Indian traditions, Nivedita and Coomaraswamy
Dasharatha
Dasharatha rules the prosperous city of Ayodhya but lacks a son to continue his line. He therefore arranges a great horse sacrifice, after which the sage Rishyasringa announces the coming birth of four sons. Years later the promises made to Kaikeyi bind him to an outcome he desperately wishes to avoid: Bharata’s succession and Rama’s exile. His appeal to her fails, and he can only ask to see the son whose departure he cannot prevent.
Also known as Daśaratha · Dasaratha
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In the sources
Principal account
TraditionalDasharatha rules the prosperous city of Ayodhya but lacks a son to continue his line. He therefore arranges a great horse sacrifice, after which the sage Rishyasringa announces the coming birth of four sons.
Further detail
TraditionalYears later the promises made to Kaikeyi bind him to an outcome he desperately wishes to avoid: Bharata’s succession and Rama’s exile. His appeal to her fails, and he can only ask to see the son whose departure he cannot prevent.
Context & interpretation
The king’s sacrifice and dilemma are presented as episodes of the Ramayana in this collection. The narrative supplies no independent proof of the ritual’s effects or the dynasty’s chronology; the entry concerns the character and the obligations governing his story.
Original passages
Source 1
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists
he had no son to carry on his lineOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Nivedita and Coomaraswamy, Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists (1914), active reader leaf 47
Exact passage checked against the active edition text and original-leaf mapping; whitespace and scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0109-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0109-E001-P0047
- Original scan leaf
- 47
- Recorded leaf number
- 47
- Current Reader position
- 38
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists
I am bound fast by the bond of truthOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Nivedita and Coomaraswamy, Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists (1914), active reader leaf 62
Exact passage checked against the active edition text and original-leaf mapping; whitespace and scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0109-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0109-E001-P0062
- Original scan leaf
- 62
- Recorded leaf number
- 62
- Current Reader position
- 53
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Continue exploring
Ayodhya
The royal city whose ideal order is broken by Rama’s exile and restored by his return.
Same subject and traditionArjuna
The Pandava archer whose skill and moral hesitation make him central to the Mahabharata.
Same subject and traditionBhagiratha
The royal descendant whose persistence brings Ganga to his ancestors’ ashes.
Same subject and traditionBharata
The brother who refuses to profit from Rama’s exile and waits for his return.