Bengali Ramayana - Here comes the Lord

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Dasharatha approached Lompada and told him that

the only way that Ayodhya could have an heir was if

Rishyashringa came to Ayodhya and performed the requisite

yagnas. Lompada took him to the sage. To Rishyashringa,

Lompada said, "This is Dashratha, the king of Ayodhya.

Your wife was born in his house but was raised by me.

By that relationship, you are his son-in-law."

Rishyashringa, by meditating learnt that Vishnu was going to be

born in Dashratha's house. He left for Ayodhya along

with Dashratha. In Ayodhya, along with Vashishta,

Rishyashringra started preparations for the yagna. First

Dashratha had to perform the Ashwamedha yagna. Dashratha

invited all great sages from all corners of the world.

Among other rishis who arrived there, Valmiki also

came. All the great kings of the world were also

invited. Janaka, the king of Mithila also came there. On

the banks of Sarayu the yagna began. Butter and

spices began pouring into the sacrificial fire amidst

the chanting of shlokas. <br>In the heavens, the Gods

began wondering whether Vishu would take birth in

Dasharatha's house to king Vishrava's son, Ravana. They went

to the ocean of milk, where Vishnu was lying on

Ananta, the serpent along side Lakshmi. Seeing the Gods,

Vishnu sat up. He asked the devas why they were afraid.

Brahma said that he had blessed Ravana. Ravana was

cruel. He was so powerful that even Surya, the sun god

was pale in front of him. After the boon Ravana had

fought many battles with devas and had defeated them.

Vishnu agreed to kill Ravana. Brahma told him that He

would have to take birth as a human to kill the demon.

Brahma told Vishnu about the plight of the Gods. In

Lanka, Surya was the doorkeeper. Indra would make

garlands for him; Agni was the cook; Pawan was the fan

bearer, Varuna was the gardener and Yama was the keeper

of horses. Shani, of whom, all were scared, was the

washer man. Brahma himself was the teacher of the young

Rakshasha children. <br>Vishnu asked Brahma, where he

should take birth. Brahma told him to take birth in

Dasharatha's house as Kaushalya's son. Vishnu agreed and told

the Gods to take birth as monkeys. Seeing Vishnu's

decision Lakshmi started crying; where would she go.

Brahma told Lakshmi to take birth in king Janaka's

house.<br>Janaka, the king of Mithila was a pious and holy king.

One day (after Dasharatha had his children), he

decided to perform a yagna for children. As he started

plowing the sacrificial ground, he saw an egg in the

earth. Suddenly the egg split open, and inside he saw a

baby girl crying away. He took the child home and

began raising her as his own daughter. She grew up to

be an extremely beautiful girl. As she was born

while the earth was being plowed, she was named Sita.

<br>Right before Sita's birth, Vishnu got ready to take

birth in Dasharatha's house. He appeared before

Rishyashringa. Rishyashringa poured Ganga water and butter into

the pyre. Then while chanting a Vishnu manta, he put

into the pyre the fruit that Andhaka had offered

Dasharatha. Preparing a payasam, Rishyashringa offered some

of it into the pyre and told Dasharatha to give it

to Kaushalya.<br>Dashratha did not want to offend

Kaikeyi and Sumitra, but he still gave the payasam to

Kaushalya. As Kaushalya was very friendly with Kaikeyi, she

divided the payasam into two parts. Seeing that Sumitra

was saddened. Seeing that, both queens offered

portions of their payasam to Sumitra. As the payasam got

divided into portions, Vishnu had to take birth as four

different people. After the yagna, it was discovered that

the three queens were going to have a child.

Dasharatha terminated the yagna and rewarded all the rishis

who had arrived there.