Dasaratha at the age of 18, he became the powerful ruler of Ayodhya. He wanted to marry Kausalya, daughter of northern kosala king, Maharaj Sukausha. Sukausha agreed to the marriage without knowing that he and Dasaratha were closely related coming from the same clan.
After the marriage Kausalya gave birth to a female child, Shantha. Unfortunately she was born with handicap in her leg. Dasaratha consulted many people who could help his daughter to be free from handicap. Once he consulted Sage Vashistha. He said that handicap was due to the marriage between close cousins and suggested that she would become normal if she given in adoption to some others.
Dasaratha and Kausalya gave the child in adoption to the childless couple Varshini (Kausalya’s sister) and King Romapada of Anga desha. Later Shantha became normal and her beauty was unmatched. She was not only beautiful but also well educated.
One day while King Romapada was in conversation with Shantha, a Brahmin came to ask for help. King however didn't pay attention to Brahmin. This irritated the Brahmin, so he left the kingdom with anger. Before leaving the kingdom, he cursed that Anga desha will experience drought.
True to his words, Anga desha was soon hit by a drought. On consultation, the king realized that only Rishyashringa, son of Vibhandaka Rishi could help him. Rishyshringa was raised by Vibhandaka Rishi isolated from society. He had never seen any women in his life. Romapada sent his daughter Shantha to the forest to bring Rishyashringa to the city. As Rishashringa never saw women he felt in love with Shantha at his first meeting. He was totally amazed to see the magnificent beauty. Shantha with her beauty mesmerized the Rishi and brought him to the Anga desha, thus bringing in rain too. After that Rishyasringa married Shantha.
Meanwhile, in Ayodhya, after giving Shantha in adoption, Dasaratha wasn’t blessed with any child. He wanted to perform Putra Kameshthi Yaga to please the gods and get a child. Vashishta advised Dasaratha to seek help of Rishyasringa. Rishyasringa performs the yagna successfully. As a result of this Yajna, Rama, Bharata, and the twins Lakshmana and Shatrughna were born.
Shantha again appears when Rama, listening to washerman, abandoned Seetha. She gets angry by Rama's decision and becomes the only person who scolds him.
This character of Shantha, doesn't feature in Valmiki Ramayana. However it is mentioned in detail in many other versions of Ramayana and also in Mahabharatha, when it is stated that Romapada's adopted daughter (from Dasaratha) married Rishyasringa.
We learn from this, a woman can make even the whole country prosperous, if she sets mind to it.
Hare Ram!
Never heard that Rama had a elder sister. Also marriage within cousin will cause some deformity in children, is well told during those days itself. Then how come it is still prevalent in south india
ReplyDeleteNever heard that Rama had a elder sister. Also marriage within cousin will cause some deformity in children, is well told during those days itself. Then how come it is still prevalent in south india
ReplyDeleteThis character of Shantha appears mostly in the Ramayana written in languages spoken in Northeast India. So, most of us aren't aware of it. In fact there is a temple for Shanta and Rishyashringa in Nepal, which is very famous.
DeleteTo talk about the marriage within cousins in South India, it was never so during the period when major literature works were done. Even today in traditional brahminical family, they wouldn't give in wedding in both Father's and mother's gothras.
Please note that in Sanskrit literature, there were a few instances of such within family or deva-asura wedding and all.. In any case, the child born would not be normal. Either the child would be a asura or he would be with a different head or something like that.
Phenomenal, marriage leading to inbreeding was known to ancient society this was followed as rule. .Sagotra varjya
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