THE VIRA CHARITA OR THE MAHAVIRA CHARITA

OR

THE LIFE OF THE GREAT HERO.


Dasaratha, the king of Ayodhya (Oudh), is the father of four sons Rama,
Lakshmana, Bharata and Satrughna. Rama and Lakshmana visit Viswamitra's
hermitage. Kusadhwaja, the king of Sankasya and the brother of Janaka,
the king of Mithila, accompanied by his two nieces, Sita and Urmila,
enters the hermitage of Viswamitra on the borders of the Kausiki (Cosi),
having been invited by the sage to his sacrifice. He is met by the sage
with the two youths Rama and Lakshmana, and the young couples become
mutually enamoured. Meanwhile Ahalya--the cursed wife of Gautama--gets
cleared of her guilt through the purifying influence of Rama.

A messenger from Ravana, the demon king of Lanka, arrives, who has
followed them from Mithila, and comes to demand Sita as a wife for his
master.

They are further disturbed by Taraka, a female fiend, the daughter of
Suketu, wife of Sunda and mother of Maricha. Rama, by command of
Viswamitra slays her. Viswamitra is exceedingly pleased with the deed
and invokes and gives to Rama the heavenly weapons with all their
secrets of discharge and dissolution. The sage recommends Kusadhwaja to
invite the bow of Siva for Rama's present trial, and consequent
obtaining of Sita. The bow arrives, self-conveyed, being, as the weapon