Ramayana : The Legend of Prince Rama

Long long ago, in the island of Lanka, South of ancient India, lived the Evil King Ravana...

...whose wicked ambition to conquer and dominate the...

...whole world, caused pain and misery to one and all.

And in Kaushala, a kingdom in north India...

...people prospered under the benevolent ruler, Dashrath.

However, Kaushala's capital Ayodhya's biggest concern...

...was that King Dashrath had no heir.

On the advice of sage Vashishtha...

...King Dashrath performed a Yajna...

...the ceremony to beget a son.

And as a result he was blessed with four sons...

...from his three queens.

One of them was Ram...

...the hero of this story...

...born of Dashrath's first queen, Kaushalya.

Whenever there have been crisis on the earth...

...Lord Vishnu has descended from the heavens...

...for its salvation.

Lord Vishnu has ten incarnations...

...and Ram is believed to be his seventh incarnation.

When Ram turned fifteen...

...Ravan was at the peak of his powers.

Ravan's relation, Marich...

...along with his mother Tadaka...

...was a terror for sage Vishwamitra and other hermits...

...who lived in a forest close to Ayodhya's border.

They disturbed Vishwamitra's prayers, everyday.

And on one such day...

My Lord Vishnu...

...is there no one who can save us from this torment?

His name is Ram.

First born prince of King Dashrath, of Ayodhya.

O sage of sages...

...my court is indeed blessed by your presence.

What is it that you desire of me?

Let me fulfil your command!

O noble king of the Solar Dynasty...

...the demons ruined the sacred land...

...and we are in great trouble. I need your...

...eldest son Ram to destroy them.

Ram!? He is but a mere boy.

I, myself, shall wipe them off from the face of this earth.

This is a command from the Gods...

...O King, do you dare reject it?

Dashrath, send your sons...

...Ram and Lakshman.

Vishwamitra is strong and wise...

...and has mastery over every weapon.

He will protect your sons.

Ram... Lakshman...

...come here, my sons!

O sage Vishwamitra...

...I leave my sons with you.

Give them guidance and courage.

Bless you, King Dashrath!

You have made a decision that shall save the world.

We will obey you like we obey our father.

Your wishes will be our command.

You know, once this was a beautiful forest...

...but now it has dried up because of a terrible cannibal...

...a demoness called Tadaka.

Her son, the evil Marich...

...leads the demons...

...who defile the holy fires.

Ram, you must kill Tadaka.

That is your dharma!

Your duty as a Kshatriya!

I shall teach you Mantras...

They will guide you.

Now... repeat after me.

Stop it!

That mantra tears apart...

Ram, use the mantra. Recite the mantra!

Many years ago...

...in this very place...

...the Gods rewarded my long years of penance...

...with the mastery of supreme weapons.

The time has now come...

...for me to pass on these weapons...

...to one worthy of them.

Take them, Ram, and use them well.

They are now yours.

Use them to protect 'Dharma'.

That's him! The one who killed my mother.

I shall avenge her with his blood...

...this I swear!

Hey! Watch out!

Hey!

You used the divine weapons!

How did you learn so soon?

These are the weapons of the Gods.

And the righteous one needs no lessons to use them.

Show me, my Guru...

...how to use this Chakra?

You will learn but only if you pursue your destiny...

...in righteousness.

Listen all!

This is the great bow of Shiva!

He who lifts it and strings it...

...shall receive a great reward from King Janak.

The winner shall be given...

...the hand of Princess Sita.

...in marriage.

Next, the Prince Jagtara of Sorav.

Next, the Prince Ram of Ayodhya.

Congratulations on your wedding, Prince Ram.

Years passed.

Ayodhya grows and prospers.

And the people loved Ram.

Their prince and king-to-be.

The four brothers live in harmony...

...and their future looks full of hope.

My people, this morning I awoke from a dream full of omens.

Guru Vashishtha sees in them...

...the coming of troubled times.

But my health is failing...

I am getting old and...

...have no more power to resist those evil forces.

I have, therefore, decided...

...that Ram will succeed me.

He will be the next king of Ayodhya.

Ram, my son, come forward.

Ram, try to live up to the people's expectations.

I have faith in you.

I will do my utmost...

...to live up to the ideals you have set for us.

Long live Ayodhya!

Long live King Dashrath!

Long live Prince Ram!

Get away... get away.

Noisy wretched things!

Manthara, stop abusing the birds.

Aah... Kekeyi, is this the time...

...to beautify yourself?

When great misfortune creeps upon the kingdom?

Manthara, don't you understand?

Our beloved Ram is to be anointed...

...crown prince tomorrow.

And so I said, it is a misfortune.

Oh Kekeyi...

...you are so innocent!

So trusting! And look...

...look how King Dashrath has betrayed your trust!?

Hold your tongue, Manthara.

I will never allow you to speak of the King in this way.

Why? Why do you think...

...the king sent Bharat away, now?

So conveniently...

...before the coronation! Why!?

Why? I wonder why he did that?

Kaushalya might have suggested it...

...to the king. Yes!

You know you are the king's favourite queen...

...and Kaushalya hates you for that.

She is jealous... jealous...

...of your youth and beauty, aah!

What can I do?

Leave everything...

...to this loyal and clever Manthara.

What's happened?

Why this sorrow, this anger...

...on such an auspicious night?

What can I do? Come, tell me.

Tell me O King, do you remember when you were...

...injured in a battle some years ago?

I drove you to safety...

...and you promised to fulfil two boons of mine.

You must grant me...

...those two boons, now!

Only two boons!?

You can have more, if you want.

No, I don't need more than two.

The first is...

No... I cannot grant you...

...those, Kekeyi. Not those!

I will give you all my wealth. Will that please you? - No.

Do you wanted to be known...

...that a king of the Solar Dynasty went back on his words.

I will be content...

...with only those two boons.

The boons were...

...one, Kekeyi's son, Bharat, to be made king...

...and two, Ram to be banished...

...to the forest for fourteen years.

Brother, can you not hear the people's voices?

Lakshman, this is part of my fate.

But are we, on that account to sit still...

...and do nothing? This sword...

...is it only an ornament, just an acts a plaything?

Brother, you are part of my self, sharing...

...the same soul with me. Please...

...try to understand me.

My Lord, I am coming with you.

But Sita, you...

A husband's duty is his wife's too.

Your fate is equally mine. - That's right!

And the same soul should follow the same fate.

And so brother, I, too, am coming with you.

Thank you!

Mother... take heart!