Ayodhya Kanda — Part 1 of 3. This chapter is an original prose retelling of the traditional Ramayana narrative; it is not a verse-by-verse translation.
Dasharatha prepares to crown Rama, and the city rejoices. Manthara persuades Queen Kaikeyi to demand two boons earlier promised by the king: Bharata’s coronation and Rama’s fourteen-year exile. Dasharatha is devastated by the conflict between his promise and his love for his son. Rama calmly accepts the exile to preserve his father’s word.
The episode invites readers to consider duty, compassion and the consequences of choices. Continue through the kand in order to follow the story from its beginning to its conclusion.