Sumantra is King Dasharatha's chief minister and charioteer. He advises the king on the sacrifice for sons, drives Rama into exile and returns to tell the grieving court that Rama has gone into the forest.
Who was Sumantra?
Sumantra is one of Dasharatha's eight trusted ministers. In the Bala Kanda he tells the king of the sage Rishyasringa, whose help leads to the birth of the four princes.
When Rama is exiled, Sumantra drives Rama, Sita and Lakshmana to the border of Kosala and on to Shringaverapura. Rama sends him back with messages for his father and mothers, and Sumantra returns to a city in mourning to face the king.
Years later, in the Uttara Kanda, he drives Lakshmana and Sita to Valmiki's hermitage and tells Lakshmana of Durvasa's old prophecy. He is the faithful servant who carries the family's heaviest news.
In the Valmiki Ramayana
Sumantra appears in 24 sargas across 3 Kandas.
