Angada

Birth and family

Angada was born to Vali, the mighty king of Kishkindha, and his wise queen Tara. He grew up as a strong and loving prince, the hope of the vanara kingdom. He was close to his mother and respected his father.

When Vali was struck by Rama’s arrow, Angada stood beside his dying father in tears. Vali asked Rama and Sugriva to look after him, and told Angada to serve Sugriva loyally, to be patient, and to be neither too familiar nor too distant with him, keeping always to the middle path. After Vali’s death, Angada lit his father’s funeral fire.

Vali also asked Sugriva to treat Angada as his own son and to protect him like a father. In this way, at the very end, the quarrel between the two brothers turned into love for the boy who now belonged to both of them.

The young prince

When Sugriva was crowned king of Kishkindha, Rama asked that Angada be made the young prince. Sugriva gladly agreed and loved him like a son.

When the search for Sita began, Sugriva sent the strongest party to the south, and he made young Angada its leader. With him went Hanuman, the old and wise bear Jambavan, and many great vanara chiefs. It was a great responsibility for a young prince.

Despair and hope at the ocean

The southern party searched forests and mountains for a long time. They went into a dark cave and lost their way, until the holy woman Svayamprabha helped them out. By then the month given by Sugriva had passed. Angada was afraid that Sugriva would punish them for failing, so he decided to fast until death on the seashore, and the other vanaras sat with him.

Hanuman tried hard to change his mind. He reminded Angada that Sugriva loved him, that his mother Tara was waiting for him, and that giving up was not worthy of a prince. Angada was still full of fear and sorrow, but Hanuman’s loyal words kept the group together.

As they sadly talked of the brave vulture Jatayu, who had died fighting Ravana, his elder brother Sampati heard them. Sampati told them that Sita was in Lanka, across the ocean. Hope returned at once. When each vanara said how far he could jump, Angada said he could cross a hundred yojanas but was not sure he could come back. Jambavan said the leader should not go himself, and turned to Hanuman.

When Hanuman returned from Lanka with the news, Angada was so excited that he suggested the vanaras should storm Lanka themselves and bring Sita back to Rama. Jambavan wisely advised that they had been sent only to search; Rama himself must win Sita back. Angada agreed, and on the way home he let the happy vanaras feast in Sugriva’s honey garden, the Madhuvana. When its guard Dadhimukha complained to Sugriva, the king understood at once that Sita had been found.

Messenger to Ravana

After the army crossed to Lanka, Rama sent Angada to Ravana’s court with a final message: return Sita, or face battle. Angada went fearlessly, announced himself as Vali’s son and Rama’s messenger, and gave the message clearly in front of Ravana and his ministers.

Ravana in anger ordered his guards to seize him. Four rakshasas caught hold of Angada, but he leapt up onto the palace roof with them still clinging to him, and they fell off. Angada broke the top of the palace roof with his foot, and flew back to Rama.

When the siege of Lanka began, Rama gave Angada charge of attacking the southern gate, with a large force of vanaras. It showed how much Rama trusted the young son of Vali.

Role in the war of Lanka

In the war Angada fought in the front line. He killed the rakshasa commander Vajradamshtra, Ravana’s son Narantaka and the strong warrior Mahaparshva. In the night battle he attacked Indrajit’s chariot and struck down his horses and charioteer.

Shamed by Angada’s attack, Indrajit made himself invisible and from hiding bound Rama and Lakshmana with arrows that turned into snakes. The vanaras were in despair until Garuda, the great eagle, came and freed the two brothers. Angada’s bold attack had forced Indrajit to fight from hiding, and the vanaras praised the young prince for it.

Often, as Hanuman carried Rama, Angada carried Lakshmana on his shoulders so that the two brothers could fight from above. Even when other vanaras ran in fear from giants like Kumbhakarna, Angada called them back and gave them courage.

Later life and character

After the victory Angada came to Ayodhya for Rama’s coronation and was honoured with gifts. In the Uttara Kanda, when Sugriva decided to follow Rama, he crowned Angada king of Kishkindha. So Vali’s son finally sat on his father’s throne.

Angada was young, brave and loyal. He felt fear and despair sometimes, as every young person does, but he rose above them and served Rama with all his heart.