Introduction
Dasharatha is the king of Ayodhya and the father of Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrughna. He is a strong and generous ruler, but he is best remembered for a promise that led to the exile of his eldest son and, soon after, his own death. His story shows how a single word given in love or gratitude can carry a heavy cost.
This article primarily follows the Valmiki Ramayana. Where a well-known detail comes from later retellings, the article says so.
Words to Know
Ikshvaku dynasty: the royal family of Ayodhya, also called the Solar dynasty.
Boon: a promise to grant a wish.
Yajna: a ritual sacrifice performed with a sacred fire.
Payasa: sweet rice pudding.
Dharma: duty, right conduct.
Names
His name means "one whose chariot can travel in ten directions", which points to his skill as a warrior. He is also spelled Dasharath or Dasaratha.
Family
Father: Aja, a king of the Ikshvaku dynasty.
Mother: Indumati.
Wives: Kaushalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra are his three chief queens.
Sons: Rama (born to Kaushalya), Bharata (born to Kaikeyi), and the twins Lakshmana and Shatrughna (born to Sumitra).
The King of Ayodhya
Ayodhya, on the banks of the river Sarayu, was a rich and orderly city under Dasharatha. Valmiki describes it as a place of learning, wealth and peace. Dasharatha ruled with the help of wise ministers and the sages Vasishtha and Vamadeva. He was a great warrior, skilled with the bow, and even the gods called on him for help.
The War and the Two Boons
Dasharatha once fought at the side of the gods against demons. In the battle, he was wounded and lost consciousness. His wife Kaikeyi, who had come with him, drove the chariot away from danger and, according to the story, saved his life. Grateful, Dasharatha promised her two boons, to be asked for whenever she wished. She did not use them at the time. This promise became the source of the crisis that came many years later.
The Wish for a Son
Despite his power, Dasharatha had no children for many years. On the advice of his ministers, he invited the sage Rishyashringa to conduct a sacrifice. At the end of the ritual, a divine being rose from the fire and handed him a bowl of sweet rice pudding, to be shared among his wives. Kaushalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra ate it, and four sons were born.
Dasharatha loved all four but was especially attached to Rama. Valmiki describes his joy in watching them grow.
The Request of Vishvamitra
When Rama was still a boy, the sage Vishvamitra asked Dasharatha to let Rama go with him to protect a sacrifice. Dasharatha was terrified of losing his son and refused. Only after the advice of his teacher Vasishtha did he agree, and Rama and Lakshmana went with the sage. This early scene shows how deeply he loved Rama.
The Weddings
Rama broke the bow of Shiva at Mithila and won Sita. Dasharatha travelled to Mithila with his family and ministers, and all four sons were married in one great ceremony.
The Plan to Crown Rama
As he grew older, Dasharatha decided to hand the throne to Rama. He called his ministers and nobles, and all agreed. The city prepared for the coronation.
But Manthara, a maidservant of Kaikeyi, convinced Kaikeyi that Rama's coronation would harm her own son Bharata. Kaikeyi asked Dasharatha to fulfil the two old boons: send Rama to the forest for fourteen years, and crown Bharata.
Dasharatha begged, argued and wept. He fell to the floor in shock. But he had given his word, and Kaikeyi did not give way. When Rama came, Dasharatha could barely speak, and Rama accepted the exile without protest, to save his father's honour.
The Last Days
Dasharatha tried to send wealth, an army and servants along with Rama, but Kaikeyi objected, and Rama refused to take anything. When Rama, Sita and Lakshmana left Ayodhya in a chariot, Dasharatha ran behind them, crying, until he could no longer see them.
For the next six nights he lay in grief in Kaushalya's palace. On the sixth night he told Kaushalya of an old sin. When he was a young prince, he had gone hunting at night and heard a sound by the river, which he thought was an elephant drinking. He shot an arrow and instead killed a young ascetic who had been fetching water for his blind parents. In popular accounts the boy is called Shravana Kumara. The parents cursed him that he too would die grieving for his son. Dasharatha realised that the curse was now coming true. He died that night, calling Rama's name.
Afterwards
Bharata, who was away at his maternal grandfather's home, returned to find his father dead and his brother exiled. Bharata performed the funeral rites, rejected the throne, and went to bring Rama back. Kaikeyi's plan failed, since Bharata refused to profit from it.
Later in the story, the spirit of Dasharatha appears in the sky after Rama's victory over Ravana, and blesses Rama, Sita and Lakshmana.
Character
Dasharatha is a caring father, a brave warrior and a generous king. He also has weaknesses. He loved Rama so much that he could not bear to part with him, and he was too attached to his word and to Kaikeyi to see the harm his promise would cause. Readers have long debated whether his promise was an act of dharma or a failure of judgement. Valmiki shows both his greatness and his flaws.
Legacy
Dasharatha is remembered as the father whose promise set the Ramayana in motion. His story is used to teach the seriousness of vows and the pain of a father losing his son.