King Dasarata, who reigned over the kingdom of Kosala with its capital city of ayodya, hand twice won over his rival, an ogre-giant Rahwana, King of Alengka for the hands of two princesses, Dewi Kusalya and Dewi Kekayi. Unwilling the accept his loss, King Rahwana intended to maka a revenge.
King Dasarata had three sons from his three wives. Dewi Kusalya bore a son named Rama. His other two wives, Dewi Kekayi ang Dewi Sumitra bore Bharata and Lesmana respectively.
Rama, who was an incarnation of wismu, married to Dewi Shinta, who was actually the daughter od Rahwana, but was abducted at birth by his brother, Wibisana. Wibisana created a baby boy from a dark cloud and tricked Rahwana into believeing that this wife had given birth to the child. The boy was later known as Indrajit after he defefated the god Indra.
As King Dasarata was approaching death, one of his wives, Dewi Kwkayi, talked him into nominating Bharata as King and to banish Rama, Sinta and Lesmana from Ayodya. Embarrased at being made to usurp the throne from Rama, the rightful heir, Bharata set out to look for Rama and Shinta in the forest Dandaka. Upon seeing Rama, Bharata tried to convince him to take the throne. Rama declined the request and moved on into the forest.
Bharata refused to be crowned as king, maintaining that he would act as Regent of the Kosala kingdom in the hope that Rama would return one day.
Rahwana finaly learned that Rama and Lesmana, who were discovered by his sister in the forest, were two sons of this enemy, King Dasarata. When he saw Rama’s wife, Dewi Shinta, he immediately wished to have her for himself. Rahwana, then setup a careful plas to throw two birds with one stone.
Rahwana sent an ogre-servant, Kala Marica to lure Rama away from Shintaa and Lesmana. Kala Marica turned himself into a golden deer to attact the noble lady’s attention. Rahwana’s trickproved to work when Shinta asked Rama to catch thhe deer for her.
Agreeing to fulfill his beloved wife’s request, while always being alert of her safety concern, Rama created a magic circle and ordered Shinta to stay inside it during his pursue of the deer deep into the forest. Rahwana was eventually able to talk Sinta into leaving her circle and abducted her. A Garuda bird, who happened to see Dewi Sinta being flown away by Rahwana, tried to stop him. Garuda was defeated and mortally injured. As Rama was on his way backfrom the forest, he saw the dying Garuda,who,fortunately could tell him that a giant had abducted Dewi Sinta.
In Rahwana’s captivity, Dewi Sinta consistently rejected his advances, while the proud giant king was too proud to have her with force.Sinta remained untouched by Rahwana for many years.
In the mean time, Rama kept searching for his lost love, and finally managed receive help from a Monkey King called Sugriwa. Hanoman. a lieutenant n Sugriwa’s army, was sent across the sea in search of Dewi Sinta. The white ape soldiermanage to pass Rama’s ring to Sinta and bring Sintas’s ring to be delivered to Rama as a sign of their mutual and lasting love. Unfortunately, upon escaping the palace Hanoman was captured and sentenced by Rahwana to be set aflame.
Despite objection of Rahwana’s brother and chief Minister he went on by executing Hanoman. Hanoman was put to the stake and his tail was sset on fire. Hanoman, who was a member of Bathara Bayu’s brotherhood, used his supernatural powers to break free leaving sparks behind. the sparks from his burning tail set the capital city on fire. Hanoman managed to rejoin Rama to prepare the real war.
Rahwana was helped by his brother Kumbakarna on te one side managed to scatter Rama’s side with the monkey army of King Sugriwa. Wibisana, who was a younger brother of Kumbakarna, sided with Rama and told Rama his elder brother’s weakness.Kumbakarna’s body was shaterred into pieces by countless of arrows. Wibisana than told Rama the history ofbirth of Indrajit, who was fighting on Rahwana’s side and was undefeatable. Indrajit was eventually slain and his body was turned into a cloud.
In the end the real enemy remained-King Rahwana himself.
Rama succeeded to separate the demon King’ head from his body many times; however, due to his great supernanural powers, his head reattached itself to the body eveery time. Hanoman came to Rama’s assistance by covering Rahwana’s head with a mountain when it fell of the body once again. This time the head would not return and Rahwana met with death.
As the affermath of the war, Rama appointed Wibisana king of Alengka and left the kindom with dewi Sinta and Lesmana for his home of capital Ayodya. Bharata willingly handed the throne to Rama and everything seem to recover. Rama was suspicious of Sinta’s purity during her captivity in Alengka. the wife had to undergi a test of fire and passed the horrible test. However, pregnant Sinta was banished to the forest where twin sons, Lawa and Kusa, were born. When Rama eventually inveted Sintato return to the palace she refused, and chosed to be swallowed by Goddess of the earth. Rama accepted the twin boys as his sons. The throne of Ayodya was passed on to Lawa,one of the twin princes.
The relief carvings on the Prambanan temple leave us a dilemma between believing on Sinta’s intact puritydespite of the years she spent in Rahwana’s captivity and the thought that Rahwana did eventually manage to have his way with Dewi Sinta.
Jagad kang wus gumelar:
