X-iled. Letter X of the # a to z challenge.

Hold my hand and let us travel far back

In the time-machine of the heart and mind-

Once upon a time, long long ago

In Kosala desh reigned King Dasharatha

 

After a long time of giving away their first born Shanta

Queens Kausalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra 

 

Had Sri Rama, Bharata, Laxmana and Shatrughna

Through the Putra Kameshti Yagna* perfomed

By the austere husband of Shanta, Rishyashrina Rishi .

The beautiful boys grew up, strong, learned and polite

Freeing the jungles for peaceful penance,Rama and Laxmana

Removed the demons Taadaka, Maareech and Subahu.

Sita, Sri Lakshmi incarnate wedded to her consort through

Swayamvara* returns with Rama and dwells in Ayodhya.

The ageing King, decides to crown his oldest son and here

Dear reader is where the trouble begins. Kaikeyi, the youngest

Queen of King Dasharatha, decides to use the two boons he 

Gave her at an earlier time, Manthara's poison playing havoc

In her mind. Deciding to extract her pound of flesh she descended

Upon the innocent-loving King and demanded that he send away

His son, his very life- into exile, a full fourteen years and her second

Wish was that her son Bharata be crowned which of course caused

Her own estrangement with her husband and son. Sri Rama, the ever

Dutiful, set off in simple clothes, Sri Sita and Laxmana by his side. 

Hence Vishnu, Lakshmi and Sesha Naag were off on their mission

To vanquish evil and bring about peace on earth. 

The King could not bear the loss and died of a broken heart and 

All of us know what happened after the start of that famous x-ile*

 

*Fire rituals performed by one desirous of having children
*Swayamvara (Sanskrit: स्वयंवर), in ancient India, was a practice of choosing a husband, from among a list of suitors, by a girl of marriageable age. Swayam in Sanskrit means self and vara means groom in this context.
*Rama and his brothers Lakshman, Bharat, Shatrughna were the chaturvyuha expansions of Vishnu (Vasudev, Sankarshan, Pradyumna, Aniruddha). Rama's life and journey is one of adherence to dharma despite harsh tests and obstacles and many pains of life and time. For the sake of his father's honour, Rama abandons his claim to Ayodhaya's throne to serve an exile of fourteen years in the forest. His wife Sita and brother Lakshmana decide to join him, and all three spend the fourteen years in exile together. While in exile, Sita is kidnapped by Ravana, the Rakshasa monarch of Lanka. After a long and arduous search, Rama fights a colossal war against Ravana's armies. In a war of powerful and magical beings, greatly destructive weaponry and battles, Rama slays Ravana in battle and liberates his wife. Having completed his exile, Rama returns to be crowned king in Ayodhya and eventually becomes emperor, rules with happiness, peace, duty, prosperity and justice—a period known as Rama Rajya.

I am writing poetry based on Indian mythology/history for the April 2016 A to Z challenge. Please read, comment and share freely and do come back :)