Kingdom of the Mahabharata
Lanka
लङ्का
Vibhishana's island kingdom, tributary to the Rajasuya
Lanka (Island of Sri Lanka): Vibhishana's island kingdom, tributary to the Rajasuya, located at coordinates 7.90°N, 80.70°E.
Key Facts
| Type | Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit name | लङ्का |
| Coordinates | 7.90°N, 80.70°E |
| Modern location | Island of Sri Lanka |
| Significance | Vibhishana's island kingdom, tributary to the Rajasuya |
About Lanka
The island kingdom of the rakshasas, ruled in the epic's present by the righteous Vibhishana. During Sahadeva's southern digvijaya, Ghatotkacha was sent as envoy and Vibhishana lovingly sent tribute for the Rajasuya (Sabha Parva). Its older story is retold in the Ramopakhyana.
Why it matters: Vibhishana's island kingdom, tributary to the Rajasuya
Rulers and Custodians
- Ravana (Ramayana era)
- Vibhishana
Details
- Parva
- Sabha Parva digvijaya; Ramopakhyana in the Vana Parva
On the Map
Lanka sits at 7.90°N, 80.70°E, in Island of Sri Lanka.
View on the full mapStories Set at Lanka
The Story of Rama
The Tale Markandeya Told in the Forest
Lanka in the Mahabharata
Ravana's island as the epic remembers it
The Conquest of the South
Sahadeva's road for the rajasuya
The Fire That Loved a Princess
Why no army could take Mahishmati
The Boons of Visrava's Sons
Three brothers ask Brahma for different things
The Arrow From Behind the Tree
A wife who read the omens, and a king who would not listen
The Grove of Ashoka Trees
A captive refuses, and a rakshasi tells her dream
The Bird With the Burnt Wings
A search that ended at a cliff, and the brother of Jatayu
The Sleeper Woken
Ravana spends his brothers one after another
The Testimony of the Elements
What Rama said when she was brought back to him
The Gods Ask for Rama
Agni pleads before Brahma, and the answer is a king's son and an army of monkeys and bears
The Friend of Dasaratha
A vulture fights Ravana in the sky, and a headless Rakshasa points the way to Sugriva
Nala's Bridge
The Ocean refuses to part and names a workman instead, and the monkey army walks to Lanka
The Wife Who Cooled a Naga's Anger
Padmanabha would not go out to a waiting guest, until his wife named the ends of Ravana and Kartavirya