Reading Notes: PDE Ramayana, Part A


  • King Dasharatha, from the Solar Race, rules his empire in the capital city of Ayodhya (which is believed to be in present-day Uttar Pradesh)
    • Has three queens: Kausalya, Kaikeyi, and Sumitra, none of which are able to bear sons
  • Dasharatha performed the Ashvamedha - a horse sacrifice 
    • Potential plot: write story from the perspective of the sacrificed horse
  • Ravana: awarded a boon from Brahma, became demonic 
    • Vishnu said that he would take care of Ravana by dividing himself into four parts; discrepancy is that most people Rama to be considered the sole avatar of Vishnu
    • Text does say that Rama is the most beautiful 
  • Rama slays Tataki: is initially reluctant because she is a woman 
  • Ahalya - to be saved by Rama 
    • Interesting poetic rendition in the PDE version - some errors, as the "thousand eyes" given to Indra were a result of his depravedness 
  • Rama meets Sita - breaks the holy bow that is bestowed by Shiva, and ends up marrying her
  • Kaikeyi is deceived by her maid and convinces Dasharatha to send Rama into exile - due to the boon Dasharatha gives her, he is forced to comply 
    • He essentially dies of a broken heart

The wedding of Rama and Sita - known in Sanskrit as the Sita-Rama Kalyanam
Source. 


Bibliography: PDE Ramayana, Public Domain, http://ouocblog.blogspot.com/2014/04/ramayana-online-public-domain-edition.html


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