The Ramayana

The Ramayana relates the story of two powerful races, the Kosalas and the
Videhas. Dasa-ratha, the king of the Kosalas, had four sons, the oldest of whom,
Rama, is the hero of the epic. The other sons were Bharat, Lakshman, and
Satrughna. Janak, the king of Videhas had a daughter named Sita who was
miraculously born of the earth and who is the heroine of the epic.
Janak ordered a severe test, an archery contest, for the hand of his daughter.
Suitors from the far and near tried their skill in archery but went away disappointed.
Rama succeeded and won the peerless Sita for his wife. The brothers of Rama
married a sister and cousin of Sita. The three brothers returned to Kosalas and were
received joyfully by the people while preparations were made for the consecration
of Rama as future king of the Kosalas.
In the meantime, an intrigue developed in the place of king Dasa-ratha.
Kaekeyi, the mother Bharat, became jelous of the honor conferred on Kausalya, the
mother of Rama, and plotted against Rama. She went to the old king, Dasa-ratha,
and reminded him of a certain promise he made her whwn he was ill that he
excelled for fourteen years in the forest of Dandak and that her son Bharat be made
regent king.
The faithful wife, Sita, and the loving brother, Lakshman accompanied Rama
in his exile while the loyal people of the city of Ayodia followed their exiled prince as
far as the bans of the banks of the Tamasa River where they halted on the first
night.
Rama, his wife and Lakshman stole away at night to escape the citizens who
wanted to follow them. Their wanderings during the following days, going deeper
and deeper into forest, are described beautifully in the poem. (Three thousand
years have passed but every step of this supposed journey is annually reenacted by
thousands of devoted pilgrims in India. Rama and Sita still live in the hearts of
millions of faithful men and women in this vast country.)
Rama, his wife and his brother crossed the Ganges River, penetrating deeper
into the wilderness of the forest until they came to the hermitage of Valmiki, the
reputed author of the epic. The whole neighborhood of this hermitage is called
Ramas country. Every headland has some legend; every cave is connected with
Ramas name; some of the wild fruits are even called sita-phal because these fruits
were the reputed food of the exiles. Thousands upon thousands of Indians visit this
spot as a holy pilgrimage. Round the hill is a footpath up which the people walk with
naked feet and with pious devotion.
In Ayodia, Dasa-ratha grieved so much over banished Rama that he soon died. The
story now moved to Bharat who refused the throne reserved for him. He joined
Rama in the forest and implored him to return, stating that with his fathers death,

surely Rama had been released from his sentence of exile. This is one of the most
impressive parts of the epic. Rama told his brother that death did not release a
sons promise to his father:
But may, answered Rama, seek
Ayodhas ancient throne,
For righteous fathers mandate dutious
Son may not disown;
And I may not, gentle brother, break the
Word of promise given,
To a king and to a father who is now a saint in heaven!
Bharat made a passionate plea for Rama to return and rule Kosala but all in vain.
Bharat then took Ramas sandals to place them on the throne as testimony to the
people that he was ruling in Ramas name. Rama then penetrated deeper into the
Dandak forest so that his friends and relatives would not seek him in his exile.
Rama wandered from Northern India and reached Southern India. He built his forest
heritage in the wilderness that is now within a hundred of miles