The Upside Down King - Unusual Tales About Rama And Krishna

RAGHUNANDANAM RAMA ( The Solar Dynasty )

India has been ruled by many dynasties through the course of history. One of the most prominent ones is the Suryavamsha, or the sun dynasty. This vamsha is also known as the Ikshvaku dynasty. Ikshvaku literally translates to " something that is pleasing to the eye ". Many important kings and Princes were born in this dynasty, such as Vishvamitra, Harishchandra , Kakusta and Lord Rama.

Once, there was a king named Khatwanga, who was a powerful ruler. Also known as Dilip, he was handsome and brave.

One day, when Dilip ran into the divine cow Kamadenu, he forgot to pay his respects to her. Kamadenu, because of her gentle nature, did not notice, but the gods were offended and thought she should have been treated better by the king. They said, " a cow provides milk and is like a second mother to humans. Not respecting a cow is as bad as not respecting your mother. Dilip must understand that. Until such time he does, he will not have any children of his own."

As decreed, Dilip remained childless for a long time. It bothered him to no end, and he often wondered, " Who will succeed me?"

So one day, Dilip went up to his guru, Sage Vasistha, who was a saptarishi. He asked his teacher, "Guruji, will i be blessed with a successor ? "

The sage did not answer his question directly. Instead he told Dilip, " I am giving you my precious cow, Nandini. You must take care of her. You must be sincere and protect her, and she must be fed by only by you or your wife. You must not delegate this task to your servants and hence, you should live away form your palace for a while because your kingly responsibilities there will not allow you to take care of her. If your devotion to Nandini is pure and complete, and you succeed in taking good care of her, your desire may be fulfilled."

So Dilip accepted the sage's advice and moved with his wife, Sudkashana, to a small hut in a forest where he devoted himself to the cow. He bathed and her everyday and took her to graze, while his wife cleaned her shed, milked her and looked after Nandini's other needs. As time passed, the bond between Dilip and Nandini developed to such an extent that they became irseparable.

One day, Nandini strolled ahead of Dilip to graze in grounds they hadn't been to before. Out of nowhere, a fierce lion appeared, ready to attack Nandini. Immediately, Dilip took out his bow and arrow and stood in front of Nandini to protect her.

To Dilip's surprise, the lion spoke to him in a human voice. " O king Dilip, I eat cows to survive. It is a part of nature's cycle. One animal is food for another and that is how the universe works. Please move aside and let me eat."

Dilip refused to budge, and replied, " You are right about the balance of life. But I have given my word to my teacher that I will protect NandinI,  and I will fulfill that duty under all circumstances."

The discussion continued for a long time, but they couldn't reach an agreement.

Dilip finally said, " If your hunger is uncontrollable, then eat me. It doesn't matter if I die. But you must let Nandini go unharmed. "

The lion roared with impatience. " Don't be foolish, O king ! You are a great warrior and an asset to your kingdom. Your subjects depend on you. If your cow dies, you can always get another one. But if you die without an heir, it will be tough for your Kingdom to survive."

Dilip understood the weight of the lion's words, but he had promised to be devoted to Nandini. He remained firm in his decision and did not budge.

Suddenly, the lion vanished, lighting flashed across the sky and a voice said from the heavens, " Dilip, I am really touched by your love for Nandini and the promise that you have upheld. May you be blessed with all the good things life has to offer."

Stunned by this turn of events, Dilip returned to his hut with Nandini.

Sage Vasishtha stood there waiting for him. " You have passed the test, my dear child." He said with a smile. " in the past, you had insulted a cow by ignoring her, and today, you were willing to lay down your life for one. May you obtain whatever your heart desires. Now, you may return to your capital."

Dilip bid goodbye to Nandini with sadness and affection, and returned with Sudkashana to his capital.

The following year, the royal couple was blessed with a son whom they named Raghu. 

Raghu was an extraordinary boy, blessed with striking looks, bravery and a good deposition. When he grew up and succeeded his father to the throne, he conquered many lands and became such a famous king that Suryavamsha alook came to know as Raghuvamsha.

Time passed and Raghu had a son named Aja, who grew up to be a kind-hearted man.

One day, a letter arrived, inviting the Prince to attend the swayamvar of the princess of the Vidarbha Kingdom, Indumati. 

The moment Indumati saw Aja, she garlanded him, thereby decelering her choice. The two were wed, and soon after, Aja returned with his bride to rule his kingdom.

In time, Aja and Indumati had a son named Dasharatha.

One day, Indumati and Aja were taking a stroll in the royal gardens, when suddenly a flower fell from the heavens and landed on  Indumati. Instantly, she dropped to the ground, dead. Aja was heartbroken-- his beloved wife had been taken form him. His grief knew no bounds as he bent over her, sobbing.

Just then, the travelling sage Narada appeared. He was a sincere devotee of Lord Vishnu and could travel through different relams. He told Aja that the flower was from his tambura 

" That flower was a special one, Aja, and your wife was no ordinary women. She was an apsara who was cursed to take a human form. She could only return to her former state when a flower from my tambura touched her head. Now her curs has been lifted, and she gone back to the heavens. "

Aja understood the sage's words, but he still missed his wife terribly. Grief sstricken,  he gave up his kingdom, handed over the crown to his son, Dasharatha, and left the palace to live out the rest of his days in the forest.

Dasharatha had three wives: Kausalya, the princess of Kosala ; Sumitra, the princess of Maghada ; and Kaikeyi, the princess of Kaikeya. Dasharatha' s wives bore hum four sons: Rama form Kausalya ; Laxman and Shatrughan from Sumitra;  and Bharat form Kaikeyi.

The following stories are dedicated to Dasharatha' s eldest son , Lord Rama. 

So that was the end of this chapter 😁😁 don't forget to vote, comment and follow me pleaseee😄

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