Dasaratha's woes.

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Dasaratha could not get any progeny.How the same happened?He was a warrior par excellence and could conquer all the Kings of his time and all paid tributes to him.This made Ravana jealous and wanted to finish Dasaratha by any means.So he sent his messengers to Dasaratha to pay tribute to him as he was the mightier one or face a battle.The message was conveyed to Dasaratha by the couriers.Dasaratha laughed at this demand of Ravana and sent powerful arrows to Lanka and fastened all the entrances of Lanka.Then he told the messengers that he had closed all the doors of Lanka and Ravana could not open the entrances however hard he might try and told them to pass on the message that this was his tribute to Ravana.The messengers accordingly conveyed the news to Ravana.To his amazement Ravana could not open any of the doors of entrances of Lanka and he felt ashamed.When this happened the arrows came back to Ayodhya and the doors of Lanka were opened.

 

Now Ravana thought that if Dasaratha could be so powerful his progeny might be still more powerful and he wanted to see that Dasaratha did not have any child and for this he wanted 'Divine help' and went to the forest and did great penance.The intensity of his tapas was such at last Lord Brahma appeared and asked him what boon Ravana wanted?Ravana prostrated and begged that

Dasaratha never get an offspring and Brahma blessed by saying 'so be it' and vanished fearing he might be asked for more boons.Anyway as his desire was fulfilled Ravana came back elated.After sometime Dasaratha married Kausalya,Sumitra and Kaikeyi and though years rolled by he could not get any child.A worried Dasaratha then consulted his preceptor Vasishta what could be done to get progeny and the Sage after deep meditation suggested to invite Sage Rishyasringa to conduct Putra Kameshti Yaga.Dasaratha sent his friend

Romapada, king of Anga desa to bring Rishyasringa.He came along with his wife Santha to do the mission.

 

Dasaratha's minister Sumantra told him that Santha was the daughter of Dasaratha and was adopted by Romapada,Dasaratha's friend.But there is some confusion in this.How Santha became the daughter of Dasaratha and thru whom?This fact is not clear in what I have read.The film Vysali depicts some thing else.I am not raising this for any controversy but just wish to know

thru whom Dasaratha could get Santha as his daughter.I hope Vinod can better clarify the position just to make the actual position.I may be wrong in my narrative but only for general interest I raise this point.Hope this need not be taken as a debating point but a genuine desire to know the truth.

 

Hare Krishna.

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