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The Story of Ramayana
The Story of Ramayana
by Maharshi Valmiki
Long ago, Dasharatha, the wise king of Ayodhya of Sarayu, India had three wives. Though the King had
three wives, he didn’t have any children with them. The Chief priest Vasishta advised the king to make fire
sacrifice to obtain a blessing from the gods.
King Dasharatha, Rama's father, decided it was time to give his throne to his eldest son Rama and
retired to the forest to seek moksha. Everyone seems pleased. This plan fulfilled the rules of dharma
because an eldest son should rule and, if a son can take over one's
responsibilities, one's last years may be spent in a search for
moksha.
One day a rakshasa princess named Shurpanakha tried to seduce Rama, and Lakshmana wounded
her and drove her away. She returned to her brother Ravana, the ten-headed ruler of Lanka (Sri Lanka,
formerly Ceylon), and told her brother, who is always attracted to beautiful women, about lovely Sita.
Ravana devised a plan to abduct Sita. He sent a magical golden deer which Sita desired Rama to
hunt. A long time had passed, but Rama didn’t return. Thus, Lakshmana went off to find his brother. Before
leaving Sita, Lakshmana drew a protective circle around Sita and warned her that she would be safe if she
would stay within the circle. As they went off, Ravana, who could change his shape, appeared as a holy
man begging alms. The moment Sita stepped outside the circle to give him food, Ravana grabbed her and
carried her off to his kingdom in Lanka.
Rama was broken-hearted when he returned to the empty hut and could not find Sita. A band of
monkeys led by Hanuman offered to help him find Sita. Ravana carried Sita to his palace in Lanka, but he
could not force her to be his wife. So, he put her in a grove and alternately sweet-talked her and threatened
her in an attempt to get her to agree to marry him. Sita would not even look at him but thought only of her
beloved Rama. Hanuman, the general of the monkey band could fly since his father was the wind, and he
flew to Lanka and found Sita in the grove, comforted her, and told her Rama would come soon and save
her.
Ravana's men captured Hanuman, and Ravana ordered them to wrap Hanuman's tail in cloth and to
set it on fire. With his tail burning, Hanuman hopped from house-top to house-top, setting Lanka a fire. He
then flew back to Rama to tell him where Sita was.
Rama, Lakshmana, and the monkey
army built a causeway from the tip of India
crossing over to Lanka. A mighty battle took
place.
Rama killed several of Ravana's
brothers and then Rama confronted ten-headed
Ravana. Rama finally killed Ravana and freed
Sita. After Sita gained her freedom from
Ravana, she proved her purity through the trial
by fire. Then, they returned to Ayodhya and
Rama became the king.
As Rama became the king, he ruled
Ayodhya with Ramrajya - an ideal time when
everyone does his or her duties and responsibilities.