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Slokam 3
At the commencement of the sacrifice, Sri Rama and Sri Lakshmana kill the demon Maricha and many others.
In the Ramayana, Maricha, or Mareecha (Sanskrit: मारीच, IAST: Mārīca) is a rakshasa (demon), who was killed by Rama, the hero of the epic and an avatar of God Vishnu. He is mentioned as an ally of Ravana, the antagonist of the epic. His most notable exploit is his role in the kidnapping of Sita, Rama's wife. His son Kalanemi was killed by Hanuman.
Cursed to be a rakshasa along with his mother Tataka and brother Subahu, Maricha initially led his life terrorizing sages. He was defeated by Rama at the behest of the sage Vishvamitra. He tried again to kill Rama, but had to run for his life again. Ultimately, Maricha assumed the form of a golden deer and helped Ravana kidnap Sita.
Maricha was the son of the demon Sunda (son of Jamba or Jharjha) and a Yakshini named Tataka, also known as Taraka, Tadaka or Thataka. Tataka was the daughter of the yaksha king Suketu, who had gained her as a blessing from the god Brahma. Maricha also had a younger brother called Subahu. The siblings were very handsome and noble in character. They became skilled in sorcery. Once, Sunda attacked the ashram (hermitage) of the sage Agastya in an intoxicated state. The angry Agastya burnt him by his meditative powers. When Tataka came to know of Sunda's death, she and her sons attacked Agastya to wreak vengeance on the sage. The sage cursed Tataka, Maricha and Subahu, transforming them into wicked, hideous, demonic rakshasas.
Tataka and her sons then went to Patala (the underworld) to seek aid from Sumali, the patriarch of the rakshasas. Sumali took them to his grandson, Ravana, the rakshasa king of Lanka. Ravana helped the trio capture the states of Malada and Karusha, situated on the banks of the river Sarayu near its confluence with the Ganges. The trio destroyed the states and turned them into a dense forest, which became known as the forest of Tataka. They terrorized the people, devouring anyone who dared venture into that forest. The gods, demons and men, as well as even the sun and the clouds did not dare to enter the territory of Tataka and her sons. Maricha and Subahu liked to harass the sages (rishis) in the region and destroy their yajna sacrifices. The brothers threw blood, flesh, and bones on the sacrificial altars and destroyed the sanctity of the sacrifices of the sages.[1][2][3][4][5]
Facing Rama at Vishvamitra's yajna
Rama and Laksmana Confront the Demons Maricha and Subahu.
The great sage Vishvamitra was living in the area near the forest of Tadaka and was doing penance and yajna with his disciples, and being tormented by Tadaka and her sons. Unable to tolerate the menace any longer, Vishvamitra approached Dasharatha, the King of Ayodhya for help. He requested Dasharatha to send his eldest son, Rama to protect his yajna. Though Dasharatha was initially reluctant to send his 12-year-old boy, he finally sent Rama and his younger brother Lakshmana with Vishvamitra on the advice of the royal guruVashishtha. Vishvamitra trained them in warfare and taught them various mantras.[1][2][4]
When Vishvamitra and the princes were passing through the forest of Tadaka, Tadaka attacked them. Rama, aided by Lakshamana, slew her with his arrow. Vishvamitra blessed Rama, as the gods rejoiced in the end of Tadaka. The sage gave him divine weapons as a reward. Vishvamitra then began his six-day yajna, with the princes standing on guard.[1][2][4]
While the first five days passed without incident, on the sixth day the sacrificial fire suddenly faltered, indicating trouble. Maricha and his brother Subahu, with a hoard of rakshasas, appeared from the treetops like black clouds, roaring and making a thunderous noise. They tried to destroy the yajna fire by showering it with blood and flesh. Rama fired his Astra (weapon) Manavastra (which could send its entire target miles away) from his bow. The arrow struck Maricha's chest and threw him a hundred leagues away, into the ocean. In another version, Maricha fled to the ocean just by hearing the sound of Rama's bow. Subahu and the other demons were killed by Rama, using various other weapons. The sacrifice was completed successfully.[3][5][6][7] Later on, under the guidance of Vishvamitra, Rama weds Sita, the adopted daughter of Janaka and the princess of Mithila.
The yagnya is completed successfully with able protection rendered by Sri Rama and Sri Lakshmana.
Sri Rama, on the way back from the ashram sanctifies and redeems Ahalya, with the sacred dust of His Feet.
Extract from Wikipedia
Wife of the sage Gautama Maharishi in Hinduism
In Hinduism, Ahalya (Sanskrit: अहल्या, IAST: Ahalyā) also known as Ahilya, is the wife of the sage Gautama Maharishi. Many Hindu scriptures say that she was seduced by Indra (the king of gods), cursed by her husband for infidelity, and liberated from the curse by Rama (an avatar of the god Vishnu).
Created by the god Brahma as the most beautiful woman, Ahalya was married to the much older Gautama. In the earliest full narrative, when Indra comes disguised as her husband, Ahalya sees through his disguise but nevertheless accepts his advances. Later sources often absolve her of all guilt, describing how she falls prey to Indra's trickery, or is raped. In all narratives, Ahalya and Indra are cursed by Gautama. The curse varies from text to text, but almost all versions describe Rama as the eventual agent of her liberation and redemption. Although early texts describe how Ahalya must atone by undergoing severe penance while remaining invisible to the world and how she is purified by offering Rama hospitality, in the popular retelling developed over time, Ahalya is cursed to become a stone and regains her human form after she is brushed by Rama's foot.
Ahalya's seduction by Indra and its repercussions form the central narrative of her story in all scriptural sources for her life.[1] Although the Brahmanas (9th to 6th centuries BCE) are the earliest scriptures to hint at her relationship with Indra, the 5th- to 4th-century BCE Hindu epicRamayana – whose hero is Rama – is the first to explicitly mention her extra-marital affair in detail. Medieval story-tellers often focus on Ahalya's deliverance by Rama, which is seen as proof of the saving grace of God. Her story has been retold numerous times in the scriptures and lives on in modern-age poetry and short stories, as well as in dance and drama. While ancient narratives are Rama-centric, contemporary ones focus on Ahalya, telling the story from her perspective. Other traditions deal with her children.
In traditional Hinduism, Ahalya is extolled as the first of the panchakanya ("five virgins"), archetypes of female chastity whose names are believed to dispel sin when recited. While some praise her loyalty to her husband and her undaunted acceptance of the curse and gender norms, others condemn her adultery.
Sage Viswamitra wants Sri Rama to participate in the Swyamvara of King Janaka’s daughter Sita. There He lifts and breaks the mighty bow of Siva to win the Hand of Sita. The Paramathma in the incarnation of Sri Rama is wedded to Sita who is Mahalakshmi Herself.
Extract from Wikipedia
Swayamvara (Sanskrit: स्वयंवर, IAST: svayaṃvara), in ancient India, was a practice in which a girl of marriageable age chose a husband from a group of suitors. In this context, "swayam" in Sanskrit means self and "vara" means groom. A girl wishing to marry would select an auspicious time and venue and then broadcast her intentions. Kings typically sent messengers to outside lands, while commoners simply spread the news within the local community. On the appointed day, the girl garlanded the man of her choice and a marriage ceremony was held immediately.
When we internalize the Ramayana, we see that the characterizations and events correspond very closely to what is going on within us and in the pursuit of our daily lives. It is very important to make this association when we read our Ithihasas and Puranas. Otherwise it is not possible to assimilate the intent, meaning and purpose of the scriptures. These are meant to transform our inner selves to a higher plane.
Like Sri Rama, we are born in a relatively privileged environment. Our kingdom are the mind and the consciousness. The demons that we fight are our asuric nature, our desires and the temptations, fears and insecurities of this world. No one is spared from the torments of life.
After the wedding, Sri Rama, along with Sita, Lakshmana, Shatrugna and Bharatha, returns to Ayodhya.
Sita Devi is described in the slokam as the “daughter of mother earth”. Sita is known by many epithets. She is called Jānaki as the daughter of Janaka and Maithili as the princess of Mithila. As the wife of Rama, she is called Ramā. Her father Janaka had earned the sobriquet Videha due to his ability to transcend body consciousness; Sita is therefore also known as Vaidehi.
Sita is the adopted daughter of Janaka.
Extract from wikipedia
Mother of Sita
Ravana abducts Rama's wife, Sita. According to some Ramayana adaptations, Ravana was abducting his own daughter from a union with Mandodari.
Though Valmiki's Ramayana does not record Mandodari as being the mother of Sita, some later adaptations of the Ramayana depict Mandodari as the mother of Sita or at least the cause of the latter's birth.
The Adbhuta Ramayana narrates: Ravana used to store the blood of sages he killed in a large pot. The sage Gritsamada was practicing penance to acquire the goddess Lakshmi as his daughter. He stored milk from Darbha grass and purified it with mantras in a pot so that Lakshmi would inhabit it. Ravana poured the milk from this pot into his blood pot. Mandodari is frustrated seeing the evil deeds of Ravana, so she decides to commit suicide by drinking the contents of the blood-pot, which is described to be more poisonous than poison. Instead of dying, Mandodari gets pregnant with the incarnation of Lakshmi due to the power of Gritsamada's milk. Mandodari buries the foetus in Kurukshetra, where it is discovered by Janaka, who named her Sita.[20][21]
Ravanna therefore could have been said to have kidnapped his own daughter. This is why it is said that he could not harm her.
Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna are considered as part-incarnations of Sheshanaga, Shankha and Sudarshan Chakra respectively.[
Bharatha was married to Mandavi, daughter of Kushadhwaja, Janaka's younger brother. Thus, Mandavi was Sita's cousin. They had two sons - Taksha and Pushkala.[4]
Lakshmana marries Sita's younger sister Urmila. They had two sons—Angadaand Chandraketu. Later, when Rama is exiled for fourteen years on the insistence of Kaikeyi, Lakshmana leaves his wife Urmila and joins Rama and Sita in exile.
Shatrughna was married to Shrutakirti, daughter of Kushadhwaja, Janaka's younger brother. Thus, Shrutakirti was Sita's cousin. They had two sons - Shatrughati and Subahu.
All the brothers and their newly wedded wives return to Ayodhya.
Just imagine the grandeur, strength, sublimity and purity that the family of Ikshvaku brings to our midst.
When we read about the pristine purity of character of the four brothers, we are all bound to be inspired and moved emotionally. The reading of the scriptures and ithihasas is bound to fill us with great spiritual elevation.
May we always hold the powerful images and attributes of the Paramathma in our consciouness to ward off evil and align our lives to the path of bhakti.
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