Dasharatha – The Righteous King and the Birth of Ramayana

The Ramayana is built upon many events, but at its core, it stands as a tale of the destruction of evil and the establishment of righteousness. It is not merely a story—it is a path of dharma.

Dasharatha

When a righteous soul walks the path of truth, their life itself becomes a guiding light for the world. Just as the path gets formed where an elephant treads, the ways of great souls become the trail others follow.

In a society where people adhered strictly to the commands and conduct of their king, it was vital for the king himself to embody righteousness. In the Treta Yuga, the need for an ideal model of dharma led to the divine incarnation of Lord Vishnu—Rama. The purpose of Rama’s life was to demonstrate righteousness through action, and the Ramayana is the divine record of this journey.

When the demon king Ravana began tormenting the worlds, unable to bear the cruelty, the gods approached Lord Vishnu for help. The Lord agreed to incarnate, but questions remained—where would He be born, and through whom? Just as nectar needs a worthy vessel, the divine incarnation required worthy parents. The chosen vessel was King Dasharatha, a monarch of immense virtue.

Dasharatha, the son of the illustrious King Aja of the solar dynasty, earned his name from his unmatched ability in war, able to vanquish enemies in all ten directions.

He had three queens:

• Kausalya, daughter of King Bhanumanta of Kosala,

• Sumitra, daughter of King Surasena of the Sumatran kingdom,

• Kaikeyi, daughter of King Ashwapati of the Kekaya kingdom.

One day, while out on a hunting expedition, Dasharatha mistakenly shot an arrow in the direction of a sound he presumed to be a deer drinking water. Tragically, the sound was from a young sage collecting water for his blind parents. The arrow fatally struck the boy, who before dying, revealed that his name was Shravan Kumar, and he had come to serve his thirsty parents on a pilgrimage.

Grieved and guilt-stricken, Dasharatha performed the boy’s last rites and approached his blind parents to confess the accident. On hearing of their son's death, the sage couple died heartbroken after placing a curse upon Dasharatha: "You too shall die in sorrow, separated from your son." This curse left Dasharatha with a blend of grief and hope—he had finally been blessed with children, yet he knew fate would one day snatch them away.

Determined to ensure the growth of his lineage, Dasharatha performed the Ashwamedha Yajna, followed by the Putrakameshti Yajna, under the guidance of Sage Rishyashringa. At the end of the ritual, the god of fire emerged and presented a divine offering (payasam), instructing Dasharatha to share it with his queens.

He divided the payasam accordingly:

• One full portion was given to Kausalya,

• Another to Kaikeyi,

• Both then shared their portions with Sumitra.

This resulted in the divine births:

• Rama, born to Kausalya,

• Bharata, born to Kaikeyi,

• Lakshmana and Shatrughna, the twins born to Sumitra.

  
  

Dasharatha was not only a mighty warrior, once summoned by Indra to battle demons like Shambara, but also a deeply affectionate father. When Sage Vishwamitra requested Rama’s help to protect a sacred yajna, Dasharatha hesitated, revealing his deep love and protective instinct toward his son.

Advised by his wise ministers like Sumantra, and respected even by noble birds like Jatayu, Dasharatha's rule was known across the three worlds. His legacy, administration, and dharma-abiding governance became the foundation of Rama’s own values.

In the grand tale of Ramayana, Dasharatha stands as a pivotal figure—his depth, strength, and moral stature form the cornerstone upon which the epic is built.