Horse-sacrifice, divine dessert, and the births

Classical

The gods were told to father monkeys before Rama was even born.

Dasharatha had everything a king could want except a son. When spring came round, he bowed his head to the sage Rishyashringa, who shone like a god, and asked him to lead a Vedic sacrifice so that his line would continue. Rishyashringa agreed and told him to collect the materials and let the sacrificial horse go free.

The king called his minister Sumantra and had him invite learned priests: Suyajna, Vamadeva, Jabali, Kashyapa, his own family priest Vashishta and many others. He told them plainly that he was troubled by the lack of sons and meant to perform the horse sacrifice, the ashvamedha, with Rishyashringa's help. They approved, and they told him that this worthy wish would bring him four valiant sons. Dasharatha ordered the horse released under armed guard, chose the northern bank of the Sarayu for the ground, and warned that the rite must be flawless, since mistakes would give hostile demons an opening.

A year later, in the next spring, Vashishta took charge. He summoned craftsmen, brick-makers, carpenters, diggers, accountants, dancers and actors, and ordered guesthouses built, hundreds of homes for Brahmins, stables for horses and elephants, and food for every visitor. He had one rule for hospitality: give with respect, never carelessly, because disdainful giving harms the giver. Sumantra invited kings, including Janaka of Mithila, the king of Kashi, the king of Kekaya, Dasharatha's father-in-law, and Romapada of Anga.

When the horse returned unchallenged after a year, the sacrifice began on the Sarayu. It ran for three days and Valmiki describes it with obvious relish: twenty-one posts, an eagle-shaped brick altar, learned debates in the breaks, nobody left hungry. At the end, Dasharatha offered the earth to his priests. They declined land, saying they lived for study, so he gave them a million cows, ten crore gold coins and four times that in silver, which the priests handed to Rishyashringa and Vashishta to share out. Rishyashringa then foretold that four sons would carry on the dynasty.

Next came the rite aimed at sons, the putrakameshti, which Rishyashringa agreed to perform with hymns from the Atharva Veda. As he made the offerings, the gods gathered for their shares. They also brought a complaint to Brahma. Ravana, strengthened by a boon Brahma had given him, was tormenting gods, sages and others. Brahma explained that Ravana had asked to be safe from gods, gandharvas, yakshas and demons, but had scorned to mention humans, so only a human could kill him.

Then Vishnu appeared on Garuda, four-armed, in yellow robes. The gods asked him to be born as Dasharatha's son, and he agreed: he would kill Ravana with his sons, ministers and kin, rule the earth eleven thousand years, and then return to Vaikuntha.

At the altar, a radiant being rose from the fire, dressed in black and red, with a voice like a drum, carrying a large golden vessel full of divine rice dessert. He told Dasharatha it would bring sons and good health, and that he should give it to his wives. The king received it joyfully, and the being vanished. Dasharatha gave half to Kausalya, an eighth to Kaikeyi, and to Sumitra a quarter, then a further eighth after he thought again. The queens ate, and soon each was pregnant.

Meanwhile Brahma ordered the gods to father mighty, shape-changing helpers on celestial women. Indra fathered Vali, the Sun fathered Sugriva, the Wind fathered Hanuman, and so on; Brahma had already made the bear Jambavan from his own yawn.

Six seasons after the sacrifice, on the ninth day of Chaitra with the star Punarvasu, Kausalya bore Rama. Kaikeyi's son Bharata came next, and Sumitra bore the twins Lakshmana and Shatrughna. Vashishta named them on the eleventh day, and all Ayodhya celebrated. The chapter closes as Vishvamitra arrives at the court.

Who: Dasharatha, Rishyashringa, Brahma

Bound to

Rishyashringa lured from the forest causes

Hanuman's birth, the sun, and the thunderbolt causes

Uma's curse: gods' wives shall bear no children past-life-explains

Places: Ayodhya

Where this comes from

valmiki · valmikiramayan.net Bala Kanda contents page sargas 12-18 (titles only)
read for this telling · valmikiramayan.net Valmiki Ramayana Bala Kanda sarga 12
read for this telling · valmikiramayan.net Valmiki Ramayana Bala Kanda sarga 13
read for this telling · valmikiramayan.net Valmiki Ramayana Bala Kanda sarga 14
read for this telling · valmikiramayan.net Valmiki Ramayana Bala Kanda sarga 15
read for this telling · valmikiramayan.net Valmiki Ramayana Bala Kanda sarga 16
read for this telling · valmikiramayan.net Valmiki Ramayana Bala Kanda sarga 17
read for this telling · valmikiramayan.net Valmiki Ramayana Bala Kanda sarga 18

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