In the depths of the forest, a weary king was welcomed by the sage Jamadagni. By the miraculous power of the divine cow Kāmadhenu, the king and his entire army were fed and refreshed. But the king, coveting Kāmadhenu, demanded her from Jamadagni. When the sage refused, the king seized the sacred cow, provoking the wrath of Jamadagni’s son, Rāma. With his axe, Rāma struck the king, severing his head and felling him on the spot. In the ensuing battle, Rāma slew the king, and Kāmadhenu returned to her hermitage. Yet, vengeance brewed: the son of Kārtavīrya, the slain king, murdered Jamadagni. While Rāma was away in the forest, his father was killed out of enmity. Upon returning and seeing his father’s lifeless form, Rāma was consumed by fury over his father’s death. His might unleashed, Rāma cleansed the earth of its royal lineages three times seven times, making five sacrificial pits in Kurukshetra to honor and satisfy his ancestors. When his task was done, he gave the earth to Kashyapa and withdrew to Mount Mahendra. There, the incarnations of the Tortoise, the Boar, the Man-Lion, and the Dwarf were remembered. It is said that hearing of Rāma’s descent brings heaven to the listener. Then Agni spoke: “I shall relate the Ramayana, as Narada told it of old, and as Valmiki recited it—a tale bestowing both worldly enjoyment and liberation.” Narada began: “From Vishnu came Brahma; from Brahma, Marichi; from Marichi, Kashyapa; from Kashyapa, the Sun; and from the Sun, Manu, son of Vivasvat. From Manu came Ikshvaku; in his line was Kakutstha; from Kakutstha, Raghu; from Raghu, Aja; and from Aja, Dasharatha. For the destruction of Ravana and others, Hari himself divided into four, and from King Dasharatha, Rāma was born to Kausalya. Kaikeyi bore Bharata, Sumitra bore Lakshmana and Shatrughna, all from the consecrated payasa given by Rishyasringa to the queens. After partaking in the sacred offering, Rāma and his brothers spent their early years with their father. At Vishvamitra’s request, Dasharatha sent his sons to remove obstacles threatening a sacrifice. Rāma, accompanied by Lakshmana and the sage, learned the use of weapons and missiles, and slew the demoness Tadaka. He bewildered Maricha from afar with the Manava missile and slew Subahu, the destroyer of sacrifices, along with his forces. Dwelling at Siddhashrama with Vishvamitra and others, Rāma journeyed to the king of Mithila’s sacrifice, to see the famed bow, accompanied by his brother. By Shatananda’s arrangement and Vishvamitra’s power, the sage honored at the sacrifice told the story to Rāma. Effortlessly, Rāma strung the bow and broke it. As a bride-price for valor, Janaka gave Sita, the daughter not born from a womb, to Rāma. When his father and others had assembled, Rāma married Janaki, and Lakshmana married Urmila. Shrutakirti and Mandavi, daughters of Kushadhvaja, Janaka’s younger brother, were married to Shatrughna and Bharata. Honored by Janaka, these two maidens became their wives. Rāma, having conquered Jamadagnya, departed with Vashishtha and others. Narada continued: Rāma bowed to Vashishtha, his mothers, Atri, Anasuya, Sharabhanga, and Sutikshna. He bowed to his brother Agastya, and by Agastya’s favor, received a bow and sword, then entered the Dandaka forest. Dwelling at Janasthana in Panchavati, on the bank of the Godavari, Surpanakha, the terrifying rakshasi, arrived to devour them. Seeing Rāma, handsome in form, Surpanakha approached and asked, “Who are you? Why have you come? Become my husband, as I request.” Declaring, “I will devour these two,” she rushed at them, but at Rāma’s command, Lakshmana cut off her nose and ears. Bleeding, she fled to her brother Khara and pleaded, “I will die without a nose, Khara; I live only thus. Sita is Rāma’s wife, Lakshmana is his younger brother; if you make me drink their warm blood, then I shall live.” Khara agreed, and set out with thousands of fierce-eyed rakshasas, accompanied by Dushana and Trishira, to battle Rāma. Rāma fought them, striking the rakshasas with arrows and sending their army of elephants, horses, chariots, and foot soldiers to the abode of Yama. Trishira, Khara the fierce, and Dushana fought valiantly, but Surpanakha, defeated, went to Lanka and fell before Ravana, urging, “You are not a king, nor a protector; come here, kill Rāma, and seize Sita, his wife. I live only by drinking the blood of Rāma and Lakshmana, not otherwise.” Hearing this, Ravana replied, “So be it,” and commanded Maricha, “Go! Become a golden, spotted deer, and draw away Rāma and Lakshmana; in Sita’s presence I will seize her, otherwise your death is certain.” Maricha warned Ravana, “Rāma, the wielder of the bow, is death itself; it is better to die at Ravana’s hand, but one must die at Raghava’s hand. If I must certainly die, it is better by Rāma than by Ravana.” Thus resolved, Maricha became a deer and wandered before Sita again and again. Urged by Sita, Rāma killed Maricha with an arrow. As he was dying, Maricha cried out, “Ha, Sita! Ha, Lakshmana!” Then Saumitri, at Sita’s urging, went to Rāma, who was in distress. Ravana seized Sita, having slain the vulture Jatayu. Wounded by Jatayu, Ravana took Janaki onto his lap and carried her to Lanka, to the Ashoka grove, where he kept her and spoke: “Become my chief wife; let this rakshasi guard you.” Meanwhile, Rāma, having slain Maricha, reunited with Lakshmana and spoke, filled with concern for Sita.