- Rama: Avatar of Vishnu
- Son of Maharajah Dasharatha
- One of four, born from horse sacrifice
- Is actually Vishnu, a god come to earth in human form to defeat Ravana
- Donald A. Mackenzie, Indian Myth and Legend
- Slayed a rakshasa woman (Thataka)
- Shot off her arms, nose, and ears, she turned invisible, then he shot and killed her just by hearing
- This killing was at the request of Vishramitra, who was very excited at the rakasha's death
- We learn that Rama can just think about his celestial weapons and they appear
- Donald A. Mackenzie, Indian Myth and Legend
- Vishvamitra goes on a ton of side tangents telling Rama stories
- Including the story of Ahalya
- Wife of Gautama, she was tricked by a shape-shifting god into sleeping with him, and when her husband found out he cursed them both, turning her either invisible or into a stone, depending on the story
- The relevance here is, apparently the arrival of Rama is supposed to break the curse and bring her back to life
- Ralph T.H. Griffith, Valmiki's Ramayana
- Rama falls in love with Sita
- Who is also an avatar, of the goddess Lakshmi
- And these gods were in love anyway, so they share quite the connection
- F.J. Gould, The Divine Archer
- BUT King Janaka sets forth a competition, that whoever can bend a certain bow can marry Sita
- Rama didn't just bend it, he snapped it down the middle
- So Janaka blesses the union
- Donald A. Mackenzie, Indian Myth and Legend
- Rama marries Sita (yay!) and his brothers also find wives from the same family
- Romesh Dutt, Ramayana
- Dasharatha, their father, has to choose an heir
- He chooses Rama (he's blue - what's not to like?) Also he's moral, virtuous, skilled at music, and generally beloved
- Sister Nivedita, Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists
- BUT the king's youngest wife convinces him to send Rama into exile
- So her son can be the heir instead
- Rama accepts without question...he's a good son
- His wife Sita and brother Lakshmana insist on going with him
- Donald A. Mackenzie, Indian Myth and Legend
- They're exiled for 14 years
- Dasharatha's Death
- He remembers that because he accidentally killed a young boy while hunting many years ago, the boy's father cursed him to lose his son, and this is Karma kicking in
- His older 2 wives are with him when he dies, but none of his sons
- Romesh Dutt, Ramayana
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| Rama Breaks the Bow of Janaka (Evelyn Paul, link here) |
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