The Ramayana is one of the two great Indian epics written in the
ancient Sanskrit language, and a seminal text in Hindu mythology.
It tells the story of Rama, the Prince of Ayodhya and an incarnation
of Vishnu, from his upbringing, through his exile, to rescue his
wife, Sita, from the demon king Ravana’s clutches. Through
its depiction of the main characters, theepic extols the
virtues of loyalty, kinship, devotion, and duty.The Ramayana
SOUTH ASIAPrince Rama
Rama was famous as a skilful
archer – his prowess with the
bow enabled him to win the
hand of Sita and, while in exile,
to defeat the demons that upset
the peace of the forest.Exiled in the forest
When Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana arrived in the forest, they met the
hermits who lived there, and had to adapt to their simple way of living,
which was very different from the life of luxury that the royals knew.once promised her and
demanded that he make
her son, Bharata, the heir instead, and send Rama into exile
so that he would not pose a threat to Bharata. Bound by his
vow, the sad king banished his eldest son to the forest for
14 years. Rama obeyed his father unquestioningly. Sita and
Lakshmana insisted on accompanying him.
Dasharatha died of grief soon after Rama’s departure.
Bharata, who had been absent from the palace during
this time, was recalled to ascend to the throne of Ayodhya.
Horrified by his mother’s greed, he insisted that Rama was
the rightful king, and travelled to the forest to bring Rama
back. However, Rama refused to disobey his father’s last
wish, and Bharata had no option but to return home to
be crowned as the next king. He devised an honourable
compromise so that he could obey their father and show
respect to Rama at the same time. Bharata took a pair of
Rama’s sandals back to Ayodhya and ritually enthroned
them, to symbolize his rule as regent on behalf of his
exiled stepbrother till the day that Rama returned.
Meanwhile, the exiles settled down, adapting to the hard
life of the forest. Rama and Lakshmana frequently fought
of demons who attacked the ascetics living in the woods
and threatened their lives, or interrupted their prayers,
rituals, and meditation. The ascetics were grateful to Rama
and Lakshmana for their selfless deeds. Some of them
realized that Rama was in fact a divine being.THE MYTH
Dasharatha, the King of Ayodhya, had three wives who bore
him four sons: Rama, Lakshmana, Shatrughna, and Bharata.
Rama was the eldest and the probable heir to the throne of
Ayodhya. As a young man, he learned archery from the sage
Vishwamitra. When Rama and Lakshmana were older, they
were taken by Vishwamitra to the city of Mithila, where King
Janaka had organized a competition to select a husband for
his daughter, Sita. The competitors were required to string a
great bow that had once belonged to Shiva.
Rama, who had fallen in love with Sita, was the only one who
was able to string the bow – he not only strung it, but broke it
too. Rama won the contest and returned home with his wife.RAMA’S EXILE
The time came when Dasharatha had to select an heir from
among his sons. He wanted to choose his eldest son, Rama,
who was an ideal prince in every way. But one of Rama’s
stepmothers, Kaikeyi, reminded Dasharatha of a boon he had»
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