Guha is the monarch
of the Nishadas, a tribe that dwelt on the banks of the Ganges River, in the
Ramayana, the earlier of the two major Indian epics.
When Rama, his wife Sita, and his younger brother Lakshmana
go into exile, they travel through Guha's country.
Guha arranges for a boat to transport them to the opposite
side of the Ganges and personally transports the three.
Guha's modest services are accepted despite his low social
rank because of his earnest devotion to Rama.
Guha represents how real devotion may transcend all class barriers in Tulsidas' Ramayana, a later vernacular retelling of the Ramayana that highlights the power of devotion.
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