THE RAMAYANAM : (Delivered at the Shakespeare Club, Pasadena, California, January 31, 1900)-7.

Part-7.


There was an ancient Indian town called Ayodhya — and it exists even in modern times.

The province in which it is still located is called Oudh, and most of you may have noticed it in the map of India.

That was the ancient Ayodhya.

There, in ancient times, reigned a king called Dhasaratha.

He had three queens, but the king had not any children by them.

And like good Hindus, the king and the queens, all went on pilgrimages fasting and praying, that they might have children and, in good time, four sons were born.

The eldest of them was Rama.




Now, as it should be, these four brothers were thoroughly educated in all branches of learning.

To avoid future quarrels there was in ancient India a custom for the king in his own lifetime to nominate his eldest son as his successor, the Yuvarâja, young king, as he is called.

Swami Vivekananda

To be continued  ....