दशरथ

यन्त्रोपारोपितकोशांशः

कल्पद्रुमः

पृष्ठभागोऽयं यन्त्रेण केनचित् काले काले मार्जयित्वा यथास्रोतः परिवर्तयिष्यते। तेन मा भूदत्र शोधनसम्भ्रमः। सज्जनैः मूलमेव शोध्यताम्।

दशरथः, पुं, (दशसु दिक्षु गतो रथो यस्य ।) इक्षाकुवंशीयराजविशेषः । स अयोध्याधिपतिः । अस्योत्पत्तिर्यथा, -- सौराष्ट्रदेशोद्भवभिक्षुनामद्बिजपत्नी कलहा भर्त्त्रा सह सर्व्वदा कलहात् मृता प्रेतत्वं गता सा कदाचित भ्रमन्ती धर्म्मदत्तसंज्ञकं द्बिजं दृष्ट्वा तत्समीपमागत्य तद्धस्तस्थतुलसीवारिसंसर्गात् पापभावं परित्यज्य तमुवाच हे द्विज ! मयि कृपां कुरु अहं कथं मुक्तिं प्रयास्यामि । धर्म्मदत्त- स्तामुवाच तीर्थदानव्रतादिभिः पापानि नश्यन्ति । तेषु ते नाधिकारः तस्मादाजन्मपर्य्यन्तं यन्मया कार्त्तिकव्रतं कृतं तस्यार्द्धं ददामि इत्युक्त्वा तुलसी मिश्रितजलेन तामसेचयत् द्वादशाक्षरमन्त्र- मश्रावयच्च । ततः सा दिव्यरूपा अभवत् । तदा सा दिव्यं विमानमपश्यत् विष्णुगणपुण्यशीलसुशी- लाभ्यां सा तद्विमाने आरोहिता । धर्म्मदत्तस्त- द्विमानं तौ गणौ च दृष्ट्वा अतिविस्मयेन भूमौ पपात पुण्यशीलसुशीलौ तमुत्थाप्य प्रशस्य ऊचतुः त्वमेतज्जन्मान्ते भार्य्याभ्यां सह वैकुण्ठं यास्यसि । तत्र बहुसहस्रवत्सराणि स्थित्वा पुण्यक्षये सूर्य्यवंशोद्भवदशरथनामा राजा भवि- ष्यसि अनया कलहया सह भार्य्यात्रययुतं त्वां विष्णुः पितृत्वेन स्वीकरिष्यति । इति पाद्मे उत्तरखण्डम् ॥

वाचस्पत्यम्

पृष्ठभागोऽयं यन्त्रेण केनचित् काले काले मार्जयित्वा यथास्रोतः परिवर्तयिष्यते। तेन मा भूदत्र शोधनसम्भ्रमः। सज्जनैः मूलमेव शोध्यताम्।

दशरथ¦ पु॰ सूर्य्यवंश्ये अजनृपात्मजे रामचन्द्रपितरि नृपभेदेमेदि॰
“अयोध्यायां महाराजो रघुरासीन् महाबलः। अजस्तु रघुतो जज्ञे अजाद्दशरथोऽभवत्” हरिवं॰

१५ अ॰।

शब्दसागरः

पृष्ठभागोऽयं यन्त्रेण केनचित् काले काले मार्जयित्वा यथास्रोतः परिवर्तयिष्यते। तेन मा भूदत्र शोधनसम्भ्रमः। सज्जनैः मूलमेव शोध्यताम्।

दशरथ¦ m. (-थः) A proper name, sovereign of Ayodhya or Oude, and father of RAMA. E. दश ten, and रथ a car; whose car bore him to the ten quarters of the universe.

Monier-Williams

पृष्ठभागोऽयं यन्त्रेण केनचित् काले काले मार्जयित्वा यथास्रोतः परिवर्तयिष्यते। तेन मा भूदत्र शोधनसम्भ्रमः। सज्जनैः मूलमेव शोध्यताम्।

दशरथ/ दश--रथ mfn. ( दश्)having 10 chariots RV. i , 126 , 4

दशरथ/ दश--रथ m. N. of राम's father (descendant of इक्ष्वाकु, sovereign of अयोध्या) R. i ; ii , 63 f. (death of -D दुर्गा) Ja1takam. 461 Hariv. 821 f. Ragh. viii , 29 ( -पूर्व-रथ) BhP. ix , 10 , 1 VP. iv , 4 , 40 and l 8 , 3

दशरथ/ दश--रथ m. N. of an ancestor of राम's father 4 , 38

दशरथ/ दश--रथ m. of a son of नव-रथ12 , 16 BhP. ix , 24 , 4 Hariv. 1993

दशरथ/ दश--रथ m. of रोम-or लोम-पाद1696 VP. iv , 18 , 3

दशरथ/ दश--रथ m. of a son of सु-यशस्24 , 8 ( दाश्v.l. )and Inscr. (in Prakrit dasalatha)

दशरथ/ दश--रथ n. the body Npr.

Purana index

पृष्ठभागोऽयं यन्त्रेण केनचित् काले काले मार्जयित्वा यथास्रोतः परिवर्तयिष्यते। तेन मा भूदत्र शोधनसम्भ्रमः। सज्जनैः मूलमेव शोध्यताम्।

(I)--a son of मूलक, and father of ऐड- विड. (इलीविल-वि। प्।). भा. IX. 9. ४१; V. IV. 4. ७५.

(II)--a son of Aja (पाल) and of इन्दुमती; and father of श्री Ra1ma (दाशरथि Ra1ma-वा। प्।) and three other sons, being the अम्शस् of Hari. फलकम्:F1:  भा. IX. १०. 1-2; Br. III. ६३. १८४; IV. ४०. १००; M. १२. ४९-50; वा. ८८. १८३-4; १११. ६४; Vi. IV. 4. ८६-7.फलकम्:/F A friend of Roma- पाद to whom he gave his daughter शान्ता in adoption. फलकम्:F2:  भा. IX. २३. 7-8; Vi. IV. १८. १७-8.फलकम्:/F King of अयोध्या. Having no sons worshipped त्रिपुरसुन्दरी at the capital and spent seven days at काञ्ची praying to कामाक्षी who blessed him with four sons. फलकम्:F3:  Br. III. ३७. ३१; ६३. १८४; IV. ४०. ८८.फलकम्:/F

(III)--a son of Navaratha, and father of शकुनि (एकादशरथ-ब्र्। प्।). भा. IX. २४. 4-5; Br. III. ७०. ४३-4. वा. ९५. ४२; Vi. IV. १२. ४१.

(IV)--a son of Satyaratha (Citraratha: वा। प्।). (Known also as लोमपाद). M. ४८. ९४; वा. 9. १०३.

(V)--a Maurya king who ruled for eight years; son of सुयशा and father of Samyuta. M. २७२. २५; Vi. IV. २४. ३०.

Purana Encyclopedia

पृष्ठभागोऽयं यन्त्रेण केनचित् काले काले मार्जयित्वा यथास्रोतः परिवर्तयिष्यते। तेन मा भूदत्र शोधनसम्भ्रमः। सज्जनैः मूलमेव शोध्यताम्।

DAŚARATHA : (Nemi). A famous king of the Ikṣvāku dynasty. He was the father of Śrī Rāma.

1) Genealogy. Descended from Viṣṇu in the following order. Brahmā--Marīci--Kaśyapa--Vivasvān--Vaivasvata Manu--Ikṣvāku--Vikukṣi--Śaśāda--Kakutstha--Ane- nas--Pṛthulāśva--Prasenajit--Yuvanāśva--Māndhātā-- Purukutsa--Trasadasyu--Anaraṇya--Haryaśva--Vasu- manas--Sudhanvā--Traiyyāruṇa--Satyavrata (Triśaṅku) Hariścandra--Rohitāśva--Hārīta--Cuñcu--Sudeva-- Bharuka--Bāhuka--Sagara--Asamañjas--Aṁśumān-- Bhagīratha--Sṛtanābha--Sindhudvīpa--Ayutāyus-- Ṛtuparṇa--Sarvakāma--Sudās--Mitrasaha--(Kalmā- ṣapāda)--Aśmaka--Mūlaka--Khaṭvaṅga (Dilīpa; Dīrgha bāhu)--Raghu--Aja--Daaśratha.

2) Birth. Daśaratha was the son of Aja, of the family of Ikṣvāku, born of his wife Indumatī.(** It is stated in Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 274, Stanza 6 that ‘Ilabilā, was the name of the mother of Daśaratha.**)

3) Daśaratha's hunt. Once during the early part of his life Daśaratha was walking through a forest engaged in hunting. He reached the bank of the river Sarayū. It was evening and the forest was thick. He walked in search of wild animals. The night was advancing and darkness getting thicker. Then he heard a sound from the river as if an elephant was drinking water. Thinking it to be an elephant Daśaratha sent an arrow in the direction from which the sound came. Instantly he heard a man crying with pain. The king was disappointed. He ran to the spot and saw a hermit boy lying in a pool of blood beating his limbs on the ground and crying. The waterpot he had been dipping in the water lay close by. In answer to the questions of the King, the hermit boy whose name was Śravaṇa,(**. In Agnipurāṇa Chapter 6, it is stated that the name of this hermit boy was Yajñadatta.**) said, “Oh King! What wrong have I done? My parents are sitting thirsty and blind with age, in the hermitage close- by. I, their only son, was dipping the pot to take water to them, when you sent the arrow at me. So, please take some water to them in this pot and console them.”

Hearing this, with tears the King drew out the fatal arrow from the body of the boy and with that the boy Śravaṇa said good bye to the world. Daśaratha took water in the pot and went in search of the hermitage in the darkness. With difficulty he found out the hermitage and as he drew near, the aged parents of the boy heard his footsteps and called him eagerly. The King, with tearful eyes told them what had happened. There was loud wailing and crying in the hermitage. According to their wish the King took them to where their son lay. Then the King made a fire and placed the dead body of the boy in it. The aged and blind parents cursed Daśaratha, “You also will die of loss of children”. Then they also entered the fire and were burnt along with their son's dead body. (Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Ayo- dhyā Kāṇḍa, Sarga 63).

4) Marriage. Daśaratha had three wives, named Kauśalyā, Kaikeyī and Sumitrā.

5) Kaikeyī given a boon. There was a great battle in the world of the gods between the asuras and the gods. According to the request of the devas, Daśaratha went to the world of the devas to help them. Kaikeyī also went with Daśaratha. In a severe fight with Śambara, an asura, Daśaratha fell down unconscious. Kaikeyī took him away from the battle-field. When he recovered the King got into the chariot and fought more fiercely than before. This time the wheel-bolt of one of the wheels of the chariot of Daśaratha slipped away. Without inform- ing her husband of this danger, Kaikeyī inserted her finger into the bolt-hole and prevented the wheel from sliding away. The King won the battle. After the battle, when the King came to know of the services rendered by Kaikeyī, he promised her two boons. Kaikeyī told the King that she would ask for them later, when she needed them. Then they returned to Ayodhyā. (Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Sarga 9, Kaṁpa Rāmāyaṇa, Bāla Kāṇḍa).

6) Administration of Daśaratha. The capital of Daśa- ratha's kingdom of Kosala, was Ayodhyā. This city was situated on the bank of river Sarayū. Daśaratha was as famous in Ayodhyā as Indra was in the realm of the gods. There were palaces in Ayodhyā for the kings who brought tribute to stay. In short, as mentioned in Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bāla Kāṇḍa, Sarga 5, Ayodhyā was the heaven on earth.

7) Ministers. Daśaratha had eight ministers, Sṛṣṭi, Jayanta, Vijaya, Siddhārtha, Rāṣṭravardhana, Aśoka, Dharmapāla, and Sumantra. (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 6).

8) The name Daśaratha. The real name of Daśaratha was Nemi. Once the unattackable and invincible asura Śaṁbara conquered the throne of Indra. At the request of Brahmā and the gods, this King reached heaven and destroyed the armies of the asuras very easily. Śaṁbara got angry, assumed ten shapes and attacked the King from ten points at the same time. The king confronted the ten Śaṁbaras at ten points, at the same time, and killed all of them at the same moment. Because he faced his chariot to ten points at the same time and fought with enemies on those ten points Brahmā appre- ciated his valiant fighting and charioteeering and gave him the name ‘Daśaratha’ (one who is capable of driving the chariot to ten points at the same time). Thus his original name was forgotten and he came to be known only by the name given him later. (Kaṁpa Rāmāyaṇa, Yuddha Kāṇḍa).

9) Birth of Sons. Kausalyā was the first wife of Daśa- ratha. She was the daughter of the King of Uttara Kosala. A daughter named Śāntā was born to Daśaratha by Kausalyā. After this, no sons or daughters were born to Daśaratha for a long time.

At this juncture Lomapāda, the king of Aṅga who was the class-mate and a great friend of Daśaratha, came to Ayodhyā on a friendly visit. He also had no children. So he entreated Daśaratha to give Śāntā to him as a foster-daughter. Thus he took away Śāntā to Aṅga. Lomapāda gave Śāntā in marriage to Ṛṣyaṣṛṅga a hermit. (See under Ṛṣyaśṛṅga).

As Kausalyā was childless Daśaratha brought as his wife Kaikeyī the daughter of the King of Kekaya and sister of Yudhājit. Still no children were born to them. He was much disappointed. At last he married again and brought Sumitrā the princess of Kāśi. Of these three, Kausalyā was the chief wife.

Though he had three wives, Daśaratha still remained childless. The King and his queens spent their days in sorrow for a long time. The King remembered the curse he had incurred when he was young. The curse was that as they had died with sorrow at the death of their son Śravaṇa, the same thing would happen to me. So he believed that sons would be born to him.

He performed several devotional acts to get children. Finally he gave up all kingly pleasures and began to lead an ascetic life. He built a temple for his own use and consecrated the idol of Mahāviṣṇu in it. Then entrust- ing the administration of the Kingdom to his ministers he and his wives engaged themselves in daily devotion and meditation in the temple. Then the King decided to perform the sacrifice of Putrakāmeṣṭi (sacrifice for getting children) by the hermit Ṛṣyaśṛṅga under the guidance of Vasiṣṭha. The King informed Ṛṣyaśṛṅga of his decision. Ṛṣyaśṛṅga could not refuse the King's request as the king was his father-in-law. Moreover Lomapāda and Śāntā also requested the hermit to com- ply with the desire of Daśaratha. So Ṛṣyaśṛṅga came to Ayodhyā and the sacrifice of Putrakāmeṣṭi was begun. The air vibrated with the recitation of mantras (spells and incantations) and the Veda Sūktas. The hermit uttered the divine spell of Putrakāmeṣṭi and offered oblations in the sacrificial fire. Then a wonderful and luminous figure came out of the fire with a pot containing a pudding of ambrosia, and placed the pot before Ṛṣya- ṣṛṅga and then disappeared in the sacrificial fire. When the wonderful figure disappeared, Ṛṣyaśṛṅga took the pot of pudding and gave it to Daśaratha with prayer and incantations. Daśaratha received the golden pot and in accordance with the instruction of the hermit, divided the pudding between his first wife Kauśalyā and second wife Kaikeyī, both of whom gave half of their share to Sumitrā. Thus the three wives ate the divine pudding and by and by all of them became pregnant. Kauśalyā and Kaikeyī gave birth to a son each and Sumitrā gave birth to two sons. The son of Kauśalyā was called Rāma, the son of Kaikeyī was named Bharata and the sons of Sumitrā were called Lakṣmaṇa and Śatrughna. (Kaṁpa Rāmāyaṇa, Bāla Kāṇḍa).

10) The boon of Śani (Saturn). Astronomers are of opinion that famine will occur in the world for the period of twelve years, when the planet Śani (Saturn) comes into the orbit of Rohiṇī (a star). But now the planet Saturn does not come into the orbit of the star Rohiṇī. There is a story in the Padma Purāṇa, which states that this happened so because of a boon Śani had given to Daśaratha.

During the regime of Daśaratha the planet Śani approa- ched the orbit of Rohiṇī. Experts in astronomy said that the earth would be ruined by famine etc. if Śani cleft the star Rohiṇī. Hearing this Daśaratha took his bow and arrows, got into his chariot, and started for the firmament. He travelled for one lac and a quarter of yojanas (leagues) and reached the hind part of Rohiṇī, which is beyond the sun. Adorned with golden gar- ments and a golden crown studded with jewels, seated on a golden chariot decorated with precious stones, and a lofty flagpost and yoked with horses of the colour of swan, the king shone in the sky as a second sun. He drew the bow-string right upto his ear and placed in it the arrow of destruction. When the devas and the asuras saw the arrow of destruction they began to tremble with fear. Śani came to Daśaratha and fell before him and said that he would grant any boon to the King, and requested him to recall the arrow of destruction. Daśa- ratha told Śani that he only wanted Śani not to come to the orbit of Rohiṇī. Śani agreed. From that day onwards Śani has never entered the orbit of Rohiṇī. (Padma Purāṇa, Uttara Kānḍa, Chapter 34).

11) Death. Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa with Sītā went to live in the forest. Sumantra who accompanied them up to the river Ganges, returned to the palace. By then Daśaratha had fallen down filled with grief. He had never recovered from that state of unconsciousness. At the time of his death Bharata and Śatrughna had been away in the kingdom of Kekaya and Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa in the forest. Thus the curse he incurred in his younger days from the aged hermit, the father of Śravaṇa, was fully realized.

12) Daśaratha appears again. Rāvaṇa was killed in the battle. Sītā was tested in fire and found sinless. Rāma accepted her, seeing that her conjugal fidelity was not marred. At this time Śiva appeared before Rāma in a divine aeroplane. Daśaratha was seated in that plane clad in pure garments. He took Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa into his lap and embraced them. He blessed them and Sītā who was standing with folded hands. Then Daśa- ratha disappeared. (Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Yuddha Kāṇḍa, Sarga 122).


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*10th word in right half of page 203 (+offset) in original book.