THE RAMAYANAM : (Delivered at the Shakespeare Club, Pasadena, California, January 31, 1900)-12.

Part-12.



Now, Rama was the life and soul of the old king and when this wicked request was made to him, he as a king felt he could not go back on his word.

So he did not know what to do.

But Rama came to the rescue and willingly offered to give up the throne and go into exile, so that his father might not be guilty of falsehood.

So Rama went into exile for fourteen years, accompanied by his loving wife Sita and his devoted brother Lakshmana, who would on no account be parted from him.



The Kshatriyas did not know who were the inhabitants of these wild forests.

In those days the forest tribes they called "monkeys", and some of the so-called "monkeys", if unusually strong and powerful, were called "demons".



So, into the forest, inhabited by demons and monkeys, Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita went.

When Sita had offered to accompany Rama, he exclaimed, "How can you, a princess, face hardships and accompany me into a forest full of unknown dangers!"

But Sita replied, "Wherever Rama goes, there goes Sita.

How can you talk of 'princess' and 'royal birth' to me?

I go before you!" So, Sita went.

And the younger brother, he also went with them.

Swami Vivekananda

To be continued  ...