Bengali Ramayana - Rama

[Guest guest]

After consuming the payasam, the queens started

glowing. The queens who had started aging suddenly

regained their youth. A few days later, Vishnu appeared

before Kaushalya and called her mother. She told

Dasharatha this, and thoroughly pleased and thrilled

Dasharatha rewarded all the people in this land. On the

auspicious day, all the Gods gathered around to witness the

birth of the lord. In the month of Chaitra, the ninth

day of Shukla paksha the lord was born. The room

where he was born lit up as if suddenly a thousand

lamps had been lit all at once. Wonderful he was to

look at; slightly dark complexion, a wonderful face

and broad shoulders. The eyes were shaped like lotus

petals. Dasharatha thrilled; started distributing out

wealth to all. He slowly picked the child up in his arms

and then started kissing him. <br>Seeing Kaushalya's

son, Kaikeyi was saddened. She had hoped for her child

to be born first. Soon, Vishnu was born as Kaikeyi's

son. In looks, the child was absolutely similar to

Kaushalya's son. Dasharatha was extremely happy. Then,

Sumitra gave birth to twin sons. Dasharatha's joy knew no

bounds.<br>In Lanka, as soon as Rama was born in Ayodhya,

Ravana's throne started shaking. His crown fell off his

ten heads. Vibhishana said some one has been born who

is more powerful than you are. Suddenly a voice

spoke from the heaven saying that Vishnu had been born

in Ayodhya and would one day kill Ravana. Ravana

decided to kill the child. He sent for his courtiers

Shuka and Sarana and told them to go and kill the child

in Ayodhya. Devotees of Vishnu, Shuka and Sarana

reached Ayodhya and saw Vishnu there in the child. They

bent for the child said they were Rakshasas and though

they had been sent to kill the child, they could not.

Going back to Ravana, they said that the voice from the

heaven was wrong. There was no child in Ayodhya. Ravana

believed them. <br>When Vishnu was born as Rama, the devas

started taking birth as Monkeys. As Vali, Indra was born.

Brahma was born as the bear, Jambuvan. Shiva was born as

Pavana's son, Hanumana. Agni was born as Neel. Dhanvantri

was born as Sushena. Chandra (Moon) was born as

Dadhi. <br>In Ayodhya, when the boys were christened

when they were six months old. Kaushalya's son was

named Rama. Kaikeyi's son was named Bharata. Of

Sumitra's twins, the elder boy was named Lakshmana and the

younger Shatrughna. <br>Dasharatha joy knew no bounds. He

could not imagine life without his sons, especially

Rama. Sometimes he would think of Andhaka's curse and

would think that separation from Rama would mean sheer

death. <br>When the Rama was five years old, he along

with brothers were sent to Vashishta's ashrama for

education. The boys learnt all there was to learn. Along

with lessons in knowledge, the boys were taught the

art of weapons. They learnt how to handle the bow,

the stick, the mace and learnt wrestling. <br>One day

when Rama was roaming in the Vashishta's ashrama he

came across Maricha, the rakshasha. Rama shot an arrow

towards Maricha. Maricha fled followed by the arrow.

Maricha hid in the forests near Vishwamitra's ashrama.

The arrow returned to Rama. <br>Brahma then told

Indra to hide Amrita in the fruits that Rama and

Lakshmana ate. After eating those fruits Rama and Lakshmana

were never hungry or thirsty again. This was in

preparation for the fourteen year stay in the jungles.