Dandakaranya Kshetra - Where Sri Rama stayed during forest exile

Dandakaranya Kshetra - Where Sri Rama stayed during forest exile:

- Dandakaranya
(Satna district, Madhya Pradesh)
(Panna district, Madhya Pradesh)
(Bastar division, Chhattisgarh)

☸ Dandakaranya Forest
(Baghelkhand) (Entry region to Dandakaranya)
(Bastar Plateau) (Core Dandakaranya)
(Dandakaranya Highlands) (Bastar region the core Dandakaranya)

• Rama: Sri Rama stayed in the Dandakaranya forest for ten years during his forest exile and visited the hermitages of many sages. Sri Rama slayed many demons in Dandakaranya who were tormenting the sages.
- Sri Rama encountered demon Viradha inside the Dandakaranya forest.
- Sri Rama visited the hermitage of sage Sharabhanga inside the Dandakaranya forest.
- Sri Rama visited the hermitage of sage Suteekshna inside the Dandakaranya forest.
- Sri Rama heard about sage Mandakarni living in the Pancha Apsara Lake inside the Dandakaranya forest.
- Sri Rama visited the hermitage of sage Agastya's brother (near Panchavati) situated in the fringes of the Dandakaranya forest.
- Sri Rama visited the hermitage of sage Agastya (near Panchavati) situated in the fringes of the Dandakaranya forest.

• Sages: Sages associated with Dandakaranya:

○ Sharabhanga: Sage Sharabhanga had his hermitage in the Dandakaranya forest which Sri Rama visited during his forest exile.

○ Suteekshna: Sage Suteekshna had his hermitage in the Dandakaranya forest which Sri Rama visited during his forest exile.

○ Agastya's brother: Sage Agastya's brother had his hermitage in the Dandakaranya forest (near Panchavati) which Sri Rama visited during his forest exile.

○ Agastya: Sage Agastya had his hermitage in the Dandakaranya forest (near Panchavati) which Sri Rama visited during his forest exile.

दण्डकवनजनपावन राम् ॥ दुष्टविराधविनाशन राम् ॥
राम् राम् जय राजा राम् । राम् राम् जय सीता राम् ।
- Nama Ramayana - verses 35 and 36 (Sri Rama entered the Dandakaranya forest and destroyed demon Viradha)

शरभङ्गसुतीक्ष्णार्चित राम् ॥ अगस्त्यानुग्रहवर्धित राम् ॥
राम् राम् जय राजा राम् । राम् राम् जय सीता राम् ।
- Nama Ramayana - verses 37 and 38 (Sri Rama visited the hermitages of sages Sharabhanga, Suteekshna and Agastya in the Dandakaranya forest)


(Valmiki Ramayana)
(Ramcharitmanas)

▬ Sri Rama entering the Dandakaranya forest and seeing hermitages of sages
(Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda - 1)
▬ Sri Rama encountering demon Viradha in the Dandakaranya forest
(Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda - 2 to 4)
▬ Sri Rama visiting the Sharabhanga Ashrama in the Dandakaranya forest
(Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda - 5)
▬ Sri Rama assuring protection to the sages in the Dandakaranya forest
(Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda - 6, 9-10)
▬ Sri Rama visiting the Suteekshna Ashrama in the Dandakaranya forest
(Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda - 7 to 8)
▬ Sri Rama visiting the Pancha Apsara Lake in the Dandakaranya forest
(Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda - 11)
▬ Sri Rama visiting various hermitages of sages for ten years in the Dandakaranya forest
(Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda - 11)
▬ Sri Rama revisiting the Suteekshna Ashrama in the Dandakaranya forest
(Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda - 11)
▬ Sri Rama visiting the Ashrama of sage Agastya's brother near Panchavati
(Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda - 11)
▬ Sri Rama visiting the Agastya Ashrama near Panchavati
(Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda - 11 to 13)
▬ Sri Rama meeting Jatayu near Panchavati
(Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda - 14)

► Dandakaranya - Sharbhang Ashram
(Satna district, Madhya Pradesh)

Sharbhang Ashram, where Sri Rama visited during forest exile, is located in the Satna district of Madhya Pradesh. It is more than 50 km from Ram Kund of Chitrakoot and around 16 km from Jaitwar.

► Dandakaranya - Suteekshna Ashram
(Satna district, Madhya Pradesh)

Suteekshna Ashram, where Sri Rama visited during forest exile, is located in the Satna district of Madhya Pradesh. It is more than 50 km from Ram Kund of Chitrakoot and around 4 km from Sharbhang Ashram.

► Nashik - Ankai Agastya Ashram
(Nashik district, Maharashtra)
(100 km from Nashik)

Ankai Agastya Ashram is identified with the place where Sri Rama visited the hermitage of sage Agastya.