Reading Notes: PDE Ramayana, Part A

Part A

Sita, Indian puppet theater

Web Source: Wikimedia

• Two kings
• Dasharatha was from the Solar Race, which is an ancient dynasty
• Dasharatha, ruler of the Koshala kingdom in Ayodhya (ancient city)
• Has had 3 wives (Kaushalya, Kaikeyi, and Sumitra)
• No son
• Janaka, ruler of Videha in Mithila
• Ayodhya is compared to Indra's celestial city.
• large dwellings, extravagant/"richly" decorated temples
• grand and noble palaces
• Filled with wild-life and plants
• Dasharatha performs a horse sacrifice in hopes that the Gods will bless him with a son
• There were also 21 additional sacrificial posts and 18 Homa pits
• Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and Indra appeared. They promised Dasharatha four sons
• Vishvamitra, a great risha/poet was welcomed by Dasharatha and promised any gift he wanted
• Vishvamitra told Dasharatha that he was sent away from him son and his "light" dimmed
• Rama and Lakshmana, two brothers, followed Vishvamitra and with their own radiant reflection, made Vishvamitra bright again
• Rama meets Sita and falls in love
• Rama is another form of Vishnu and Sita is another form of Lakshmi (Vishnu's consort)
• The two brothers, Rama and Lakshmana, ventured out into the city and immediately drew attention to themselves with their good looks and extravagant clothing
• On another adventure, the two brothers left to pick flowers and found themselves in the garden of the king
• They were given permission from the gardeners and plucked flowers from the king's garden.
• Princess Sita was in the garden during this time, walking with a maid, which had spotted the two brothers
• Rama overheard the jingle that Sita's bangles made and claimed that a woman who he would love over everything was coming
• The maids urged Sita it was time to go and on her way back to the palace, she stopped to pray to the goddess Bhavani
• During this prayer, she was given a sign, which assured her that her prayer had been heard
• The two brothers returned, and Rama claimed that the queen of night is not as beautiful or as "fair" as Sita
• King Janaka poses a challenge for any man who would like to marry his daughter, Sita
• The challenge is that the suitor must be able to bend the bow of the God Shiva
• Rama accepted this challenge and without any resistance or struggle, he was able to bend the bow until it snapped
• Rama clearly wins his dream bride, Sita
• At one point, Dasharatha is forced to exile Rama, but he does express extreme remorse and unwillingness
• Dasharatha claims that hw would rather go to Hell than send Rama away into exile
• Rama obeys his father's command to go into exile, forcing him to abandon his wife
• Sita, however, is faithful to Rama and does depart with him after much debate (Rama does not want her to carry his burden or suffer with him in the jungle)
• Lakshmana decides to also leave with Rama and Sita into the jungle 
• Rama can return in 14 years
• Dasharatha remembers that from years ago, he was cursed to lose one of his sons due to his actions
• He killed a boy while he was out hunting
• Dasharatha dies without his sons present as they were still exiled
• He was aware that his karma was coming back to get him
• He died from grief knowing that he sent his son into exile

Bibliography: 

Ramayana Online: Public Domain Edition

Authors:  Manmatha Nath Dutt, Romesh Dutt, Gould, Griffith, Hodgson, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Oman, Richardson, and Ryder

Web Source: Ramayana Online