The Valmiki Ramayana-5 .... Bala Kanda ..... The spirited heavenly being Prajapatya Purusha offering divine desert to Dasharatha: Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

The Valmiki Ramayana-5

Bala Kanda

The spirited heavenly being Prajapatya Purusha

offering divine desert to Dasharatha

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

(My 10-year-old granddaughter Kanak Vanam who lives in Redwood City, San Francisco, USA is a voracious reader even at this tender age. On seeing me writing Ramayana in Telugu whenever I come to USA, she asked me can’t it be in simple English so that she too can have the benefit of reading Ramayana. Once the same question was raised by my other granddaughters Mihira and Medha. Then I decided to do my best to write in English, as simple as possible. I made Kanak to read first couple of paragraphs and confirmed that she understands. Hence this weekly serial for her and for children of her age group).

    

            On taking such a decision Lord Vishnu having agreed to the suggestion of Devatas vanished from there. From the other side the Putra Kameshti Yagam was going on uninterrupted. Then from the fire of Altar there emerged a heavenly being called Prajapatya Purusha. He was dressed in black and red garments with red face and drumbeating voice besides decorating himself with divine ornaments. He brought with him a big golden vessel which is full with divine dessert. King Dasharatha greeted him and offered prayers. Then the divinity told Dasharatha that, “I am sent by Prajapati. I brought this dessert in golden vessel for you. Take this which develops pregnancy in your wives. Let this be consumed by your wives. Your desire to beget sons will be fulfilled through this”. 

            The King Dasharatha thanking him whole heartedly took the vessel full with dessert and keeping it on his head once again greeted Prajapatya Purusha who disappeared later.

Dasharatha giving in parts the

dessert to his three wives

            Dasharatha with the vessel on entering the palace chambers of him told his elder wife Kausalya about the dessert and said, “This is equivalent to divine drink Amruta. Worship this and if you consume you will beget son”. The king then gave half of the dessert to queen Kausalya, and he gave half of the half, one fourth to queen Sumitra. And to Kaikeyi he gave half of the remaining half, means, one eighth of the dessert, with a desire to beget sons. Then thinking for a while gave the remaining, one-eighth portion again to queen Sumitra. Thus, the king distributed the dessert to his wives in a different way. The three wives of King felt very happy to have the dessert and they deemed it as a reward. They became pregnant after some time. Then on seeing his queens with confirmed pregnancies Dasharatha regained his lost heart for sons. 

Lord Brahma nominates Devatas to procreate monkey race

            When Lord Vishnu consented to be the son of Dasharatha and take the form of human being on the earth, Lord Brahma dictated the Devatas and all gods to become creators of monkey heroes to help Vishnu incarnation in annihilating Ravana. When Brahma ordered like that the Devatas agreed to do so and accordingly started parenting sons in the form of monkeys. The Siddhas, the Sadhyas, the Kinnaras, the Kim purushas, the sages, the Charanas etc. crated valiant sons who started wandering in the forests. Among them were, Vali, Sugriva, Dara, Hanuman, Gandhamadana, Nala, Neela, Mainda, Dvivida and so on. Thus, the Gods and Devatas reproduced many thousands and lakhs of heroic monkeys and chiefs of warriors who were supposed to be of help to Lord Vishnu incarnation in eliminating Ravana, the monster king.     

              

Birth of Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna

            After the completion of Vedic horse ritual, the Ashvamedha Yaga and Putra Kameshti Yaga, all the kings and Sage Rushyasrung took leave of Dasharatha, who was immensely happy, and went away to their respective places. King Dasharatha entered Ayodhya with his three wives. Dasharatha with gratified heart dwelled upon the birth of his sons. Six seasons later in the twelfth month after the Putra Kameshti Ritual, in the first month of Lunar new year, on the ninth day, in the constellation of Punarvasu, and when the Sun, Mars, Jupitar, Venus as well as Saturn were in ascension in their respective houses and when Aries, Capricornus, Cancer, Pisces, Libra, Jupitar and the Moon were in conjunction Queen Kousalya gave birth to the incarnation the Administrator of Universe, The Lord Maha Vishnu, the Sri Rama. Queen Kaikeyi gave birth to Bharata who was born under Pisces where Pushyami was the star. Queen Sumitra then gave birth to two sons Lakshmana and Shatrughna who were born under Cancer where Aslesha was the star. Rama was born on the ninth day of Lunar Chaitra Month, Bharata was born the next day earlier part the tenth of Chaitra, Lakshmana and Shatrughna were born the later part of the tenth day. When Dasharatha announced their birth everyone in Ayodhya celebrated with melodic singing, dancing, drum beating, decorating the streets and so on. On the thirteenth day naming ceremony was performed. Vasishta the Chief Priest named elder son born to Kousalya as Sri Rama, Kaikeyi’s son as Bharata, Sumitra’s sons as Lakshmana and Shatrughna. King Dasharatha honored Brahmins with munificent of gifts. Later all the rituals of birth and ceremonies consequent to it like naming ceremony, first-food-feeding ceremony, first-hair-removal ceremony, and sacred thread ceremony were performed in respect of the princes.

            Among the four children, the elder son Sri Rama was the delight of his father Dasharatha besides being acceptable to all. He was a champion of all the valor activities like archery. Lakshmana always dedicated himself to Rama and behaved like his shadow. Rama never slept without Lakshmana on his bedside and would also not take food without Lakshmana. Similarly, Lakshman’s younger twin brother Shatrughna was dearer to Bharata. For Bharata also Shatrughna was dearer equally. Thus, all the four were grown-up under the able guidance and fellowship of efficient professors of all education and study including theology and bravery. All four princes were enthralled in the study of Vedas and became experts in archery. Against this background king Dasharatha contemplated along with his ministers and priests as well as relatives about the matrimonial alliances of his four sons.