Ramayana

Dasaratha was great king and fearsome warrior of Ayodhya who had fought demons on behalf of the gods. He had been wounded badly and could only be healed by his youngest wife Kaikeyi. As reward, he'd promised her two boonsIrrevocable favours. , which Kaikeyi held onto until a time of need.

Dasartha had no children, and thus arranged a horse sacrifice so that his wives might conceive. At the sacrifice, Agni, the god of fire, arose from the flames and handed Dasartha a golden vase full of nectar, and instructed the king to feed the nectar to his wives.

Eventually, the queens birthed sons: Rāma, to the eldest wife; Bharata, to Kaikeyi; and the twins Lakṣmaṇa and Shatrughna, to the second queen.

After the princes had grown, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa were "lent" to Vishwamitra to aide in exterminating a band of demons.

Afterward, Vishwamitra took them into the neighbouring kingdom of Mithila where they were introduced to Sītā, born of the earth.

The king of Mithila (adopted father of Sītā) declared that Sītā would be married to whoever could string the Great Bow of Shiva, a task many have attempted without success.

Rāma picked up the bow, strung it, and plucked the bowstring with such a twang that the force broke the bow in two. The sound could be heard for miles around, prompting the king to run over to investigate.

Rāma was thusly married to Sītā. His three brothers were married to sisters and cousins of Sītā.

Dasaratha decided he had grown too old to rule and forfeits the throne to Rāma.

Kaikeyi redeems the two boons she was promised many years ago. The first to exile Rāma for fourteen years, and the second to crown her own son, Bharata, king.

Dasaratha refused but Rāma decided to honour his father's promise and left for the forests. Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa followed despite Rāma's dissuasion.

Bharata was livid to learn of his new royalty. He shouted at his mother, refused to ascend the throne, and rallied the townsfolk to retrieve Rāma and reinstate him as king.

Rāma refused to return, insistent on serving his father's last wish. Bharata returned with Rāma's sandals, placed them on the throne to symbolise Rāma's rule, and ruled the country himself in Rāma's name.

Rāma moved deeper into the forests to avoid further pleas for his return from the people of Ayodhya.

A demoness named Surpanakha begged Rāma to marry her. Rāma, already married, redirected her to Lakṣmaṇa. Lakṣmaṇa had taken a temporary vow of celibacy, and sent her back to Rāma.

The brothers continued this game of ping-pong with her until Surpanakha was enraged. She rushed to kill Sītā, but Lakṣmaṇa responded by cutting off Surpanakha's nose and ears.

Surpanakha complained to her brother Rāvaṇa, who sought vengeance. He persuaded the demon Marich to disguise himself as a golden deer outside of Rāma's hut. Sītā begged Rāma to catch the deer for her. While the brothers chased the deer, Rāvaṇa kidnapped Sītā in his flying chariot.

Rāma met some monkeys, Hanumān being one of them. The monkeys clued him towards Sita's whereabouts: the kingdom of Lankā.

Rāma kills Rāvaṇa in an epic battle and frees Sītā.

Sītā faces a trial by fire.

However, Rāma rejects Sītā — she had been living in a demon's palace all this while, and Rāma assumed her to have broken her chastity (or to have had her chastity broken). Hurt, Sītā enters a burning pyre intent on killing herself.

However, Agni arose from the flames carryin an unhurt Sītā in his arms and said, "Here, Rāma, is your Sītā. She hasn't an iota of sin in her."

This event came to be known as the Agni Pariksha.

The fourteen years have since passed. Rāma returns to rule Ayodhya.

Some versions of the Ramayana end here. The alternative, additional ending is known as The Uttarakāṇḍa.

After many months of Rāma's rule, rumours arose regarding Sītā's chastity since her abduction. Rāma asked Sītā to undergo a second Agni Pareeskha.

Sītā refused and Rāma banished her.

Rāma misses Sītā because he watched a play.

Rāma asks Sītā to the palace if she could prove her chastity. Sītā, anguished, cries "Ohhhhh mother earth, just fuckin' kill me 😦!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" the earth promptly parted to make way for the goddess Prithivi, who took Sītā in her lap and returned into the earth.

Sītā was forever lost. Rāma forfeits the throne to his sons and, along with his brothers, kills himself in the river Sarayu.