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Shaantaa is an exclusively  Raamaayan character. Vaalmeeki Raamaayan gives her description in detail in connection with the birth of Raam and His brothers.

She was the daughter of Raajaa Dasharath and Kaushalyaa, adopted by the couple Raajaa Rompad and Varshinee - Raajaa of Ang Desh. Rompaad was a friend of Dasharat and Varshinee was the elder sister of Kaushalyaa.

Note
It is believed that when Shaantaa was born, it was 15 years before the Putreshti Yagya, she was handicapped by leg. Seeing this Dasharath was very unhappy. Vahshishth Jee advised him to give her in adoption to some king then she would be all right. So he gave her daughter to Rompaad, the King of Ang kingdom - his capital was Chambaa Puree. What a wonder, that her leg became all right in Rompaad's kingdom. She was named there Shaantaa.

Shaantaa was later married to sage Rishyashring. The descendants of Shaantaa and Rishyashring are Sengar Raajpoot who are called the only Rishi-Vanshee Raajput.

Varshinee had no children, and, when at Ayodhyaa, Varshinee jokingly asked for offspring, Dasharath promised to give them his first child. Later Kaushlyaa gave birth to a daughter so he gave this child to Rompaad. However, thus Shanta became the princess of Ang Desh.

Shaantaa was educated in Ved, art and craft, and was considered to have been very beautiful. One day, while her uncle, Raajaa Rompaad, was busy in conversation with Shaantaa, a Braahman came to ask for help in cultivation in the days of the monsoon. Rompaad did not pay attention to the Braahman's plight. This irritated and enraged the Braahman, who then left the kingdom. Indra Dev, the god of rain, was unable to bear the insult of his devotee, so there was little rainfall during the monsoon season in Romapad's kingdom.

Some of his courtiers suggested him to invite the sage Rishyashring in his kingdom. But It was next to impossible to invite him, so they sent some courtesans to bring him in his kingdom. They brought him in the kingdom and as soon as he put his foot in his kingdom the raim started falling. Everybody understood that Rishi had come in the kingdom The public rejoiced and there were festivals in Ang Desh.

To pay honor to their savior, Dasharath, along with Kaushalya, Varshinee, and Rompaad, decided to give the hand of Shaantaa to sage Rishyashring and thus she was married to sage Rishyashring.

As Dasharath had no children after Shaantaa, he wanted a son to continue his legacy and to enrich his royal dynasty. He called Rishyashring to perform a Putra Kaameshti Yagya to beget progeny, and as the consequence of the said Yagya were born: Raam, Bharat, and the twins Lakshman and Shatrughn.

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