The first book of the epic Ramayana, the Bala Kanda, details Rama's birth, his childhood adventures and his marriage to Sita. The second book, Ayodhya Kanda, deals with King Dasharatha's difficult decision to banish his own son to the forest. Although Rama was the king's eldest and favorite son, Dasharatha succumbed to pressure from his wife and exiled him from his palace for 14 long and difficult years.