapons
of war lit up the entire sky. The blue warrior struck down each weapon that Ravana fired until
the demon was left with only one weapon in his twenty hands: Shiva's trishula, a three-pronged
trident, with which Ravana could summon up the destructive flame of Shiva's third eye, a fire
that could burn up the universe. Using all of his strength, the demon sent the trishula's flames
leaping toward the warrior. Rama knew he would be incinerated by Shiva's fire, and so he turned
to the magic arrow that had served him so well in the past. He called upon the arrow to become
endowed with the brahmastra, a divine power with the ability to end all of creation, as it was
wrought by the creator god Brahma himself. Rama fired the arrow a moment before the dark
flames engulfed him. The earth shook as the two weapons collided. Equally powerful, the mighty
weapons cancelled each other out, leaving the universe shaken but still in existence. As the dust
settled, Rama saw that Ravana was drained of energy and unable to move. Seizing the opportunity,
Rama quickly fired ten arrows, slicing off each of Ravana's heads.
R AMA SUMMONED UP the brahmastra
once again and charged the arrow with its
power. The prince took careful aim and
waited for the moment the demon was
aligned with the sun before releasing
the blazing missile. The arrow of light
burned through the sky until it found its
mark, striking Ravana directly in the belly
button.
In a blinding flash, as the arrow struck
its target, the demon saw the blue warrior's
true identity as the avatar of Vishnu.
Ravana realized that he had no protection
from a god reborn as a man. This cosmic
loophole brought swift justice. The golden
arrow had flown with such force that it
pushed Ravana's body from the earth,
high up through all the levels of heaven
and back down through to the lowest level
of hell. The mystical arrow shined with
such radiance that it extinguished the
shadow of evil from every corner of the
three worlds. The universe was silenced
as evil was brought to an end for an age.
 GLOWING
GODDESS
SITA'S BODY BURNED with a golden,
pure light, giving her the aura of a goddess.
Then, Agni, the great fire god, emerged
from the flames. The god explained to Rama
that Sita was more pure than his own flame.
She was faultless and perfect. Agni pro-
claimed that no doubt or question should
ever be raised of her again. With this final
word, the flames and the fire god were
extinguished, and Sita was delivered back
to Rama glowing radiantly as a jewel. Rama
kneeled before Sita and apologized for his
behavior. As he explained everything that
he'd done to find her, Sita's heart softened
and she forgave him. The two gazed at
each other with an abundance of love
as the crowd cheered .... Times have
changed, as have customs, but love has
always been complicated.

117
 •
Sita to visit their king-
•

.
- •

..... ... .
..
any' other monarch's
..
 Vayu (vi-you)

The elemental god of wind and air. Despite Vayu's divine nature, he is no less driven by his lust and passion, which blows as far as
his winds. The god sires many illegitimate children, but endows only one very special heir with his divine gifts. That child would be
the loyal monkey Hanuman, which is why the vanara has the ability to fly. After Vayu catches sight of Hanuman's mother, Anjana, the
wind god transforms her into a beautiful human for one night, and the product of their union is Hanuman, who eventually dwarfs
his own father in his exploits.

128
 Brahma (bruh-mah)

The four-faced creator deity is also part of the Hindu trinity. But unlike Shiva or Vishnu, who both have thousands of temples
and millions of devotees, Brahma is virtually ignored. Blessing Ravana with his cosmic powers doesn't keep Brahma from being
cursed with a lack of worship and reverence on Earth, nor does Brahma's behavior after he is finished with his finest creation, his
own beautiful daughter. The deity begins lusting after her and sprouts five heads to always keep watch of her. That is, until Shiva
gets wind of it and cuts off one of Brahma's five heads to keep the god under control.
 Vishvami tra (vish-vuh-mee-trah)

A brahmarshi (enlightened priest) and the spiritual guide of Rama and Lakshman. But Vishvamitra wasn't always so pious. He starts out
as a war-faring king who curses and kills many to rise to the throne. But after a chance encounter and humbling fight with another
guru named Vasishta over his mystical cow, Vishvamitra sees the error of his ways and retreats from society to perform penance.
After enduring hundreds of years of austerity, Vishvamitra reaches the rare status of rishi. The creator god, Brahma, personally
bestows the honor upon Vishvamitra and gives him a new mission. His assignment is to train the avatar Rama for his future ordeals.
The kind rishi winds up recruiting both Rama and Lakshman and patiently teaches them all the wisdom he has acquired.
130
 Agastya (e-gas-ta-ya)

The forest monk and sage who gives Rama the golden bow and arrow of Vishnu. According to legend, the sage politely asks a mountain
range to lower itself so that he can relocate to the jungle of South India, because he knows the avatar of Vishnu will eventually pass that
way. Agastya keeps the special weapons of Vishnu under his watchful eye and patiently awaits the day when Rama will cross his path.
Upon finally meeting Rama, the sage instantly knows that the prince is the blue god reborn, and he is confident in giving Vishnu's bow
and arrow back to their rightful owner.
 Kausalya (kowsalya)

The first queen and mother of Rama. So how does one give birth to an avatar of Vishnu? Well, according to legend, the gods delivered
a fertility food to King Dasaratha. The king gave half of the nectar to the first queen, Kausalya, while the remaining half was divided
between Sumitra and Kaikeyi. It's said that since Kausalya ate so much of the nectar, it was her destiny to give birth to Rama.

136
 Sumitra (soo-mee-trah)

Third queen and mother of twin boys Lakshman and Shatrughna. The gentle queen is the picture of poise and grace and stands for
service and charity. Accordingly, Sumitra raises both of her boys to be in service to Rama and Bharata, which is exactly what they do.
When Lakshman decides to join Rama in exile, Sumitra is proud knowing that, if her son should die, he would do so in service to Rama.
 Lakshman (luxsh-mun)

Prince of Ayodhya kingdom and stepbrother of Rama. No matter what Rama is doing, Lakshman is at his side following his lead.
Even after Rama is sentenced to exile, Lakshman can't bear to be separated from Rama and chooses to endure his brother's punishment
along with him. At times a tad clingy, but extremely loyal, Lakshman will prove to be Rama's most important ally. The two brothers
look alike, dress alike, and if Lakshman could have his way, he would probably dye his skin blue.
 Bharata (bah-rah-tha)
Brother of Rama and son of second queen, Kaikeyi. Despite having a mom who exiled a god so her own kid could succeed, Bharata
does his best to honor Rama by placing Rama's sandals on the throne to wait for the true king's return. He successfully rules as
Rama's representative for fourteen years. He is so anxious for Rama to come back that he threatens to set himself on fire if Rama
is even a day late! Luckily, the prince returns in time, and Bharata welcomes him in fine fashion. Rama intends to make Lakshman
his Crown Prince once he becomes king, but seeing Bharata's devotion, he changes his mind and gives it to him instead. Bharata is
seen as a man of unparalleled virtue and devotion.
142
 Shatrughna (sa-troog-nah)

Prince of Ayodhya and son of the third queen, Sumitra. Since his twin brother Lakshman has more in common with Rama than
with him, Shatrughna finds affinity with his stepbrother Bharata. The two brothers love clobbering each other with their swords
and maces. One time, the prince even manages to clobber Manthra, Kaikeyi's servant, after learning that she was spreading gossip.
ANIMALS
PRANI
ss ,. . . .
",
Exiled king of the monkey tribe and ally of Rama . The regal monkey has his share of family turmoil, mainly because of his older
brother, Vali, the first monkey chief. After Vali chases a demon into a cave and doesn't return for a year, the crown passes down
to Sugriva, who rules fairly. Vali returns suddenly one day, furious with his brother for stealing his crown. He attacks him with no
mercy. Sugriva flees for his life and lives in exile with his general, Hanuman. Luckily, the monkeys happen to befriend Rama. who
agrees to set things straight with Vali. Upon meeting the menacing brother. Rama has no choice but to strike the creature down
with a deadly arrow. Thus. Sugriva owes a great debt of gratitude to Prince Rama. who in turn earns the allegiance of the entire
monkey tribe.
GEOGRAPHY
The Route of Rama
 NORTH AND CENTRAL

INDIA

166
 ----------i;~~;~;~~T;~~;G~-;;~~-------- ~~~
A bridge of floating stones constructed
from mainland India to present-day Sri Lanka.

168
SKETCHES
PROCESS
DRAW, DRAW, AND DRAW SOME MORE.
There is no magic or mystery to any of this; it's all about drawing and re-drawing. Even before I began
to write, I was inspired to just sit down and make one drawing and then two and so on, and so on...
Sketching is just another way of thinking and another form of writing. As I sketch, I try to nrst com-
municate the story point as clearly as possible. Once I feel confident that the symbols and icons are
telling the story on a visual level, I start considering compositions and layouts. I do hundreds of mini
rectangles that represent the two pages of the book and work with the largest shapes to arrange them
in the most dynamic way. From there, I enlarge the thumbnail composition to a full pencil illustration,
usually on a regular sheet of blank paper. In this enlarged sketch, I carefully work out all the shapes and
details as tightly as possible. Eventually, this sketch becomes the blueprint for my computer illustration.
I use a scanner to import my sketch into the computer and use it as a template. Then, I use a program
called Adobe Illustrator to carefully plot out vector points to recreate the shapes I sketched. Once the
shapes are built to precision, I can nil them with any color I choose and adjust the spectrum with ease.
From start to nnish, this book took approximately four years to make, or roughly seven days per page.
There are no shortcuts. The truth is, if you love scratching away on paper and organizing marks to make
symbols that tell stories, you wouldn't want it any other way. Keep drawing; the art will reveal itself. It's
inevitable; just trust the process.
,.. . . fl ·
I I
Aum shanti, shanti, shanti ...
(Praise peace, peace, peace.)
[,
 ®
•••

o o
Valmiki-poet, sage, and father of
Indian verse-revealed the Ramayana to the world.
 ..
, ,
'''''' I