Rama and Sita had been married for twelve years when Dasaratha concluded that the time was right to pass the kingship to Rama. All the Kingdom rejoiced at the prospect of the noble Rama as their ruler. He was kind, just, capable of bending iron or fixing a bird's wing, friendly, and generous.

When Queen Kaikeyi's old nurse, Manthara the hunchback, heard that Rama would be king, she hissed in anger. Rama had once fired a play-arrow at her hump, and she let the childish prank fester like a poison in her heart. She knew the way to move the King to make Kaikeyi's son, Bharata, King, and she scuttled as quickly as she could to Kaikeyi's quarters. She filled Kaikeyi's ears with visions of Bharata's death at the hands of a jealous Rama, eager to protect his throne. She reminded Kaikeyi that years ago in exchange for saving Dasaratha's life he promised to grant her two wishes. She had deferred, saying, "Yes, sometime." "The time has come," said Manthara. "You must ask your husband to honor his promise to you, and your wish is to exile Rama, and to place your son Bharata on the throne." These crooked words found their way into Kaikeyi's heart, and she forgot her love of Rama and her concern for the true desires of her husband. When Dasaratha came to see her in the evening, she let loose a hysterical tirade and demanded that he honor his promise and banish Rama.

Dasaratha loved Rama more than his life. Yet he had given his word, and to go back on it dishonored him and the entire Solar clan. Kaikeyi would not relent, however, and called for Rama to come at once. She spoke to Rama, saying that she must tell him what his father could not bring himself to say, that he must honor his promise to her to grant her wish, and her wish was to place Bharata on the throne and exile Rama to the forest for 14 years.

Rama heard these words with utter calm, and begged his father's leave to depart immediately. Lakshmana insisted that he would accompany his brother into exile, as did Sita, who said, "I will not feel pain when I lie on the forest floor beside you. Leaves or roots will taste like nectar when they come from your hands. This is my destiny. We are bound together forever." Rama could not refuse her. Respectfully, the group of three bade farewell to Kaikeyi and to Dasaratha.

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