रा
Lord Rama
The Son Who Obeys
Accepts a father's sorrowful command without complaint — the very definition of sonly duty.
॥ श्री राम ॥
The Book of Ayodhya — where duty parts the dearest son from home
Kanda 2 of 7
अयोध्याकाण्ड · The Court
Ayodhya Kanda begins in celebration and ends in the wilderness. King Dasharatha, wearied by age, prepares to crown his beloved Rama as yuvraj. The city decks itself in flowers — and then the storm breaks. On the eve of the consecration, the old queen's maid Manthara poisons the mind of Kaikeyi; reminded of the two boons long promised her, Kaikeyi demands from Dasharatha an end that tears his heart: Rama must dwell fourteen years in the forest, and Bharata must be crowned in his place.
Rama hears the decree and accepts it without a murmur — for him, the father's word is dharma itself. Sita and Lakshmana insist on sharing his exile in the Dandaka forest. Sumantra drives them across the Saryu to the hermitage of Bharadwaja, and the grief-stricken Dasharatha dies soon after, his death uttered with the name of Rama.
Summoned from his grandfather's house, Bharata rushes to the forest — not to claim the crown, but to beg Rama back. When Rama refuses, Bharata returns to Ayodhya carrying his brother's padukas upon his head, placing them upon the throne and ruling only in Rama's name from the village of Nandigram. Thus is planted the emblem of fraternal devotion that the whole epic will remember.
The Narrative
The people of Ayodhya rejoice as preparations for Rama's coronation scale the heights of the city.
Stung by Manthara, Kaikeyi claims her two boons — the exile of Rama and the throne for Bharata — and Dasharatha falls to the earth in anguish.
Rama renounces the crown as calmly as a man renounces a shade. Sita and Lakshmana abide with him; the city weeps as he departs.
Unable to bear separation, Dasharatha dies recalling the curse of the hermit Shravana, and Ayodhya is plunged into darkness.
Recalled from his uncle's court, Bharata learns the truth, reproaches his mother, and sets out at once to the Chitrakoot forest.
Rama refuses to break the vow; Bharata receives his sandals, places them reverently upon the throne, and rules from Nandigram as a hermit-king.
Key Figures
The Son Who Obeys
Accepts a father's sorrowful command without complaint — the very definition of sonly duty.
The King-Devotee
Refuses the crown, carries his brother's padukas home, and chooses the life of an ascetic king at Nandigram.
The Unshakable Guard
Shares every hardship of the exile with Rama, his vigilant shadow and shield.
The Grief-Struck King
Bound by a past curse and a present promise, his life ends with Rama's name upon his lips.
Verse of the Kanda
रामं दाशरथिं विद्धि मां विद्धि जनकात्मजाम्।
अयोध्यातोऽभिगच्छ त्वं यथा रामं तथा गच्छ॥
"Know Rama, the son of Dasharatha, and know me as the daughter of Janaka. Go from Ayodhya as you would accompany Rama."
Ayodhya Kanda · Sita's words as she chooses the forest