Krishna's Birth

Old King Ugrasena of Mathura had two children, Prince Kamsa and Princess Devaki. While King Ugrasena was a good king, Prince Kamsa was a ruthless tyrant. Now Princess Devaki was to wed a nobleman named Vasudeva. Kamsa out of the love he bore for his sister decided to be the bride and groom's charioteer for the day. While Kamsa drove the chariot bearing Devaki and Vasudeva out of the wedding hall, a voice from the heavens boomed informing Kamsa that Devaki's eight child would be his slayer. Kamsa being the superstitious type would take no chances. He wanted to strike down Devaki that very moment. Vasudeva intervened, he begged Kamsa not to slay Devaki and show her some mercy. He further promised Kamsa that he would hand over any child born to them, if he would let Devaki live. Now Kamsa not wanting to have the blood of his sister on his hands agreed and instead placed them under house arrest. Every time a child was born, the guards would inform Kamsa and he would take the child and kill it. Six of Devaki and Vasudev's children met their death this way. It so happened that the seventh child was born at night, and Devaki and Vasudeva seeing the opportunity decided to try to save the child. The guards were asleep, so Vasudeva easily slid out of the palace undetected. He went to neighboring Gokul and left the child with his second wife Rohini and quickly returned to the palace (this child was named Balrama). In the morning he sent word to Kamsa that the child was still born. Kamsa was pleased, he knew the next child was prophesized to be his slayer. Not wanting to take chances with the birth of the eight child, Kamsa had Vasudeva and Devaki thrown into the dungeon chained. The eight child was born on the eight night of the month of Shravan. It was raining heavily and the skies thundered as if the Gods were trying to pay homage to the new born child. Then the miracle happened, Vasudevas chains fell off and the prison door opened by itself. Vasudeva found the guards to be asleep, so he decided that he would escape with the child and leave him at his friend Nanda's place in Gokul. Picking up the child, Vasudeva placed him in a basket. He then carried the basket on his head and made his way to Gokul. Now Gokul was on the opposite bank of the river Yamuna. Because of the thundering and the rain, the river Yamuna was in a state of turmoil. Vasudeva, wondering how he would cross the river prayed for a miracle. Then it happened!. The waters of the Yamuna parted and made way for him. Vasudeva then crossed the Yamuna and reached Gokul. On reaching Nanda's house in Gokul, Vasudeva realised that Nanda's wife Yashoda had given birth to a baby girl. While Nanda and Yashoda were asleep, he placed his child in the cradle and took Nanda's daughter instead. He presumed that since it was a baby girl, Kamsa would not kill her. He then made the journey back to Mathura and he took the baby girl with him. As soon as Vasudeva reached the dungeon, the dungeon doors closed behind him and the baby girl started to cry. Awakened by the cries, the guards rushed to tell Kamsa of the birth of the eight child. Hearing the news, Kamsa rushed to the dungeon and picked up the child and was about to dash it to the ground. Vasudeva begged Kamsa not to kill thechild as it was only a girl and that a girl could do him no harm. The wicked Kamsa paid no heed and dashed the baby to the floor. As the baby was about to hit the floor, it suddenly flew up and told Kamsa that the one who was born to kill him still lives and is in Gokul. Then she disappeared.

Krishna's Life in Gokul

The next morning in Gokul, the word spread that Nanda had a little boy and he was named Krishna. Now kansa knew that his would be slayer was still alive and was in Gokul, so he summoned a wicked demoness name Putana. He ordered Putana to go to Gokul and kill every baby born in the month of Shravan. Now Putana using her magic turned into a beautiful woman, she then applied poison on her breasts. In Gokul she then searched for all the babies of the right age. She would act as if she was playing with them and then she would nurse them with her poisoned breasts. In this way, she killed many babies. Finally she came to Nanda's house and found baby Krishna there. She acted as if she was playing with the child, and then she picked him up and started to feed him. Now baby Krishnabeing divine, instead of succumbing to her evil ways, sucked the life out of her. Krishna grew up a playful, mischievous child. He grew up amongst the cowherds of Gokul and even came in contact with his brother Balrama. Another miracle Krishna performed as a teenager was the taming of Kaliya. Kaliya was a poisonous snake with many heads, and inhabited a lake in Gokul. Kaliya would devour any cow that would drink from the lake. Krishna, angered by this, took a vow to tame Kaliya. He jumped into the lake and fought Kaliya. Alarmed by this, his friends ran to the village and informed his parents. Upon returning to the lake they found pools of blood on the surface of the lake. They though that surely Krishna was dead. After a while, the many headed Kaliya rose to the surface with Krishna dancing on top of him. Kaliya was tamed. Krishnathen ordered Kaliya to leave the lake and the inhabitants of Gokul alone. The people of Gokul used to worship Indra, the arrogant King of the devas, more out of fear than of love of him. Krishna thought that this was wrong. He said that they should instead worship the Mountain Govardhana (Gokul was on the foothills of this mountain) who had given them so much. The people started to worship Govardhana, this made Indra really angry. Indra, in order to punish them for their insolence, sent storms their way. It rained for many days and Gokul was flooded. The people of Gokul approached Krishna for help. Krishnalifted the entire mountain Govardhana with his little finger and gave shelter to the people of Gokul under it.

Krishna Returns to Mathura

Now stories about Krishna's deeds spread far and wide. When Kamsa heard about Krishna, he was sure that Krishna was Devaki's eight born child, born to destroy him. He, in turn, planned to invite Krishna to Mathura and have him killed. He summoned an old minister by the name of Akrura and sent him to Gokul with an invitation. Now Akrura was wise. He knew the real story of Krishna. That Krishna was a divine being born to kill Kamsa. He also knew that Nanda and Yashoda were not really Krishna's parents. On arriving in Gokul, Akrura told Krishna and his parents everything. Nanda and Yashoda were horrified, they wondered how a teenager like Krishna could take on a warrior like Kamsa. But Krishna insisted on going and he and Balrama left for Mathura. In the mean time, back in Mathura, Kamsa was thinking of ways of having Krishna killed. He asked an elephant trainer to have a mad elephant trample Krishna. Failing that he was sure that his best wrestlers Mushtika & Chanura could challenge Krishna & Balrama to a match and kill them. When Krishna arrived in Mathura, the elephant trainer was waiting for him at the gate. He sent the mad elephant Krishna's way. Krishna picked up the elephant by its trunk, hurled it into the air and killed it. Krishna and Balrama then made way for the wrestling arena where Kamsa was. Kamsa then told Krishna and Balrama that his foremost wrestlers Mushtika and Chanura had heard of their strength and valor and would like to challenge them. Balrama killed Mushtika in mortal combat and then Krishna fought and killed Chanura. Krishna then rushed towards Kamsa, grabbed his sword and killed him. Krishna then lifted the crown from Kamsa's severed head and walked towards the dungeon where King Ugrasena was imprisoned, freed him and offered him the crown. King Ugrasena was touched that Krishna would make him King again. Krishna then freed his parents Devaki and Vasudeva and had a joyous re-union with them.

Life and character sketch of Ravana

Ravana was a king of demons in the Hindu mythology. Here are some interesting tit bits about Ravana's life and his defeat by Rama.

The pages of Hindu epic Ramayana introduce us to the notoriousbeing called Ravana. The king of the demons with ten heads and twenty hands makes Hindu mythology really interesting. Ravana was born to parents by name Visrawasa and Kaikasi. He had two brothers with names Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana. It is believed that Ravana was the most dreadful creature ever born. His childhood was responsible to make him whatever he was. When he was a child, people were terrified of a child having ten heads and dark complexion. Let us once again go back in time of mythology and supernatural powers to get the glimpse of the life of deadly demon and incredibly scholar persona known as Ravana.

How Ravana got his name... Ravana's real name was Dasamukha which literally means one who carries ten heads. Valmiki's Ramayana narrates the story about howDasamukha got the name Ravana. Once Ravana infuriated the greatmonkey king Vaali who was praying on the mountain. Agitated Vaalitrapped Ravana. Ravana kept howling until Vaali released him from the trapping. Since then people forgot Dasamukha and rememberedRavana.

Intellectual and scholar demon Though Ravana is looked upon as a cruel demon who annoyed the innocent, he is also known as a great intellectual in the history ofHindu mythology. Under the guidance of his father, Ravana grasped vast knowledge. He learned sacred texts like Vedas. He mastered holy scripts. Ravana himself was a Brahmin but he learned the skills and techniques of Kshatriyas.

Devotee of lord Shiva

The demon that was well known for his evil powers had great faith in almighty. He was a believer of the supernatural beings. Ravanawas a faithful devotee of lord Shiva, one of the incarnations of lordVishnu. While possessed with obsession to manifest Lanka, Ravanaconfronted Shiva. Ravana tried to move on the mountain Kailash, the home of the lord Shiva. In anger Lord Shiva punished Ravana by pressing him under his little toe. Ravana howled and danced to please lord Shiva. Then onRavana worshipped

lord Shiva with unconditional devotion. During this chance meeting with Shiva, Ravana composed Shiva tandava stotram.

The gruesome side of Ravana

Ravana had many wives but Mandodari is renowned as she was famous for her elegance and beauty. She was intelligent. Apart from legal wives Ravana was believed to have physical relations with many other women whom he had captured in the battles. There is a mention of the episodes in the Ramayana that he forced several women; amongst them was a sage-woman Vedavati. Vedavati who was infatuated with the charisma of lord Vishnu, ended her life after losing her chastity. Ravana also tried to abuseRambha, an apasara engaged to Kubera's (the god of wealth) son. After learning Ravana's advances, Kubera cursed him that if he tried to force himself upon any women, all his heads would fall off. This is one of the reasons why he did not touch Sita when she was in his abduction.

The king of demons

Ravana was obsessed with the thought of conquering Lanka. Ravana performed tapas for many years to please Brahma, the god of creation. Seeing his dedication Brahma bestowed him boons.Brahma granted his wishes to be unbeatable by gods and other powers. After getting the control of divine power, he conqueredLanka. In his tenure, Lanka was a prosperous and wealthy kingdom. He leaded Lanka with his skills and he was considered one of the greatmonarchs. Under his ruling people in Lanka were living affluent lives. It is said that they actually owned gold vessels to consume their food. Ravana was admired for his huge knowledge of weapons and sorcery.

Ravana kidnaps Sita

Ravana's sister Shurpanakha was fascinated by Rama and she proposed him for marriage. Rama refused her proposal as he was already married to Sita. Then Shurpanakha pleaded Laxman, Rama's brother to marry her. In a fit of rage Laxman chopped off her nose.Ravana got angry and to take revenge he kidnapped Sita. Sita was in his captive for nearly a year. Later she had to go through Agnipariksha to prove her chastity. Some facts in the mythology say that during her abduction, Ravana persuaded her to be his wife but never touched her. Other facts say that he kidnapped Sita only to take revenge of Laxman's behavior towards his sister.

When Hanuman (Rama's great devotee) was on his way back from Lanka to inform Rama about Sita's whereabouts, the demons in theLanka set his tail on fire. But with his powers Hanuman increased the size of his tail and Lanka was burnt. Rama with the help ofHanuman set off to Lanka once he got to know about the Sita's kidnap.

Decline of Ravana

As Ravana was unbeatable, Rama had to acquire a special weapon to kill Ravana. Laxman got severely injured in the battle but he was saved by the magical herbs from the Himalayas. Finally Rama defeated Ravana and that was the end of the empire of Ravana. Ravana lost his life and his virtues because of his Karmas. His ego was solely responsible for his devastation. On the day of Dassera Ravana's effigies are burnt to signify the power of the good over evil. But on contrary in some parts of India Ravana is worshipped on Vijay Dashmi. Ravana is the symbol of wickedness as well as wisdom. Ravana is burnt and worshipped for ages and will be burnt and worshipped for ages.

Krishna and Rukmini

Bheeshmaka, the king of Vidarbha had two children, Prince Rukmi and Princess Rukmini. Bheeshmaka had heard many stories of Krishna's valor and secretly wished him to be his son-in-law. He knew that it might not be possible as Kamsa's father in law, Jarasandha, was their overlord and he was Krishna's sworn enemy. Now Rukmi was a friend of Kamsa and owed his allegiance to Jarasandha. He wanted his younger sister to marry Shishupala, the crown prince of Chedi, who also was favored by Jarasandha. Rukmini had heard stories of Krishna's valour from her childhood and she had her heart set on marrying him. When she heard that Rukmi had chosen Shishupala for her, she resolved that she would only marry Krishna or die. She sent for her trusted aid Sunanda, a wise old Brahman. She wrote a note toKrishna telling him that he was the only husband for her and asked if he would come and take her away. She wrote to him, that if he wouldn't have her, she would give up her life. She also begged him that he spare the lives of her family whilst kidnapping her. She wrote that on the day of the wedding, she would go to the temple of the Goddess Parvati (their family deity) and if he would, that was the right time to kidnap her. She sent Sunanda with the note to Dwarka (Krishna's new fortress home). Krishna had heard a lot about Rukmini's beauty too. He longed to have her but wasn't sure if he should approach her family, as they owed their allegiance to Jarasandha. Upon receiving the message from her, he resolved to kidnap her. Now Jarasandha who knew that Krishna might try something like that to humiliate him, filled Vidarbha with people loyal to him. Krishna went to Vidarbha first and Balrama followed with the army. On the wedding day, when Rukmini was leaving the temple, she looked in the crowds for Krishna. She did not see him. As she was about to enter her chariot and leave, she felt someone hold her from behind. It was Krishna. He lifted her into the chariot and sped away. Jarasandha was furious. He rallied all his men and ordered them to chaseKrishna. Jarasandha's men followed Krishna but were ambushed by Balrama and his army on the outskirts of the city. Now Rukmi managed to go through Balrama's army and catch up with Krishna and Rukmini. He swore that he would not return to his city without his sister. Rukmi fired an arrow at Krishna, but it did not even make a dent in Krishna's divine armour. Krishna then fired multiple arrows, which first killed Rukmi's horses and then shattered his chariot. Rukmi then picked up his bow again, but before he could fire, Krishna shot another arrow and shattered Rukmi's bow. Rukmi now mad with rage picked up his sword and ran towards Krishna.Krishna fired another arrow and split Rukmi's sword in two. Krishna then picked up his sword and was about to attack Rukmi when Rukmini begged her lord to spare her brother's life. On Rukmini's saying, Krishna spared Rukmi's life but cut half the hair on his head and half the moustache on his face, the worst insult a warrior could face, and then let him go. Krishna returned to Dwarka with Rukmini and made her his bride.

Krishna and the Syamantaka Gem

Satrajit, a nobleman of Dwarka, was a devotee of Surya, the sun God. Surya being pleased with Satrajit's devotion appeared before him and gifted him the Syamantaka gem. The Syamantaka gem's specialty was that it could magically produce eight measures of gold a day. Satrajit became a really wealthy man. Krishna then approached Satrajit and told him that he should share the gem with the other people of Dwarka and give it to King Ugrasena. Satrajit declined saying that the jewel belonged to him. A few days later, Satrajit's brother Prasena wore the jewel as a necklace and went out on a hunt. He climbed a tree waiting for some game, a lion came by and just as Prasena was about to shoot it, a snake, which dropped from the branch above, surprised him. Now Prasena was startled and he fell from the tree. As he was falling, the necklace with the Syamantaka gem got caught in a branch and Prasena hung by the neck, and was killed instantly. Now the lion below, being attracted to the glow of the gem, picked it up and carried it away. As the lion walked away with the gem, Jambavan the king of the bears saw him. Being seduced by the glow of the gem, he attacked the lion and killed it and took the gem to his cave and gifted it to his infant son. Prasena did not return to Dwarka and people were wondering what had happened to him. Satrajit suspected that Krishna might have killed Prasena in order to attain the gem. Krishna, in order to prove his innocence, gathered a search party and went into the forest. A few hours later, they found Prasena's body. Krishna noticed lion tracks around the body and assumed that a lion must have killed Prasena. On following the lion tracks, they came across the body of the dead lion. Krishnanoticed that the lion had the marks of a bear's claws and noticed that there were bear tracks around the body. On following the bear tracks Krishnareached Jambavan's cave. Krishna sensing the danger ordered the rest of theparty to stay outside while he entered the cave alone. Krishna found Jambavan's son playing with the Syamantaka gem. Frightened by the stranger, Jambavan's son let out a wail that alerted Jambavan. Now Jambavan thought someone was attacking his child and attacked Krishna. Krishna fought Jambavan for twenty-eight days after which Jambavan recognised Krishna's divinity and surrendered to him. Along with the gem, Jambavan offered Krishnahis daughter Jambavati's hand in marriage. This Krishna accepted. Krishna then returned to Dwarka with the Syamantaka gem and his new bride.Krishna returned the gem to its rightful owner Satrajit who by then was ashamed of accusing Krishna. In order to make up for his accusations and show his good will towards Krishna, Satrajit offered his daughter Satyabhama to Krishna. But Satyabhama already had three suitors - Akrura, Kritavarma and Shatadhanwa. They were angered by the fact that Satrajit have given Satyabhama to Krishna and not to one of them. Shatadhanwa in his rage killed Satrajit while he slept and stole the Syamantaka gem from him. On realizing what he had done, Shatadhanwa left the gem with Akrura and fled from Dwarka. Krishna and Balrama gave chase and killed Shatadhanwa for his crime. Not finding the gem on Shatadhanwa, Krishna knew that he must have left it with Akrura for safekeeping. Krishna approached Akrura and requested him to tell the people of Dwarka that he possessed the gem otherwise the people of Dwarka would think that he had killed his father in law in order to possess the gem. This Akrura did and Krishna's name was cleared.

The Story of Krishna and Jarasandha

King Brihadratha of Magadha was married to the twin daughters of the King of Kashi. Brihadratha loved both his wives equally and had all the material joys of the world, but no son. This left him in a depressed state. The sage Chandakaushika visited his kingdom and Brihadratha served him with respect. Being pleased with his service, the sage granted Brihadratha a boon. Brihadratha asked the sage for a son and the sage gave him a mango, which Brihadratha was to give one of his wives. Now Brihadratha loved both his wivesequally so he cut the mango in two equal halves and fed both of them. Nine months later, both his wives gave birth to a child, or rather half a child each. Seeing this the queens attendants were horrified and decided that they must dispose of the two halves, so they dumped them outside the kingdom. Now outside the kingdom, there lived a demoness named Jara. Sensing human flesh, she found the two halves of the child. Hoping to carry them home to eat them, she placed both the halves side by side in a basket and lo behold thehalves miraculously joined up, making one complete human child. Jara realized that this must be the son of the King of Magadha, and wanting a reward, took the child to the palace. The King was overjoyed and named the child Jarasandha in order to honor Jara, the demoness who had saved him. Jarasandha grew up and became a very powerful king. He defeated many other kings and made them promise their allegiance to him making him supreme emperor. He gave both his daughters in marriage to Kamsa of Mathura. Now Krishna killed Kamsa, making Jarasandha an enemy. Jarasandha attacked Mathura seventeen times and Krishna decimated his army, sparing Jarasandha alone. Krishna had five cousins, the Pandavas, who had just acquired a kingdom -Indraprastha. The eldest Pandava, Yudishtra wanted to perform the Rajasuya Yagya. In order to perform the Rajasuya Yagya, a king had to be declared emperor and all the surrounding kingdoms had to recognize the emperor as their overlord. In order for this to happen, Yudishtra would have to defeat Jarasandha and obtain the title of emperor. Yudishtra, not knowing how to go about this, asked Krishna for help. Krishna said that he, Arjuna (the third Pandava) and Bheema (the second Pandava) would dress up like brahmans and go to Magadha and challenge Jarasandha to a wrestling match. Upon reaching Magadha, Krishna, Arjuna and Bheema challenged Jarasandha to a wrestling match. Jarasandha seeing their physiques realised that these were not brahmans and asked them who they were. Krishna revealed their identities and told Jarasandha that they had come to challenge him and that Jarasandha must pick an opponent. Jarasandha said that he would not fightKrishna as he was a cowherd and he did not match his dignity and social standing. He then refused to fight Arjuna saying that Arjuna was too young, but he agreed to fight Bheema as Bheema seemed mighty and a worthy opponent. Bheema and Jarasandha fought for days, both equally matched and neither succumbed to the other's blows. Bheema realizing that Jarasandha was an equal match looked to Krishna for help. Now Krishna who knew the story of Jarasandha's birth, picked up a twig from the floor, broke it in two halves and threw the two halves far away from each other. Bheema now knew what he must do. He threw Jarasandha to the ground, held his legs and split his body in two. He then threw the two halves of Jarasandha far away from each other so that they might not join. Bheema had defeated Jarasandha and Krishna installed Jarasandha's son as the king of Magadha. In return, Jarasandha's son agreed to be a vassal to the Pandavas.

Indra reached Krishna's palace when Krishna was spending quality time with his wife Satyabhama. He told Krishna about the happenings and begged him for his help. Krishna was enraged that Naraka might lay his hands on mother Aditi and said that Naraka must die for his insolence. Satyabhama looked annoyed because Krishna was about to leave her. Wanting to please both Satyabhama and Indra, Krishna decided to take Satyabhama with him into battle. Krishna summoned his mount Garuda (a giant eagle) and made way towards Naraka's fortress. An impenetrable barrier of magic mountains surrounded Naraka's fortress. The mountains were such that a barrier would come up from any side that Krishna tried to enter the fortress. Krishna, unperturbed, hurled his mace at the barrier and shattered the entire mountain range in one blow. A downpour of magical weapons rained down on them. Krishna fired multiple arrows and destroyed all the weapons. In this manner Krishna destroyed countless other magical barriers and finally reached Naraka's fortress. Naraka's palace was guarded by the five-headed demon Mura. Mura hurled countless weapons at Krishna, but Krishna shot each one down with his bow and arrow. Then Krishna picked up his flying discus and hurled it towards Mura dislocating Mura's five heads. Mura fell to the ground, dead. Krishna challenged Naraka to battle and killed him easily. Bhoomi Devi then sang hymns in praise of Krishna and begged him to take Naraka's son Bhagdatta under his protection. Krishna placed Bhagdatta on the throne and then freed all of Naraka's prisoners. The devas showered Krishna with flowers from the heavens.

Vishwamitra Makes a Difficult Request

This legend begins in the ancient city of Ayodhya. This fair city, capital of the powerful kingdom of King Dashratha, stood on the banks of the holy river Sarayu. Ayodhya was a beautiful city with wide tree-lined streets, markets filled with skilled artisans, dancers and musicians. It was also a great seat of learning, sheltering many scholars willing to share their knowledge with eager pupils. The citizens of Ayodhya lived in peace and harmony. The lands were fertile and the harvests rich. The people of Ayodhya never went hungry. It was a happy place. King Dashratha was a benevolent monarch, kind and generous. His people loved him and his kingdom was prosperous. He had three beautiful and loving wives (for that was the custom in days of yore).Yet, the king's heart was heavy as he longed for a son who would succeed him and carry on their noble name. King Dashratha decided to perform a holy sacrifice in the hope that the gods would be pleased and grant him a son. During the sacrifice, a being appeared out of the sacred fire holding a bowl of sweet gruel. He told the king to feed thegruel to his queens so that they would bear him sons. One day, the king's dreams came true. His prayers were answered fourfold and he was blessed with four sons. The king was overjoyed. Ram was the first-born, son of Kaushalya, the senior-most queen. Queen Sumitra had twins, Laxman and Shatrugan. Bharat was the son of King Dashratha's favourite queen Kaikeyi. But Ram was the king's favourite son. The four boys were groomed in the true tradition of princes. The wisest teachers in the land taught them skills such as archery, horsemanship, swordplay as well as the courtly manners expected of princes. They were taught the values of courage, truth, piety and respect for elders. They were not just brothers, but friends. The queens loved all the princes equally. Their sweetness and goodness made them beloved in all the kingdom. The years passed and the princes grew to be fine, upstanding young men. Then one day, the great holy man, Vishwamitra, came to the court of KingDashratha. The King welcomed him with great honour. He asked Vishwamitra if he could be of service to him in any way. He promised the sage that he would do anything in his power to help him. Being a powerful man, the king could not imagine that Vishwamitra could make a wish that he would find difficult to fulfil. But this is exactly what happened. Vishwamitra asked for something dearer to the king's heart than his kingdom and all the riches in the world - his son Ram. Vishwamitra told the king that he had been trying to conduct a sacred ritual at his hermitage in the forest. Unfortunately, he had never been able to complete it because two troublesome demons sent by King Ravan used to come and disrupt the rites. The demons would overturn the altar and scatter the offerings. The sage was a master of warfare and could have crushed the demons as if he were swatting a fly. But being a holy man, he had vowed not to use his skills of combat in anger. He wanted King Dashratha to send his son Ram to protect the sacred rite. The king was horrified. The thought of sending his favourite son, only sixteen years old, to fight two demons, sent a shiver down his spine. He tried to argue with the sage, begging him not to ask such a difficult thing. The king offered to go himself or to send the whole royal army instead. Vishwamitra was greatly angered. He chastised the king saying that he was not a man of his word. King Dashratha's was reminded of an incident that occurred when he was very young. One day when he was hunting in the forest, Dashratha thought that he heard a gurgling sound of an elephant drinking water at a pond and he let loose an arrow in that direction. Dashratha was a superb archer who could pinpoint his target just by sound. This time, things went horribly wrong. His target turned out to be a young hermit

filling a pitcher with water, not an elephant at all! Speechless with guilt, his heart filled with sorrow, Dashratha went to break the news to the hermit's old, blind parents. The old couple was devastated, the hermit's father cursed Dashratha saying that Dashratha's son would also be parted from him, and he too would die grieving for his son.

The Princes' First Adventure

The king was very agitated and upset. He turned to his trusted counsellor, Vasishta, for help. The counsellor knew the prince Ram well for he was also the prince's teacher. He advised the king to send Ram with Vishwamitra because he was confident that no harm would befall the young prince. On the contrary, the prince would benefit and learn many useful things in the time spent with the sage. He reminded Dashratha that he could not break his promise and offend the great sage. And so Ram left the palace of Ayodhya to accompany the sage Vishwamitra. Prince Laxman insisted on accompanying his older brother. When they reached Vishwamitra's hermitage in the forest, he showed them a huge arsenal of weapons gifted to the sage by the gods as a reward for his severe penance. An array of shields, spears, bows and arrows, tridents lay spread out before their eyes. The sage trained Ram and Laxman in the use of these mighty weapons. The day of the sacred ritual dawned. Ram and Laxman kept watch day and night, without sleeping a wink. Suddenly, on the last day of the ritual, the sky darkened and two fierce demons appeared. Ram crushed the first with a wind missile that hurled the demon a distance of 800 miles. A flaming discus put an end to the second demon. Laxman vanquished the lesser demons. Vishwamitra was pleased and invited the young princes to go with him to visit King Janak in the neighbouring kingdom of Mithila.

Prince Ram finds a Wife

King Janak of Mithila had a fair and beautiful daughter who was the apple of his eye. She was no ordinary princess. Her life had an unusual beginning. One year, the kingdom of Mithila was facing a terrible famine. Times were so bad that the king himself had to work in the fields. On one such day, when KingJanak was ploughing a field, he found a baby girl swaddled in cloth in a furrow in the field. King Janak took this as a sign that the child was a gift from Mother Earth and named her Sita after the furrow in which she was found. Now, when Sita became of marriageable age, King Janak was determined that her hand would only be given in marriage to a man worthy of this precious jewel. He devised a test for the prospective suitors. The king had a bow, extremely heavy and almost impossible to lift. He announced that he would give his daughter, Sita's hand in marriage only to the man who could string this bow. Suitors came from far and wide to win the fair princess' hand, but to no avail. It seemed that there was no suitor worthy of the lovely princess Sita. It was at this time that Vishwamitra, Ram and Laxman came to the court of King Janak. Ram decided to take up the challenge. The courtiers waited with bated breath, wondering if this mere slip of a boy would be able to accomplish what many brave warriors before him had not. Ram lifted the bow effortlessly. As he bent the bow to string it, the bow snapped in two! The court resounded with cheers as the courtiers showered praises on the young prince. King Janak declared that he would give Sita's hand in marriage to Ram as he had more than surpassed his expectations. The news was quickly conveyed to King Dashratha. He was delighted and immediately set out to attend the wedding at Mithila.The wedding was celebrated with much pomp and ceremony and the festivities continued for several days and nights. Finally, King Janak was ready to bid farewell to his precious daughter and the newly-marrieds left for Ayodhya.

Ram goes into Exile

For twelve years Ram and his brothers helped their father to rule Ayodhya. One day, King Dashratha decided that he had become old and did not want to bear the burden of running the kingdom any longer. He felt that it was time that Ram took over the reigns as the crown prince. He summoned all his ministers and courtiers and announced that he had decided to put Ram on the throne as the ruler of Ayodhya. Everyone was in agreement because Ram had shown himself to be noble, wise and kind. More importantly, the people of Ayodhya loved him. The king ordered that preparations be made for a grand coronation. Excitement and anticipation filled the air in Ayodhya. The streets were washed and strewn with petals. Houses were decorated with colourful pennants and lamps were lit. The wandering minstrels sang of Ram's noble exploits and people poured into the city from the four corners of the kingdom to see the coronation of their beloved prince Ram. But a dark cloud appeared on the horizon in the form of the evil Manthara, Kaikeyi's handmaiden who had been at the queen's side from the time she was an infant. On seeing the festive preparations, Manthara hurried to Kaikeyi's bedchamber to whisper poisonous words into her ear. Manthara told Kaikeyi that once Ram was crowned the ruler of Ayodhya, Kaikeyi would lose her favoured position in court. She would be in a subordinate position to Kaushalya, Ram's mother who would treat her worse than a slave. She reminded Kaikeyi that it was the Queen Mother that held the power and put the idea in her head that her son Bharat would make as good, if not a better ruler than Ram. Kaikeyi was convinced and she decided to take action before it was too late. Now, Kaikeyi had once saved King Dashratha's life on the battlefield. As a gesture of appreciation, King Dashratha said that he would grant her two wishes. Kaikeyi had not taken him up on the offer at that time. However, she felt that this was a good opportunity to remind the king of his promise madeyears ago. She told the king that her two wishes were that her son, Bharat, be crowned king and that Ram be sent into exile for fourteen years. The king was heartbroken. He begged Kaikeyi to make any other demand but this. He reminded her that the law of the land said that it was the eldest son who should succeed his father. But Kaikeyi was unbending. The king, being a man of his word, had no choice but to comply with her wishes. When Ram heard of the king's decision he did not demur. Ram calmly accepted that it was his lot to leave Ayodhya to live the simple existence of a hermit, not to return for fourteen long years. Ram was so noble that he did not hesitate to sacrifice his place as king to a younger brother. It was clear that his father's honour was of greater importance to him.

Life and character sketch of Ravana

Ravana was a king of demons in the Hindu mythology. Here are some interesting tit bits about Ravana's life and his defeat by Rama.

The pages of Hindu epic Ramayana introduce us to the notorious being called Ravana. The king of the demons with ten heads and twenty hands makes Hindu mythology really interesting. Ravana was born to parents by name Visrawasa and Kaikasi. He had two brothers with names Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana. It is believed that Ravana was the most dreadful creature ever born. His childhood was responsible to make him whatever he was. When he was a child, people were terrified of a child having ten heads and dark complexion. Let us once again go back in time of mythology and supernatural powers to get the glimpse of the life of deadly demon and incredibly scholar persona known as Ravana.

How Ravana got his name...

Ravana's real name was Dasamukha which literally means one who carries ten heads. Valmiki's Ramayana narrates the story about howDasamukha got the name Ravana. Once Ravana infuriated the greatmonkey king Vaali who was praying on the mountain. Agitated Vaalitrapped Ravana. Ravana kept howling until Vaali released him from the trapping. Since then people forgot Dasamukha and rememberedRavana.

Intellectual and scholar demon

Though Ravana is looked upon as a cruel demon who annoyed the innocent, he is also known as a great intellectual in the history ofHindu mythology. Under the guidance of his father, Ravana grasped vast knowledge. He learned sacred texts like Vedas. He mastered holy scripts. Ravana himself was a Brahmin but he learned the skills and techniques of Kshatriyas.

Devotee of lord Shiva

The demon that was well known for his evil powers had great faith in almighty. He was a believer of the supernatural beings. Ravanawas a faithful devotee of lord Shiva, one of the incarnations of lordVishnu. While possessed with obsession to manifest Lanka, Ravanaconfronted Shiva. Ravana tried to move on the mountain Kailash,the home of the lord Shiva.

In anger Lord Shiva punished Ravana by pressing him under his little toe. Ravana howled and danced to please lord Shiva. Then onRavana worshipped lord Shiva with unconditional devotion. During this chance meeting with Shiva, Ravana composed Shiva tandava stotram.

The gruesome side of Ravana

Ravana had many wives but Mandodari is renowned as she was famous for her elegance and beauty. She was intelligent. Apart from legal wives Ravana was believed to have physical relations with many other women whom he had captured in the battles. There is a mention of the episodes in the Ramayana that he forced several women; amongst them was a sage-woman Vedavati. Vedavati who was infatuated with the charisma of lord Vishnu, ended her life after losing her chastity. Ravana also tried to abuseRambha, an apasara engaged to Kubera's (the god of wealth) son. After learning Ravana's advances, Kubera cursed him that if he tried to force himself upon any women, all his heads would fall off. This is one of the reasons why he did not touch Sita when she was in his abduction.

The king of demons

Ravana was obsessed with the thought of conquering Lanka. Ravana performed tapas for many years to please Brahma, the god of creation. Seeing his dedication Brahma bestowed him boons.Brahma granted his wishes to be unbeatable by gods and other powers. After getting the control of divine power, he conquered Lanka. In his tenure, Lanka was a prosperous and wealthy kingdom. He leaded Lanka with his skills and he was considered one of the greatmonarchs. Under his ruling people in Lanka were living affluent lives. It is said that they actually owned gold vessels to consume their food. Ravana was admired for his huge knowledge of weapons and sorcery.

Ravana kidnaps Sita

Ravana's sister Shurpanakha was fascinated by Rama and she proposed him for marriage. Rama refused her proposal as he was already married to Sita. Then Shurpanakha pleaded Laxman, Rama's brother to marry her. In a fit of rage Laxman chopped off her nose.Ravana got angry and to take revenge he kidnapped Sita. Sita was in his captive for nearly a year. Later she had to go through Agnipariksha to prove her chastity. Some facts in the mythology say that during her

abduction, Ravana persuaded her to be his wife but never touched her. Other facts say that he kidnapped Sita only to take revenge of Laxman's behavior towards his sister. When Hanuman (Rama's great devotee) was on his way back fromLanka to inform Rama about Sita's whereabouts, the demons in theLanka set his tail on fire. But with his powers Hanuman increased the size of his tail and Lanka was burnt. Rama with the help ofHanuman set off to Lanka once he got to know about the Sita's kidnap.

Decline of Ravana

As Ravana was unbeatable, Rama had to acquire a special weapon to kill Ravana. Laxman got severely injured in the battle but he was saved by the magical herbs from the Himalayas. Finally Rama defeated Ravana and that was the end of the empire of Ravana. Ravana lost his life and his virtues because of his Karmas. His ego was solely responsible for his devastation. On the day of Dassera Ravana's effigies are burnt to signify the power of the good over evil. But on contrary in some parts of IndiaRavana is worshipped on Vijay Dashmi. Ravana is the symbol of wickedness as well as wisdom. Ravana is burnt and worshipped for ages and will be burnt and worshipped for ages.

The Death of King Dashratha and the Return of Bharat

Ram went to bid farewell to his loved ones. His mother, Kausalya, was deeply distressed. Ram did not know with what words he would explain the situation to his wife, Sita. As it turned out, she solved the problem herself. She was absolutely clear that her place was with her husband wherever he may go.Ram tried to dissuade her from accompanying him describing the dangers, the deprivation and discomfort of their life ahead. It was not a life for a delicately nurtured princess. But Sita had made up her mind and there was no way that she would allow Ram to leave Ayodhya without her. In as great a show of solidarity, Ram's brother, Laxman, decided to leave the comforts of the palace and accompany his brother, in some way to shoulder the burden of the hard life that lay ahead. So this threesome bravely went forth into the unknown. King Dashratha became a shadow of his former self after Ram's departure. His heart was heavy with sorrow and he lost interest in life itself. His body grew feeble and his breathing laboured and faint as his life slowly ebbed away. The whole kingdom of Ayodhya was plunged into a state of mourning when King Dashratha died. Now, prince Bharat had been away during this time of turmoil and was unaware of these terrible developments in Ayodhya. He was summoned back to Ayodhya on his father's death. On his return, he was shocked by all that had taken place in his absence. He was furious with his mother and blamed her for King Dashratha's death and for banishing his two beloved brothers. He stated that he had no wish to be the ruler of Ayodhya. He believed that this was Ram's birthright that had been wrongfully denied to him. He announced that he would call Ram back from exile to reign in Ayodhya and go into exile for fourteen years himself. Bharat set out from Ayodhya at the head of a huge procession of citizens to look for Ram and persuade him to return to Ayodhya to take his rightful place as king. After several weeks, they finally found Ram. Bharat fell at his feet, begging him to return to Ayodhya. But Bharat's words fell on deaf ears. Ramwas firm in his denial. He said that it was his duty to keep his father's word and honour even if it involved staying in exile for fourteen years. Bharat agreed to return to Ayodhya on one condition. He said that he would rule in name only for fourteen years. The true king would be Ram. Bharat would place Ram's sandals on the throne of Ayodhya that would serve as a reminder to the people as to who was the real monarch. The sandals would remain in this position till Ram's return. As for Bharat, he would forego the comforts of royalty and live as a hermit in a mud hut till his brother's return.

An Encounter with Surpanakha

The three exiles soon became accustomed to their life in the forest and even began to enjoy it. Their royal life became a thing of the past, silk cushions and splendid bedchambers were forgotten. Ram, Laxman and Sita slept under thestars on beds of leaves and grass and lived on a diet of fruits and berries. Far from the cares of the material world, they began to take pleasure in the simplicity of forest living. And always through their travels a faint shadow followed them, watching out for them, sheltering from the rain and blocking the unrelenting rays of the sun. One day, the shadow identified himself as Jatayu, the vulture king and a friend of King Dashratha. He had promised King Dashratha that he would act as their guardian angel and protect them from harm and help them in times of trouble. The hermits and sages that lived in the forests also offered Ram, Laxman andSita their hospitality. These were holy men that lived deep in the forest where they could be at peace and spend their time in deep meditation. They welcomed the weary threesome into their humble abodes, giving them a chance to take the weight off their tired feet for a little while. But tranquillity did not reign at all times in the forest. There were several demons that lurked in the forest and disturbed the calm existence of the sages. The sages were men of peace and they turned to the two brothers to keep them safe from the demons. One day, the trio heard a blood-curdling scream and they came face to face with a hideous demon. She had wild bloodshot eyes and tangled hair. Her voice, when she spoke, was like a growl. She introduced herself as Surpanakha, the sister of Ravan, the powerful ruler of Lanka and the king of the demons. She had never seen such handsome young men like Ram andLaxman in her life and she had fallen in love with their beauty at the first glimpse. She invited them to come and spend some time with her so that they could enjoy each other's company. Ram refused her invitation saying that he would not be able to accept as he was with his wife. Enraged, Surpanakha rushed at Sita with bared fangs and outstretched claws saying that she could easily get rid of such a small obstacle. Laxman rushed to intervene and cut offthe demon's nose and ears. Screaming in agony, the maimed demon rushed off into the depths of the forest. Surpanakha went straight to her brother, Ravan, the mighty demon king. She demanded that he avenge her humiliation and the mutilation of her face. She taunted him saying that were he to let Ram and Laxman's actions go unavenged, the other demons would only accord him the respect due to a toothless tiger. Ravan promised his sister that he would not rest till Ram and Laxman had been punished. He swore that they would suffer and die a horrible death. He summoned all the cleverest demons for a meeting and together they hatched a cunning plan. They all knew that Sita was Ram's weak spot. They told Ravan that the best plan would be to capture Sita and bring her to Lanka. Ram would surely follow to rescue his beloved wife. Once Ram was in Lanka, he would be in alien territory and at a disadvantage. Thus, Ravan could catch him on the wrong foot and vanquish him easily. Ravan was pleased with this plan and decided to kidnap Sita himself. He sat in his flying chariot, Pushpak and travelled with amazing speed to the house of his friend, Maricha. Knowing that they would have to employ some means of subterfuge to abduct Sita, the two demons disguised themselves. Maricha took the shape of a beautiful deer and Ravan the guise of a poor ascetic wandering through the forest begging for alms.

The Abduction of Sita

One beautiful morning, Sita spotted a lovely deer outside their hut. It was truly an exquisite creature like no other deer she had ever seen before. Its skin had a golden luminous sheen and it stood out from the rest of the herd as it cavorted enticingly between the trees. Sita was charmed. She requested Ram to bring her the deer as a pet that would keep her company while they were away hunting. Ram could not resist his wife's plea and followed the deer into the forest to capture it and bring it back for his wife. But before he left he cautioned Laxman not to leave Sita's side for a moment. Ram found the deer to be an elusive creature that led him a merry dance deeper and deeper into the forest. Finally, Ram strung his bow and shot an arrow that pierced the deer's heart. In an instant the deer was transformed into the demon Maricha who cried out for Sita and Laxman in a perfect imitation of Ram's voice. Sensing that something was terribly wrong, Ram hastened to get back to Sita. Back at the hut Sita and Laxman were dismayed to hear what they thought was Ram's cry of distress. Sita was beside herself with fear and begged Laxman to go to Ram's aid. Laxman was in a dilemma. On the one hand, he had promised his brother that he would not leave Sita alone under any circumstances. On the other, he wanted to rush to help Ram if he was in trouble. But Laxman suspected that things were not what they seemed. He did not want to leave Sita, but she was adamant that he go and find Ram. Against his better judgement, Laxman agreed. He drew a circle around the hut with his arrow and told Sita that on no account must she step across this line. As long as she stayed behind this boundary no harm would come to her. As soon as Laxman had disappeared into the forest, a frail hermit approached the hut begging for alms and food. Sita served him graciously, being careful to stay within the line that Laxman had drawn. But the feeble old man said that he could barely reach the cup of water that she had set down for him and requested her to step forward. Sita could not see what possible harm this weak creature could do her and she stepped across the line. Instantly, she was caught in a vise-like grip as Ravan revealed his true identity. Sita was terror struck. She tried to struggle, but her strength was no match against Ravan's brute force. She tried to warn Ravan of the consequences of abducting her. She told him that Ram would move heaven and earth to find her. When he discovered that it was Ravan who had kidnapped his wife, his wrath would be terrible to behold and Ravan would be destroyed. But Ravan merely laughed at this suggestion. He bundled Sita into his magnificent flying chariot and sped off to Lanka. The vulture king, Jatayu, tried to come to Sita's rescue. But Ravan cut off his wings and left him bleeding and helpless. Ravan was quite taken with Sita's charms. He decided that if he could persuade Sita to marry him, he could kill two bnirds with one stone. On the one hand, he would acquire a lovely wife. On the other, it would mean the ultimate humiliation of Ram. He gave Sita an ultimatum. He told her that he would give her one year's time to make up her mind to be his wife. If at the end of this time her answer was no, he would have her cut up and served to him as a delicious meal. However, Ravan decided that he would court Sita in the period of one year. He would impress her with his wit, charm, knowledge and wealth. Ravan cherished hopes that Sita might even fall in love with him by the end of a year. Knowing the pleasure that Sita took in nature, Ravan ensconced her in a beautiful garden. This garden was filled with wonderful trees, flowers, birds and animals. But Sita felt like a bird kept captive in a golden cage for all the time she was kept under the watchful eye of demonesses.

The Search for Sita

Far away, Ram and Laxman had come upon each other in the forest. They gazed at each other in dismay as they realized that they had been the victims of a terrible deception. They hurried back to the mud hut only to find their worst fears confirmed. Sita had disappeared. Laxman was overcome with remorse and reproached himself for leaving Sita alone. They hunted high and low forSita, calling out her name till their voices were hoarse. But silence shrouded the forest. Not a leaf moved and the birds and animals were silent. Just when they were about to give up hope, they stumbled upon the dying vulture. With the little breath that was left in his body, Jatayu told them that Ravan was the villain they sought, but he did not know where the demon had taken Sita. These were his last words before his death. The princes were deeply saddened by Jatayu's death. He had laid down his life while attempting to rescue Sita. The disconsolate princes had no clue as to which way to turn. But help was on hand in the form of the 'monkey people' led by their king Sugreeva. Ram and Laxman unburdened their hearts to Sugreeva. The monkey king offered to help them. The monkeys had a wonderful ability to climb to great heights and to travel long distances jumping from branch to branch. This would be a tremendous asset in the search for Sita. Sugreeva promised a reward to the first monkey that discovered Sita's whereabouts. So hundreds of these nimble little creatures scattered in different directions to look for the hapless Sita. Now Ram had taken a liking to the monkey, Hanuman. He had a feeling that it would be this monkey that would discover where Sita had been kept captive.Ram took the signet ring that he wore off his finger and gave it to Hanuman. He explained that Sita would trust the bearer of this ring as a true messenger fromRam. As it turned out, Hanuman was the first monkey to discover that Ravan had taken Sita to Lanka. But help came from an unexpected source. A bird with amazing eyesight that enabled it to see over high mountains, dense forests and wide oceans. This bird had spotted Sita, captive in the Ashoka grove in Lanka and he whispered this information into Hanuman's ear. The mystery had been solved. But now a new obstacle presented itself. An immense expanse of water separated Lanka from the land where Ram and Laxman resided. The question was how to get across the water? Hanuman volunteered to attempt the leap across the ocean. After praying to the gods, Hanuman planted his feet firmly on the ground. He then girded his loins, took a deep breath and launched himself into the air with a mighty roar. He flew high up into the air, across the ocean, till he landed lightly on the sandy beach of Lanka's shore.

Hanuman in Lanka
The city of Lanka was perched upon a triple-peaked mountain, fortified by high walls and surrounded by a deep moat. Armed guards patrolled the city night and day and stopped any strangers that happened by. Hanuman, being a monkey, could enter the city unchallenged. Hanuman found Lanka to be an astonishingly beautiful city. There were lush gardens, tinkling fountains, impressive monuments with towers that reached towards the sky, crystal palaces with gemencrusted doorways. Everywhere there was wealth and prosperity. Finally, Hanuman happened upon Sita in the Ashoka grove. There she sat, a forlorn figure, surrounded by demonesses. Hanuman managed to creep up to her unnoticed. He told Sita that he was a messenger from Ram and gave her the signet ring that Ram had entrusted to him. He told her how her husband pined for her and reassured her that Ram would bring reinforcements and rescue her from captivity. Sita was overjoyed to see a friendly face after such a long time. She pulled a jewelled ornament from her hair and told Hanuman to give it to Ram so that he would know that she was alive and well. Hanuman realized that he must return to Ram in haste so they could make preparations to rescue Sita and vanquish Ravan without delay. But being a monkey, Hanuman had mischief in his blood. He could not leave Lanka without first creating some kind of a disturbance. He took a deep breath and as the air entered his body, he grew to an enormous size. He then set about wreaking havoc in the city of Lanka. He uprooted trees and shook the grand mansions to their foundations. He left a trail of destruction in his wake. The news soon reached Ravan that a monkey was causing chaos in the city. Ravan ordered that the monkey be captured and brought to him. Scores of soldiers rushed to do their king's bidding. Hanuman put up a spirited fight, but ultimately he was subdued and brought before Ravan. Ravan was enraged by the temerity of the monkey that dared to disturb the peace of Lanka. Knowing that his tail is a monkey's pride, he ordered that Hanuman's tail be dipped in oil and set on fire. Hanuman allowed the guards to have their fun for some time. He then took a deep breath, breaking out of his bonds as if they were toothpicks. Seeing another opportunity to wreak havoc, Hanuman darted about the city setting fire to everything that cane across his path. Satisfied that he had caused enough of a commotion, Hanuman took a deep breath and disappeared into the sky with a thunderous roar.

Ram Wages War on Lanka

When Hanuman returned home he was given a hero's welcome. Ram embraced him like a brother for he had breached the formidable walls of Lanka and found Sita. But Ram was dejected because he was at a loss for a plan to attack Lanka. How would they cross the sea? Sugreeva reassured him saying that he and all the monkey folk were at Ram's disposal. Together they would find a solution to the problem and rescue Sita from the clutches of Ravan. They pumped Hanuman for information about the size of Ravan's army, the strength and structure of the fortress, the arrangements for defence, and the positioning of the sentries. The one thing they all agreed on was the fact that time was of the essence. Finally, they devised a plan. They would build a bridge that would extend to the shores of Lanka. Monkeys of all sizes, shapes and hues scrambled to collect branches, stones and even large boulders and dragged them to the shore and piled them one on top of the other in the sea. For once, these mischievous creatures forgot their pranks and concentrated on the task in hand. The work was backbreaking, but in five days the task was complete. Ram, Laxman, and Sugreeva proceeded at the head of the monkey army, across the bridge toLanka. Lanka's alert sentries soon spotted the invaders. When the news reached Ravan's court, the assembled courtiers gave out a bloodthirsty roar exhorting Ravan to attack Ram and his followers and crush them. The only voice of dissent was that of Vibhishan, Ravan's brother. He tried to explain to Ravan that he had committed a sin by abducting another man's wife. Vibhishan told Ravan that he could still avert a disaster by returning Sita to her rightful husband. He begged Ravan not to put the whole of Lanka in danger merely to satisfy his lust for Sita. But Ravan would not listen to reason. Blinded by lust, he was convinced that Ram was the only obstacle that prevented Sita from accepting him as her husband. He was certain that once Ram was out of the way, Sita would fall into his arms. He was infuriated at what he thought was his brother's betrayal. He told Vibhishan that if he was so concerned about the enemy, it would be better if he joined Ram's army. Knowing that he was on the side of the right, Vibhishan did join Ram's army. Now, the demons that made up Ravan's army were great, fearless warriors. They were confident of winning this battle because after all they were fighting mere monkeys. Drumbeats and the blowing if conches and trumpets signalled the beginning of the battle. The two armies charged at each other. The monkeys hurled trees and stones at then enemy and fought with their teeth and claws. The battlefield was a blood bath, but still the monkey folk kept on despite the loss of many lives. Ravan's army was shocked at their inability to fight off this puny army. Ravan could not believe his eyes as he watched his soldiers fall one by one on the battlefront. He realized that he would have to summon reinforcements.

Kumbhakarna and Indrajit Enter the Fray

Kumbhakarna was Ravan's brother and had a truly formidable reputation as a warrior. The gods had cursed him so that he slept for a stretch of six months at a time. It was nearly impossible to wake him from his deep slumber. But Ravan realized that he needed to introduce Kumbhakarna onto the battleground to boost the morale of the demon army. Ravan had great faith in his brother's prowess as a warrior and was convinced that he would be able to slay Ram and rout the enemy. He ordered all his officers and servants to work on the difficult task of waking Kumbhakarna. They made an enormous din, blowing trumpets and conch shells, beating drums and shaking Kumbhakarna's body vigorously. But still the giant slept on undisturbed. Finally, when the servants had almost exhausted their efforts, Kumbhakarna woke, yawning hugely, and shaking off the servants like so many flies. He first sat down to eat the mountains of food that were prepared for him for it was common knowledge that when Kumbhakarna awoke from a deep slumber, he would be ravenously hungry. His hunger satisfied, Kumbhakarna prepared to go into battle. Kumbhakarna arrived on the scene like a whirlwind. He made short shrift of the monkeys, cutting through their defence like a knife cuts through butter. Mnagled bodies of monkeys lay strewn all over the battlefield. But Kumbhakarna's aim was to slay Ram. He charged at Ram brandishing an iron club in one hand and an uprooted tree in the other. Ram flung a wind missile at the demon that took off both his arms. But the demon did not seem to notice and charged on. Next Ram amputated the demon's legs, but Kumbhakarna hurtled on undeterred. Finally, Ram managed to decapitate the demon. A shocked silence hung over the battlefield as Kumbhakarna's severed head fell to the ground. Indrajit, Ravan's son, decided that he would take up the challenge of defeating Ram's army. Since Ram and Laxman could not seem to be vanquished by ordinary means, Indrajit decided to use his magic powers to make himself invisible. He hovered over the battlefield in his chariot and rained down poisoned arrows on Ram and Laxman. The two princes were bewildered. How could they fight an enemy they could not see? Finally, Laxman and Hanuman managed to entice Indrajit onto the battlefield where Laxman challenged him to single combat. Indrajit was confident that Laxman would be no match for him. As it turned out, he was wrong and his overconfidence cost him his life. The battle between Laxman and Indrajit raged for a long time for they were both well matched. But as Laxman felt his strength flagging, he prayed to the gods to give him a last surge of energy to finish off his foe. The gods answered his prayers and he cut off Indrajit's head. Without a leader, the demon army fell into disarray and they retreated helter skelter. Ravan was stricken by the news of the death of his son, but he did not have the luxury of time to mourn.

The Famous Battle between Ram and Ravan

Ravan decided that it was time that he took matters into his own hands. All his brave generals and warriors had been defeated and he had lost both his brother and his son. Ravan donned his armour and prepared to go into battle. Ravan's entrance on the battleground was a truly awe-inspiring sight. Clad in dazzling armour made of solid gold and encrusted with precious jewels, Ravan mounted his chariot drawn by four magnificent black horses. With his ten heads and countless arms, Ravan's appearance was fearsome enough to strike terror in the hearts of the bravest soldiers. The monkey folk made a valiant attempt to attack the terrible demon, but their stones and boulders rolled off his body like water off a duck's back. Ravan's flaming arrows depleted the monkey ranks and unleashed terror in their hearts. Laxman rushed forward to help his monkey friends, but Ravan struck him down with a powerful thunderbolt. Ram feared for his brother's life when he saw him lying senseless in a pool of blood. Again the monkeys proved themselves resourceful in a crisis. They told Ramthat they knew of some medicinal herbs that could save Laxman's life. The only stumbling block was that these herbs were only available far away in theHimalayas. Ram's heart sank. This was as good as having no cure at all. How would they able to collect the herbs from such a distant place and return before Laxman breathed his last? Hanuman saved the situation one again. He was swift as the wind and immensely strong. He flew up into the air and disappeared in the direction of the Himalayas. When Hanuman landed on the mountain, he found a million different varieties of herbs. He had no idea which were the right ones that would save Laxman's life. Hanuman felt that the only solution to this quandary was to pick up the whole mountain and take it to the plain where Laxman lay. That is exactly what he did! Once Hanuman returned to Lanka with the mountain in the palm of his hand, the monkey folk quickly went to work to revive Laxman. They made a potion out of the herbs and made Laxman inhale the vapours. The potion worked like magic and the strength quickly began seeping back into Laxman's body. Ram decided that it was time that he took on the terrible Ravan in battle. Both the warriors were evenly matched and both had access to secret powerful weapons. Neither Ram nor Ravan had ever tasted the bitter fruit of defeat. They were both masters in the use of the bow and arrow. Even the gods gathered to watch this magnificent battle. The air was thick with arrows flying in both directions. Ravan's twenty arms bristled with weapons that he wielded all at the same time! Every time Ram managed to cut off one of Ravan's heads, another one would grow in its place. The monster seemed indestructible. Finally, Ramremembered the brahma-astra, a missile gifted to him by the Lord Brahma himself. Ram uttered the spell that would summon the mighty weapon. Then invoking the gods, he hurled the weapon with all his might at Ravan. A deafening roar was heard as the brahma-astra exploded and the mighty Ravan was destroyed.

Sita's Trial by Fire

Sita had been confined to the Ashoka grove for the entire time that the battle had been raging. She had lived through those days with her heart in her mouth, worrying about Ram and Laxman. After Ravan had been vanquished, Ram sent Hanuman to Sita to convey the good news. Sita's reunion with Ram was not at all as she expected. His demeanour was cold as he greeted her from a distance. Ram then told Sita that now that Ravan had been salin, she was free to choose her path in life. He told her that she could stay in Lanka with Vibhishan, or accompany Laxman or may be Sugriva. She could also go to Bharat if she so desired. Sita was bewildered by Ram's behaviour. She soon understood when Ram explained that he doubted Sita's fidelity after she had lived with Ravan for a year. Sita was deeply hurt that Ram should question her loyalty in front of a gathering of people. Insulted, she turned to Laxman and bade him to build a fire. She reminded Ram that Ravan had kept her captive in Lanka for a year against her will. He had tried to woo her in that time, but she had been steadfastly loyal to Ram. She told Ram that she would prove her fidelity by a trial of fire. She would walk through the fire that Laxman built, and if she had been unfaithful to her husband in thought or in deed, the flames would consume her. On the other hand, if her mind and heart had never wavered from her husband, she would emerge from the fire unscathed. After saying this, Sita calmly walked into the flames. The assembled crowd gasped with horror as the flames enveloped Sita. But a few moments later the people heaved a collective sigh of relief as Sita emerged from the roaring fire unscathed. Not a hair on her head was singed. There could be no greater proof of Sita's fidelity. Ram embraced Sita and said that he had never for a moment doubted her purity. But being a monarch, he had a duty to satisfy the minds of his subjects on this issue. Else, they would have no respect for him as a king. He praised Sita saying that her trial by the fire had put to rest any doubts that might have been raised in the future.

The Homecoming of Ram

Finally the fourteen long years of exile were up and Ram, Sita and Laxman were ready to return to Ayodhya. Vibhishan, who had been crowned king of Lanka after Ravan's death, offered the wonderful chariot Pushpak to Ram so that they could fly home to Ayodhya. Ram gladly accepted his offer and climbed aboard along with Sita, Laxman and their monkey friends. They soon reached the outskirts of Ayodhya. As he had done so many times in the past, Hanuman was the messenger that bore the glad tidings of Ram's return to Bharat. Bharat was ecstatic when he heard the news. He decided that the people of Ayodhya would give Ram and his friends a reception the likes of which the kingdom had never seen before. Once again the people of Ayodhya prepared for the coronation of Ram. The streets were gaily festooned with flags and washed with scented water. Colourful garlands hung over every doorway. Musicians, dancers and acrobats performed in the streets. The people paraded the streets dressed in their best finery. Everywhere there was happiness and laughter as Ayodhya anticipated the homecoming of Ram. When the weary threesome entered the gates of Ayodhya, a resounding cheer went up from the gathered crowds. The three queens embraced Ram, Sita and Laxman with tears of joy pouring down their faces. The brothers were overjoyed to be reunited after such a long time. Ram presented Sita with a beautiful pearl necklace before the commencement of the coronation. She sought out Hanuman and begged him to accept the necklace as a token of her undying gratitude. Hanuman was thrilled to have such an honour conferred on him. At last Ram's coronation was complete. The gods smiled down on the new king of Ayodhya. From then on prosperity and happiness reigned in the land.