Chapter 272

“Markandeya said, ‘O bull of the Bharata race, even Rama sufferedunparalleled misery, for the evil-minded Ravana, king of the Rakshasas,having recourse to deceit and overpowering the vulture Jatayu, forciblycarried away his wife Sita from his asylum in the woods. Indeed, Rama,with the help of Sugriva, brought her back, constructing a bridge acrossthe sea, and consuming Lanka with his keen-edged arrows.’

“Yudhishthira said, ‘In what race was Rama born and what was the measureof his might and prowess? Whose son also was Ravana and for what was itthat he had any misunderstanding with Rama? It behoveth thee, Oillustrious one, to tell me all this in detail; for I long to hear thestory of Rama of great achievements!’

“Markandeya said, ‘Listen, O prince of Bharata’s race, to this oldhistory exactly as it happened! I will tell thee all about the distresssuffered by Rama together with his wife. There was a great king named Ajasprung from me race of Ikshwaku. He had a son named Dasaratha who wasdevoted to the study of the Vedas and was ever pure. And Dasaratha hadfour sons conversant with morality and profit known by the names,respectively, of Rama, Lakshmana, Satrughna, and the mighty Bharata. AndRama had for his mother Kausalya, and Bharata had for his mother Kaikeyi,while those scourge of their enemies Lakshmana and Satrughna were thesons of Sumitra. And Janaka was the king of Videha, and Sita was hisdaughter. And Tashtri himself created her, desiring to make her thebeloved wife of Rama. I have now told thee the history of both Rama’s andSita’s birth. And now, O king, I will relate unto thee birth of Ravana.That Lord of all creatures and the Creator of the Universe viz., theSelf-create Prajapati himself–that god possessed of great asceticmerit–is the grandfather of Ravana. And Pulastya hath a mighty soncalled Vaisravana begotten of a cow. But his son, leaving his father,went to his grandfather. And, O king, angered at this, his father thencreated a second self of himself. And with half of his own self thatregenerate one became born of Visrava for wrecking a vengeance onVaisravana. But the Grandsire, pleased with Vaisravana, gave himimmortality, and sovereignty of all the wealth of the Universe, theguardianship of one of the cardinal points, the friendship of Isana, anda son named Nalakuvera. And he also gave him for his capital Lanka, whichwas guarded by hosts of Rakshasas, and also a chariot called Pushpakacapable of going everywhere according to the will of the rider. And thekingship of the Yakshas and the sovereignty over sovereigns were alsohis.'”