1890.] 
A Orammar of the ChliaftisgarM dialect. 
135 
CHAPTER XXX. 
Folk-tales. 
1. The Stoey of Rama. 
Das’rath, the Rajii of AjoddLa had three queens, Kaunsilla, 
Eaihkei and Sutnit’ra, and also four lovely lovely sons, Ram-Chand, 
Luchh’man, Bharath, and Sat’rughan. Amongst these Ram was by 
far the most beautiful. While he was yet a lad, he went to 
the forest with his guru (preceptor) Viswamintar, and slew several 
mighty mighty demons. His younger brother, Lachh’man also 
was with Ram, and also slew demons. How should this not be ? 
for Ram-Chand was an incarnation of the Supreme God and 
Lachh’man was an incarnation of the God Sens. Thence the 
two brothers, with their guru came to Janak-pur. In this Janak-pur 
was the realm of king Janak. He had a daughter whose name was 
Chhita, and she was wondrous fair. Yea, the beauty of Chhita was 
untenable. Now king Janak had made a vow, .saying, ‘ whoever will 
break the bow of Mahadcv which is in my possession, to him will I 
give my Chhita in marriage.’ On this account great numbers of 
kings came from all countries, and amongst them, atso these 
very two brothers, and Ram-Chand broke the bow of Mahadev 
and no other king had strength sufficient to break it. Then 
Das’rath also came from Ajbddha, and a beautiful wedding of Ram 
and Chhita took place ; and after that Ram’s three brothers were 
also married to other damsels. Thus Raja Das’rath taking with 
him his four sons and his four daughters-in-law, returned to his 
own kingdom to Ajoddha. Many days after this he put forwaid a 
proposal to seat Ram-Chand upon his throne, but in the meantime 
Kaiiikei, Bharath’s mother, became angry that he should set Ram- 
Chand, who was Kauiisilla’s son, over the kingdom, and leave her 
son Bharath with nothing. So Queen Kaiiikei went into her anger- 
chamber, whither Rajii Das’rath followed to remonstrate with her. 
There that Kaiiikei demanded the fulfilment of two boons, which 
she had kept by her from before in reserve. One boon for which 
she asked was, that he should give the kingdom to her son 
Bharath, and the other that Ram should dwell for fourteen years 
in the forest. On hearing this Raja Das’rath sat with head bent 
(in sorrow) ; but when Ram-Chand-ji heard all this talk, he took 
Chhita and Lachh’man-ji with him, and bade farewell to his mother, 
to the king, and to other people, and took the road to the forest. 
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