During their exile period Bhagvan Sri Ram, Mata Sita and
Lakshman reaches the Dandakaranya forest. It was a dreadful forest and few
dared to cross it. The story of Dandaka forest is symbolic.
Legend has it that Dandakaranya was once a flourishing
kingdom with a huge population of people. It was known as Janasthan and was
ruled of King Danda. During a hunting expedition, King Danda came across a
beautiful woman Aruja. The king was smitten by her beauty and violated her.
Aruja was the daughter of Sage Shukra. She ran crying to her
father. On hearing the Adharma performed by a king, Sage Shukra cursed that
dust storms and thunderstorms would wipe away Danda’s kingdom of Janasthan
Turning a kingdom into forest symbolically suggest that when
people do not respect and practice Dharma, the place is no different from a
jungle.
Even today, Dandakaranya is a stretch of forest that runs
through the states of Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Maharashtra ,
and Telangana.