Sages & Others
Dasaratha
दशरथ
King of Ayodhya
Who was Dasaratha?
Dasaratha (दशरथ): King of Ayodhya, one of the sages and supporting figures in the Mahabharata. The Ikshvaku king in whose house Vishnu took birth as Rama for the destruction of Ravana, as Markandeya told it to the Pandavas in exile.
Quick Facts
| Sanskrit name | दशरथ |
|---|---|
| Title / Epithet | King of Ayodhya |
| Faction | Sages & Others |
| Key traits | Bound, Grieving, Truthful, Royal |
| Notable relationships | Father: Rama, Father: Lakshmana, Father-in-law: Sita, Tester of his house: Parashurama |
| Featured in | 10 stories |
About Dasaratha
The Ikshvaku king in whose house Vishnu took birth as Rama for the destruction of Ravana, as Markandeya told it to the Pandavas in exile. Bound by an old promise to a queen, he sent his eldest and best-loved son into the forest and died of that grief, and it is his command that Rama honoured above a kingdom. When Parashurama came testing the new-born hero's line, it was Dasaratha who sent his son out to meet the axe-bearer with respect.
In Their Words
A king may lose a son and live; he may not lose his word and remain a king.
Dasaratha
Traits
- Bound
- Grieving
- Truthful
- Royal
Story Appearances
Stories Featuring Dasaratha
9 further tales on this site name Dasaratha, in canonical reading order.
- The Court of Sages at the Dvaita LakeAn exile that filled up with brahmanas instead of soldiers
- The Arrow From Behind the TreeA wife who read the omens, and a king who would not listen
- The Sleeper WokenRavana spends his brothers one after another
- The Bow at the FrontierParashurama Tests Rama of Ayodhya and Loses His Energy
- The Gods Ask for RamaAgni pleads before Brahma, and the answer is a king's son and an army of monkeys and bears
- The Friend of DasarathaA vulture fights Ravana in the sky, and a headless Rakshasa points the way to Sugriva
- Nala's BridgeThe Ocean refuses to part and names a workman instead, and the monkey army walks to Lanka
- Four Duels on the Fourteenth DayKshemadhurti, Viradhanwan, Niramitra and Vyaghradatta go down before Drona's division
- The Names That Cleanse SinAsked what destroys sin, Bhishma answers with a litany of gods, rivers, mountains, sages and kings
Character Arc
- The BoonAn old promise takes his son from him
- The ExileSends Rama to the forest and cannot follow
- The MeetingSends his son out to receive Rama of Bhrigu's line
Key Relationships
- FatherRama
- FatherLakshmana
- Father-in-lawSita
- Tester of his houseParashurama
Places in Dasaratha's Story
Drawn from the stories Dasaratha appears in.
Related Characters
Others counted among the Sages & Others.