3) The Ramayana 1.Bala Kandam  People of Ayodhya are happy with Ramavatharam

❖ Sage Vashishta advised Dasaratha, the king of Ayodhya, to seek out the sage Kalaikottu in the Anga country in order to improve his chances of having a child. The country was suffering from a famine, but Kalaikottu, who had performed immense penance, was able to bring rain and prosperity. He suggested that Dasaratha perform the Putra Kameshti Yagya in order to be blessed with a son.

❖ Following Vashishta's advice, Dasaratha reached the Anga country and requested that Kalaikottu come to Ayodhya. The sage, along with his wife Shanthi, agreed to come and for one year Dasaratha worshiped him. He prayed for a son to rule the world in morality after him, as he had ruled for sixty thousand years.

❖ Kalaikottu instructed Dasaratha to perform the Putra Kameshti Yagya, and with the help of Vashishta, a large yagasala was built and the necessary yagya fluids were collected. Vedic mantras were recited and a deity appeared in the yagya, offering the yagya payasam before disappearing.

❖ Following Kalaikottu's instructions, Dasaratha gave half of the yagya payasam to his two wives, Kausala and Kaikeika, and they in turn gave half to a third wife, Sumitra. All three women became pregnant and carried their babies for twelve months.

❖ According to the belief, souls reach the earth through rain from heaven and the resulting lives are formed with kaikani grains. After two months as an embryo in the father's stomach and ten months in the mother's womb, the child is born. Thus, Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrugna were conceived for twelve months as the embryos entered their mothers' wombs through the rain without milk.

❖ Rama was born on Navami Tithi, Punarbhusa Nakshatra, Kadaka Lagna in the month of Chitrai, Bharata was born the next day in the Bhusha Nakshatra, Lakshmana and Shatrugna were born on the following day in the Ailya Nakshatra. The city of Ayodhya was filled with joy as Dasaratha gave birth to these children and Sage Vashishta named them Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrukna.

Sage Vishwamitra was angry

❖ ❖ The four sons of Dasaratha, Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana, and Shatrugna, grew up in Sage Vashishta's ashram where they learned and excelled in various arts. As they grew older, Dasaratha, along with scholars like Vasishta, Sumantra and Yabali, sat in his palace in a beautiful form.

❖ One day, Sage Vishwamitra arrived at the palace and was greeted with great respect by Dasaratha. The king performed foot puja of the sage with sandalwood and flowers and listened to his request for help. Sage Vishwamitra explained that monsters were disrupting a yagya he had performed for the welfare of the world and that he needed someone to guard it.

❖ Dasaratha offered to go himself but was told by Sage Vishwamitra that an ordinary warrior would not be able to guard it and that there was someone much better suited for the task in Ayodhya. Dasaratha, unsure of who this could be, asked Sage Vashishta if there was anyone better than him.

❖ Sage Vashishta replied that there was someone one thousand million times better than him and that it was Rama. The suggestion made Dasaratha worried as he felt Rama was too young and inexperienced for the task. Sage Vashishta reassured him that it would be beneficial for Rama to go with Sage Vishwamitra.

❖ Dasaratha, convinced by Sage Vashishta's words, ordered Rama and Lakshmana to be brought from the palace. Sumantra was sent to inform Kausala, Rama's mother, to bring them to the palace. The news that Rama was to be sent on this mission with Sage Vishwamitra made the emperor anxious, but he knew it was for the greater good.