The Suryavanshi dynasty worshipped the Sun, tracing their ancestry to the son of Surya, Shraaddhadev. Many great kings belonged to this dynasty like Harishchandra, Sagar, Bhagirath, Dileep, Raghu, Aja, Dasharatha and his illustrious son, Rama. The dynasty was also called Raghuvansha, as King Raghu gave away all his possessions in a sacrifice. Dasharatha was Raghu’s grandson. Ayodhya was a very prosperous kingdom. King Dasharatha was an excellent ruler. He had three wives: Kaushalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi. But he had no children. At the behest of his Rajaguru, Sage Vasishtha, Dasharatha requested Sage Rishyashringa to perform the sacrifice for the boon of children in his family. The sage performed the Putrakameshthi yajna for the king. When the sacrifice was successfully completed, Agni, the god of fire, appeared from the flames and gave Dasharatha a golden bowl of kheer, divine milk, “Give this to your wives,” said Agni, “Your prayer is granted!”
The Solar Dynasty
