The story of rama from Valmiki's Epic Ramayana has been often retold with variations, and several versions of it exist in india and other Asian countreis. This story of dasharatha, the father of Lord Rama, is largely based on the legendary epic of Valmiki.

Ravana, the rakshasa king of Lanka, had performed severe penances and obtained a boon from Brahma. No celestial being,be it a yaksha, a gandharva or deva, could kill him. Armed with this boon. he invaded amaravati, the city of the devas, and wrecked havoc among its inhabitants. Distressed, they appealed to Lord Vishnu.

On earth, at that time, Dasaratha, the prosperous, wise and just king of Ayodhya, was engaged in performing a series of sacrifices in order to obtain a son. To help the devas, Vishnu decided to manifest himself on earth and destroy Ravana, since Brahma's boon did not protect Ravana from mortal men. He chose to be born as four sons to the three queens of Dasharatha. As Dasharatha delighted in his growing sons, particularly in Rama, the eldest, little did he dream that a curse hurled at him in his youth would result in separation from his beloved Rama.