Birth of Lord Rama

 Birth of Lord Rama

Story: Narada, the sage, tells the story. The sage told Valmiki of King Dasharatha and his wish to install his eldest son, Rama, as the crown prince. He told him of Rama's 14-year exile in the forest and his great battle with Ravana, the Rakshasa king.

He narrated the details of Rama's return, still speaking of past events. Finally, Narada described how Rama's perfect reign would be, talking of the past, present, and then the future.

After ruling for 11,000 years, Narada said, Rama would go to Brahma's realm.

He ended his account by saying, "This is a sacred ancient account, reading it.

For the Want of a Son- Desperate for an heir, the great king Dasharatha prayed to the gods and conducted an elaborate sacrifice. Meanwhile, tormented by the powerful Rakshasa Ravana, the gods begged Vishnu for deliverance. Indeed, many things had to come together for the birth of Rama and his brothers

One day, driven by the desire for an heir, the king decided to appease the gods and conduct a special horse sacrifice. Dasharatha asked Sumantra, his trusted advisor and charioteer, to summon the priests so that they could begin preparations.

Sumantra, however, had heard that the birth of Rama had been preordained. He told the king of an ancient account, when the sage Sanatkumara informed an assembly that Dasharatha would request the sage Rishyashringa to perform a sacrifice. The king would then father four sons.

Dasharatha immediately set off for the kingdom of Anga, where Rishyashringa lived. There, he requested the sage's presence at the sacrifice. The sage agreed and accompanied the king to Ayodhya, where the citizens welcomed them with the blowing of conch shells and the deep beats of drums.

The sacrifice- Rishyashringa performed the rites and, a year later, sacrificed the horse as a part of the ritual. This merely cleansed the king of his sins. The sage began the second sacrifice that would help Dasharatha get children. The gods gathered in the heavens as he recited the mantras.

The assembly of gods -The gods, Gandharvas (magical beings), and sages gathered to observe the rituals. They saw Brahma, the Creator of the universe, and pleaded, "The Rakshasa king, Ravana, whom you had once granted a boon, torments us. We cannot perform our duties. The wind cannot blow near him, the ocean does not dare disturb him, and the sun is too afraid to scorch him. Help us."

Seeing their despair, Brahma offered them a way out. He told them that though Ravana had listed several beings at whose hands he could not be killed, he had not included humans. "He does not respect humans, and it shall be a man who brings about his death," he said.

Vishnu decides to be reborn- Vishnu, the Preserver of the Universe, arrived just then.

His radiance cast a light around him. The gods begged him to defeat Ravana. "He is so fierce in his energy that he makes virtuous ascetics scream in fear," they said.

They pointed at the virtuous Dasharatha and his wives and said, "O Vishnu! Divide yourself into four parts and become their sons. Defeat Ravana."

Vishnu asked in a gentle voice, "How would I slay the lord of the Rakshasas?" "Assume a human form," they pleaded. "Only a human can kill Ravana."

The compassionate Vishnu agreed to their request.

It was an opportune moment, for Dasharatha was in the middle of the sacrifice for a son.

A divine gift - As Dasharatha performed the rituals, a dazzling figure emerged from the holy fire, holding a celestial dish made of molten gold. He was as tall as a mountain and blazed like the sun. He said, "Oh, king. Take this rice pudding that the gods have prepared."

He asked the king to give the pudding to his wives, and they would be blessed with sons. The king accepted it and rushed to the palace's inner quarters and to his three queens.