The Story of Ramayana

The Story of Ramayana father," Rama says.
Bharata then took Rama's

by Maharshi Valmiki sandals saying, "I will put these on the throne,
and every day I shall place the fruits of my work
Long ago, Dasharatha, the wise king of Ayodhya of at the feet of my Lord." Embracing Rama, he took
Sarayu, India had three wives. Though the King the sandals and returned to Ayodhya. Years
had three wives, he didn’t have any children with passed and Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana were very
them. The Chief priest Vasishta advised the king happy in the forest. Rama and Lakshmana
to make fire sacrifice to obtain a blessing from the destroyed the rakshasas (evil creatures) who
gods. disturbed the sages in their meditations.
After the gods were pleased, one of them appeared One day a rakshasa princess named
out of the flame and handed him a pot full of Shurpanakha tried to seduce Rama, and
nectar. The god told the king to share the nectar Lakshmana wounded her and drove her away.
with his three queens namely Kausalya, Kaikeye, She returned to her brother Ravana, the ten-
and Sumitra. headed ruler of Lanka (Sri Lanka, formerly
Ceylon), and told her brother, who is always
While the nectar had been shared, the three attracted to beautiful women, about lovely Sita.
queens gave birth to sons: Kausalya had Rama;
Kaikeye had Bharatha; and Sumitra had twins Ravana devised a plan to abduct Sita. He sent a
Lakshmana and Shatrughna. A sage took the boys magical golden deer which Sita desired Rama to
out to train them in archery. hunt. A long time had passed, but Rama didn’t
return. Thus, Lakshmana went off to find his
In a neighboring city, the ruler's daughter was brother. Before leaving Sita, Lakshmana drew a
named Sita. When it was time for Sita to choose protective circle around Sita and warned her that
her bridegroom, at a ceremony called a she would be safe if she would stay within the
Swayamvara, the princes were asked to string a circle. As they went off, Ravana, who could change
giant bow. No one else could even lift the bow, but his shape, appeared as a holy man begging alms.
as Rama bent it, he did not only string it but also The moment Sita stepped outside the circle to give
broke it into two. Sita indicated that she chose him food, Ravana grabbed her and carried her off
Rama as her husband by putting a garland to his kingdom in Lanka.
around his neck. The disappointed suitors were
watching. Rama was broken-hearted when he returned to
the empty hut and could not find Sita. A band of
King Dasharatha, Rama's father, decided it was monkeys led by Hanuman offered to help him find
time to give his throne to his eldest son Rama and Sita. Ravana carried Sita to his palace in Lanka,
retired to the forest to seek moksha. Everyone but he could not force her to be his wife. So, he
seems pleased. This plan fulfilled the rules of put her in a grove and alternately sweet-talked
dharma because an eldest son should rule and, if her and threatened her in an attempt to get her to
a son can take over one's responsibilities, one's agree to marry him. Sita would not even look at
last years may be spent in a search for moksha. him but thought only of her beloved Rama.
Hanuman, the general of the monkey band could
In addition, everyone loved Rama. However, fly since his father was the wind, and he flew to
Rama's stepmother, the king's second wife, was Lanka and found Sita in the grove, comforted her,
not pleased. She wanted her son, Bharata, to rule. and told her Rama would come soon and save her.
Because of an oath Dasharatha had made to her
years before, she got the king to agree to banish Ravana's men captured Hanuman, and Ravana
Rama for fourteen years and to crown Bharata ordered them to wrap Hanuman's tail in cloth and
even though the king, on bended knee, begged her to set it on fire. With his tail burning, Hanuman
not to demand such things. Broken-hearted, the hopped from house-top to house-top, setting
devastated king could not face Rama with the Lanka a fire. He then flew back to Rama to tell
news that Kaikeyi must tell him. him where Sita was.
Rama, always obedient, was as content to go into Rama, Lakshmana, and the monkey army built a
banishment in the forest as to be crowned king. causeway from the tip of India crossing over to
Sita convinced Rama that she would always be at Lanka. A mighty battle took place. Rama killed
his side and his brother Lakshmana also begged several of Ravana's brothers and then Rama
to accompany them. Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana confronted ten-headed Ravana. Rama finally killed
set out to the forest. Ravana and freed Sita. After Sita gained her
freedom from Ravana, she proved her purity
Bharata, whose mother's evil plot had won him through the trial by fire. Then, they returned to
the throne, was very upset when he found out Ayodhya and Rama became the king.
what had happened. Not for a moment he did
consider breaking the rules of dharma and As Rama became the king, he ruled Ayodhya with
becoming king in Rama's place. He went to Ramrajya - an ideal time when everyone does his
Rama's forest retreat and begged Rama to return or her duties and responsibilities.
and rule, but Rama refused. "We must obey

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The Story of Ramayana father," Rama says.

Bharata then took Rama's

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