Shanta is the princess given in marriage to the sage Rishyasringa by King Romapada of Anga. Later traditions call her Dasharatha's daughter, Rama's elder sister, adopted by Romapada.
RoleMember of the Ikshvaku royal family
ConsortRishyasringa
ParentsRomapada, Dasharatha
SiblingsRama
Appears inRamayana
GroupIkshvaku royal family
Who was Shanta?
In the Bala Kanda, Romapada of Anga gives his daughter Shanta to Rishyasringa after the sage's arrival ends a long drought. Shanta then comes with her husband to Ayodhya when Rishyasringa leads Dasharatha's sacrifice for sons.
Many later texts and regional traditions say that Shanta was born to Dasharatha and Kausalya and given to Romapada, a childless friend, to raise. In that telling she is the elder sister of Rama and his brothers. Valmiki's own text calls her Romapada's daughter.
In the Valmiki Ramayana
Shanta appears in 2 sargas across 1 Kandas.
