The Amar Chitra Katha, Dasharatha, has been drawn mainly from Valmiki's famous epic poem - Ramayana. Ravana, an evil Rakshasa, 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 played havoc among its inhabitants. Distressed, they appealed to Vishnu. On earth at that time, Dasharatha, the prosperous, wise and just king of Ayodhya, bent on obtaining a son, was engaged in performing a series of sacrifices. To help the devas Vishnu decided to manifest himself on earth and destroy Ravana, since Brahma's boon did not protect Ravana from men. And 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 the curse, hurled at him for a sin committed by him in ignorance when he was a mere lad, would materialize with an impact that would result in his death.