At the Panchavati forest they are visited by a rakshasa woman, Surpanakha, the sister of Ravana. Rama, Sita and Lakshmana journeyed southward along the banks of river Godavari, where they built cottages and lived off the land. However, Bharata carries Rama's sandals, and keeps them on the throne, while he rules as Rama's regent. But Rama, determined to carry out his father's orders to the letter, refuses to return before the period of exile. Bharata refuses to profit from his mother's wicked scheming and visits Rama in the forest. Meanwhile, Bharata who was on a visit to his maternal uncle, learns about the events in Ayodhya. When he asks Sita not to follow him, she says, "the forest where you dwell is Ayodhya for me and Ayodhya without you is a veritable hell for me." After Rama's departure, king Dasharatha, unable to bear the grief, passes away. Rama accepts his father's reluctant decree with absolute submission and calm self-control which characterizes him throughout the story. The heartbroken king, constrained by his rigid devotion to his given word, accedes to Kaikeyi's demands. Kaikeyi demands Rama to be exiled into wilderness for fourteen years, while the succession passes to her son Bharata. On the eve of the great event, Kaikeyi-her jealousy aroused by Manthara, a wicked maidservant-claims two boons that Dasharatha had long ago granted her. Īfter Rama and Sita have been married for twelve years, Dasharatha who had grown old expresses his desire to crown Rama, to which the Kosala assembly and his subjects express their support. The weddings are celebrated with great festivity at Mithila and the marriage party returns to Ayodhya. Marriages are arranged between the sons of Dasharatha and daughters, nieces of Janaka. The sage Vishwamitra attends the swayamvara with Rama and Lakshmana. The king was in possession of an immensely heavy bow, presented to him by the God Shiva: whoever could wield the bow could marry Sita. When Sita was of marriageable age, the king decided to have a swayamvara which included a contest. Sita grew up to be a girl of unparalleled beauty and charm. The child was named Sita, the Sanskrit word for furrow. Overwhelmed with joy, the king regarded the child as a "miraculous gift of God". One day, a female child was found in the field by the king in the deep furrow dug by this plough. Rama and Lakshmana receive instructions and supernatural weapons from Vishwamitra, and proceed to destroy the demons.
He chooses Rama, who is followed by Lakshmana, his constant companion throughout the story. When Rama is 16 years old, the sage Vishwamitra comes to the court of Dasharatha in search of help against demons, who were disturbing sacrificial rites. The boys are reared as the princes of the realm, receiving instructions from the scriptures and in warfare. These sons are endowed, to various degrees, with the essence of the God Vishnu Vishnu had opted to be born into mortality in order to combat the demon Ravana, who was oppressing the Gods, and who could only be destroyed by a mortal. As a consequence, Rama is first born to Kausalya, Bharata is born to Kaikeyi, and Sumitra gives birth to twins named Lakshmana and Shatrughna. He was childless for a long time and, anxious to produce an heir, he performs a fire sacrifice known as Putra-Kameshti Yagna. He had three queens: Kausalya, Kaikeyi and Sumithra. Balakanda of Ramayana depicts the life of Lord Ram’s childhood and his marriage to Sita Devi.Īyodhya Kand of Ramayana narrates the arrangements for the coronation of Lord Rama and his exile into the forest for 14 years for the sake of his father's honour.Dasharatha was the king of Kosala, the capital of which was the city of Ayodhya. As a result King Dasharatha is blessed with four children Lord Rama born to Kausalya, Bharata is born to Kaikeyi, and Lakshmana and Shatrughna are born to Sumitra. Ramayana was penned by Sage Valmiki and is written in a 32-syllable meter called “anustubh”.īala Kand begins with the story of Dasharatha, the king of Ayodhya, performing Putrakameshti Yagna - a fire sacrifice for attaining a child. The Hindu Epic Ramayana is divided into seven kandas (books) which deals with the major events in the life of Lord Rama, the 7th avatar of Mahavishnu.