Dasharath, Raajaa-1
1. Why Only Dasharath and Kaushalyaa Got Raam as Their Son?
2. How Dasharath Got His Sons?
3. Why Dasharath Had to Exile His Loving Son Raam?
4. Why Dasharath Had to Die After Raam Had Left for Van?
Raajaa Dasharath is the root of Raamaayan, although its hero is
Raam. Raajaa Dasharath was the son of
Raajaa Aj and was the King of Ayodhyaa. He had three wives - Kaushalyaa,
Sumitraa, and Kaikeyee; and had four
sons named Raam, Lakshman,
Bharat and Shatrughn. Raam from Kaushalyaa,
Lakshman and Shatrughn from Sumitraa and Bharat from Kaikeyee.
Why he was called Dasharath? There are several meanings of Dasharath and
all the meanings were true to his name.
(1) Dash means ten and Rath means chariots. Means who can drive ten chariots
together. He could handle 10 chariots together.
(2) In another meaning he could drive his chariot in all the directions that
is why he wa called Dasharath. He could do this only because of the power
of Vashishth Jee. While he could travel to any world (celestial or nether),
it was never his desire to over stay in any of them, because he knew that
it was against Dharm.
(3) He had controlled all his ten Indriyaan (Rath) that is why he was called
Dasharath. In Upanishad these ten Indriyaan have been regarded as 10 horses
of the body chariot, of which the mind is the charioteer. Since he had control
on his ten Indriyaan that is why he was called Dasharath.
He came to bless Raam after He had killed
Raavan. Raam asked his forgiveness to
Kaikeyee, which Dasharath granted happily.
Dasharath Helped Devtaa in Devaasur Sangraam
Dasharath was very brave and mighty. He participated in Dev-Asur Sangraam
(war) several times. Once he went to Devaasur Sangraam when Shambaraasur
defeated Devtaa. He helped Devtaa at that time. During that battle his
wife Kaikeyee was his charioteer and she saved his life. His chariot's
axle was broken so she put her hand at that place to keep it running.
Besides once he became unconscious in the battlefield, so she brought
him back from there to save his life. Since she saved his life, Dasharath
pleased with her services asked her o ask for two boons. At that time
Kaikeyee said - "I don't need them now, when I will need them, I will
ask for them."
Why Only Dasharath and Kaushalyaa Got Raam as Their Son
This story comes in Maanas,
1/9. In the beginning of the world, Manu and Shataroopaa did a severe Tap.
Bhagavaan got very pleased from them and asked them to ask for any Var. Both
asked for "we wish to have a son like you". Bhagavaan said - "Now
where from I will bring a son like me, so I myself will appear as your son. In
Tretaa Yug, you will be born as Dasharath and Kaushalyaa, and I will be born as
your son." At this Manu said - "Give me one Var more that my life should
depend on you only." Bhagavaan said - "So be it." and went to His Lok.
So the same Manu and Shataroopaa were born as Dasharath and Kaushalyaa in Tretaa
Yug and Raam was born as their son. This happened in the first Chatur-Yug of this
present Manvantar.
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