Ayodhya Kandam
Ayodhya Kandam is about how Rama got sent to the forest and how King Dasaratha died.
Dasaratha decided that he wanted to make Rama the king of Ayodhya. All the people in Ayodhya were very happy that Rama would be their king.
An old woman named Manthara, who was Kaikeyi’s old servant, came to Ayodhya. Manthara went to see Kaikeyi. She told Kaikeyi that Rama would soon be the king. Kaikeyi was happy at the news, but Manthara told her not to celebrate.
“When Rama is King, Kausalya will be the most important Queen, not you,” said Manthara. Kaikeyi thought about what she should do. Later, she was sitting angrily when King Dasaratha came to her.
Kaikeyi said to Dasaratha, “You made me a promise once when I saved your life. You told me you would give me two wishes whenever I asked for it. I want those wishes now.”
Dasaratha wanted to make Kaikeyi happy again and said, “Ask me whatever you wish, my Queen, and I will give it to you.”
Kaikeyi said, “My first wish is that Bharata should be made the king. And my second wish is that Rama should go and live in the Dandaka forest for fourteen years.”
“No,” cried Dasaratha. “If you wish, we can make Bharata the king, but I could not bear to live without my Rama.”
But Kaikeyi would not change her mind, and Dasaratha fainted to the floor in grief. Kaikeyi sent for Rama, and when he came she told him about her two wishes.
“Please tell my father not to worry. I will happily go to the forest, and let Bharata be the king.” Dasaratha was greatly unhappy that Rama had decided to go to the forest. He hugged Rama and started crying. Rama left his father, and told his mother Kausalya that he had to go and live in the forest.
When they heard the news, Sita and Lakshmana decided to go to the forest with Rama. Everyone in Ayodhya was very sad that Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana were leaving, and they started to follow them out of Ayodhya.
They all reached the banks of the Tamasa river. Night came and the tired people of Ayodhya, refusing to leave Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana, fell asleep near the river.
While the people of Ayodhya were asleep, Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana, left them and went into the forest. They reached the banks of the Ganga river. They rested there and met Guha, the headman of a nearby village.
Guha said to Rama, “I will row you across the river in my boat so that you can safely reach the forest.” When they reached the other side, Guha wanted to go with them, but Rama said no.
Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana rested in the forest and then visited Sage Bharadwaja’s ashram. The next day they left and went across the Yamuna river to Valmiki’s ashram.
Rama asked Valmiki, “Can you tell me a good place to live in this Dandaka forest?”
Along with some disciples, Valmiki showed Rama and Lakshmana a place to stay in the forest. They built two huts and Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana lived there happily.
Back in Ayodhya, when Dasaratha heard that Rama had gone to the Dandaka forest, he cried, “Oh Rama, Oh Sita, Oh Lakshmana. When I was younger I accidentaly shot a young man near a river. His parents were old and blind and they cursed me that I would also die without my son,” and saying this, Dasaratha died in great sorrow.
Messengers were sent to the city where Bharata and Shatrughna had been staying, and asked them to return to Ayodhya urgently. Bharata and Shatrughna returned to Ayodhya at once.
When Bharata saw the sorrow in Ayodhya, he went straight to his mother and asked what had happened. When he heard that his father Dasaratha was dead and that his brother Rama had gone to live in the forest because of Kaikeyi’s wishes, Bharata fell to the floor in shock and anger.
Bharata left Kaikeyi angrily and after speaking with Kausalya, he decided to find Rama and bring him back from the forest. Bharata went to the forest with the army of Ayodhya, the holy sages, the royal ladies Kausalya, Kaikeyi, and Sumitra, and other important people from the palace.
On the way they met Guha. When Guha found out why Bharata wanted to find Rama, Guha decided to help Bharata. They stopped at Sage Bharadwaja’s ashram and then finally arrived at the place where Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana were staying in the Dandaka forest.
When Bharata saw Rama, they hugged each other in Joy. Rama hugged Kausalya, Kaikeyi, and Sumitra and asked what message his father had for him.
Rama’s guru Vasishtha told Rama that Dasaratha died in great sorrow, saying, “Oh Rama, Oh Sita, Oh Lakshmana.” Rama and Lakshmana fell to the ground in great sadness at the news. Their guru Vasishtha asked the brothers Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata, and Shatrughna to bathe in the river, and offer food to Dasaratha.
Later, Bharata asked Rama to come back to Ayodhya and be the king. Rama told Bharata that he couldn’t come back because he had promised their father that he would stay in the forest for fourteen years.
Bharata kept trying to make Rama come back to Ayodhya but Rama refused. Then Bharata told Rama that he would only go and look after Ayodhya for Rama. At the end of fourteen years, if Rama did not come back, then Bharata would end his life in a sacred fire.
Bharata asked Rama to bless a pair of wooden shoes which he would place in the palace of Ayodhya. “I will rule Ayodhya for you as your servant,” said Bharata.
Before they left, Kaikeyi said sorry to Rama for sending him to the forest, and Rama forgave her. Many people kept visiting Rama in the forest ashrama and it was always busy. Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana decided to find another place to stay in the forest so that nobody would know where they were. They began a search for a place to stay in the forest where they could live happily.
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