The Ramayana

The Ramayana - II

Read about Rama's journey in the forest with Vishwamitra,

Vishwamitra and the young Rama set off for the forest along with Lakshman, who insisted on accompanying his beloved brother. They journeyed for many days and every time they stopped to rest awhile, Vishwamitra took the opportunity to discuss the sacred weapons with Rama. They continued uneventfully on the journey until they reached the foot of a dark and demonic forest filled with demons of prey.

Tataka or Taraka

Tataka was an enormous she-demon and mother of Marich, who terrorized the forest. Rama, Lakshmana and Vishwamitra entered the forest and with each step they kept going deeper and deeper until suddenly the monstrous Tataka appeared before them. She was huge, repulsive, and wore a necklace of skulls around her neck. When she accosted Rama and Lakshman, she sent off a shower of stones hurtling towards them, which they combated with arrows. Vishwamitra told Rama to "be safe, and be victorious". This, in a way, was an ambiguous order, as Rama was not directly commanded to kill her. Had he received a direct order to kill her, he would have done so since his father had told him that he was to obey Vishwamitra at all times.

Although Rama still could have killed her using his own discretion, he was faced with an enigma since she was female and Rama's principles would not allow him to kill a female. Thus, Rama shot two arrows, cutting off her arms. Tataka then started shrieking and wailing loudly, causing Lakshman to fire arrows and cut off her nose and ears. By way of sorcery she then became invisible and continued assailing the three with huge boulders, but Rama and Lakshmana combated the boulders with their arrows, causing the boulders to split into harmless stones. Vishwamitra then told Rama to set aside his compassion and clearly commanded him to kill her before the sun sets since after dusk and until dawndemons are invincible. Then Rama, guided by sound alone, killed her with a powerful arrow. Vishwamitra and the Gods in heaven were overjoyed andthe forest, free from Tataka's hold, became a beautiful and heavenly abode once again.

Mareech and Subahu

After Rama slayed Tataka, Vishwamitra handed the divine weapons over to Rama. They then continued on their journey. A few days later they came across another picturesque forest, which is haunted by Mareech, Subahu and otherdemons. They guarded Vishwamitra as he performed his rituals for six days and six nights, until the demons arrived to disturb the rituals. Rama shot Mareech with the Manava missile, hurling him a distance of a hundred 'yojans', into the ocean. However, he did not kill Mareech. (Mareech then later on tries to dissuade Ravana from his plans of kidnapping Sita, and agrees to assume the form of a deer to lure Rama away from Sita.) Rama killed Subahu, who was the more vicious of thedemons and proceed to destroy the accompanying rakshasas. By doing this Rama endeared himself to all the Sadhus, who were now free to perform their rituals without any hindrances by thedemons.

Rama Weds Sita

Rama frees Ahilya while journeying towards Janakpuri. He attends the Swayamvara and breaks the bow, winning Sita's hand.

After the death of the demons the sages were free to perform their prayers without any disturbance. Rama and Lakshman stayed on in the forest under the tutelage of Vishwamitra, who taught them the Vedas and other scriptures. Time passed by, and then one day Vishwamitra received an invitation from King Janak, ruler of Janakpur, to attend the Swayamvar (choosing of groom) ceremony of his daughter,Sita. Kings, princes and sages from all over were invited to attend the ceremony to win the hand of the beautiful princess. Vishwamitra asked Rama and Lakshman to accompany him, and so the three set out for Janakpur.

On the way to Janakpur they passed by a deserted cottage besides which lay the stone statue of Ahilya. According to legend, Ahilya was the wife of the learned Gautam Rishi. Ahilya was thought to be the most beautiful woman on earth, and hearing of her beauty, Lord Indira disguised himself as her husband and entered the home when Gautam had gone to bathe in the holy river, and seduced her. When Indira was leaving the hut after the seduction, he was met by Gautam who had guessed what had happened. So enraged was he that he cursed Indira by turning him into a eunuch, and he turned his wife into stone. He then added that she would be turned to a woman when the son of Dashrath touches her statue with his foot.

Rama then touched the stone statue with his foot and released Ahilya from her curse, turning her into a woman again. Ahilya thanked him and offered her prayers.

They proceeded onwards, stopping to take a dip in the holy river Ganga, and finally reached the beautiful kingdom of Janakpur. King Janak himself welcomed the sage. Vishwamitra introduced Rama and Lakshman to the King as the brave and divine sons of King Dashrath. Later on the brothers set out to visit the kingdom when they chanced uponSita in a temple. Rama was immediately enraptured by her beauty, and Sita, in turn, fell in love with Rama. She prayed that she be wed to Rama.

Soon, the Swayamvara ceremony was held. A large, heavy bow of Lord Shiva, was placed in the center of the swayamvara hall, and Lord Janak announced that the person who managed to stringthe bow would win the hand of the fair Sita. The ceremony was open to all, and one by one every man in the room tried his hand at stringing the bow, but none of them could even lift it. Then all the kings collectively tried to lift the bow, but they still did not succeed. King Janak was now confronted with the prospect of Sita remaining unmarried, and he was overwhelmed with worry. Finally, it was Lord Rama's turn. As he walked towards the bow, and Sita's heart sank, sure that if such rugged and brave Kings could not even lift the bow, then the young and slender Rama would surely fail to do so as well. But Rama said a prayer and in one breath lifted the bow, strung it, and broke it into two with a thundering sound. Everyone was astounded and immediately broke into cheers. Sita walked up to Lord Rama and placed a garland around his neck. And so, they were wed.

Manthara's Poisonous Tongue

After the wedding ceremony, Dashrath decides that he will hand over the throne to Rama. Hearing this, Manthara poison's Kaikaiyee's mind.

After Rama had been chosen as the groom, King Janak sent a messenger to Ayodhya to invite Dashrath for the marriage ceremony. Dashrath was overjoyed with the news, and instructed Bharat to make arrangements for the departure of the procession. Horses, elephants and chariots were decorated and the Sage Vashishta also joined the procession, which set off for Janakpuri. The roads leading to Janakpuri were repaired, bridges were built and motels were constructed along the way, to ensure the smooth journey of the 'baraat'.

When they reached Janakpur they were welcomed very warmly. King Janak had made elabourate arrangements for their reception, and everything went off smoothly. Then Rama and Lakshman came forth to greet their father and embrace their brothersBharat and Shatrughan. The days leading to the marriage ceremony were joyous and festive.

Brides for the brothers had also been chosen under the guidance of Sage Vashisht, and so all four brothers we wed together. Rama wed Sita, Lakshman wed Urmila,Bharat wed Mandavi and Shatrughan wed Shrutikeerti. After the ceremony and the wedding feast, red betel leaves and nuts were served to the guests, and this tradition of serving paan after dinner is still upheld in India.

Next morning the wedding procession departed after teary goodbyes and blessings were bestowed on the couples. Meanwhile, back in Ayodhya, excitement was in the air and preparations were being made for the reception of the newly-weds. The people of Ayodhya decorated their houses and there was dancing, singing and rejoicing when the King returned with the princes and their brides. The people of Ayodhya now had just one wish in their hearts - that King Dashrath passes the thrown over to Rama. Then one morning when Dashrath looked at the mirror and saw his first grey hair appear, he was struck by the realization that he was growing old. He decided that it was time to hand over the thrown to his firstborn, and announced his decision to his subjects and his children. Rama was skeptical, as he felt he was no more deserving of the crown than were his brothers, but everyone else was overjoyed at the prospect of him becoming King. Everyone else, except for one old maid: Manthara.

Manthara was Kaikaiyee's maid, and was jealous that Kaushalya's son was becoming King instead of Kaikaiyee's son. She conveyed her feelings to Kaikaiyee, who was at first upset to hear anything said against Rama. "I love Rama more than I do my own son," said Kaikaiyee, and reprimanded Manthara for daring to speak against her soon-to-be King. Manthara very cunningly praised Kaikaiyee for her innocence. She subtly continued to poison Kaikaiyee's mind against Rama and Kaushalya, and said that King Dashrath had chosen to coronate Rama at the time whenBharat was out of the kingdom. No thought was given to Bharat's presence at this important time, and when Rama is King, even less thought would be given to Bharat or to Kaikaiyee. She went on to say that Kaikaiyee would have to do Kaushalya's bidding and serve her.

Manthara's words shook Kaikaiyee to the core, and she asked Manthara what she should do.

Rama's Banishment

Kaikayee demands that Rama be banished for fourteen years and Bharat be crowned King.

Many years ago, when Dashrath was on the battlefield, Kaikayee had saved his life. As a result, Dashrath had granted her two boons, and Kaikayee had stated that she would ask that the boons be granted when the time arose. Manthara reminded Kaikayee of the boons that she was to ask of Dashrath, and told her that the time to demand that Dashrath fulfill his promise had arrived. She counseled Kaikayee to ask that Bharat be crowned King, and that Rama be banished from the kingdom for a period no less than fourteen years.

Kaikayee then removed all her jewellery, lay down on the floor in her bedroom, and called for her husband. When Dashrath heard that Kaikayee was in a bad temper, he went to console her and inquire what the matter was. Seeing Kaikayee in this state greatly disturbed him and he rushed by her side to find out what he can do for her. Kaikayee then asked him if he remembered the two boons he had granted her, and would he be willing to fulfill them. The unsuspectingKing answered that he certainly would. Kaikayee then asked for Bharat's coronation, and demanded that Rama be exiled to the forest in the guise of a hermit.

Hearing this, King Dashrath almost passed out with pain. He then begged Kaikayee to ask for anything else, but not to be so harsh as to send his beloved son away to the forest forfourteen years! Dashrath even offered to give up his life instead, but to spare Rama. He said he loved all his sons equally, and the only reason he was crowing Ramaking was because he was the eldest. But if it meant so much to Kaikayee, he would happily crown Bharat king. Rama had no greed for the throne, and he would not care if he was not made king ! He thus pleaded with Kaikayee not to demand that Rama be sent into exile. However, Kaikayee was unperturbed, and stated that if Rama was not banished before dawn, Dashrath would have to face up to the fact that he had broken his promise, and Kaikayee would take her life.

King Dashrath was a man of his word, and he had to keep his promise even if it was tearing him apart. He then summoned Rama to Kaikayee's chambers. When Rama arrived, he saw his father lying down on the floor, passed out. When he asked Kaikayee what the matter was, Kaikayee told Rama about the two boons, and the demands she had made. Rama stated that nothing would give him more joy than to pass the chance to beKing to Bharat, and added that he would willingly go into exile and uphold his father's promise.

Rama then broke the news to his mother Kaushalya, who was heartbroken, and to Sita, who insisted on accompanying him. Rama tried to dissuade her, but she refused to change her mind, saying that a wife's place is by her husband. Lakshman too insisted on accompanying his elder brother. So, early next morning, before the break of dawn, Rama, Lakshman and Sita left Ayodhya after a tearful and shocked farewell.

The Departure

When Rama set out for the forest, the citizens of Ayodhya insisted on accompanying him.

When Rama, Lakshman and Sita were leaving for the forest, a broken-hearted Dashrath pleaded with Rama not to honour the promise he had made to Kaikayee and to refuse to go into exile. Rama said that it was his duty as a son to honour a promise made by his father, and that he would never let his father break his word. This shows the importance a promise carried, and how a person with a high moral character would suffer anything, but would not break it. Kaushalya then pleaded with Rama to let her join him, but Rama refused, and said that a wife should stay with her husband. He asked his mother to look after his father who was broken-hearted and would need her by his side at this time.

Along with Dashrath, the citizens of Ayodhya too pleaded with Rama not to leave, and when Rama did not relent, they stated that they too would accompany Rama into exile for fourteen years, and would live with him in the forest. Rama tried to talk them out of it, but they refused to listen and followed him along with cries of "Dhik twam Dashratham", or "Shame on you, Dashrath!"

This shows the freedom and the power of the public in that era, and shows that democracy existed in its own form centuries ago in India. No major decision was ever taken without first consulting with the people and courtiers. Even when Dashrath made the decision of crowning Rama king, he made the decision in consultation with his ministers and courtiers, and the decision had the hearty approval of his subjects.

Thus shouting slogans against Dashrath and declaring their love for Rama, the people of Ayodhya followed Rama, Lakshman and Sita out of the boundaries of Ayodhya. When night fell, the procession halted to take a rest. Rama, Lakshman, Sita and Sumant, who was escorting the three to the forest, pretended to be asleep. Seeing them sleep, the people too decided to call it a night and soon fell into deep slumber. Rama, Lakshman, Sita and Sumant then quietly slipped out. They kept on going until they reached the banks of a river. They approached a boatman, who recognised them immediately. He begged Rama to wash his feet before stepping into the boat, saying, "When you touched a stone with the dust of your feet, it turned into a woman! (Ahilya). My boat is simple, and made of wood. If it turns into a woman, what will I do to earn a living?"

Rama willingly obliged, washed his feet and stepped into the boat. Sumant took their leave at this stage, and the three crossed the river. When they reached the other side, Rama was distraught since he had no means to repay the boatman. The boatman stated that simply giving him the opportunity to serve Rama was payment enough.

It needs to be remembered that the Ramayana was written by various people, and the two most prominent versions are by Valmiki and by Tulsidas. Valmiki wrote of Rama as a human being and a ruler much loved by his people, while Tulsidas wrote of him as a God, to be worshiped.

Dashrath Passes Away

The grief of being apart from his son for fourteen years was too much to bear for Dashrath, and soon after Rama departed, Dashrath breathed his last.

After crossing the river Ganges, Rama, Lakshman and Sita disembarked. Sumant had departed in grief, after requesting them to return with him to Ayodhya as per Dashrath's pleas. The three were now accompanied by Nishadraj. Nishadraj had welcomed them into his home the previous night, but Rama had refused to enter, saying that he was in exileand was to live like a hermit. The three then changed into ascetic robes, and took leave of Sumant before crossing the river . Rama requested Nishadraj to go back as well, but Nishadraj refused, requesting Rama to let him stay with them at least for a few days, to help him through his journey in the forest. Rama agreed.

The four of them carried on until they reached the dwellings of Sage Bharadwaj. Sage Bharadwaj was a renowned rishi and had a multitude of followers, who would visit his ashram to hear his talks. He was also a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. When Rama came to visit him, the sage too tried to persuade Rama toreturn to Ayodhya, but Rama again stated that he would not do so. Sage Bharadwaj's followers all came to pay their respects to Rama.

Rama spent the night at the ashram, and the next morning sought the sage's permission to leave. Bharadwaj's followers too insisted on accompanying Rama through the forest! Bharadwaj sent four of his followers to accompanyand look after Rama, and gave Rama his blessings.

The party then journeyed for a while longer, until finally Rama requested them all to return to their homes. He also took leave of Nishadraj, who departed unwillingly. The three of them then set off on their own.

In the meanwhile, as Dashrath lay in bed in Ayodhya calling out to his son to come back to him, he remembered an incident that had happened many many years ago, and realised that he was about to breathe his last, pining for his son in the same manner as was foretold. And true enough, when Sumant returned to Ayodhya, Dashrath had passed away.

The Curse

Many years ago, King Dashrath had gone deer hunting in the forest. He saw something move that he mistook to be a deer, and fired an arrow. To his dismay, he heard a human voice cry out in pain. Dashrath rushed to the spot and saw a young lad, Shravan Kumar, lying on the ground, badly wounded and bleeding. Shravan then told Dashrath that he had been taking water to his parents, who were old and blind, and he requested that Dashrath deliver the water to his parents and give them the news that their son was no more. So saying, Shravan Kumar passed away.

A grief-stricken Dashrath then took the water to the blind parents, who had been waiting for the return of their son. He broke the news to them, and begged them for forgiveness. The heartbroken parents then told Dashrath that just as they will now die pining for their son, so too will Dashrath lose the son he loves most, and will die pining for him.

Bharat Returns

Dashrath's death sent waves of shock throughout the kingdom of Ayodhya. Bharat, who was now to rule, was sent for.

Dashrath's passing away sent waves of shock throughout the kingdom of Ayodhya. Bharat, who was in Rajagriha visiting his maternal grandparents along with Shatrughan, was sent for.

Bharat too had started feeling restless and wanted to return to Ayodhya. He had had a bad dream, which had upset him greatly. His friends tried to cheer him up and enquired about the dream. Bharat answered that in his dream he saw his father fall from the top of a mountain into a pool defiled by cow dung. Dashrath then started laughingand drinking oil. After this, Bharath also saw an ocean dry up, the moon crash on the ground, mountains vanish into dust and other bad omens in his dream. He thus had a strong feeling that something was not quite right. The charioteer and messengers then arrived to take the brothers back to Ayodhya, but they had been given strict instructions not to convey the bad news to Bharat.

As the brothers neared the kingdom, Bharat noticed that the city was very quiet and gloomy. They reached the palace and Bharat anxiously looks for his father. Upon being unable to find it, he seeks out Kaikayee. When Kaikayee sees her beloved son, she runs to him and embraces him. She enquires after her parents and her brother, and Bharat informs her that all were well.

Bharat then enquires after Dashrath, and Kaikayee very slyly tries to disguise the tragedy by pretending as though she is conveying good news. She lets him know delightfully that Dashrath has passed away, as all people do,and that Bharat will now rule Ayodhya. Bharat, who loved his father deeply, was gripped by grief and fell to the ground in pain and shock. He then asked where his brothers Rama and Lakshman were, and Kaikayee said that they had been banished to the forest. Hearing this, Bharat was greatly surprised, as he could not imagine his brothers wronging anyone - so why would they be punished in this manner. Kaikayee then told Bharat everything, and added that she had done it all for Bharat. She stated that Bharat should rule with courage, and the kingdom and citizens of Ayodhya were dependent on him now.

Kaikayee's words shocked Bharat, and he now looked at her as he had never seen her before, with hatred in his eyes. He expressed grief at her behaviour and her greed, and blamed her for the death of his father, and added that he would never rule Ayodhya. He would instead go to the forest, bring back his brothers, and would serve as their attendant. Bharat and Shatrughan then go to meet Kaushalya, who, faint with grief, falls down as they approach her. Seeing her in this state move bothbrothers to tears. They rush to help her up, but she shuns them. She looks at Bharat with distrust in her eyes, and tells him that the kingdom he so desired was now his. Her harsh words pierced Bharat's soul, and he fell to her feet swearing that he knew absolutely nothing about any of this, and that to blame him would be grave injustice. He then harshly cursed the person who was responsible for all that had happened, and begged Kaushalya to accept him as her son. Kaushalya, seeing Bharat's genuine pain, embraced him. Bharat, submerged by grief, lost consciousness.

Bharat Leaves for Chitrakoot

Bharat refuses to accept the throne, and decides instead to leave for Chitrakoot, meet with Rama, and persuade him to return.

Soon after Bharat had returned and overcome the shock of his father's death, the ministers of Ayodhya, in consultation with sages like Vashishta and Vamdeo, decided it was time Bharat took over the throne. After all, no kingdom should remain without a ruler indefinitely, and Bharat was a wise, able administrator. Furthermore, it had been decreed by Dashrath that Bharat be crowned king, and his wishes should be honoured.

When the sages approached Bharat and requested him to agree to be crowned King, Bharat was very hesitant. All tried to persuade him by telling him that this was his father's wish, and that his brothers would be very happy indeed to know that Ayodhya was in able hands andBharat was the ruler. Kaushalaya too requested Bharat to accept the crown, and gave her heartfelt blessings to her son who had done no wrong.

Bharat, however, was deeply unhappy, and had a burning desire to meet Rama. He was not keen on ruling Ayodhya and strongly felt that Rama was the rightful ruler. He was determined to bring Rama back to Ayodhya, and declared that he would leave for Chitrakoot the next morning.

Everyone heartily approved of Bharat's decision to visit his brothers at Chitrakoot. The ministers immediately started making preparations, on Bharat's orders, for the coronation ceremony. Bharat had decided that he would crown Rama as King and would bring him back to rule Ayodhya.

The next morning an entire procession departed with Bharat. Kaushalya arranged for chariots for all the members of the procession, as she felt that they were too weak to travel on foot. The people of Ayodhya were already very weak due to being depressed by Rama's leaving, and continuous fasting as they prayed for his safe and quickreturn.

The procession carried on for hours, and when they reached the river Ganga, Nishadraj heard of Bharat's arrival and was disturbed by the news. If Bharat wanted to meet Rama, why did he need to be accompanied by so many others? His doubts lead him to believe that Bharat probably wanted to kill his brothers so he could rule Ayodhya in peace for the rest of his life. He then commanded his troops to remain on alert and be ready to battle in case need arises, and went onward to greet the procession. He introduced himself as a friend of Shri Rama.

When Bharat realized that this was his beloved brother's friend, he jumped down from his chariot and embraced Nishadraj. Seeing the pure love for Rama inBharat's eyes, Nishadraj immediately realized that Bharat was indeed going to persuade Rama to return to Ayodhya and not to kill him. Then Bharat and the procession stayed the night as guests of Nishadraj, and crossed the Ganges the next morning. The procession continued onwards until it reached the hermitage of Sage Bhardwaj. The wise sage spoke toBharat and advised him not to feel guilty about what had happened. He reassured Bharat that he was not to blame. Even if Bharat had accepted the throne, it would be entirely understandable as it was the command of his father. Bharat 's love for Rama was no doubt very deep, and the sage stressed that just as he felt blessed to have met Rama, so also he felt doubly blessed on meetingBharat.

Bharat Meets Rama

Bharat meets Rama and Chitrakoots and begs him to return to Ayodhya. Rama refuses, and Bharat returns dejected - but not without Rama's sandals!.

While Bharat was making his way towards Chitrakoot, Rama was very disturbed about something. Sita had earlier said to him that she had seen Bharat in her dream, and he was on his way to meet Rama. But instead of feeling joy at the possibility of being reunited with his brother, Rama was overwhelmed with sadness as he had a strong feeling that something very inauspicious was about to unfold.

Before long, a cloud of dust emerged on the horizon. As everybody was wondering who could be arriving, the nearby tribals informed Rama, Lakshman and the holy men that Bharat was arriving with an army. Lakshman was immediately apprehensive when he heard this. He feared that Rama's premonition was coming true,and Bharat had arrived with his army to kill Rama. This infuriated him, and he stated that Bharat would have to kill him first before he could lay a hand on his elder brother.

Rama however knew that Bharat would never have such evil intentions, and he pacified Lakshman.

True enough, Bharat had left the army behind and had come to meet Rama, accompanied only by Shatrughan.

The brothers were overcome with joy when they met, and they embraced. Then Rama and Lakshman were informed of the death of their father, and this deeply saddened them. Rama was devastated when he learnt that his father had died because he could not bear to be separated from his beloved son.

Bharat and Shatrughan then tried to pursuade Rama to return with them to Ayodhya. Bharat told Rama that he had brought with him the crown and everything else that was needed for the coronation ceremony. He begged Rama to agree to be crowned King. Rama however stated that he was honour bound to fulfill the promise made by his father,and could not return to Ayodhya.

Bharat stayed with Rama in Chitrakoot for five days. In the meantime Kaushalya, Kaykaiyee and Sumitra too reached Chitrakoot. Kaikayee then begged Rama for forgiveness, and said that she was ashamed of what she had done. Rama and the other sages tried to assuage her guilt, and Rama said that he bore no ill will for her in any respect. He loved her as a son loves his mother, and will certainly return to Ayodhya, but only after fourteen years of exile - which he will happily bear for his father.

Then Sita's parents, Janak and Sunaina arrived to meet their daughter and son-in-law, and to request them to return to their kingdom. They were saddened when they saw Sita dressed as a hermit, but were proud of her strength.

Some days later everyone who had come to meet Rama, Lakshman and Sita, returned. On his return Bharat refused to sit on the throne or live in the palace. He instead started living in a small hut near Nandigrama, in the guise of a sage. He slept on a mat made of grassand ate only food that he could grow - refusing luxuries that his brother no longer had access to. Bharat had also brought Rama's sandals with him, which he placed on the throne. He worshiped the sandals everyday, and ruled on behalf of Rama, waiting and praying for his elder brother's safe return.

Rama Leaves Chitrakoot

After Bharat returned to Ayodhya and taken charge of the kingdom under Rama's name and blessings, Rama decided to move on from Chitrakoot.

Now that Bharat had returned to Ayodhya and taken charge of the kingdom under Rama's name and blessings, Rama started feeling restless and weighed down with a profound sadness caused by the departure of the brother he loved so dearly and by the death of his father. He therefore decided to move on from Chitrakoot, to the hermitage of Sage Atri.

When they reached the hermitage of Sage Atri, the sage welcomed them warmly. He then made them meet his wife, Anasuya, a deeply devout woman. Apparently, many years ago, when a drought had burnt the earthand life around the forest was about to perish, Anasuya, with her deep devotion, caused the Ganga to change course and flow through the forest, thus bringing an end to the drought.

Sita found in Anasuya a wise friend and advisor. Sita spoke about the Swayamvara ceremony and her love for Rama, and Anasuya spoke to her about chastity and duties of a wife. Anasuya then presented Sita with celestial gifts which included attire that would never get soiled or dirty.

A while later, Rama, Lakshman and Sita took leave of Sage Atri and Anasuya, and continued onward with their journey. Before long they were assaulted by the demon Viradh, who attempted to kidnap Sita. However the demon was no match for Ramaand Lakshman, who soon vanquished him.

They then reached the hermitage of Sage Sarbhang. The Sages would often renounce their lives after they reached a certain stage of fulfillment. Sage Sarbhang too wished to leave for the heavenly abode, but when he heard that Rama would be passing by, the Sagedecided to wait until he met Rama. He was thus greatly moved by Rama's presence, and stated that he would like to leave this world in the presence of Rama. Sage Sarbhang then sat on a funeral pyre, lit it with the help of his yogic powers,and was soon engulfed by the flames.

As they carried on with their journey, they continued making the acquaintances of various sadhus and ascetics who had been dwelling in the forest, and who would often accompany them for a short distance. Soon they reached a place, which, to Rama's dismay, had heaps of human bones scattered for miles to see. This sight greatly upset the three of them,and Rama asked the sages what this meant. They sages replied that these were the bones of sadhus who would perform yagyas here. These yagyas greatly displeased the demons, who would attack the sadhusand kill them. This news angered Rama, and he vowed that he would not leave this place until he had eliminated all the demons. However Rama knew that he would need help in order to kill the demons, as he would not be able to do so on his own. Hedecided to seek out Sage Agastya to help him in his conquest.

When Sage Agastya heard that Rama had come to meet him, he was very happy. Rama and Agastya greeted each other very warmly. Rama then told Agastya that he wished to kill the demons, and would need Agastya to tell him how to go about it.

The Curse of Dandaka

Rama, Lakshman and Sita set up a cottage in the forest of Dandaka, and Rama vows to rid it of demons.

After Rama greets Sage Agastya, he asks him about the demons, and what he can do to help eliminate them. Agastya first advises Rama to go to Panchavati and rid the forest of the curse that had been afflicted on it many years ago by the sage Gautam.

The Curse

Many years ago, famine struck the Panchavati area, which was located in the forest of DANDAKARANYA. The rishis dwelling there went to Sage Gautam for help, and asked him to accommodate them until the famine passed. Sage Gautam agreed, and with his powers he gave them all they needed. Then, many months later, when the famine had subsided, the sages stated that they would like to return to DANDAKARANYA, but Gautam hesitated to give them permission to leave his hermitage. The rishis were thus a little discontented,and taking advantages of this, some pseudo-rishis, intent on harming the repute of Gautam, came up with a plan. They found an old cow which was on the verge of death,and sent it into the hermitage of Gautam rishi. The rishi tried to drive out the cow, but it didn't pay heed, and when the cow was about to eat a flower, Gautam gave it a shove with his hand. As soon as the cow was shoved in this manner, it dropped dead. Suddenly the rishis stormed into his hermitageand cried out in horror. The fake rishis made a big hue and cry about how Gautam had killed a cow. They condemned him for the sin of go-hathya, and stormed out of the hermitage.

Gautam then, with his powers of meditation, sought to find out if the cow had died an untimely death at his hands, or if the cow's time was indeed up. Meditation revealed to him the trick the pseudo-sadhus had played on him,and he was truly angered and disgusted by their behaviour. As a result, he cursed the forest of DANDAKARANYA, stating that the forest will be the haunt of low-life, demonic rakshasas, will remain barren,and not a leaf will grow until Rama sets foot into the forest.

Another curse too added to the wretchedness of the region. The king of the region, Danda, violated the chastity of the daughter of Bhrgu, his own guru. When Bhrgu heard from his daughter what had happened, he was filled with furyand flooded the region with dust and mud.

Thus, DANDAKARANYA was twice cursed, and it was up to Rama to set things right in this wretched land.

Rama thus, under the guidance of Sage Agasthya, decided to set up an abode in the dry but dense wooded area of Dandaka. As soon as Rama, Laskhman and Sita set foot in the forest, trees started to sprout leaves, the forest suddenly started turning green in front of their eyes and flowers started sprouting in every corner. They arrived at Panchavati, and found a spot by the banks of the river Godavari where they decided to put up a home. When Rama and Lakshman had started building the cottage, the old Eagle Jatayu flew down to pay his respects.

Meeting Soorpanakha

It is from here that the story of the Ramayana takes a turn, and sets the battle between Rama and Ravana into motion.

Rama, Lakshman and Sita set up a small mud hut with a thatched roof in Panchavati, and started dwelling there. They lived happily, with Lakshman lovingly looking after every need of Rama and Sita.

Early one morning, when the three of them were on their way to the Godavari for a bath, Lakshman started reminiscing about Bharat. He missed his brothers deeply, and was upset that Bharat had denied himself the comforts of the palace and was living a life of austerity. "How could such a cruel woman like Kaikayee bear such a noble son?" he wondered aloud, but Rama stopped him from condemning Kaikayee any further. They reached the river, bathed, offered their morning prayers, and started walking back to their ashram, reminiscing about the past.

While they were thus walking in the forest, Ravana's sister, Soorpanakha, was also wandering around. As soon as her eyes fell on the handsome Rama, she fell in love with him. Although Soorpanakha was a demoness and was horribly ugly, with her powers she transformed herself into a beautiful young woman and approached Rama.

She asked him who he was and what he was doing in the forest. Rama stated that he was the son of King Dashratha, and was in the forest to fulfill his duty, with his brother Lakshman and wife, Sita. Soorpanakha then introduced herself stating that she was the sister of Ravana. She added that her brothers Kumbhkaran and Vibheeshan were also renowned warriors, while her other two brothers, Khara and Dooshan reigned over the Pnachvati area and everyone was afraid of them and of her. She then looked at Sita and said, "This little girl is not worthy of you. You need a real woman, someone like me." She then went on to tell Rama that she fell in love with him the minute she saw him, and asked him if he would consider accepting her as his wife.

This 'proposal' amused Rama, and he smilingly turned it down stating that he was a one-woman man. "Why don't you ask my brother Lakshman if he would like to be your husband. He is not married," stated Rama, teasingly.

Soorpanakha then turned towards Lakshman, who she also found to be exceedingly handsome, and asked him to accept her as his wife. Lakshman stated that he was but a slave to Rama. "Why would you want a slave when you could have the master?" Lakshman added that Rama could easily have two wives, so she should go back and insist that he accept her.

Soorpanakha then went back to Rama, who once again turned her down. By now, she was angered, and when she saw Sita besides Rama, she declared that it was Sita's fault Rama could not be hers. She then assumed her original demonic form and advanced towards Sita. Sita was terrified when she saw this huge rakshasi advancing towards her, and called for help. Rama instantly shielded Sita while Lakshman attacked Soorpanakha and cut off her ears and nose. Soorpanakha ran wailing with pain into the forest.