Reading Notes: Ramayana, Part A

Story source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913)

The Birth of Rama

Dasaratha wanted a son
He had 3 wives: Kausalya, Kaikeyi, and Sumitra
He decided to perform the Aswamedha (horse sacrifice) to ask for a son
Meanwhile, the gods were worried about the demon Ravana, who was oppressing the gods
Ravana was invincible to the gods and could only be destroyed by a mortal
Vishnu, the Preserver god, decided that he will be reincarnated as the Dasaratha's sons so he can battle Ravana as a mortal
Dasaratha has 4 sons, one of whom is Rama born to Kausalya

Vishwatra, Rama's Teacher

The boys all grew up together and trained
Rama proved to be the most beautiful and accomplished
At 16, the sage Vishvamitra visits them and asks Rama to help with demons disrupting their sacrificial offerings
The king reluctantly agrees, but says one of his brothers, Lakshmana should go with him
They follow the sage back to his home and help defeat many demons, including Taraka - a deformed female demon
Rama is given celestial weapons
The sages plan to go to a ritual in Mithila and want the brothers to come because King Janaka will show them Shiva's bow - a powerful weapon

Rama and Sita

In Mithila, King Janaka presents Shiva's bow and says that whoever can bend the bow can marry his daughter, Sita
Rama not only bends it but also breaks it. Everyone is shocked by his strength.
He marries Sita and they return to Ayodhya
They have romantic evenings wandering the ponds and gardens
King Dasaratha was growing old and needed to decide on who would be his successor
All his aids suggested Rama and most of the Kingdom rejoiced

Marriage of Rama and Sita (Source: Wikipedia)

Kaikeyi's Plot

The slave of the wife Kaikeyi did not rejoice
Her name was Manthara and she was super ugly. She hated Rama from a young age
She convinces Kaikeyi to feel jealous that her son wasn't chosen to be king
Manthara tells her to use the 2 favors that the King granted her long ago when she saved his life
Kaikeyi demands that the King make her son Bharata the king and exile Rama for 14yrs
The King is shocked and upset, but eventually agrees
He says that he will reject her and her son forever

Rama's Exile

Everyone is happy and preparing for the new king's coronation
Rama is told about his banishment but is unmoved and readily obeys
Everyone is upset
His mother and Lakshmana beg him not to leave
He tells the situation to Sita and asks her to stay and obey the new king's orders
But she resists and forces him to take her with him because she loves him so much
Lakshmana also says he will join, so the 3 of them leave

The Death of Dasaratha

The 3 say bye to the heart-broken king and people of the city
They leave with very little
Some citizens even follow them out in hopes of accompanying them in the exile
But the 3 continue their journey while the others are sleeping so they can suffer alone
The king meanwhile recalls when he was a young hunter

Rama and Bharata

Bharata had been away from the kingdom so when he returns, he shocked to hear the news
He and his brother are upset that their mother would do such a thing
He apologizes to Kausalya and says that he can't take the throne and will look for Rama instead
Him and his army find Rama in the jungle and they grieve their dad
Bharata insists that Rama return
An advisor of the dead king says Rama doesn't need to keep the promise since the dad is dead
But Rama is determined to keep his loyalty and discusses good and evil
Bharata tries to give him golden sandals but Rama rejects them
Bharata says he will live like a devotee in the jungle, conducting his gov affairs there, and place the sandals on the throne as a symbol that he is just waiting for Rama to return

Mythology and Folklore