Reading Notes: Ramayana, Part A

 Ramayana by various authors

- King Dasharatha craves a son. He performs a horse sacrifice to encourage the gods to grant him a son. The sacrifice is successful and the gods promise him four sons.

- Ravana, a man granted invulnerability by Brahma for his duties has reeked havoc on gods and demons, causing them to flee to Vishnu for help. Vishnu agrees to help and turns the gods to monkeys and divides himself into Dasharatha's four sons to defeat Ravana, who can only be fallen by a human or monkey. 

- Vishvamitra, a sage, seeks Dasharatha's help to banish two of Ravana's rakshasas who ruin his sacrifices and sacred fire. He requires Rama, Dasharatha's son, to help him fight them so Rama and his brother Lakshmana go to the dismay of Dasharatha. 

- Rama and Lakshmana defeat the rakshasi named Thataka by dismembering her and finally shooting her with a bow and are rewarded with new celestial weapons by Vishvamitra. Rama then defeats the rest of the demons and the sages rejoice. 

- Rama falls in love with Sita at first sight because it is destined. Sita's father, Janaka, promises his daughter's hand in marriage to any man who can bend the bow of Shiva. Rama bends the bow and wins Sita. 

- Parashurama is disturbed that Rama has broken the bow and makes him complete another challenge, to draw the bow of Vishnu, which he does. 

- Rama and his brothers are wedded to Sita and her relatives. 

-Dasharatha, with help from his counsel, chooses Rama as his heir. Manthara, the misshapen nurse of Bharata (Rama's brother), though, convinces his mother, Kaikeyi to be bitter about Dasharatha's decision and demand her boons he had promised her. Dasharatha grants Kaikeyi her two boons, Bharata's promotion to heir and Rama's exile, but he rejects Kaikeyi and her son forever.

- Dasharatha is grievously hurt to banish Rama, but Rama accepts his will without emotion and leaves. Sita and Lakshmana demand to come with him. The three of them are then sent out into the woods, two of them dressed in bark, despite Dasharatha's wishes that they be sent with jewels and huntsmen. They are to return in fourteen years. 

- The three band together to protect and comfort another for the fourteen years. 

- The story flashes back to Dasharatha's youth when he kills a young hermit. The story of the old couple mourning their son and killing themselves out of agony is very touching. Dasharatha reflects that this is why he has lost Rama. 

-Dasharatha dies, mourning the loss of his son. 

                                                            Ramayana (Source: Pixabay)

Bibliography: "Ramayana" by various authors. Website: Indian Epics: Images and PDE Epics.