Guha

In the Ramayana, the earlier of the
two great Indian epics, Guha is the
king of the Nishadas, a tribe who lived
on the banks of the Ganges River.
When the god Rama goes into exile
with his wife Sita and his younger
brother Lakshmana, they pass
through Guha’s kingdom. Guha
arranges for a boat to take them to the
other side of the Ganges and personally conveys the three over to the other
side. Although Guha is of very low
social status, his humble services are
accepted because of his sincere devotion to Rama. In the Ramayana of
Tulsidas, a later vernacular rendition
of the Ramayana that emphasizes the
power of devotion, Guha symbolizes
how sincere devotion can transcend
all social boundaries.