Reading Notes: The Divine Archer, Part A

Notes:

• Celebrations for the birth of Dasaratha's four sons by his three queens:
• Rama, the son of Kaushalya.
• Bharata, the son of Kaikeyi.
• Lakshmana & Shatrughna, sons of Sumitra.
• Rama is the greatest among all four.
• Rama and Lakshmana went with Visvamitra to fight the demons.
• Jananka is king of city Videha.
• Princess Sita, daughter of King Janaka.
• Sita and Rama fell in love at first sight.
• Sita prays Rama to the goddess Bhavani, while Rama dreams about her at night.
• Rama must bend the bow of the god Shiva to win Sita's hand.
• Rama bends the bow so firmly that is snap.
• Both Parasurama & our hero Rama are regarded as early incarnations, or avatars, of the god Vishnu.
• Three brothers of Rama were also being married that day and then couples returned to Ayodhya.
• King Dasharatha plans to make Rama his successor. 
• Evil servant Manthara manipulates Queen Kaikeyi, mother of Rama's brother Bharata, so that she will oppose Rama.
• Since Dasharatha once granted Kaikeyi two wishes, he must do what she is asked that Bharata will be the successor and Rama go into exile for fourteen years.
• King Dasharatha was devastated.
• Rama obediently agrees to this change in plans.
• Sita and Lakshmana insist on joining Rama in exile.
• Rama, Sita, & Lakshnana left the city and rest under simsapa tree.
• They crossed the Ganges and entered the forest.
• The kind realizes that Rama's exile fulfills a long-ago curse.
• He then went out hunting and killed a boy because he thought it was an elephant.
• Dasharatha told the boy's poor, blind parents what happened.
• The father cursed Dasharatha so the he would suffer the loss of his son too.
• Dasharath dies.
• Bharata returns to Ayodhya and found out that his father was dead.
• He was furious at his mother for what she had done.
• Bharata seeks for Rama to persuade him to return home, but refuses.
• Bharat returns home with Rama's sandals to place on the king's throne until Rama's exile was over.
• While Rama, Sita, & Lakshmana were in exile, they visit the sage Agastya.
• The sage gave Rama divine weapons.
• Agastya then urges him to relocate to Panchavati forest and Lakshmana builds them a house there.
• A demon woman, Shurpanakha, falls in love with Rama.
• She proposes marriage, but Rama told her that he was already married.
• She then seduces Lakshmana, who mutilates her, and then summons the demon army to attack them.
• Rama and his brother defeat all the rakshasa warriors.
• The demon woman escapes and then goes to her brother Ravana, the powerful deomn king of Lanka
• Rama and Sita were being tricked during the war.
• Lakshmana does not want to leave Sita, but she insists he go after Rama.
• Ravana then approaches Sita, disguised as a hermit.
• He then asks her to be his queen and refuses, but he takes her anyway.
• Ravana also cuts off Jatayu's wings.
• When Rama and Lakshmana rush home, then saw Jatayu dying.
• Rama & Lakshmana met the monkeys Sugriva & Hanuman.
• Sugriva had been exiled by his brother Vali and Sugriva and Rama vow to help each other.
• Sugriva showed Rama Sita's scarf when she dropped it in the air.
• Rama and Sugriva then went to confront Vali.

Bibliography: The Divine Archer, F. J. Gould.

Sita Taken by Ravana, Link Text.