King Romapada had committed some sins in the past, which led to a severe famine in his kingdom once, leaving all the beings there extremely terrified. When the situation became unbearable, King Romapada summoned a council of his learned Brahmins and said, "I know that this devastating famine afflicting my kingdom is the result of my own faults. O noble Brahmins, your knowledge knows no bounds, so please suggest a solution by which I can be liberated from all my past sins." Upon this, the Brahmins said, "O king, there is a great sage named Vibhandak who is the son of Kashyapa and resides in the forest.
Vibhandak's son is named Rishyashringa. If you bring that boy to your kingdom and marry him to your daughter Shanta, then the famine will immediately come to an end." In fact, Shanta was the daughter of King Dasharatha. At the request of his childless friend, King Romapada, King Dasharatha gave his daughter to him so that King Romapada could raise her. Upon hearing the solution to end the famine, Romapada was extremely pleased.
However, when he instructed his priests to bring Rishyashringa to his kingdom, the priests refused to do so. Explaining the reason to the king, the Brahmins said, "If we attempt to lure Vibhandak's son from their home, Vibhandak will curse us. This is because Rishyashringa has been kept away from human contact and has never seen any human besides his father.
To keep him away from the worldly affairs, his father has devised this measure." "Dear king, we all wish for your well-being, so we have come up with a way to bring Rishyashringa to your kingdom. This boy has never seen the female gender, and he is completely deprived of the joy of their company. Send the most beautiful courtesans there and entice this boy with your sweet gestures. We believe that your goal will be easily achieved in this way." King Romapada accepted this proposal and sent the youngest and most beautiful courtesans to the forest.
After receiving orders from the king and promises of abundant rewards, these girls, with the resolve to bring Rishyashringa to the kingdom at any cost, set off for the forest. These girls set up their camp near the hermitage of Vibhandak's son and began to wait for an appropriate opportunity. One day, while wandering in the forest, Rishyashringa arrived at the camp of these courtesans. The girls came forward happily to greet Rishyashringa. When asked about the identity of the boy, the young sage said, "I am the son of Vibhandak and am performing penance at my father's hermitage nearby. You all are extremely beautiful.
I wish you to come to my home and accept my worship and hospitality." The girls accompanied Rishyashringa to his hermitage. There, Rishyashringa offered them food, water, and various kinds of delicious fruits and roots. However, the girls were extremely afraid that his father might return at any moment, so they did not stay there for long. Before leaving the hermitage, the girls said, "Dear friend, our way of welcoming guests is very different from yours. Now, please accept our respect and honor in return for your welcome." Saying this, the girls embraced Rishyashringa affectionately and offered him some extremely delicious sweets to eat.
The young sage had never tasted such delicacies before, as he was accustomed to eating only fruits and roots found in the forest. In fact, he thought that these sweets must be some extraordinary fruits that he had never seen or tasted before. Moreover, he had never seen any human besides his father before today, so he thought that these courtesans were extremely handsome men.
After the girls left, Rishyashringa's mind became restless because the seeds of carnal desires, suppressed in his mind for a long time, had now sprouted. Despite trying, he could not stop himself from thinking about those beautiful girls, as their sweet words and sensual embraces had captivated his mind. That night, he could not sleep properly, and the next morning, when his father was away for some work, he went straight to the camp of the courtesans. Seeing Rishyashringa, the girls were extremely pleased. They said, "Dear boy, this is not our real home.
Come with us to our wonderful ashram, and we will take you to a place where we can enjoy your company more comfortably. We have plenty of fruits and roots of all kinds, and together we will enjoy so much pleasure that time will fly by unnoticed." Completely fascinated, Rishyashringa set off with those girls without any hesitation. In this way, the courtesans brought Rishyashringa to the capital of King Romapada, located in the distant region. When Rishyashringa was being taken through the route of the Ganga river, Indra, the king of the gods, showered blessings of rain, and all living beings experienced extreme joy from these showers. Upon hearing the news of Rishyashringa's arrival, King Romapada came out of his palace with great joy to welcome him and at that moment, he told Rishyashringa that King Dasharatha was his real father.
After enjoying the hospitality and hospitality of King Romapada's hospitality for about a week, Maharaja Dasharatha requested his friend, "Please grant me the boon that neither you nor your father will retaliate for the way you have been brought from your home to my kingdom." Rishyashringa assured the king and then the wedding was solemnized with great pomp and ceremony. After the wedding, the newlyweds began to live happily in the palace of King Romapada with royal pomp and grandeur. Upon hearing this story from Sumantara, King Dasharatha was extremely pleased. Without wasting any time, he set off for the distant region with his servants and attendants.
King Romapada welcomed his friend with great joy, and at the same time, he told Rishyashringa that Maharaja Dasharatha was his real father. After enjoying the hospitality and hospitality of King Romapada for about a week, Maharaja Dasharatha requested his friend, "Please grant me the boon that neither you nor your father will retaliate for the way you have been brought from your home to my kingdom." King Romapada happily agreed, and in this way, Maharaja Dasharatha returned to Ayodhya with Rishyashringa and Shanta.
