The childhood of Rama and his brothers

The childhood of Rama and his brothers...

A friend asked me to give some details from Valmikiramayanam about the the Balaleelas and school education of Rama and his siblings.. as described in Valmikiramayanam..

The fact is that Valmiki did not deem it fit to record much about the boyhood pranks of Rama and his siblings.

Within the span of just about a dozen or so shlokas in the eighteenth sargam of Balakandam, Valmiki jumps from the Jathakarma or the religious ceremonies conducted on the birth of the boys

In sloka 22 there, Valmiki states that the Janmakriyas for the children were conducted with lot of jubilation.

He proceeds to say that of the Children Rama was considered as of Prime importance, something like a tall flag in a citadel.

All the boys became learned in Vedas and other arts and sciences.

Of them Rama was pure and blemish-less like the moon itself. Rama became adept in martial activities with Elephants, Chariots, Archery, and was ever eager in the service of his father the King.

From infancy onward, Lakshmana was excessively attached to Rama .Lakshmana was something like the life for Rama, just existing outside Rama's body.

Without Lakshmana, Rama would not sleep, would not eat,

Whenever Rama went out atop horses for hunting, or whenever Rama engaged himself in any activity,

Lakshmana was in close company always ready with his bows and arrows in place, eager to serve and protect His elder brother..

Shatrughna was the darling of Bharatha in the same manner Lakshman was to Rama.

With these four virtuous and brilliant boys the King Dasharatha shone forth like Brahmadeva Himself having the gods for children.

The boys were

leaned,

virtuous,

of great character,

of great fame

and of attractive looks and personalities

and they were very hesitant to do anything improper,

and Dasharatha was in a heavenly state of happiness in their company.

They studied Vedas,

they studied archery,

they served their elders

and they looked as if they were tigers in human form..

This is the synopsis of what Valmiki says about the boys Rama Lakshmana, Bharatha and Shatrughan .. as could be seen from Slokas 23 to 35 . of Sarga 18 of Balakandam

Then in Shloka 36 Valmiki talks of the Kings proposal to get the boys married ..

Of course the bond between Rama and Lakshmana is perhaps the most heartening thing that can happen in the lives of two human beings..

No words can ever explain the import of that connection..