As per the ancient text of Indian mythology, the great epic Ramayana, and its protagonist, Lord Rama, took his 7th avatar of Lord Vishnu at the end of the Treta Yuga. Rama avatar was one of the Dashavatar of Sri Hari. However, it is believed that Lord Hari took twenty-four avatars. There are top ten incarnations and Rama avatar is one of them.
We at Vedic Story have told you about the mesmerizing stories of Lord Vishnu and the earlier six avatars. Now, we are narrating the whole Rama avatar story.
Before we start narrating the birth story of Rama avatar, let’s dive into the reasons behind his incarnation as a Dasharath Nandan.
Why Did Lord Vishnu Take Rama Avatar?
In ancient textbooks and mythology, Bhagavatam, and Puranas, there are multiple stories linked with the birth of the Rama avatar. However, there are three reasons behind his birth, explained by Lord Shiva himself.
Also Read :-
- Matsya Avatar: First Lord Vishnu Took the Fish Incarnation
- Kurma Avatar: Second Incarnation of Lord Vishnu
- Varaha Avatar: Third Incarnation of Lord Vishnu
- Samudra Manthan: Why Did Lakshmi Leave Vaikund?
Narad Muni Cursed to Lord Vishnu
Narad Muni, one of the most revered rishi in the Trilokas and the biggest devotee of Lord Vishnu, cursed his deity, Lord Hari. You might be perplexed thinking, why? Let’s Vedic Story spill the beans for you.
Purana narrates a story that once Narad Muni was in Kailash and talking with Lord Shiva about his character and appearance. He told Lord Shiva, “Look at me, Lord Shiva, I am so sober, having all the worldly knowledge. Still, nobody could distract me from my spiritual path”.
Hearing such a proud Narad Muni, Lord Shiva warned him, “Do not discuss this matter in front of Lord Vishnu”. But Narad Muni was Narad Muni and repeated the same story in front of Lord Vishnu. Thus, the Lord of the Universe decided to make Narad Muni realize his mistake.
Narad Muni at A Swayamvar
One day, Narad Muni was walking around and crossed a kingdom. He saw a dazzling beauty and arranged for her swayamvar and wanted to marry. Thinking about the marriage, he visited Vaikund in a blink and asked Sri Vishnu to make him handsome so that the princess chose him.
After the makeover, Narad Muni went to the kingdom for a wedding, but the princess made fun of him. He looked like a monkey. Narad felt so ashamed and returned to Vaikund. He was agitated by the pain of rejection and embarrassment by the girl he liked. Therefore, he cursed Lord Vishnu for making his face like money. He said that Lord Vishnu would also suffer the pain of separation from his beloved wife.
Story of Jaya and Vijaya: Doorkeepers of Lord Vishnu at Vaikund
Before the beginning of the universe and the four-cycle of life on Earth, the sons of Lord Brahma, the Sanat Kumaras, wished to pay homage to Lord Vishnu.
Therefore, they visited Vaikuntha, the abode of Lord Vishnu. But, the Sanat Kumaras, Sanaka, Sanatana, Sanat, and Sanatana stopped to enter the palace by the Jaya and Vijaya, doorkeepers of the Vaikund. This incident fumed the Kumaras and cursed them to be born on Earth.
When Lord Vishnu heard the news, he gave two choices to Jaya and Vijaya:
Take birth on Earth seven times as my devotee, or three births as my enemies, and retain your stature at Vaikuntha.
Jaya and Vijaya thought they could not remain on Earth for such a long time from their Lord and decided on the second option.
As a result, they took birth on Earth as the sons of Rishi Kashyapa and Diti and were named Hiranyakashipu and Hirankasha. They tormented the Trilokas. Thus, Lord Vishnu had to take an avatar of Varaha to kill Hiranyaksha and save Mother Earth from drowning in the cosmic water in the universe. In another avatar of Narasimha, Lord Vishnu killed Hiranyakashipu to save Prahlad.
Story of Demon King Jalandhar: Son of Lord Shiva
Jalandhar was a son of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Bhumi. He ruled the Trilokas, Heaven, Earth, and Patala. The power made him proud and considered himself the same as the Devas. He started to create havoc and exceeded all the limits. Thus, Lord Shiva decided to fight with him and teach a lesson. Jalandhar was undefeatable due to the devotion of his wife, Vrinda, towards him as Pativrata.
Vrinda was a huge devotee of Lord Vishnu, and her divine pureness was securing Jalandhar. The fight continued for years, and at a point, it became necessary to kill him. Lord Vishnu took an avatar of Jalandhar and came in front of his wife. Vrinda broke her fast and soon realized that Lord Vishnu was standing instead of Jalandhar.
The event turned into the end of Jalandhar and Vrindas’ life. Lord Shiva killed her husband, and she took her life knowing that Lord Vishnu cheated on her. Also, put a question on her Pativrata Dharma towards her husband.
However, before killing herself, Vrinda cursed Lord Vishnu that he would suffer the pain of separation. The world would always question the character of his wife, Sita, in his next incarnation.
Story of Maharaj Manu and Satrupa: First Man and Woman of the Earth
As per Hindu myths, King Manu, son of Lord Brahma, and his wife Queen Satrupa did great meditation and Tapa for years to Lord Vishnu. Sri Hari was so pleased with the devotion. He blessed them with a boon as per their desire. They requested Lord Vishnu to become their son in the next incarnation as Raja Dashrath and Kaushalya on Earth. Thus, Lord Hari took an avatar of Lord Rama in Treta Yuga and accepted them as his parents.
Birth Story of Rama Avatar of Lord Vishnu
Dasharatha and Kaushalya were the King and Queen of Kosala kingdom. King Dasharatha had two more wives with the Queen. They were Sumitra and Kaikeyi. The king had no sons to rule his kingdom.
However, Kaushalya gave birth to a daughter named Shanta. He asked his daughter to turn celibate sage Rishyasringa into the household so that he could become a father of sons. With the help of sage Rishyasringa, King Dasharatha performed two Yagna with his wives, Ashwamedha and Putrakameshti.
Lord Agni came out from the Yagna-Kunda and handed Dasharatha a bowl of the sweet dish, Kheer. He advised Dashratha to distribute the sweets to his wives equally so they could give birth to sons.
Dasharatha gave the bowl to Kaushalya and Kaikeyi. Both the elder Queens divided their shares and offered the sweet to Sumitra.
As a result, Kaushalaya gave birth to Rama, Kaikeyi gave birth to Bharat, and Sumitra became the mother of Lakshman and Shatrughan. The King and Queen were so happy with the arrival of their sons. The sons soon turned school-going.
Gurukul Adventures of Rama Avatar of Lord Vishnu
Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata, and Shatrughan received education under the Rishi Vashisht at his Gurukul. He taught him the science of weapons. They studied Vedas, Puranas, and several other ancient texts. However, soon, they completed their education, and the princes of Kosala returned to their palace.
Education by Sage Vishwamitra to Kosala Princes
Sage Vishwamitra, the revered rishi of ancient India, was one of the seven Brahmarshi. He was the author of the Mandala 3 of the Rigveda and Gayatri Mantra.
Vishvamitra was a king and retained the title of Rajarshi, or the royal sage, but renounced his kingdom. He was a student of Jamadagni Bhargava and became the purohit of the Bharata tribe of King Sudas. He was replaced by Sage Vasistha. Therefore, Vishvamitra and Vasistha had a longstanding feud.
This feud was narrated by Rishi Valmiki in the epic Ramayana.
However, after the arrival of the princes, sage Vishamitra visited King Dashratha and asked for help. He spoke to Dasharatha and asked to send his elder son Rama with him. He said, “I hear people talking about your son’s great intelligence and valor. I came to test his arm knowledge with an opportunity to help me defeat the demons.”
King Dasharatha loved his elder son dearly and did not want to allow him to go. But as monarch of Kosala, he must safeguard the lives of rishis and people.
With a heavy heart, Dashratha allowed Rama and Lakshmana along with Vishwamitra.
Rama Killed Tadka, A Demoness
Rama and Lakshmana met with Tadka, a demoness, the wife of a demon Sund, mother of Maricha and Subahu. She was powerful and could attain any form. Tadka had strength equal to thousand elephants in her body. Vishwamitra told the princes to kill Tadka and her two demon sons.
After a handful of terror and a struggle to defeat the demons and the demons, the Ram avatar of Lord Vishnu killed Tadka. He made the forest free from the havoc of demons. Vishwamitra was so happy, and thus he blessed both the princes.
Invitation to Attend the Swayamvar of Sita
Sage Vishwamitra received an invitation from Mithila to attend the Swayamvara of Sita, daughter of Rajashri Janak. Vishwamitra took Lord Rama and Lakshmana with him to Mithila in the kingdom of King Janka.
Story of Ahalya and Maharishi Gautama
Ahalya was the wife of Maharishi Gautama. Lord Brahma created Ahilya, often described as an ayonija sambhava, a person who did not take birth from a woman’s body. The Bala Kanda of the great epic of the Ramayana narrated that Lord Brahma molded her.
He used pure creative energy to create the most beautiful woman to break the pride of Urvashi, the apsara of Heaven.
Seeing her divine and elegant beauty, Indra wanted to marry her. However, Lord Brahma married her off to the sage Gautama. Indra got fumed and always roamed around her hut after marriage.
Seduction by Indra, King of Heaven
One day, Indra created a scene with the help of a hen and trapped Rishi Gautama with a foul alarm. He woke up early, thinking the morning had come. Sage Gautama went for early baths and rituals at the river.
Indra took the opportunity and disguised as her husband for intercourse. Ahalya found out the truth about Indra and his trickery and was guilty. Gautama Rishi caught them red-handed. He cursed Ahalya with infidelity to become a stone. It could be liberated only by an avatar of Lord Vishnu, Rama. He even cursed Indra with thousands of vulvae in his body so that the entire world could see what he thought all the time.
Ahalya’s Liberation by Ram Avatar: 7th Avatar of Lord Vishnu
While Rama, Lakshmana, and Rishi Vishwamitra were on their way to Mithila, Vishwamitra introduced Rishi Gautama’s hermitage. He narrated the whole story to them and how Ahalya was still undergoing severe penance. Lord Ram brushed off her curse with his foot and gave her redemption.
Lord Rama Married Sita
Vishwamitra, Rama, and Lakshmana reached Mithila. King Janaka greeted him with great devotion and asked about the beautiful boys with him. Vishwamitra introduced them as the brave princes and sons of King Dashratha. Janak made all the preparations for their comfortable stay and invited them to the Swayamvara.
On the day of Swayamvara, several princes came to attend the wedding and test to lift the bow, Pinaka, of Lord Shiva. But all of the princes across the Bharata failed. Vishwamitra and other prominent personalities felt if no one could lift the Pinaka, King Janaka’s reputation might ruin.
Therefore, Vishwamitra asked Rama to string the bow. Rama lifted the bow and tried to stretch and bend the Pinaka to string on it. The bow broke into two pieces. Everyone around the Swayamvara hall was speechless. King Janak was elated to see the event and announced the wedding of Sita to Rama.
Breaking the Pinaka, a bow of Lord Shiva, news spread like wildfire in Triloka. Parashurama heard the echo. It was gifted to him by the Lord himself. He appeared in the Swayamvara and was furious at Rama, but he soon realized Rama was an avatar of Lord Vishnu and understood his duties were over in Treta Yuga.
King Janak invited Maharaja Dashrath and the entire Ayodya to join the divine marriage. Dasharatha, his wives, and the people of his region were elated with the news.
Dashratha offered his three sons to Janak and the daughters of his brother for marriage. Queen Sunanda and the brother of Janak agreed on the proposal and were happy. Ram married Sita. Lakshmana married the younger sister of Sita, Urmila. Bharat married Mandavi, and Shatrughna married Shrutakirti.
Grant Welcome of Sita and the Coronation
King Dashratha, Kaushalya, Sumitra, Kaikeyi, their four sons, and the newlywed daughter in laws welcomed Ayodhya. With such a happy occasion, Dashratha announced the coronation of Rama. The entire region was happy except Manthara, a maidservant of Queen Kaikeyi.
Dashratha Promised to Fulfil the Boons of Kaikeyi
Once, in a battle against Asuras, Dasharatha was injured. Kaikeyi then acted on the battlefield as his charioteer and saved his life. He was pleased with her courage and skill in driving the charioteer. Thus, he promised to fulfill her two boons, but Kaikeyi said she would ask when needed.
Kaikeyi’s Isolation in Kop Bhavan
Jealousy and unhappiness of Manthara took the sanity of Kaikeyi. She poisoned her mind and heart and forced her to remember the promise made by King Dashratha to her. Manthara told Kaikeyi to ask Dasharatha to make Bharata the King of Ayodhya and sent Rama to the forest for fourteen years in exile.
When Dasharatha knew that Kaikeyi was in Kop Bhavan, a dark and sulky room in her palace, she tried to please her beloved wife and got to know why. She asked for those two boons, he promised.
Dasharatha was shocked by the demand.
The Dilemma of Dasharatha and 14 Years Exile of Rama
Dasharatha went to isolation in his palace with grief in his heart due to the promise he made and got ill. Rama tried to get the reason, but Dashratha did not utter a word.
Rama, the 7th avatar of Lord Vishnu, visited her half-mother, Kaikeyi. She told him about her boons. Rama agreed to go to the forest for fourteen years and asked his father to crown Bharata on the Ayodhya throne as king.
Sita and Lakshmana accompanied Rama to exile.
The Ayodhya people of Ayodhya were in tears. Dasharatha could not stand the grief of separation from his beloved son. He remembered the curse of Shravan Kumar and died after the departure of his sons and Sita.
Surpanakha Proposed Rama for Marriage at the Exile
Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita were leading a hermitage life in disguise of Brahmin in Chitrakoot. However, later they moved to Panchavati as suggested by Rishi Agasthya.
The entire Bharatavarsha was under the havoc of Demons. The rishis asked Rama to free them from the rakshasa terror in Panchavati. Panchavati was occupied by Surpanakha, younger sister of Ravana, King of Lanka, with her two brothers, Kara and Dooshana.
One day, Surpanakha passed by the hermitage where Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana stayed. She was stunned by witnessing the most beautiful three human beings on Earth. Surpanakha did not hesitate and proposed to Rama, but he refused, saying he was married to Sita. Surpanakha got angered. She tried to hurt Sita, but Lakshaman chopped off her nose and ear to protect his sister-in-law.
Ravana Pledged to Take Revenge on Rama
Surpanakha was so angry and wanted revenge on Rama. She went to her brother, Ravana, in Lanka. She told about the mesmerizing beauty and enchanting charisma of Sita. Ravana fell for her ethereal beauty and decided to marry her.
Maricha: The Golden Dear
Ravana, the King of Lanka, decided to make Sita his wife and fight Rama. Therefore, he sent Maricha, his uncle, and asked him to take the form of an attractive golden deer and gaze near the hut of Rama.
Sita saw the radiant golden deer and asked Rama to get it so that she could play with it.
To fulfill the wish of Sita, Rama went behind the deer and asked Lakshmana to look after her while he was away.
As Rama left, Sita and Lakshmana started to hear Rama calling out their names in pain. Sita started to worry and was terrified, thinking her husband was in danger. She asked Lakshmana to go and check on what was happening. Lakshamana refused to leave Sita alone.
Lakshmana Rekha: A Sacred Circle
When Sita had no choice, she started to comment on Lakshmana and his character, “You wanted to take advantage of me when your brother is in danger, and that is why you are refusing to go.”
Lakshamana had no choice either, as he saw Sita as his mother. Therefore, he circled her in Lakshmana Rekha, a sacred circle against any evil, to protect her and went to check on Rama.
Ravana Abducted Sita
Lakshamana asked Sita not to cross the circle while he and his brother were away. Sita agreed, but as Lakshamana went, a Brahmin came to ask for alms. She was compassionate, following her Kshatriya dharma.
Sita did not want to turn him away and offered the Brahmin what she had. He did not take the alms and took her behavior as an insult. The Janak princess had no choice and crossed the line drawn by Lakshmana. As she crossed the line, the Brahmin revealed himself as the King of Lanka and abducted her on his vimana.
Ravana Fought with Jatayu, the Eagle King of Birds
As Ravana took away Sita, Jatayu, the eagle king of birds, saw and tried to rescue Sita. However, Ravana cut off his wings, and the bird fell. Rama and Lakshmana returned to the hut and found out Sita was missing. They started to search for her and met with Jatayu. He was on his last breath to tell about the abduction of Sita by Ravana.
Rescue Mission for Sita, Wife of Rama, 7th Avatar of Lord Vishnu
The series of active searches began. Rama, the 7th Avatar of Lord Vishnu and Lakshmana reached Rishyamukha mountain. Kabanda, a headless rakshasa, told them to meet with Sugreeva, the King of Kishkindha, Vanara Kingdom, and the younger brother of Vali. Sugreeva was the only one who could help Rama to rescue Sita.
Meeting with Surgreeva and Hanuman
Sugreeva agreed to help Rama as he lost his wife and was thrown out of his kingdom by his brother, Vali. Rama and Lakshmana met with Hanumana, the son of Lord Vayu, and Anjani, an avatar of Lord Shiva. He took him to Sugreeva and started the mission to rescue Sita.
Sugreeva Fought with King Vali
Before the rescue mission, Sugreeva needed the help of Rama to defeat his brother Vali and save his wife, Tara, from his capture. Rama agreed and planned to defeat Vali. Sugreeva and Vali came for a duel with each other. Rama struck an arrow into Vali and killed him.
Sampaathi Informed about Sita in Lanka
After winning his kingdom back, Sugreeva sent four batches of his vanaras army toward the east, west, north, and south and ordered a search for Sita. He also instructed that the search should be completed in a month.
All three directions were fruitless, but the South had some news about Sita. An eagle named Sampaathi said he saw Sita in Lanka at Ashoka Vana. He also informed the army that they needed to cross the ocean.
Hanumana Went to Ashoka Vana to Inform Sita about the Rescue
Rama, Lakshmana, Sugreeva, Angad, King Jambabad, and the Bear came to know the news. They were worried and started to think about how to cross the ocean. It was then, Hanumana said he could fly and reach the other end to check out the location of Sita.
Hanumana reached the Ashoka Vana, met with Sita, and gave her a ring gift from Rama. He informed her that Lord Rama and the vanara army were poaching towards Lanka for a battle. Hanumana returned with the news of Sita that she was captivated by Ravana at the Ashoka Vana and remembered her husband to save her.
Soon, the vanara army made a bridge of floating rocks and crossed the ocean.
Lakshamana Killed Meghnath, Son of Ravana
Meghnath was so powerful and could not be defeated. He received a boon to be killed by a man who did not sleep for 14 years. Lakshmana did not sleep during the entire exile period as he asked a boon from Goddess Nidra to help him to serve his brother Rama. Nidra Devi did not agree to go against nature and her duty. Therefore she asked if he had someone who could get his sleep on his behalf. Lakshmana suggested his wife, Urmila.
As a result, Lakshamana killed Meghnath in the battle of Lanka.
Rama Killed Kumbhakarana and Ravana
Kumbhakarana was the demon Hrinyaksha in his earlier birth, killed by the Varaha avatar of Lord Vishnu. Ravana was the demon Hrinyakashipu, killed by Narasimha, an avatar of Lord Vishnu in Treta Yuga. They were the doorkeepers of Vaikuntha, Jaya and Vijaya.
It was the second birth of Jaya and Vijaya as Kumbhakarana and Ravana. In Lanka, Rama and his vanara army battled with the demon army of Ravana. Soon, Rama killed Ravana and Kumbhakarana and rescued Sita.
He then made Vibhishana the king of Lanka under his reign and brought Sita back to Ayodhya with Lakshmana.
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