Dasharatha returns to Ayodhya in joy after Rama’s marriage but destiny is about to turn. In this chapter, Kaikeyi makes her cruel demand, and Sri Rama begins his exile. Soon after, Dasharatha, accompanied by his wives and sons, returned to Ayodhya with exultation and joy. The king had invited to the marriage of Rama, his brother-in-law, Sangramajit, who requested the former to send Bharat and Shatrughana to spend a few days with him. Dasharatha bade his sons go with him, though they were unwilling to part with his brothers, Rama and Lakshman, even for a single moment. Kaikeyi pressed her sons to go with her brother, and they accordingly went with him. Rama and Lakshman were very obedient to their parents and served them with all their heart and soul.

One day the king, looking to his old age, made up his mind to install Rama in the throne of Ayodhya. He made every preparation to perform the ceremony of installation and invited to it all the kings and Rishis on earth. All the Gods and Brahmans were afraid that if Rama was installed in the throne of Ayodhya, he would not go to Lanka and relieve them from the oppression of the demons. Viranchi, Lord Brahma, one of the Gods, therefore, sent one Vikalpa to go to Ayodhya and prejudice Kaikeyi and all the subjects of the king against Rama and put an obstacle in the performance of the ceremony, so that the prince might go to the forest of the demons and kill them all.

Vikalpa tried his utmost to prejudice them against Rama, but they were all so good and pious that they remained faithful to the prince. There was only one wicked woman, Manthara, a favourite maid-servant of Kaikeyi, whom he prejudiced against Rama.

She hated the prince, and with a view to deprive him of the throne of Ayodhya, she went into the room of Kaikeyi and, throwing herself on the ground, began to beat her breast with tears in her eyes, when Kaikeyi asked her what the cause of her grief was. Manthara replied, “You, unfortunate woman! Your husband is going to install Rama in the throne of Ayodhya, and as soon as he is placed on the throne, he will kill both your sons.* I shall be very glad if your Bharat is installed in the throne.”

Kaikeyi said, “I have no objection to the installation of Rama, whom I love as my son, Bharat.” Manthara got exceedingly enraged and began to cry violently. Kaikeyi went to quiet her when Vikalpa also prejudiced her against Rama.

Manthara, seeing a sudden change in her mistress, was mightily pleased with her and kissed her. Kaikeyi said, “My dearest, just tell me what I should do to get rid of Rama.”

“Anyhow,” replied Manthara, “we must send him away and have our Bharat placed on the throne of Ayodhya. I, therefore, tell you with pleasure that if the king comes to see you, ask him to fulfil the promise given by him to you during the battle he had fought with the demons in heaven. Do you remember the promise given by him to you? He promised you that he would give you whatever you would ask from him as a reward for helping him in the battle. You should, therefore, ask the king to send Rama to the forest of the demons for fourteen years and place Bharat on the throne of Ayodhya. And another thing is that if the prince goes to the forest, the king will soon die of grief for his son; and it will be then a very good thing for you and your sons to pass your days in happiness.”

Kaikeyi liked the advice of Manthara, and before the king came into her room at night, she had taken off her ornaments and thrown herself on the ground with her hair in disorder.

In the meantime, the king entered her room and asked her what the matter was, when she replied, “Thou wicked king. Be gone. I know your heart. You are going to banish my sons to a forest and give the kingdom to Rama.”

Dasharatha replied, “What you say is untrue, because I love Bharat and Shatrughana as much as I love Rama and Lakshman.” Kaikeyi replied, “Be gone. I do not want you in my room.” The king felt it bad when Kaikeyi spoke those words, and in order to pacify her he asked her what she wanted from him.

Kaikeyi replied, “The promise given to me by you during the battle with the demons must be now fulfilled. What I want from you is that you should banish Rama to the forest of the demons for fourteen years and install my son Bharat in the throne of Ayodhya.”

The king was thunder-struck when Kaikeyi made the cruel demand, and persuaded her much to ask him for something else, but she would not mind him. In the meantime, his faithful minister, Sumanth, came and informed the king, who was lying on the ground in disorder, that everything was ready for performing the ceremony of installation, when the latter told the former what had happened in the room of Kaikeyi. The minister, being exceedingly sorry, went and called Rama in the room of Kaikeyi.

The prince came and implored his father to tell him the cause of his grief, when Kaikeyi replied, “The king had given me a promise at the battle with the demons that he would give me whatever I would ask from him. I have asked him to fulfil that promise, and since then he has been very sorry.” Rama said, “I think he is not able enough to comply with your demand.” Kaikeyi replied, “I should think so.”

“Well,” said Rama, “if my father cannot give you what you want from him, I promise to give it to you.” Kaikeyi replied, “Then go to the forest of the demons for fourteen years with Lakshuman and let my son, Bharat, rule in Ayodhya.” Rama said, “Most willingly, I have no objection to do so. It is just the same thing to me, because Bharat and I are one.”

Rama then, taking his leave of Kaikeyi, went to his mother, Kausalya, and told her what had happened. Kausalya became very sorry and said, “Thou shalt not leave me. Hide thyself in my room for fourteen years, and I shall keep the secrecy. I cannot remain without thee.” Rama replied, “Mother, excuse me. I am now bound by my promise to go to the forest.” So saying, he threw himself at her feet and obtained her permission to go to the forest.

He then went to Lakshman and told him all that had taken place, when the latter said, “I shall accompany you. I cannot live here without you, and if you leave me here alone and go to the forest, I shall commit suicide.” Rama, having consented to take Lakshman with him, went to his wife, Sita, and said, “I am going to the forest of the demons for fourteen years; and until I return to Ayodhya, I ask you to live with my mother Kausalya. I cannot take you with me to the forest, as you are delicate and will not be able to bear hardship with me.”

“I shall follow you,” replied Sita, “and share any misfortune that may befall you. I, therefore, go down on my knees and implore you not to leave me here alone.” Whereupon Rama consulted Vashishta and promised Sita that he would also take her with him.

Lastly, he went to take his leave of Dasharatha, when the king said with tears in his eyes, “I feel much for thee. The wicked and wretched woman has done this all, and I do not think that I shall live until thou returnest to Ayodhya. I shall die of grief for thee. As I cannot tell thee to break the promise given by thee to Kaikeyi, I give thee my consent to go to the forest. Child, take with thee all necessary things and pass thy days in happiness.”

“Father,” replied Rama, “I do not want anything. I shall dress myself in valkalyas, barks of a tree, and pass my days in meditation.” As soon as Rama spoke these words, Kaikeyi brought valkalyas and placed them before Rama, Sita and Lakshman, who dressed themselves in them and set out for the forest with the minister, Sumanth.

They arrived at Ganga teera, where Rama sat down for rest on the grass under the shade of a tree near a beautiful river and, having refreshed himself there, requested a fisherman called Guhaka, who was his devotee, to convey him with Sita and Lakshman to the other side of the river. Guha asked him who he was, when he informed him that he was Rama, the eldest son of Dasharatha. Whereupon the fisherman, having embraced him, conveyed him with Sita and Lakshman to the other side of the river, when Sumanth took his leave of the prince and returned to Ayodhya.

Rama then went to the abode of Bharadwaj, a Rishi, who worshipped him and requested him to stay with him for about fifteen days, when the prince said, “I cannot stay with you any longer, because the people of Ayodhya will often come here and entreat me to return to the kingdom. I shall, therefore, go to the Dandakaranya, the forest.

At the request of Rama, Bharadwaj showed him the way that led to the hills called Chitrakuta, where many learned Rishis lived. He went up to the hills and saw Valmika, a Rishi, and worshipped him with respect and reverence. Lakshman built a parnakutika, a small hut, there, and they all lived in it.

Ayodhya had lost its prince, and the forest gained a king in exile. But the shadows of fate were only beginning to stir. Until next time, Jai Shree Ram!

|| OM SAI SHRI SAI JAI JAI SAI || 

|| SHRI SATCHIDANANDA SADGURU SAINATH MAHARAJ KI JAI ||

Note: This narration is based on Ramavijaya: The Mythological History of Rama (Bombay, 1891, Dubhashi & Co.), a public domain text shared here for free reading.

*Kaikeyi had only one son, Bharat. This edition mentions both Bharat and Shatrughan as her sons.