Secret Life of Lord Rama’s Sister-Shanta

Dasharatha was the king of Ayodhya and he had three wives, namely, Kaushalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi. The Vasistha Ramayana, which is written by Valmiki, reveals only ancestry of Dasharatha, his birth and how he became king of Ayodhya. It doesn’t say anything about Shanta an elder sister of Lord Rama. But Ved Vyasa reveals unknown story about Dasagaratha’s daughter. This story highlights that Shanta was first female child of Dasharatha and elder sister of Rama.

Birth of Shanta

Dasharatha at the age of 18, he became the powerful ruler of Ayodhya. He wanted to marry Kausalya, daughter of northern kosala king, Maharaj Sukausha. Sukausha agreed to the marriage without knowing that he and Dasharatha were closely related coming from the same clan.

After the marriage Kausalya gave birth to a female child, Shanta. Unfortunately she was born with handicap in her leg. Dasharatha consulted many people who could help his daughter to be free from handicap. Once he consulted Sage Vashistha. He said that handicap was due to the marriage between close cousins and suggested that she would become normal if she given in adoption to some others.

Dasaratha and Kausalya gave the child in adoption to the childless couple Vershini (Kausalya’s sister) and King Lompad of Angadesh. Later Shanta became normal and her beauty was unmatched. She was not only beautiful but also well educated in Vedas, Art, Crafts as well as in Warfare.

Shanta’s Marriage with Rishyashringa

One day while King Rompada was in conversation with Shanta, a Brahmin came to ask for help in cultivation in the days of the monsoon. King doesn’t paid attention to Brahmin. This irritated Brahmin left the kingdom with anger. Before leaving kingdom, he cursed that Angadesh kingdom will suffer with little rainfall.

 Anga was soon hit by a drought. Nobody could bring rains in the state except Rishyashringa, son of Vibhandak Rishi and apsara Urvashi. Rishyshringa was raised by Vibhandak Rishi isolated from society. He never saw women in his life. Now Rompada has to bring him to Anga because he could only bring back the rain. So he sent his daughter Shanta to the forest to bring Rishyashringa to the city. As Rishashringa never saw women he felt in love with Shanta at his first meeting. He was totally amazed to see the magnificent beauty. Shanta with her beauty mesmerizes rishi and brings him to the Anga, thus bringing in rain too. After that Rishyasringa marries Shanta.

After Shanta was given in adoption, Dashratha wasn’t blessed with any child. He wanted to perform “Putra Kameshthi Yaga” to compel the gods to give him a child. Shanta’s husband, Rishyasringa helps Dashratha in performing a Putra kameshthi yajna. As a result of this Yajna, Rama, Bharata, and the twins Lakshmana and Shatrughna were born. So, this is quite evident that Rama and his brothers were born after the marriage of his elder sister Shanta.