Daśaratha (Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa)

Daśaratha, simply known as Dasharatha, Sanskrit: दशरथ, Telugu: దశరథుడు, Hindi: दशरथ.

Daśaratha was the king of Ayodhyā and the father of four divine princes: Rāma, Lakshmaṇa, Bharata and Śatrughna. The Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa tells of his past birth as the brāhmaṇa Dharmadatta. It names the great puṇya (merit) that made him fit to be the father of Bhagavān Rāma. It also gives its own account of his marriages, including Rāvaṇa’s attack on the voyage to marry Kauśalyā and the iron-arm incident of Kaikeyī. At the end of the narrative, Daśaratha comes down from svarga (heaven) to see Rāma’s coronation.

Past birth as Dharmadatta

The Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa alone tells that Daśaratha’s past birth was as a virtuous brāhmaṇa named Dharmadatta. In that birth, Dharmadatta freed a preta (wandering spirit) named Kalahā. He did this with śrāddha rites and by giving his own puṇya. He also lived by dharma all his life and kept the Kārtika vrata (vow). Together these gave him the great puṇya that brought him rebirth as Daśaratha, the father chosen for the coming of Bhagavān Rāma.

The ṛshi Mudgala came before Daśaratha and foretold that his son would be Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa himself in human form. He would come to destroy Rāvaṇa and restore dharma.

Marriages

Kauśalyā. Daśaratha’s first marriage was to Kauśalyā, a princess from a distant kingdom. Rāvaṇa was hostile to the Ikshvāku dynasty. During the marriage journey he sent a timiṅgila (a great sea creature) against Daśaratha’s ship. The ship was overwhelmed, and Daśaratha and Kauśalyā were left alone on an island in the ocean. They were cut off from their retinue and had no proper ritual arrangements. So they performed a gāndharva vivāha on the island. This is a marriage by mutual consent and is one of the eight valid forms of marriage. It was later made proper by the right rites.

Sumitrā. She was the princess of Kāśī. Daśaratha married her in the traditional way.

Kaikeyī. She was the princess of Kekaya. She was given in marriage on the condition that her son would inherit the throne. She was known for her beauty and intelligence. The Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa tells that her arm became like iron, through a ṛshi’s śāpa (a curse) or a miracle. A ṛshi then gave her a vara (a boon) that the arm would be restored. He also gave her two more varas to claim from Daśaratha at a time of need.

The Putrakāmeshṭi

Daśaratha was old and had no children. He sought the counsel of Vasishṭha. At last he performed the Putrakāmeshṭi yāga with Ṛshyaśṛṅga as the officiating priest. A divine being rose from the sacred fire carrying the pāyasa (sacred food). Daśaratha shared the pāyasa among his three queens. The Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa adds that an apsarā stole Kaikeyī’s portion, and that this later played a part in Hanumān’s birth.

The Śravaṇakumāra śāpa

The Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa also tells of Śravaṇakumāra. He was a young man who served his blind parents. Daśaratha’s śabda-vedha arrow, which strikes by sound, killed him by mistake while he was fetching water. His parents, struck with grief, laid a śāpa on Daśaratha: “Just as we are dying of grief for our son, you too will die grieving for your son.” This śāpa came true when Rāma left for the forest and Daśaratha died in agony at the separation.

After death: the descent from svarga

At Rāma’s coronation, Daśaratha came down from svarga in a golden celestial vehicle that blazed with the brilliance of the sun. Devas surrounded him. He saw Rāma on the throne with Sītā beside him and the whole family around them. He spoke with deep feeling: “I am blessed. My ancestors are blessed. This land is blessed. My lineage is blessed by your coronation.” He praised Kauśalyā.

Rāma bowed at the feet of his father, who had passed from the world. All the queens, the brothers, the ministers and the citizens bowed before the appearance of Daśaratha. Then Daśaratha was led back to the divine realm.

Sources

• Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Sāra Khaṇḍa, Sargas 1, 4, 5, 12