Ramacandra’s Pastimes

Chapter 10

Sukadeva Goswami’s description of Iksvaku’s dynasty eventually reached Dasaratha, the father of Lord Rama. The great sage then narrated all the key events in Lord Rama’s life.

On the request of Visvamitra, Rama assisted in killing many demons even though He was still relatively young. Later, He won the hand of Sita in Mithila, doing what no other warrior could do. During the return journey, Ramacandra defeated the mighty Parasurama, who had annihilated the ksatriya race. Back in Ayodhya, everything was very auspicious, until the news arrived that Dasaratha had been asked to banish Rama from the kingdom. To honour his father, Rama readily agreed and left all opulence behind to accept a life of hardship in the forest.

While wandering in exile, Rama, Sita and Laksman encountered a variety of situations. When Ravana’s sister, Surpanakha, approached Rama with lusty desires, Laksman cut her nose off. This led to the killing of Khara and Dusana who had launched an attack in retaliation. Later, the tragic kidnapping of Sita took place, and the bravery of Jatayu was witnessed as he attempted to intercept the mighty Ravana, though he lost his life in the process.

To rescue his beloved consort, Rama established an alliance with the monkeys, who expertly tracked her down. In an epic scene, Rama and the monkey army built a bridge to Lanka and laid siege on the demons who had kidnapped the goddess of fortune. After a raging battle, Ravana was defeated and killed, and Sita was rescued from the Asoka grove. Rama installed the devoted Vibhisana as King of Lanka, while He himself returned to Ayodhya accompanied by His dearest associates.

Bharata, who had been ruling in His absence, heartily welcomed Rama, who was finally reunited with his mothers, family members and loyal subjects. Rama was duly coronated as the King, and His reign was celebrated as the ideal exhibition of royal rule (rama-rajya).