Ramayana Trivia Quiz

About this quiz

This Ramayana Trivia Quiz has 150 questions: 53 easy, 60 medium and 37 hard. It is free. Play it with friends in a room for 2 to 12 players, on phones or in a browser, or play it solo. Type your answers: close enough counts, so a small typo still scores.

Sample questions

20 of the 150 Ramayana questions in this pack. Think of your answer, then open it.

1. As a baby, Hanuman leapt into the sky to grab the rising Sun. What did he think it was?

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   A fruit

   Indra's thunderbolt knocked him back down, and the injury gave him his name.

2. Jambavan, the wise old leader who reminded Hanuman of his powers, was what kind of animal?

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   Bear

   In later tellings he's so long-lived that he also meets Krishna in the next age.

3. At the shore, who reminded Hanuman of his forgotten powers before the leap to Lanka?

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   Jambavan

   He told Hanuman the story of his birth and childhood, and Hanuman grew to a huge size ready to jump.

4. What did Rama give Hanuman to show Sita, so she'd trust him?

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   Ring

   It carried Rama's name; Sita held it and wept, and then trusted Hanuman.

5. Sugriva sent someone in disguise to check out the two armed strangers. Who went, and met Rama first?

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   Hanuman

   He went dressed as a wandering mendicant; Rama was so struck by his perfect speech he said he must know all the Vedas.

6. Which Maharashtra city is said in local tradition to take its name from the nose (nasika) Lakshmana cut off Shurpanakha?

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   Nashik

   Nashik, home of Panchavati, also hosts the Kumbh Mela on the Godavari every twelve years.

7. Which old devotee waited years for Rama and, in popular retellings, tasted each berry first so she'd give him only sweet ones?

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   Shabari

   Rama ate the bitten berries happily, and the story became a symbol of love mattering more than rules.

8. Which wandering sage first told Valmiki the story of Rama?

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   Narada

   Valmiki had asked him if any perfect man lived on earth; the epic opens with Narada's answer.

9. Who cut off Shurpanakha's nose when she lunged at Sita?

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   Lakshmana

   Her brother Khara sent fourteen demons, then a whole army, to take revenge, and Rama wiped them all out.

10. Valmiki's name comes from something that grew around him while he meditated for years. What?

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    Anthill

    'Valmika' means anthill in Sanskrit; legend says termites built one over him as he sat still for ages.

11. Hanuman's earthly father was a vanara chief whose name means 'lion' or 'mane'. Who?

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    Kesari

    So Hanuman is also called Kesari Nandan, son of Kesari, besides being the Wind god's son.

12. According to the Puranas, Jambavan from the Ramayana lived on to fight which avatar over a jewel, then gave him his daughter?

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    Krishna

    He married Jambavati to Krishna; the fight was over the Syamantaka jewel.

13. Hanuman's name comes from the injury he got as a baby when the thunderbolt hit him. Which body part?

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    Jaw

    'Hanu' means jaw in Sanskrit, so Hanuman means 'the one with the (broken) jaw'.

14. Jatayu's elder brother lost his wings as a youth when he flew too close to what, to shield Jatayu?

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    The Sun

    He spread his wings over Jatayu, and they burned off; he fell to the earth and waited ages for this moment.

15. When Indra hurt baby Hanuman, his angry father the Wind god did something that frightened all the gods. What?

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    Stopped the wind

    With no air in the worlds, the gods begged Vayu to relent, and Brahma and Indra gave Hanuman boons.

16. Vali was the son of Indra. Which god was the father of his brother Sugriva?

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    Surya

    Vali wore a golden necklace from Indra; Sugriva, the Sun's son, became king after Vali's death.

17. Vanara kingdom Kishkindha is linked today to the boulder country around which ruined city in Karnataka?

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    Hampi

    Pampa lake and Anjanadri hill, said to be Hanuman's birthplace, are close by.

18. Shown what Sita had dropped from the sky, Lakshmana recognised only one item, because he had only ever looked at her feet. Which?

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    Anklets

    He said he didn't know her bracelets or earrings, out of respect, but knew the anklets from bowing to her every day.

19. Which rakshasi guarding Sita dreamed of Ravana's downfall and told the others to leave Sita alone?

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    Trijata

    She dreamed of Ravana riding south on a donkey, a sign of death, and of Rama in white on an elephant.

20. Rama couldn't tell Vali and Sugriva apart in their first duel. What did Sugriva wear in the second so Rama could?

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    Garland

    Lakshmana put a flowering creeper round Sugriva's neck; in the rematch Rama shot Vali.

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