Our Amar Chitra Katha, Dasharatha, has been drawn mainly from Valmiki's famous epic poem—Ramayana. Ravana, an evil Rakshasa, had performed severe penances and obtained a boon from Brahma. No celes- tial being, be it Yaksha, Gandharva or Deva, could kill him. Armed with this boon, he invaded Amaravati, the city of the Devas and played havoc among its inhabi- tants, Distressed, they appealed to Vishnu. On earth at that time, Dasharatha, the pros} and just king of Ayodhya, bent on obtai was engaged in performing a series of sacrifices. To help the Devas Vishnu decided to manifest himself on earth and destroy Ravana, since Brahma’s boon did not protect Ravana from men. And he chose to be born as four sons to the three queens of Dasharatha. As Dasharatha delighted in his growing sons, parti- cularly in Rama the eldest, little did he dream that the curse, hurled at him for a sin committed by him in ignorance when he was a mere lad; would materialize with an impact that would be the death of him. ” Peper used for the ing of this book was made available by the Government of India at concessional rates” Printed by H. K. Nasta at IBH Printers, Marol Naka, Mathuradas Vissanji Road, ‘Andheri East, Bombay-400 059 and published by H. G. Mirchandani, for India Book House Education Trust, 29, Wodehouse Read, Bombay-400039, Editor: Anant Pai Associate Editor: Kamala Chandrakant Ilustrations: M,N. NangareGO THE BELOVED CROWN PRINCE YASHARATHA , THE SON OF AUA AND _INDUMATI, WAS ‘OF AYODHYA, THE CAPITAL OF THE FLOURISHING KINGDOM OF KOSALA ON THE BANKS OF THE RIVER SARAYU. LIKE HIS FATHER, YOUNG DASHARATHA WAS A Di SKILFUL ARCHER.HE COULD HIT HIS TARGET GUIDED ONLY BY SOLIND.AND HE LOVED TO EXERCISE THIS SKILL. ONE DARK, RAINY NiGHT AS DASHARATHA WAS LOOKING OUT FOR GAME— BA, WHAT'S THAT’ A THIRSTY i ELEPHANT’S TRUNK, OUT FOR ITS FILL!‘amar chitra katha, HE paneD AT THE SOUND AND LET HIS DEADLY ARROW FLY.WHEN THE ARROW FOUND ITS MARK- AH! MURDER. BUT HAVE HARMED NONE. AH! MY POOR, OLD, BLIND PARENTS! 1 LEAVE YOU, HELPLESS. DASHARATHA HAD MIs- TAKEN THE GURGLE OF THE HERMIT’S FILLING PITCHER FOR THE SOUND OF AN ELEPHANT DRINKING WATER... THEN, HE RAN TO THE SPOT FROM WHERE THE HUMAN CRY HAD COME.AS SOON AS THE DYING YOUTH SAW [4 O PRINCE, MY THIRSTY PARENTS ARE WAIT- ING AT THE HERMITAGE NEAR BY. GO AND TELL. THEM ABOUT ME.BUT FIRST REMOVE THIS ARROW. LET ! thao Ray i DEATH RELIEVE ME OF THIS PAIN. VIRTUOUS KOSALA - PRINCE , THE DASHARATHA DID AS HE WAS TOLD. PROTECTOR OF i I THEN, FILLING THE PITCHER WITH THE WEAK! WATER,HE MADE HIS WAY TO THE HERMITAGE.MEANWHILE,AT THE HERMITAGE NY HAS BEEN AWAY A LONG WHILE. COULD SOME- THING HAVE. HAPPENED TO Him? DASHARATHA, JUST THEN THEY HEARD FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING. AH ! THERE YOU ARE AT LAST. QUICK, GIVE ME THE WATER. I CAN NOT BEAR THE THIRST ANY LONGER. TEARS FLOWED DOWN DASHARATHA’S| FACE AS HE STOOD ribs EEE LESS WITH GUILT. WHY ARE YOU SILENT, MY SON @ YOU KNOW THAT You ARE OUR VERY LIFE. SPEAK TO US, DEAR SON, YOUR SON. MY NAME IS DASHARATHA. s) MITTED A HEINOUS SIN AND STAND BEFORE YOU, AND DASHARATHA TOLD THEM WHAT HE HAD UNKNOWINGLY DONE, 3amar chitra katha THE OLD COUPLE SAT STUNNED THE BEREFT FATHER CURSED IT WAS MY SON. YOUR SON TOO OUR ONLY SON. SHALL BE PARTED YOU KILLED HIM, FROM YOU.AND N YOU SHALL DIE GRIEVING FOR HIM. SUT THE INCIDENT GRADUAL | | SOON AFTER ,ON THE ADVICE OF HIS MINISTERS LY FADED FROM HIS MEMORY| | AND SPIRITUAL GUIDES, DASHARATHA MARRIED ONE DAY AYA SENT FOR HIM. | | KAUSALYA, A PRINCESS OF KOSALA. DASHARATHA, EVER SINCE YOUR MOTHER DIED THE KINGDOM HAS BECOME A BURDEN TO ME. YOU HAVE COME OF AGE.NOW YOU RULE THE LAND AND LET ME RETIRE TO & THE FOREST.DASHARATHA " DASHARATHA WAS A NOBLE, VIRTUOUS KING AND 4 | WAS LOVED BY ALL .50 RENOWNED FOR VALOUR SK | WAS HE THAT EVEN INDRA, KING OF THE DEVAS, SOUGHT HIS HELP IN HIS WARS WITH THE ASURA C ry UNHAPPY. KALISALYA HAD NOT BORNE HIM THE SON BORN : TO KAIKEY! SHALL | SHALL SEEK BECOME. THE CROWN THE HAND OF PRINCE AND SHE, THE LOVELY QUEEN MOTHER . DAUGHTER OF Y | ASHWAPATHI, LORD OF THE KEKAYAS. BUT TOO REMAINED A BARREN WIFE.amar chitra katha MEANWHILE INDRA, ite. OF THE DEVAS, WAS IN ONE DA O KING, LORD INDRA SEEKS YOUR HELP. AGAINST IMMEDIATELY. THE ASURA bX SHAMBARA. | LORD, LET ME COME WITH BuT | AM NO BESIDES, MY ORDINARY WOMAN. | | LORD, | DO f 1 AM THE DAUGH- NOT WISH TER OF THE )\ INVINCIBLE.DASHARATHA, meee ON uae DEAR HUSBAND, | WILL’ NOT LET YOU LEAVE ME. | WILL NURSE ‘YOU BACK TO A FULL LIFE. [FROM THEN ON KAIKEY! BECAME DASHARATHA’S FAVOLIRITE QUEEN. THE GENTLE YOUNG SUMITRA, UNABLE TO BEAR HIS NEGLECT, SPOKE HER "HEART OUT TO KAUSALYA WHOSE SPE- 4) lean PROTECTION SHE ENJOYED. SHE HAD HIM REMOVED TO HER TENT AND. TENDED HIM DAY AND NIGHT TILL HE REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS. AS SOON AS He OPENED HIS EYES You ALIVE, | HAVE ALL | NEED, MY LORD. PLL ASK FOR THE BOONS WHEN | NEED THEM. QUEEN, YOU HAVE BROUGHT ME BACK. TO LIFE.ASK. ANY Two B00NS 4 SINCE THE -& BOLD KAIKEY! Viamar chitra katha SUCH INFATUATIONS DO |e ; BUT NONE OF THE THREE QUEENS BORE NOT LAST LONG. PER- DASHARATHA A SON. AS THE HAPS ONLYTILL . YEARS PASSED, DASHA- ONE OF US BEARS RATHA’S YEARNING HIM A_SON. S a 1 SHALL PERFORM A SACRIFICE AND OB- TAIN A SON TO RULE THE KING- O KING, GIVE THIS TO YOUR WORTHY QUEENS AND THEY SHALL BEAR YOU WIFE , AND BEAR ME A SON. ADASHARATHA, AS HE WAS ABOUT TO DO SO,A THOUGHT SUDDENLY STRUCK HIM AND HE CHANGED HIS MIND. | SHALL e GIVE HER, REST TO ‘, ONLY HALF KAIKEYI Z ¥ OF IT AND y GIVE THE REST TO GENTLE SUMITRA. AND THOUGH ALL FOUR PRINCES DELIGHTED THE HEART OF DASHARATHA, RAMA, THE ELDEST, WAS HIS FAVOURITE INDEED » HB WAS THE FAVOLIRITE OF ALL SUMITRA FOR HE LOVES AND HONOURS: THEM AS HE DOES HIS OWN MOTHER. HE WOULD MAKE AN IDEAL KING FOR AYODHYA, ff RAMA IS = DEARER TO Ye) LAKSHMANA THAN LIFE \ ITSELF. AND SHATRUGHNA IS PARTIAL TO BHARATA. | WAS WISE TO GIVE THE DOCILE SUMITRA ‘THE SECOND PORTION. Jamar chitra katha IG [A Few onys LareR— YES, MY LORD. BUT PROMISE TO RAKES r RAMA IS OUR ELDEST FATHER WHEN [ € HOW WELL BHARATA SON AND IS AN IDEAL MARRI SHOOTS! KAIKEYI, PRINCE. BESIDES HE ~ MY BELOVED, HE LOVES ME EVEN | f | WILL MAKE AN MORE THAN HIS. EXCELLENT KING. OWN MOTHER. SENSING REJECTION AS WIFE, P TJ KAUSALYA MAGNIFIED HER ROLE HER WORDS. AS HOUSEWIFE.ONE DAY AS SHE REASSURE ME AS | EXAMINED THE EXPENSES OF | | WOULD HAVE. THE QUEENS’ APA RAMA RULE AFTER, EES Me. YET, | MUST = a7 KAIKEYI SPENDS J) TAKE CARE TO A f | MORE THAN We J” keep Kaikevi JI DO.IF ONLY IN THIS FRAME THE KING OF MIND. WOULDN'T INDULGE STRIVING TO KEEP KAIKEY! HAPPY ALWAYS, DASHARATHA NEGLECTED KAUSALYA AND SUMITRA.DASHARATHA. SHE SENT FOR THE | KAIKEYI, EXTRAVAGANCE, YOUNGER QUEEN. |15 BAD; EVEN IN REGAL y QUARTERS. O. MY APARTMENTS AND! | MY PERSON MUST BE WORTHY OF KING.MORE SO AS HE SPENDS MOST OF HIS LEISURE HOURS b WITH ME, LORD, THE RENOWNED SAGE, VISHWA- THEIR QUARRELS SHOULD NOT SPOIL RAMA’S CHANCES. | MUST ENSURE NOT COME UP AGAIN.O VENERABLE ONE, CAN | BE OF ANY SERVICE TO YOU? | PROMISE TO GRANT ANY WISH OF YOURS. RAMA |S BARELY SIXTEEN, A MERE BOY. NO!1 CANNOT, PART WITH MY FIRST- BORN. IF YOU LIKE, MY FRIENDS AND * DEMONS ‘amar chitra katha © KINGy CERTAIN RAK- SHASAS” FREQUENT LY SPOIL MY SACRED RITUALS. O KING, YOUR WORDS ARE UNWORTHY OF YOUR LINEAGE. YOU GAVE MEA PROMISE AND. NOw SAY YOU CANNOT KEEP IT.BRING NOTHING BUT GOOD FOR ‘YOUR SON. WE COULD NOT HAVE HOPED FOR A BETTER. f ALLIANCE, -- ING. SITA, THE DAUGHTER OF OUR VALIANT KING,HAS BEEN WON BY RAMA. OUR KING AWAITS YOUR PLEASURE AND) INVITES YOu THERE. THEN LET US PROCEED EARLY TOMORROW, WE'LL| TAKE BHARATA AND! SHATRUGHNA Witt If YOU ARE AGREEABLE | WOULD GLADLY HAVE MY SECOND DAUGHTER, URMILA, WED ‘LAKSHMANA., : aACCEPTED. IF YOU ARE WILL: ING WE WOULD ALSO ACCEPT YOUR YOUNGER, BHARATA AND ‘SHATRUGHNA ‘amar chitra katha, VANAKA WAS OVERJOYED. THEN LET THE FOUR PRINCES BE MARRIED ON THE SAME DAY. THE ROYAL FAMILIES OF KOSALA AND MITHILA SHALL PROSPER IN THE UNION. MY FATHER SENT ME TO AYODHYA TO TAKE BHARATA TO OUR KINGDOM FOR A FEW YEARS. | HEARD THE: NEWS: ED YOu TO. AS SOON AS THE ARRANGEMENTS WERE OVER, AN ALISPICIOUS DAY WAS FIXED AND THE NUPTIALS PERFORMElDASHARATHA WELCOME, DEAR DAUGHTERS. MAY \SE YOu KNOW ONLY HAPPINESS IN YOuR NEW / AS THE YEARS WENT BY, RAMA’S EXCELLENCE, NOW AS A HOUSEHOLDER ,ENDEARED HIN] EVEN MORE TO THE AGE- NG KING.ONE DAY—, | SHALL SEE RAMA YOU MAY NOW GO CROWNED YUVRAMA WITH YOUR UNCLE WITHOUT ANY DELAY. TO YOUR GRAND~ | SHALL ANNOUNCE MY DECISION AT AN ASSEMBLY OF ELDERS, O. KINGS AND WISE MEN. .-AND AS TIME 1S RUNNING OUT THERE 15 LITTLE NEED TO INVITE ASHWAPATHI AND. JANAKA TO THE CORONATION. 4 Wo‘amar chitra katha: iF ANY AMONG YOU FEEL THAT THIS; CHOICE 1S THAT OF ff A FOND FATHER AND NOT A JUST KING, LET ME KNOW WHAT. 1 SHOULD DO, THE KINGS AND SAGES AT THE SABHA WEIGHED THE MATTER. CAREFULLY. THEN— MIS FAVOURITE RAMA AS THE HEIR- COUNSELLOR. APPARENT. WE, THE. >, PEOPLE , LOOK FORWARD TO IT.DASHARATHA THE KING EMBRACED HIM AND MADE Hin SIT ON A THRONE , SPECIALLY MADE FOR Hil), NEXT TO HIS OWN. WE, THE KING AND THE PEOPLE,PROPOSE TO INSTALL YOU AS THE HEIR-APPARENT. THE ANNOUNCEMENT OVER, PREPARED FOR THE WORST, RAMA RAMA RETURNED TO HIS STOOD BEFORE DASHARATHA, BUT— OWN CHAMBER. LATER — THE KING WOULD LIKE TO SEE You ALONE, MY SON; | HAVE DECIDED TO HAVE YOU INSTALLED TOMOR- ROW ITSELF LET YOUR FRIENDS PROTECT YOU WELL TONIGHT. FORMANY ARE THE HAZARDS THAT THREATEN AFFAIRS LIKE THIS. fey WHICH IN MY BUT BHARATA ae eS 1S AWAY FROM THE CAPITAL... OPPORTUNE FOR YOUR INSTAL- HAVE. THE y PEOPLE PROMPTED THE A HASTY DECISION ? WELL, WHATEVER, HAPPENS IS \_ FOR THE BEST.RIGHTEOUS AND DEVOUT MEN ARE : INCONSTANT. SO YOUR. MAY MY GLORIOUS CORONATION MUST BE 4 SON LIVE LONG. HERE, ACCEPT THESE FOR BRINGING SUCH AUSPICIOUS TIDINGS, WHAT ! THE THRIFTY KAUSALYA GIVING: AWAY GEMS AND GOLD! . BUT HADN?T THE CHIEF \¥ DASHARATHA QUEEN 50 fq PROMISED THE HAPPY @ xs se KINGDOM TO MY \ KAIKEYI’S SON ?-] HER OF THE TREACHERYDASHARATHA ALITTLE LATER,RAMA CAME TO HIS MOTHER’S APARTMENTS .SUMITRA, LAKSHMANA AND SITA WERE ALREADY MOTHER ,THE PRIESTS SAY THAT SITA MUST FAST WITH ME TONIGHT. PLEASE ARRANGE ALL THAT WE | WILL NEED FOR IT. KAUSALYA TREMBLED WITH DELIGHT TO HEAR THE WORDS 7 LAKSHMANA, SHE HAD EVER HOPED TO HEAR. MY LIFE AND THIS =/0 RAMA, YOU MUST : es KINGDOM, TOO, ARE PLEASE THE HEARTS f YOURS. RULE OF SUMITRA’S SONS| " WITH ME. MEANWHILE , IN HER ELEGANT CHAMBER, AS KAIKEY! AWAITED | DASHARATHA, SHE REFLECTED ON HER GOOD FORTUNE. EVER SINCE J CAME AS HIS BRIDE TO AYODHYA,THE KING HAS NEVER LET ME KNOW A MOMENT OF PAIN OR NEGLECT. EVEN BHARATA’S ABSENCE DOES NOT PAIN ME.RAMA BY HIS DEVOTION DOES NOT LET ME FEEL IT. IF ONLY KAUSALYA TOOK MORE KINDLY TO ME...amar chitra katha HER PLEASANT MUSINGS WERE RUDELY INTERRUPTED BY MANTHARA’S RAUCOUS VOICE. WAKE UP, KAIKEYI! YOUR GOOD DAYS ARE. ABOUT TO COME TO A RUDE END. RA YOU ARE PALE2 WHAT’S THE MATTER? THE LORD IS IN HIS HEAVEN BUT ALL IS ILL WITH YOU. © MY INNOCENT ONE , THE. CRAFTY KING HAS SENT YOUR SON AWAY, ONLY TO INSTALL HIS RAMA AS THE HEIR-APPARENT. ‘MY VIRTUOUS RAMA?HEIR- APPARENT HERE , TAKE THIS. ASK FOR ANY AND IT SHALL. BE YOURS. THE ORNAMENT ASIDE. DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND? WITH HER SON AS THE HEIR-APPARENT, KAUSALYA WILL HUMILIATE YOu. SHE HAS A LONG J RAMA WILL NOT LET HER. BESIDES, IF THE KINGDOM BE RAMA’S IT WILL BE BHARATA’S TOO, RAMA IS ABOVE I PETTY DISTING- TIONS. |DASHARATHA MANTHARA BREATHED HARD WITH EXASPERATION. IMPOSSIBLE ! THE CORONATION OF RAMA WILL CUT BHARATA OFF THE ROYAL LINE FOR EVER. IT 19 YOUR. DUTY AS A KSHATRIYA MOTHER. TO PROTECT ae ROYAL YES, WHEN RAMA BECOMES KING,HE WILL BANISH BHARATA OR. KILL HIM. THEN, MY HAUGHTY ONE, YOU WILL BE A SLAVE IN THE ROYAL HOUSE- HOLD .HAVE. NO DouBTS ABOUT t 1. HAD_NOT THOUGHT OF THAT! b MY SON MUST BECOME THE KING. THIS VERY DAY | WILL SEND RAMA TO THE FOREST AND INSTALL BHARATA ON THE THRONE. AH, KAIKEYI! LISTEN TO ME THEN.WHEN SHALL | DEMAND THE BOONS? YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HIS FAVOURITE. SO BE BOLD AND ACHIEVE YOUR ‘amar chitra kath. REMEMBER THE TWO. BOONS DASHARATHA HAD OFFERED YOU MANY YEARS: AGO. ASK FOR THEM NOW, ASK FOR THE INSTAL~ LATION OF BHARATA AND THE EXILE OF RAMA FOR. FOURTEEN YEARS. BY THAT ¥ TIME BHARATA CAN BE A POPULAR. KING AND AN INVINCIBLE MONARCH. }) Now! CAST OFF YOUR FINERY AND ENTER THE CHAMBER OF PROTEST. DO NOT SPEAK TO THE KING WHEN YOU SEE HIM . LET ONLY YOUR TEARS FLOW, UNCONTROLLED, UR. SOBS WRENCH HIS HEART. HOW WISE YOU_ARE,MANTHARA! | WOULD NEVER: HAVE. ‘SUSPECTED THE KING'S MOTIVES. YOU SHALL HAVE ALL THE POWER AND MONEY YOU WANT WHEN BHARATA 1S INSTALLED.DASHARATHA DASHARATHA HURRIED THERE. HE WAS AMAZED AND DISTRESSED) BY WHAT HE SAW. 1 WILL GO TO KAIKEYI FIRST. SHE HAD ALWAYS | SEEN THE HEIR Z APPARENT IN \Y 0 kalkey!, f \ WHY ARE YOU IN TEARS ? TELL. ME WHY YOU ARE SAD. PLL IMME- DIATELY SET MATTERS, RIGHT. IN THE THIS IS. CHAMBER, UNUSUAL. ? {| OF PROTEST, KAIKEY AWAY FROM HER. CHAMBER? AT THIS HOUR? IN THE CHAMBER OF PROTEST ? TILL TODAY NOT ONE OF MY QUEENS HAS FOUND THE NEED TO USE. IT. HAS ANYONE OFFENDED YOU? HAS ANYONE REPRI- MANDED YOu?SOMETHING DONE. IF YOU PROMISE. TO DO IT, 1 WILL SPEAK. REMEMBER. THE TWO BOONS YOU HAD OFFERED ME MANY YEARS AGO? WANT THEM NOW.IF YOU REFUSE | WILL GIVE 4 uP my LIFE. THEN LET MY SON“ BE PROCLAIMED HEIR- APPARENT AND LET RAMA BE BANISHED TO THE FOREST FOR FOURTEEN YEARS. amar chitra katha YOU KNOW THAT EXCEPT RAMA WHO IS MY VERY LIFE. , THERE 1S NO ONE DEARER TO ME THAN YOu. SWEAR BY RAMA THAT | WILL 0O WHATEVER YOU 4 WANT. YW name THe BOONS AND | SHALL SEE THAT THEY ARE YOURS. ELDEST SON WHOSE LOVE ‘SUSTAINS MY UFE. ¢© SINFUL WOMAN , WERE ALL YOUR PRAISES FOR RAMA UTTERED WITH AN ULTERIOR MOTIVE? YOU WILL STAIN THE FAIR. NAME. OF OUR. ROYAL FAMILY WITH THESE BOONS. ASK FOR... SUMITRA WILL NEVER. TRUST ME IF | BANISH RAMA. AND KAUSALYA ? KAUSALYA , THE PER- FECT WIFE , WHOM. | HAVE HURT ONLY TO PLEASE YOU. DASHARATHA NOTHING STAINS THAT FAIR. NAME AS A BROKEN PROMISE; AND A PROMISE TO ONE WHO SAVED THE KING AND THE ROYAL LINE. SO THAT IS IT. THE KINGDOM GOES TO RAMA,ONLY TO PLEASE KAUSALYA. NNO! SHE CANNOT BE THE QUEEN MOTHER! RAMA MUST GO!amar chitra katha KAIKEYI,DON’T YOU RAMA HAS NEVER HURT ANYONE... REMEMBER HOW RAMA AM | TO WOUND HIM WITH YOUR HAS ALWAYS LOVED _ PITILESS DEMAND ? KAIKEYI, 1 AM AND WORSHIPPED OLD AND MY END IS NEAR. YOU 2 1 BEG FOR MERCY. your, FUTILE WORDS: TIRE ME. WILL O GREAT KING, | SWEAR. THE WHOLE WORLD WILL BY MY OWN BHARATA DESPISE ME AS THE GREAT THAT NOTHING BUT KING WHO BARTERED THE EXILE OF RAMA HIS SON AWAY FOR A ol AND THE INSTALLATION FICKLE WOMAN. O * OF mY SON, WILL KAIKEYI, 1 BEG YOU, s PACIFY ME. SAVE ME FROM ) PUBLIC RIDICULE. AND DISGRACE. FINDING HER UNMOVED, DASHARATHA FELL AT HER. FEET. iDASHARATHA BY THEN, IT WAS ALMOST MORNING. | y My BELOVED SON WILL OBEY ME.OH THAT IT WERE NOT SO! FOR IF HE DOES | WILL DIE. Q KING, DO KAIKEYI, | CONSENT, NOT RAVE LIKE LET RAMA GO TO THE FOREST AND LET THE PREPARATIONS FOR \ AND BANISH TOMORROW, BE FOR P YOURS. MY FUNERAL. . TO MAKE SURE THAT HER PLANS SHOULD NOT FALL THROUGH, KAIKEY! ANSWERED FOR DASHARATHA, O SUMANTRA, EXCITED ABOUT THE COMING: EVENT THE KING HAS HAD A SLEEPLESS = ff NIGHT. HE IS TIRED. BRING RAMA HERE TO HIM FOR HIS BLESSINGS. QUICK! = Bh 4 THE EFFICIENT QUEEN TOO, IS AMPATIENT TO SEE RAMA INSTALLED. | MUST HURRY.amar chitra katha ae way i my FATHER WAN : HAVE 1 AND DRAINED OFFENDED OF yoy? MY FATHER? WHEN KAIKEYI TOO PRESENTED THE SHAMELESS KAIKEY! WHOSE HEART Ve A STERN COLINTENANCE — BEEN NUMBED he dace! FACED RAMA. © MOTHER, HAVE YOU SPOKEN HARSH A WORDS TO MY ! CANNOT COMMAND YOU FATHER? WHY \ f LEST IT HURT YOU. IF DOES HE GRIEVE? YOU PROMISE TO OBEY | TELL ME THE | We HIS WISHES | SHALL CAUSE, MOTHER. f } SPEAK. TELL ME / \ THE TRUTH. MY FATHER COMMANDS, | FLINCHING. AND... RAMA, NEVER GOES BACK ON HISDASHARATHA YOU ARE MY MOTHER, AND THERE IS NO GREATER. YET KNOW ME NOT. ON VIRTUE IN THIS WORLD. ‘YOUR ORDER. ALONE | THAN SERVICE TO WOULD WILLINGLY ONE’S PARENTS IN SURRENDER. NOT ONLY _| | THOUGHT, WORD AND. \ THE KINGDOM BUT ALSO DEED. SO LET BHARATA RULE THE KINGDOM. AND... AND | SHALL GO AND TAKE LEAVE OF MY OF a WOMAN WHO HAS: KNOWN THE COMPLETE mm DEVOTION OF HER HUS- DELAY. | SHALL MOTHER AND BAND, HAS NEVER BEEN} HAVE BHARATA OFFER MY a (e MINE. YEARS HAVE | BROUGHT \ consoLarion WAITED TO SEE YOU: IMMEDIATELY, - J > INSTALLED AND an ‘TASTE OF HAPPI- INESS.AND NOW KAIKEYI IT WILL BE LIFE-IN-DEATH|amar chitra: katha. RAMA DID NOT TRY TO CONSOLE HIS MOTHER . INSTEAD — [ 7 MOTHER, AS RAMA LEFT FOR THE FOREST, WITH LAKSHMANA AND SITA WHO INSISTED ON GOING WITH Him, DASHARATHA COLLAPSED WITH GRIEF, IKAIKEY! REACHED OUT TO HELP HIM, KEEP AWAY, O VILE KAIKEYI, YOUR TOUCH WILL POLLUTE ME. YOU WILL ENJOY YOUR, BOONS BUT AS A WIDOW. FOR | WILL, NOT LIVE LONG WITHOUT RAMA, oP) MY FATHERS COMMAND BINDS us YES,MY WORTHY SON, MAY YOU BE HAPPY IN EXILE. | SHALL SERVE YOUR FATHER DUTI- FULLY WHILE | PRAY FOR YOUR SAFE RETURN, TAKE ME TO YOUR. PALACE, O VIRTUOUS MOTHER OF RAMA. NOWHERE ELSE WILL | KNOW PEACE.FULL OF ANGUISH, DASHARATHA PLEADED WITH HER. PLEASE, KAUSALYA, | ENTREAT YOU, | AM YOUR HUSBAND, VIRTUOUS OR WORTHLESS. AND 1 KNOW YOU TO BE WISE. DASHARATHA. O KING, IGNORING ME ‘YOU BANISHED My SON. | MAY NOT EVEN FOLLOW } DESOLATE. YOU HAVE RUINED ME AND MY SON AND ALL AYODHYA. SHAME ME.A WELL BRED WOMAN SHOULD NEVER. MAKE A SUPPLICANT OF HER LORD. PARDON MY TRANSGRESSION..amar chitra katha ON THE SIXTH NIGHT OF RAMA’S DEPARTURE, A MEDLEY OF PAST DEEDS RACED ACROSS DASHARATHA'S BEFUDDLED MIND, BUT ONE STOOD OUT CLEAR—THE KILLING OF THE INNOCENT YOUTH. HE HALTINGLY NARRATED THE WHOLE INCIDENT TO KAUSALYA.THEN— HIS FATHER’S CURSE HAS COME TRUE. | DIE YEARN- ING FOR MY SON.O- KAUSALYA,1 CANNOT SEE YOU COME NEAR AND TOUCH ME, © MY PRINCE, MY SON, No! LORD WHERE ARE YOU ? 4 DO NOT LEAVE. | 0 KAUSALYA ! AH, § y US AND GO... GENTLE SUMITRA! c ‘ C Yon — OVERCOME BY GRIEF FOR HIS EXILED SON, DASHARATHA, A VICTIM OF HIS OWN KARMA, BREATHED HIS LAS:6S DASHA AVATAR THE TEN INCARNATIONS OF VISHNU TEN STORIES RETOLD IN 96 PAGES THE AVATAR . CONCEPT IS THE VERY CORNERSTONE OF HINDU THEOLOGY, ACCORDING TO IT THE SUPREME POWER MANIFESTS ITSELF IN ANIMAL OR HUMAN FORMS ON EARTH, WITH ‘THE DIVINE MISSION OF CLEANSING IT OF THE PERIODICALLY INCREA- SING EVIL, THE AVATARS WHICH ARE CONSI- DERED MOST SIGNIFICANT ARE TEN IN NUMBER AND THEY FORM THE “DASHAVATAR”. THESE TEN START WITH THE FORM OF A LOWLY FISH AND WORK UP TO THE NOBLE MAN, CAST IN THE IMAGE OF GOD. ‘THE AVATARS ENABLE THE COMMON FOLK TO SPEAK OF OR LISTEN TO STORIES OF DIVINE DOINGS WHICH IS A SIMPLE WAY OF PROCEEDING TOWARDS GODHEAD. Book your order TODAY with your bookseller or with INDIA BOOK HOUSE Sa Rashtrapati Road, Secunderabad 3 (for V.P.P. Orders only) > Published by Rl India Book House Education Trust Bombay 400 039. — 8,000 Copies Reprint August 1976CHATURANG KATHA-the promise of exciting entertainment-the newest in pictorial classics for young and old, CHATURANG KATHA brings to you an enthrall- -ing new series of famous tales. 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