HERE
WAS ONCE A prosperous kingdom called Koshala on the banks of the river Sarayu.
At its heart lay the vast and fabulous city of Ayodhya laid out in broad
avenues with exquisite gardens and cool mango groves Its streets were thronged
with foreign princes and beautiful women; it: market places were always full to
overflowing and poverty and crim( were unheard of'. The scholars of Ayodhya
were deeply learned in the Vedic wisdom and it had many palaces and
seven-storey buildings. All was surrounded by a deer moat defended by powerful warrior’s
expert in the mystic arts of Vedic archery, and was impregnable to invaders.
Emperor
Dasaratha, the ruler of Koshala, was a great and powerful hero descended from
the mighty lksvaku race. He was devoted to truth and much beloved by the people
of Koshala) He was advised by learned sages headed by the famous Vasistha and
assisted by eight ministers, chief of whom was Sumantra. These men were wise,
good-natured and truthful and acted only for the benefit of the whole
population. The emperor was an expert statesman with many allies. Under his
astute rule Ayodhya became so wealthy that it vied with the wealth of Indra,
the king of heaven.
However,
despite all his wealth, the emperor was not happy because he did not have a
child. He had ruled for thousands of years and had grown tired, but still he
had no heir. One day he decided to take action: he would stage the ultimate
royal ceremony called asvamedha, or the horse sacrifice. Such a ritual could be
undertaken only by a king of unsurpassed power, but if done according to the
Vedic codes with the proper Sanskrit invocations it could produce magical
results and fulfil any desire. To be sure, of success it was necessary to have
an exalted priest in charge of the sacrifice, so the emperor sent for
Rishyasringa, a fabled youth who, it was foretold, had been destined specially
for this task.
Elaborate
preparations began. The most important part of the sacrifice was the horse
himself'. This could be no ordinary horse but was to be the most beautiful and noble
stallion the emperor possessed. At the conclusion of' the ritual the horse
would lose his life, but in so doing would be reborn into the heavenly kingdom.
While the ground was prepared for the great sacrifice, the horse was released
to roam freely, accompanied by a royal guard, and wherever he went he received
tribute. After one year had passed he was brought back and a huge assembly
gathered in tents and pavilions outside the city. In that assembly were kings
and queens, princes and princesses, and nobles from far-off lands, all of whom
brought costly gifts. For three days mystic hymns were chanted and eighteen
sacred fires burned. At each step in the proceedings, mantras were chanted with
the proper pronunciation and melodies. These mantras, chanted by the exalted
Rishyasringa, summoned the gods themselves from heaven to witness the
sacrifice
.
.
Unseen
by the ordinary people, the gods gathered at the sacrifice around the venerable
Lord Brahma, creator of the universe, and spoke to him urgently: 'The
demon-king Ravana is terrorizing us all. Because of the boons you gave him he
has become invincible and is threatening to overthrow Indra, the king of
heaven. Already he has stolen Kuvera's aerial chariot and has killed many
amongst us, yet he seems to gain more
strength each day. Please find a way to rid us of him.
strength each day. Please find a way to rid us of him.
I did
grant Ravana invincibility from the attack of any kind of god or heavenly
being,' confirmed Brahma, 'but at the time he made no mention of' human beings,
whom he thought insignificant. Therefore only a human being can kill him.
The
gods were delighted to learn this secret and considered how to act upon it.
While they were deep in thought the mighty Lord Vishnu appeared in their midst
and took his seat next to Brahma. He was dressed in yellow and shone like the
sun, radiating peace and tranquility.
'0 Lord of the Universe,' petitioned the gods,
'please save us from Ravana by entering the world of humans as the four sons of
the noble Emperor Dasaratha. In those human forms you can challenge Ravana, who
takes pleasure in killing the innocent and terrorizing the whole universe.
Please put an end to him.' 'Have no fear,' said Vishnu. 'As Rama I will fight
in human form with the terrible Ravana and kill him and his entire race. I will
then rule on earth for eleven thousand years to re-establish peace and
prosperity.' Saying this Vishnu, ever ready to serve his devotees, thought of
Ayodhya as his home and Dasaratha as his father and vanished from the sight of
the gods.
Emperor
Dasaratha and his attendants, unaware of what had taken place on the higher
plane, brought the horse to be sacrificed according to the ancient rite, by
which it was awarded a new life. When all this was completed, a brilliant
red-robed figure, of awesome size, but who had gentle features, appeared from
the sacrificial fire. Cradled in his arms was a golden bowl with a silver lid
'lam a messenger of Vishnu who has come to congratulate Emperor Dasaratha on the success of' his sacrifice. In this bowl is magical food. When the emperor feeds it to his queens, they will bear him four sons
according to his wish.' The wonderful figure gave the bowl to the emperor and melted back into the fire.
Dasaratha hurried off to his queens in their private apartments. He gave half the bowl's contents to Queen Kausalya, his first wife, a third of what remained to Kaikeyi, the youngest, and the rest to Sumitra, his middle wife. In the course of time all three wives became pregnant and their beauty grew, as if they carried inside them the sun and the stars.
'lam a messenger of Vishnu who has come to congratulate Emperor Dasaratha on the success of' his sacrifice. In this bowl is magical food. When the emperor feeds it to his queens, they will bear him four sons
according to his wish.' The wonderful figure gave the bowl to the emperor and melted back into the fire.
Dasaratha hurried off to his queens in their private apartments. He gave half the bowl's contents to Queen Kausalya, his first wife, a third of what remained to Kaikeyi, the youngest, and the rest to Sumitra, his middle wife. In the course of time all three wives became pregnant and their beauty grew, as if they carried inside them the sun and the stars.
Meanwhile
Lord Brahma gathered around him the inner circle of gods and issued some
instructions: 'Now that Vishnu is to be born as the sons of' Dasaratha, he will
need help to overthrow Ravana. You will need to create a race of divine monkeys
with powers equal to yourselves. They must change their shapes at will, and
perform supernatural feats to destroy any opponent in battle.'Being so commanded the gods created monkey-sons in the image of themselves. Indra the king of heaven had Vali, who became the monkey-king. Vali's brother was Sugriva, born to Surya the Sun god. Others were born to each of the gods, and the strongest and wisest of them all was the glorious Hanuman, son of Vayu the Wind god, whose body was as strong as a thunderbolt and as swift as the wind. So came into being within a short time a race of giant monkeys who lived in the jungles eating only fruit but whose strength and power had no limit. Roaming about the forests they played havoc, uprooting trees and catching hold of maddened elephants at will. Ten million of them gathered around their two leaders, Vali and Sugriva, like a mass of clouds around two mountain peaks, ready to serve Lord Rama when he would call on them.
In the
spring of the following year, on the ninth day of the new moon of Chaitra, the
planets were exalted in the heavens. The glorious moment had arrived for the
birth of Lord Rama to the happy Queen Kausalya. The child embodied half of'
Lord Vishnu and was marked with signs of divinity such as reddish eyes and long
arms. On the next day Bharata was born to the youngest queen, Kaikeyi, and
Queen Sumitra gave birth to twins, Lakshmana and Satrughna, all of whom were
one-sixth part of Vishnu. When the news reached the people of Ayodhya they
danced and sang in the streets. The emperor opened his treasure house and gave
gifts to the musicians and priests. Showers of' petals fell from the skies and
everyone rejoiced.
THE DEVAS
BRAHMA
is born from a lotus flower from the navel of Vishnu, the Lord of the Universe.
Brahma creates thou-sands of' gods, or devas, who are put in charge of the
cosmic order. Indra governs the rain, Vayu governs the wind, Agni fire, Surya
the sun, Chandra the moon, Varuna the waters and Goddess Bhumi the earth. Yama,
the god of death, is given charge of the law of karma.
In Hinduism, Brahma and the devas are thought to create. the myriad life-forms of the universe, among them human beings. The devas have the power to grant blessings to their worshippers. For devout Hindus these devas are not mythical figures; they are the powers behind the elements of the natural world such as wind, rain and the carill itself. However, powerful though the devas are, behind them lies Vishnu:
'When people desire to worship the devas, I make their faith steady so they can devote themselves to their chosen deity. Endowed with firm faith, they obtain their desires, but these benefits are bestowed by Me alone.'
In Hinduism, Brahma and the devas are thought to create. the myriad life-forms of the universe, among them human beings. The devas have the power to grant blessings to their worshippers. For devout Hindus these devas are not mythical figures; they are the powers behind the elements of the natural world such as wind, rain and the carill itself. However, powerful though the devas are, behind them lies Vishnu:
'When people desire to worship the devas, I make their faith steady so they can devote themselves to their chosen deity. Endowed with firm faith, they obtain their desires, but these benefits are bestowed by Me alone.'
With
the passing of the years the boys excelled in their studies and grew tall,
strong and virtuous. Lakshmana served Rama and Satrughna served Bharata.
Lakshmana would not eat until Rama had eaten, or sleep without him. Whenever
Rama went to the forest Lakshmana loved to follow, protecting him from all
harm. Rama was deeply loved by the people and was always the one apart, like
the full moon in a clear sky.
TRIAL OF COURAGE
The
princes' education was nearly complete and the emperor began to think about
getting them married. One day, as he was discussing this with his counsellors,
the great sage Vishvamitra arrived at the palace gate, burning with brilliance
from all the penances he had made. The emperor personally came out to greet
him, offering him water to wash his hands as was the custom.
I hope all goes well in your kingdom,' said the sage, 'and that you are faithfully carrying out your duties as emperor.' Dasaratha happily brought his visitor inside and together they entered the court.
'Your arrival is like rain on a parched land or sunrise after a long night. Today my life is complete. Please tell me how I may serve you. Whatever you ask will be done.' Encouraged by Dasaratha's generous words, the sage then responded:
Oh, tiger among kings! I have undertaken an important sacrifice at my ashram, but w enever I get near the end two demons of the night sent by the demon-king Ravana Pollute my altar with flesh and blood, spoiling everything. Ravana is the sworn enemy of all sages and is terrorizing the whole universe. These helpers of his are extremely powerful. Please give me your eldest son, Rama, for just ten days. Although he is young he has divine powers and he is the only one who can destroy demons. In return I shall teach him the secrets of many powerful weapons possessed only by me.'
When
the emperor heard Vishvamitra's request he became very distressed and said:
'My beloved Rama is only sixteen and has not finished his education. He is no match for such treacherous demons. Even I cannot face the might of Ravana. Nevertheless, take me instead. I will personally stand guard over your sacrifice with my army. I am prepared to risk my life to help you, but not the life of my boy.'
These words fell on the sage's ears like oil on fire, and he began to tremble with rage so that the very ground shook beneath his feet. Vasistha, the emperor's personal adviser, quickly stepped forward.
'My beloved Rama is only sixteen and has not finished his education. He is no match for such treacherous demons. Even I cannot face the might of Ravana. Nevertheless, take me instead. I will personally stand guard over your sacrifice with my army. I am prepared to risk my life to help you, but not the life of my boy.'
These words fell on the sage's ears like oil on fire, and he began to tremble with rage so that the very ground shook beneath his feet. Vasistha, the emperor's personal adviser, quickly stepped forward.
Do not
refuse his request, my lord, or his anger will destroy us all. There is no need
to worry about Rama's safety. Vishvamitra, who knows the secrets of mystic
combat, will protect him. This is a rare opportunity for the princes to learn
the secrets of war-fare that he alone knows. His coming is a blessing.
Hearing
these words the emperor relented. He called for Rama and Lakshmana and blessed
them before handing them over to Vishvamitra, instructing them to look upon the
sage as their father and do whatever he asked. Satisfied, Vishvamitra turned
and left with the two boys behind him. As they walked out of the court a cool
breeze blew, flower
s fell from the heavens and celestial drums sounded.
s fell from the heavens and celestial drums sounded.
Before long they had left the city of Ayodhya far behind. Vishvamitra led the way, following the course of the River Sarayu. They walked quickly, the princes carrying their bows and quivers full of arrows. After some time they came to a sheltered spot where they halted at the water's edge.
Before going any further I want to initiate you both with mantras to protect you from hunger and thirst and give you unlimited strength,' said Vishvamitra. `Armed with these mantras you will be invincible even when you are asleep.
He told them to sip water from the river and repeat after him the mantras called Bala and Atibala, which they soon learned by heart. When he had received his mantra, Rama began to glow like the autumn sun.
They stayed there for the night, sleeping on the bare ground. The royal princes had never slept anywhere but in the safety and comfort or their beds, but soothed by Vishvamitra's words they drifted peacefully to sleep beneath the glittering stars.
Before
dawn, Vishvamitra woke the two boys and made them bathe and perform morning
meditation in honour of the Sun god. After eating a meal of fruits and berries,
they set off again, marching west. All day they walked until they reached the
confluence of the Sarayu and the mighty Ganges. Here, on the headland between
the two rivers, lived a colony of forest sages. Through psychic vision, they
had long been.
Aware of the strangers approach. They honoured the great Vishvamitra with respectful words and made the travellers comfortable for the night in simple dwellings. Hearing of their purpose to rid the region of the terrors of Ravana's demons they wished them god-speed, and the following morning helped them across the swill-flowing waters of the Ganges.
Their
way forward then lay through dark and tangled jungles infested by fierce
animals and echoing with the cries of strange birds. All day they walked, deeper
and deeper into the forest.
What is this fearful place?' asked Rama. 'It is full of
lions, tigers and elephants but I see no sign of any humans. It feels as ii
there is something terrible here that has frightened them away.
'This
was once a fertile and prosperous land,' Vishvamitra told them, but it has
fallen under the sway of the man-eating demoness Tataka, who is the mother of'
the demons who are troubling my sacrifice. She has the strength of a thousand
elephants and no one can withstand her.' Vishvamitra then revealed that he had
brought them to this place to test them against the demoness Tataka.
She is
female,' he said, 'and ought not to be harmed, but it is your duty to protect
the innocent from her. You have no alternative but to kill her. That is my
order.' 'You are now my guru and I have sworn to obey your orders, replied
Rama. 'I will do as you ask.
As they talked they reached a clearing in the
trees. Rama halted and raised his bow. He drew the string and released it with
a deep ring that resounded through the forest. It penetrated Tataka's cave and
stunned her, pulsing through her like a wave of agony. Enraged at this
intrusion into her kingdom she rose up and fiew over the treetops searching for
its source. In no time she came upon Rama and Lakshmana in the clearing.
Keeping her distance she circled them from above, not knowing who these bright
and terrible beings were. Rama saw her ugly and deformed shape and felt pity
for this loathsome creature. He turned to Lakshmana and said to him:
She is
a woman, Lakshmana, and I have no desire to kill her, evil though she may be. I
will punish her by cutting off' her nose and ears and then allow her to escape
with her life.' But even as he spoke Tataka discharged a magical cloud of' dust
hiding her from view, and from behind this she began to bombard Rama and
Lakshmana with volleys of- rocks and boulders. Aiming by sound alone, Rama
struck her with razor-sharp arrows that sliced off her arms, and Lakshmana sent
arrows that cut off her nose and ears. Still she did not retreat. Assuming
another shape Tataka renewed her attack on the princes, throwing rocks from all
sides at once.
Do not
play with this dangerous creature,' warned Vishvamitra. 'Dusk is approaching
and with the darkness her strength will increase. Kill her now!'
Rama
saw her rushing headlong towards him through the growing darkness. Quick as
lightning he met her with a shaft from his bow as powerful as a thunderbolt,
penetrating deep into her heart. She let out a piercing scream and fell dead.
Peace
descended upon the forest and, released from Tataka's deadly spells, the place
seemed to shine in the darkness. Exhausted, the princes decided to rest for the
night in that very spot.
The following
morning Vishvamitra decided it was time to reward his courageous disciple,
Rama, with the divine weapons that he had in his possession. No ordinary
weapons, these took the outward form of arrows, javelins or discs, but were
controlled by mantras and endowed with inconceivable potencies. They were
cosmic spells, capable of destroying the most powerful enemy, or even entire
armies.
There
in the forest clearing Vishvamitra taught Rama the invocations and mantras to
release and recall a hundred divine weapons, one by one. Each weapon belonged
to a particular deity and had its own etheric form. As the magic spells were
uttered the forest glade filled up with their shadowy presences, until a host
of mysterious beings surrounded Rama. Some glowed like coals, some smoked, some
were brilliant as the sun and some were cool like the moon. Together they bowed
before Rama and offered him their services.
For the
time being I have no need of you,' Rama said, 'but when danger threatens,
please at once enters my mind. Silently, they walked around him in respect and
faded into the shadows.
Continuing
on their way they walked all day until, emerging from the dense forest, they
saw before them a mountain on whose side clustered a beautiful grove of trees
like a cloud. This was Siddha Ashram, the hermitage of Vishvamitra. It was a
deeply sanctified place, having once belonged to Vishnu in his incarnation of
Vamana. 'This place belongs to Vishnu and has the power to end a person's cycle
of rebirth. Please consider it your own, Rama, as I know you to be Vishnu in
human form.' On saying this, Vishvamitra led the boys by the hand into the
grove. As they entered, disciples emerged from the trees on all sides to pay
their respects to their guru and welcome the two princes. They were fed on
simple forest fare and given a place to rest. Meanwhile, as night fell,
Vishvamitra started to prepare for the great sacrifice, consecrating the altar
and sanctifying himself through chanting Vedic hymns. From that moment he
observed a vow of silence.
The
boys rose early the next day. They observed their morning meditation and then prepared
themselves for action.
When
will the demons of the night come, and from what direction?' they asked. 'The
attack will come from the sky from any direction and at any time without
warning,' they were told. 'For the next six days you must be constantly on your
guard, day and night.'
They
stationed themselves with their bows beside the altar of sacrifice and kept
watch continuously for five days and nights without incident. By the time night
fell on the sixth day still there was no sign of the assailants. As midnight
approached the sacrifice neared its climax and a chill fell on the night air.
Suddenly the flames of the sacred fire leaped high. In the distance, faintly at
first, they heard a series of blood-curdling shrieks approaching rapidly in
their direction. Two dark and terrible shapes hurtled out of the sky and
swooped low over the altar, raining blood and lumps of flesh in all directions
and spreading a foul and stifling odour. They seemed to hesitate in their
onward flight, sensing the presence of the two young defenders. In a moment
they were back.
By the
flickering light of the fire Rama saw them coming straight at him. Keeping his
nerve he called for Sitesu, the weapon of Manu, which repels opponents like a
hurricane ripping through clouds, and discharged it at the leading demon. Its
effect was instantaneous. It struck the demon full on the chest and hurled him
with such force that it propelled him hundreds of miles out across the Indian
ocean. Next Rama summoned Sikhara, the weapon of the Fire god, and aimed it at
the second demon. It pierced him in the heart and killed him instantly. That
night there was great rejoicing in Siddha Ashram and everyone hailed the
princes as heroes.
Rama
and Lakshmana asked Vishvamitra what he now wanted them to do. He told them
about a great sacrifice that was to take place at the court of King Janaka in
Mithila, several days' journey to the north. 'King Janaka possesses a
miraculous bow, that once belonged to Lord Shiva,' he told them. This bow is so
mighty that neither man nor god can even lift it. He keeps it in his court and
worships it with incense and offerings. I am to assist a great sacrifice that
Janaka is organizing. You two come with me and I will show you the bow.
'
'
Next
morning they set off with their guru, accompanied by a host of his followers.
As they journeyed along the banks of the Ganges he told them many stories from
the history of those parts. Each evening they sat up late into the night
listening to him with fascination. One night he narrated the sacred history of
the descent of the Ganges. He told them how she was born as Ganga, daughter of
the Himalayas; how she was taken up to heaven as the celestial Milky Way; how
she was brought to earth by the penances of King Bhagiratha and caught in Lord
Shiva's hair; how she thundered through mountain ravines on her way to the
plains; how she washed away sins; and finally how she entered the underworld.
As Vishvamitra spoke, the night deepened. 'Come,' he said, 'the forest is
wrapped in silence and the trees are still. The moon is rising and spreading
its soothing rays. The firmament is thick with stars like jewelled eyes. Birds
and beasts are buried in slumber while nocturnal creatures and demons roam the
darkness. Half the night is passed and we have far to go. Let us sleep.
FATEFUL LOVE
Outside
the city of Mithila there was a great commotion. An enormous festival ground
was being prepared for King Janaka's sacrifice, which would last twelve days.
Hundreds of tents had been erected and enclosures set apart for groups of rishis
coming from all over India.
Vishvamitra's
party, with Rama and Lakshmana, set up camp. News of their arrival was carried
to King Janaka, who hastened out to greet the sage. Vishvamitra introduced the
two princes as the sons of Dasaratha and told Janaka of their extraordinary
exploits. When he saw them he was quite astonished by their beauty and
strength; to him they looked like living gods. Then Vishvamitra asked Janaka to
show them the great bow.
This
bow originally belonged to Lord Shiva,' explained Janaka, 'but he gave it to my
ancestor Devavrata and it has stayed here ever since. No one has ever been able
to lift it let alone string it although many have tried.'
Now it
so happened that Janaka had a beautiful daughter, miraculously born from the
earth. Her name was Sita, which means 'furrow', because she appeared out of the
earth from a furrow ploughed by the king when he was levelling the ground for a
great sacrifice. The king had adopted her as his daughter and loved her dearly.
She was so famous for her beauty that Mithila had once been besieged by kings
fighting to win her hand. Finding no one worthy of his daughter, Janaka had
vowed that only the man who could string Shiva's bow could marry her. Now
Vishvamitra had introduced Rama to the king and he warmed to this powerful and
god-like prince, and decided to invite him to attempt the feat.
If you
can string the bow, I promise you the hand of my daughter Sita,' he said.
Janaka ordered the bow to be brought out of the city and placed at the centre
of the sacrificial ground. This was no simple task, for it required hundreds of
men to move it. It was kept in an iron chest mounted on eight wheels. Slowly
the chest was dragged out towards the centre of the ground. As news spread of
the king's invitation to Rama, a great crowd assembled. The chest was finally
brought before them and opened to reveal the great bow. On a sign from
Vishvamitra, Rama stepped forward and grasped it firmly, saying:
Janaka
was so excited he wanted to perform the marriage ceremony immediately, but
first he sent swift messengers to the court of Emperor Dasaratha to tell him
the good news and invite him to come quickly.
Ayodhya
lay three days' ride away. Soon Dasaratha heard all that had passed at Janaka's
court. Not only were his sons safe after successfully defeating the demons of
the night, but they had reached Ayodhya where Rama had achieved the impossible he had won Sita's hand!
Dasaratha
wasted no time. The very next day a caravan of gifts set off under armed guard,
closely followed by the emperor's personal party in chariots and palanquins
protected by his army. When they reached Mithila they set up camp beside the
festival ground, where Janaka made them welcome. Rama and Lakshmana hurried to
touch Dasaratha's feet, and the proud father, after offering thanks and prayers
for the future happiness of his son and daughter-in-law, slept that night in
peace
Janaka
had a second daughter named Urmila, and his younger brother, Kusadhvaja, had
two daughters named Mandavi and Srutakirti. All were of marriageable age. It
was soon decided to form a grand alliance between the two royal dynasties by
uniting the four sons of the house of Lksvaku with the four daughters of the house
of Videha.
'Through marriage we will be joined with ties
of love,' pronounced Janaka. In celebration, Dasaratha gave costly gifts and
thousands of cows with gold-plated horns to the Brahmans of Mithila. Then
sacred fires were lit in a pavilion decorated with flowers, golden dishes, jars
of water and earthen bowls full of grains l Priests offered incense and
ceremonial articles of worship while intoning sacred hymns from the Vedas.
Sita,
dazzlingly beautiful and decorated with priceless jewels, was escorted by her
father into the pavilion to take her seat next to Rama.
'Here
is Sita, my daughter and the daughter of the earth, who will help you discharge
your sacred duties. Take her hand in yours, Rama. She will ever be devoted to
you and you alone and will follow you like a shadow,' announced Janaka. Rama
took Sita's hand. Celestial drums echoed in the sky, and flower petals rained
down from the heavens.
One by
one the other couples were united: Urmila with Lakshmana, Mandavi with Bharata
and Srutakirti with Satrughna. The four brothers led their brides clockwise
around the sacred fire three times to the accompaniment of singing and the
sound of musical instruments. When all was done, the newly-married couples
retired to the privacy or their tents, while the assembled hosts of Mithila and
Ayodhya celebrated late into the night.
Rama
and his father soon left Mithila in a great procession, laden with gifts of
dowry. Vishvamitra departed for the Himalayas, his task complete. The great
procession wound its way homeward to Ayodhya, where joyous celebrations were
held to welcome the returning emperor and his sons with their brides. Flags and
festoons fluttered from tall buildings that looked like the snow-capped peaks
of the Himalayas.
Crowds
came out to meet them and threw flower petals on the ground. Dasaratha's queens
lovingly embraced the princesses and took them by the hand to their private
apartments. The princesses, showing proper respect for their elders and being
devoted to their husbands, lived happily in their new homes.
For
Rama and Lakshmana life was kind. In the company of their illustrious guru
Vishvamitra, they had made the passage from youth to manhood, had learned the
arts of mystic weapons and had gained beautiful wives. They now lived
peacefully as dutiful sons and husbands amidst their friends and relatives.
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