Lord Rāmacandra appeared in Ayodhyā. There is a place in Ayodhyā, in northern India. There He appeared. As Kṛṣṇa appeared in . . . that is also northern India. And Mathurā is about ninety miles down southward from New Delhi. You have heard the name of New Delhi, the capital of India. So Ayodhyā is also situated about five hundred miles northeast of New Delhi. So Lord Rāmacandra appeared on this day. Today is called Śrī Rāma Navami.
On the ninth day of the moon Lord Rāmacandra appeared. His father was the king of Ayodhyā, and he had three wives. So out . . . no. He had two wives. So out of two wives he got four sons. Rāmacandra is the eldest son.
(break) The life and activities of Lord Rāmacandra is . . .
(break) . . . in a book which is called Rāmāyaṇa. You have heard the name of Rāmāyaṇa. (break) Rāmāyaṇa is also accepted as history. (break) Vedic literatures (break) are histories also. The Purāṇas, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Mahābhārata and Rāmāyaṇa, they are counted amongst the history.
The history of Rāmacandra is that His father wanted to retire, Daśaratha, Mahārāja Daśaratha. And he decided to enthrone Lord Rāmacandra and retire. So everything was settled, but just one day before, his youngest wife turned the whole thing into different way.
Sometimes Mahārāja Daśaratha was suffering from what is called whitlow, some trouble in the finger? And this queen served him very nicely, and he was pleased. And he said: "My dear Śarmiṣṭhā, if you want some benediction from me, I can give you." And she replied that, "I shall ask you for the benediction when I require it. Not now."
So just one day before Lord Rāmacandra's coronation, she approached her husband, Mahārāja Daśaratha, and reminded him, "My dear husband, you promised to give me some benediction, and I told you that I shall ask you when I require it."
Mahārāja Daśaratha said: "Yes, I remember. You want some benediction just now?" She said: "Yes." "And what is that?" She said that, "Rāmacandra cannot be seated on the throne. My son should be, Bhārata." Oh, he was surprised. It is a big demand. So he said: "All right. That will be done. Your son."
Because formerly, the . . . not only formerly; even up to date there are many kṣatriya kings in India, they have more than one wife. And they are . . . there is rivalry between different wives. So the same thing. Human psychology is same. Even two million years ago the same mentality was there, and she asked that "My son should be the king, not Rāmacandra." Rāmacandra happened to be the son of Kauśalyā, the elder queen.
So Mahārāja Daśaratha agreed and called for Rāmacandra. "My dear boy, your . . ." She asked also . . . she was very diplomatic. She wanted that Rāmacandra go to forest for fourteen years. The idea was political that, "The king may agree to install my son just now. Now, after a few days, this Rāmacandra may come with His army, and there may be some difficulty to continue the kingdom." So she wanted that Rāmacandra should go to the forest and she (He) should not come back till the end of fourteen years from this day.
So Mahārāja Daśaratha agreed, because he was kṣatriya. Just see the promise. A kṣatriya never goes back from the promise, never refuses any challenge. If a kṣatriya is challenged by somebody that, "I want to fight with you," oh, he cannot refuse. This is kṣatriya spirit.