He is called Ramachandra (beautiful, lovely moon), or Dasarathi (son of Dasaratha), or Raghava (descendant of Raghu, solar dynasty in Hindu cosmology). The Vishnu avatar named Rama is also known by other names. The word also appears in ancient Upanishads and Aranyakas layer of Vedic literature, as well as music and other post-Vedic literature, but in qualifying context of something or someone who is "charming, beautiful, lovely" or "darkness, night". The name Rama appears repeatedly in Hindu texts, for many different scholars and kings in mythical stories.
A third individual named Rama Jamadagnya is the purported author of hymn 10.110 of the Rigveda in the Hindu tradition. Rama as a first name appears in the Vedic literature, associated with two patronymic names – Margaveya and Aupatasvini – representing different individuals. The word is sometimes used as a suffix in different Indian languages and religions, such as Pali in Buddhist texts, where -rama adds the sense of "pleasing to the mind, lovely" to the composite word. In another context as found in other Vedic texts, the word means "pleasing, delightful, charming, beautiful, lovely". In one context as found in Atharva Veda, as stated by Monier Monier-Williams, means "dark, dark-colored, black" and is related to the term ratri which means night. Rāma is a Vedic Sanskrit word with two contextual meanings. In Sikhism, Rama is mentioned as one of twenty four divine incarnations of Vishnu in the Chaubis Avtar in Dasam Granth. Jain Texts also mentioned Rama as the eighth balabhadra among the 63 salakapurusas. Rama legends are also found in the texts of Jainism and Buddhism, though he is sometimes called Pauma or Padma in these texts, and their details vary significantly from the Hindu versions. Two such texts, for example, are the Adhyatma Ramayana – a spiritual and theological treatise considered foundational by Ramanandi monasteries, and the Ramcharitmanas – a popular treatise that inspires thousands of Ramlila festival performances during autumn every year in India. His ancient legends have attracted bhasya (commentaries) and extensive secondary literature and inspired performance arts. He is the central figure of the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana, a text historically popular in the South Asian and Southeast Asian cultures. Rama is especially important to Vaishnavism. It illustrates dharma and dharmic living through model characters. The entire life story of Rama, Sita and their companions allegorically discusses duties, rights and social responsibilities of an individual. Of all their travails, the most notable is the kidnapping of Sita by demon-king Ravana, followed by the determined and epic efforts of Rama and Lakshmana to gain her freedom and destroy the evil Ravana against great odds. Though born in a royal family, their life is described in the Hindu texts as one challenged by unexpected changes such as an exile into impoverished and difficult circumstances, ethical questions and moral dilemmas. His siblings included Lakshmana, Bharata, and Shatrughna. Rama was born to Kaushalya and Dasharatha in Ayodhya, the ruler of the Kingdom of Kosala. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Being. He is the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. Rama ( / ˈ r ɑː m ə/ IAST: Rāma, pronounced ( listen) Sanskrit: राम) or Ram, also known as Ramachandra ( / ˌ r ɑː m ə ˈ tʃ ʌ n d r ə/ IAST: Rāmacandra, Sanskrit: रामचन्द्र), is a major deity in Hinduism.