INTRODUCTION

Few years after the completion of marriage ceremony of Rama and Sita, the Ayodhya King Dasaratha, had consulted with his ministers and his Guru Vasishta about the coronation ceremony of Rama. But before the day of coronation, the maid of Kaikeyi, Manthara, who was an hunch back, had spoiled the mind the Kaikeyi, and told Kaikeyi to make her son Bharata as the King of Ayodhya, and also insisted her to send Rama to the forest for a period of 14 years.

First Kaikeyi didn’t take her advice seriously, but after repeated trials, Kaikeyi’s mind had become polluted, and she met Dasaratha, and asked him to give two boons, which were granted to her by Dasaratha before several years, to crown her son Bharata as the king of Ayodhya, and to send Rama to the forest. Dasaratha was very much upset with her cruel words, and initially he didn’t accepted her words. But since she forced him to do it, finally Dasaratha had agreed, and the next day morning, while Rama met Dasaratha, Kaikeyi had ordered him to go to the forest for a period of 14 years, and since it is the command of the king, he agreed and went to the Chitrakuda mountain ranges, along with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana. King Dasarata could not bear the separation of his beloved son Rama, and hence he has collapsed and died.

During this incident, Bharata and Chatrugna were stayed in their uncle’s palace at Kekeya Kingdom. Few soldiers from Ayodhya came to Kekeya Kingdom, and they asked Bharata and Chatrugna to return to Ayodhya. Both of them returned to Ayodhya, and after hearing about the bad news of their father’s death, they were very much worried and sadly performed the last rites for their father. Bharata after hearing about the wrong act done by his mother Kaikeyi, had shouted at her, and he went to Chitrakuda, in order to bring back Rama to Ayodhya. But since Rama had gently refused to come back to Ayodhya, he carried the slippers of Rama, and kept it in the throne, and he wonderfully ruled Ayodhya for a period of 14 years, until the time of Rama’s return to Ayodhya, with the blessings of Lord Rama.

“OM”

WRITTEN BY R.HARISHANKAR