Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.136

c9.136

10) Ruin of the country. Daśaratha decided to install Śrī Rāma as crown prince. The people whole-heartedly welcomed it. During the night previous to the coronation, while the wives of Daśaratha were gladly discussing the happy incident, Mantharā, the tale-bearing maid of Kaikeyī advised her mistress to prevail upon Daśaratha to exile Rāma into the forest and install Bharata as crown prince. Mantharā also reminded Kaikeyī about the boons, which had been promised to her by Daśaratha during the devāsura war. Kaikeyī fell into the trap thus set by Mantharā. Kaikeyī put on a wrathful face and shut herself up in a room. When Daśaratha enquired of her the reason for her anger she asked him to make her son Bharata, the crown prince and exile Rāma for fourteen years’ life in forest. The king fainted when he heard the demand. But, Śrī Rāma, on hearing about it, put on an anchorite’s apparel and got ready to start for the forest. Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa also got ready to follow Rāma into the forest. While the entire population of Ayodhyā stood there weeping, Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa and Sītā wearing the forest-dwellers’ garb started for the forest.