Shanta, sister of Sri Ram
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i) Sri Ram had a sister: What was her name? The Times of India/ Speaking Tree]; with some inputs from:
ii) Parvez Dewan’s books on Hanuman ji.
King Dashrath’s daughter
King Dashrath had a daughter called Shantâ. She is also known as Kakua and Kikewi Déwî. Apart from some early manuscripts of the Vâlmîkî Râmâyan¸ many Bengâlîs, too, know Srî Râm’s sister as Shantâ. However, Chañdrawatî’s Râmâyan refers to her as Kakua. Which explains why the Malays call her Kikewi Déwî.
Shanta was the daughter of Dasharath and Kausalya, adopted by the couple Rompad and Vershini. Shanta was a wife of Rishyasringa. The descendants of Shanta and Rishyasringa are Sengar Rajputs who are called the only Rishivanshi Rajputs.
Shanta, the daughter of Maharajah Dasharath and Kausalya, was adopted by the king (rajah) of Angadesh, Raja Rompad, and her aunt Vershini, an elder sister of Kausalya. Vershini had no children, and, when at Ayodhya, Vershini jokingly asked for offspring. Dasharath agreed to allow the adoption of his daughter. Because the word of Raghukul was binding, and Shanta became the princess of Angadesh.
The reason of her marriage
Shanta was educated in the Vedas, Art and Craft, and was considered to have been very beautiful. One day, while her uncle, the king Rompad, was busy in conversation with Shanta, a Brahmin came to ask for help in cultivation in the days of the monsoon. Rompad did not pay attention to the Brahmin's plight. This irritated and enraged the Brahmin, who left the kingdom. Indradev, the god of rain, was unable to bear the insult of his devotee, so there was little rainfall during the monsoon season. The Rajah called Rishyasringa to
Instrumental in the birth of her brothers
As Dashrath had no children after Shanta, he wanted a son to continue his legacy and to enrich his royal dynasty. He called Rishyasringa to perform a putra kameshthi yagya to beget progeny, and as the consequence of the said Yagya were born: Ram, Bharata, and the twins Lakshmana and Shatrughna.
Alternate versions
Sathya Sai Baba
In a discourse given by Sathya Sai Baba on 19 May, 2002, in Brindavan, Whitefield (Bangaluru), the mention of Sri Ram's sister came up. He mentioned the story thus:
Before Kausalya gave birth to Ram she had a daughter named Shanta. Since she was a female child and was not qualified to succeed to the throne, he gave her in adoption to a sage. The sage brought her up and gave her in marriage to sage Rishyasringa.
The Yagya Dasaratha invited noble sages to attend the putrakameshti yaga (a sacrificial ritual) on the advice of his minister Sumanta. Dasaratha invited sage Rishyasringa to come and grace the function. Rishyasringa was a noble sage. There were timely rains, peace, and prosperity, and people lived in joy and plenty wherever Rishya sringa set foot. Sumantha went to Rishyasringa and asked him to be the chief rithwik for the yaga.
The condition Rishyasringa replied to him, "I can't come alone. I agree to be the chief rithwik, but my consort Shanta should come with me. She shall also function as a rithwik."
The worthy daughter Sumanta agreed to this. Shanta and Rishyasringa reached there. As soon as she reached Ayodhya, Shanta did prostrations at the feet of Dasaratha and Kausalya. Dasaratha wondered who she was, since she looked like a rishi. Wherever she set foot, drought vanished, making place for timely rains. When the parents wondered who she was, Shanta had to reveal her identity to Dasaratha and Kausalya. She said "I am your daughter, Shanta". Dasaratha and Kausalya were overjoyed when they realised that she was Shanta, whom they had given away in adoption.
Another Version of the story
The drought According to this version, the daughter was not given to any one for adoption. However, there were a drought and Rishyasringa was selected as the one who could bring rains
The Yagya The Rishi agreed to perform the Yagya and he did. The rains came and everybody was happy. Kind Dashrath was ready to reward the spiritual scientist who quenched the thirst of thousands.
The dreadful word The Rishi stunned everybody by asking the hand of the king’s daughter, Shanta. They were reluctant because she was a princess and she will now have to live in hermit. However, they agreed.
The Putrakameshthi Yagya Years later, Dashrath was again in a trouble and has no progeny. He invited the same Rishyasringa to perform the Putrakameshthi Yagya.
Sri Ram is born So, Rishyasringa performed the Yagya and brought the pabulum that had to be eaten by the queens and thus the princes were born.
Why no son was born to Dashrath It is said that Ravan asked for a boon from Lord Shiv that no son should be born to Dashrath, to which Lord Shiv agreed. There are no further details. [However, that probably is why yagyas had to be conducted to neutralise Lord Shiv’s boon. In any case, this version is not backed by Valmiki ji.]
