- Bharata returns to Ayodhya to find his father, Dasharhata, is dead due to not being able to bare the separation of him and Rama
- The town is a dark and gloomy place (extremely unpleasant)
- Bharata is vengeful towards his mother, Kaikeyi, since she demanded this, but the priest convinces him to forgive her.
- Dasharhata is cremated so the town can quit mourning
- But! Bharata doesn't take the crown --> he takes the whole town into the forest in search of Rama
- King Guha, forest king, blesses their journey in the forest
- Sage Bhradwaja blesses Kaikeyi for what she has done and convinces Bharata that what she did was "fate"
- Bharata embraces his mother --> Kaikeyi feeling of guilt for "killing" the king is relieved
- After a glorious day in Bhradwaja's hermitage created by the architecture god --> they head to Rama at Chikrakuta
- Rama is stunned but pleased to see Bharata in the woods
- Bharata breaks the bad news to Rama about Dasharhata's death
- Rama convinces Bharata to take the thrown until he returns so that he can uphold his father's honor even in his absence
- Bharata sets up the thrown just outside of Ayodhya and places Rama's sandals on top to symbolize the temporary reign
- Bharata promises to walk into fire and die if Rama is one day late back from his 14 year exile
- Rama visits Atri where he learns of the story about a lake, Mandakarni was able to breath and make the lake grow larger and when Vishnu (Rama as a god) realized he was going to drown earth he granted him everlasting life under the lake with his 5 beautiful wives
- When they celebrated you could hear the sound of it from above the lake
- Anasuya befriends Sita and gives her jewelry to give her beauty and strength to make it through this exile in the forest
- In the 14th summer Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita enter the Dandaka Forest
- Agastya lowered the mountain so people could get into the forest for a god that never returned
- He also stopped 2 demons, Vatapi and Ilwala
- Vatapi was human form and spoke the language. He would trick people into coming to have a feast at his modest cottage on the Vindhya hill (Agastya's)
- The meal would actually be a ram which was Ilwala. Once Ilwala was eaten Vatapi would say "Come out" and Ilwala would bust out of the men's stomachs and the 2 demons would eat and drink their bodies and blood (killed thousands)
- Agasya gave a better bow he had found that he thought had fallen out of the heaven's for him in exchange for his old one
- Dandaka is Ravana's domain and Khara, his brother, runs the army
- Once entering the Dandaka forest Rama decides to assist the tiny Valakhilya with destroying the rakshasas because Indra scorned them for their size already
- The trick Kadru used to make Vinata a slave was by places her thousands of children in the horses tail making it appear to not be pure white --> it was though
- Vinata become Kadru's slave but Gadru, the bird king, ransomed her by stealing Indra's amrita right out of his palace by disguising himself several times
- Indra was impressed by his abilities hence giving him the title king of birds
- Once Guadru got his mother free he helped distract Kadru so Indra could get his amrita, immorality, by telling them to bath before tasting it
- Tumburu wanted Rama to violently kill him so he could be released
- Tumburu was the music god so once he was killed he was released from his demon body and began playing instruments
- Tumburu returned to heaven with his girl
- Shurpanka sees Rama and desires him
- Rama says he is happily married and Shurpanka becomes angry and tries to attack Sita
- Lakshmana intervenes and chops off her nose and ears
- Shurpanka runs to Khara and Khara rallies the army to attack these mortals for what they have done
- Rama destroys the large army and Khara alone
- Shurpanka in fear arrives to tell Ravana of what Rama has done
- AND Ravana prepares to deceive Rama as he cannot simply allow this man to live happily in his kingdom especially after what he has done to Shurpanka, his sister
- He goes to visit Maricha whom Rama has already bowed in the heart in his youth
Image Source: Garuda by Tropenmuseum
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