Hinduism

The Ramayana in Sanskrit: Book 2: Chapter 4

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This is a passage from the Valmiki Ramayana, the ancient Sanskrit epic, presenting the scene in which King Dasharatha announces his decision to crown Rama as crown prince (yuvaraja). The passage appears in dual script — Roman transliteration and Devanagari — and follows the formal verse structure (anushtubh) of classical Sanskrit poetry. Dasharatha summons Rama, recounts his own long life of fulfilled duties and sacrifices, and declares that all the people desire Rama as their king; crucially, he urges haste because he has been seeing terrifying omens — falling meteors, malevolent planetary conjunctions involving the Sun, Mars, and Rahu threatening his own life or catastrophe. The king instructs Rama to fast overnight on kusha grass alongside Sita, observing purity rites, so the consecration can proceed under the Pushya asterism the following morning; he also notes pointedly that Bharata's absence from the city makes this the opportune moment. Rama then visits his mother Kausalya, who is praying for the kingdom's prosperity, and she weeps with joy, blessing him; Rama in turn tells Lakshmana to consider the kingdom as equally his own. The passage is notable for the dramatic irony it establishes — the coronation preparations are elaborate and joyful, the omens Dasharatha cites foreshadow the catastrophe that will shortly follow, and the urgency driven by Bharata's absence hints at the dynastic vulnerability that Kaikeyi will soon exploit.

The Ramayana in Sanskrit: Book 2: Chapter 4

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