Ramayana and Sanskrit
Ramayana and SanskritThe Ramayana
Dashartha, King of Ayodhya, has three wives and four sons of which Rama is the eldest. Rama�s brothers are named Bharata, and the twins Lakshman and Shatrughna. Rama and Bharata are both blue skinned, perhaps indicating they were dark skinned or even originally south Indian deities.
There is a sage that takes the boys out to train them in archery, and Rama proves his excellence by hitting an apple that was hanging on a string. In a neighboring city, the ruler�s daughter is named Sita. When it was time for Sita to choose her bridegroom, at a ceremony called a swayamvara, the princes were asked to string a giant bow. No one can even lift the bow, but as Rama bends it, he not only strings it, but he breaks it in two. Sita chooses Rama as her husband by putting a garland around his neck while the rest of the suitors watch.
King Disharatha, Rama�s father, decides that it is time for him to retire to the forest to seek moksha, and to give the thrown to Rama. Everyone seems to be pleased by this because everyone loves Rama. This plan fulfills the rules of dharma because the eldest son should rule, and if the son can take over his father�s responsibilities, the father must spend his last years in search for moksha. However, the king�s second wife, and Rama�s stepmother, is not pleased at all. She wants her son Bharata to rule. And because of an oath that Dasharatha had made to her years ago, she gets the king to agree to banish Rama for fourteen years and to crown Bharata, even though the king begs her not to make such requests. Broken hearted, the king can not face Rama with the news, and sends Kaikeyi to tell him. Rama, being always obedient, is content with his banishment. Sita convinces him that she belongs by his side, and his brother Lakshman also begs to accompany them. So Rama, Sita and Lakshman all set out for the forest. Bharata, the new king, is very upset by this. He goes to Rama�s forest retreat and begs him to return to rule, but Rama refuses. Bharata takes Rama�s sandals back to the throne, and places them there, where he will place the fruits of his labor each and every day.
Years pass by, and the three are very content in the forest. Rama and Lakshman destroy the rakshasas who disturb the sages in their meditations. One day, a rakshasa princess tries to seduce Rama, but Lakshman wounds her and drives her away. She returns to her brother, Ravana, the then-headed ruler of Lanka, and tells her brother, who has a weakness for lovely women, about Sita. Ravana devises a plan to kidnap Sita. He sends...
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