Clearing a common misconception

cuz I have had enough

So the Ramayan brothers -

Ram, Laxman, Bharat and Shatrughan; are called in this order cuz of their importance in the story. Ram, the hero, Laxman, his companion, Bharat, who chased his brothers and begged them to return and Shatrughan who literally had 0.0001 seconds in the whole story.

But most people think this is also the order of their ages. Eldest Ram, then Laxman, then Bharat and the youngest Shatrughan. BUT THAT IS SO NOT TRUE!

Their order:

First queen, Kaushalyagave birth to eldest Ram.

Second queen, Kaikeyigave birth to second Bharat.

Third queen, Sumitra gave birth to the twins Laxman and Shatrughan, the youngest brothers.

But Laxman was closer to Ram while Shatrughan was closer to Bharat.

In scriptures it’s said, the twins were actually “devotees” of their favorite elder brother. They worshipped them.

So for that reason, the order goes like

Ram, Laxman, Bharat, Shatrughan.

But the real order is

Ram, Bharat, Laxman, Shatrughan.

Hope it helps <3

वेदमनूच्याचार्योन्तेवामिनमनुशास्ति ॥
सत्यं वद । धर्मं चर ॥
स्वाध्यायान्मा प्रमदः ।
आचार्याय प्रियं धनमाहृत्य प्रजातन्तुं मा व्यवच्छेत्सीः ।
सत्यान्न प्रमदितव्यम् । धर्मान्न प्रमदितव्यम् ।
कुशलान्न प्रमदितव्यम् । भूत्यै न प्रमदितव्यम् ।
स्वाध्यायप्रवचनाभ्यां न प्रमदितव्यम् । देवपितृकार्याभ्यां न प्रमदितव्यम् ॥
मातृदेवो भव । पितृदेवो भव । आचार्यदेवो भव । अतिथिदेवो भव ॥

Having taught the Vedas, the Ācārya thus enjoins the āśramaresidents:

Speak truth; walk in dharma (do your duty; do righteous acts) |
Be not heedless of self-study |
Having given agreeable wealth to the ācārya, do not sever the line of descendants |
Never fall from truth; never fall from dharma (duty, righteousness) |
Never overlook your own welfare (self-care), never neglect your prosperity;
Never neglect self-study and propagation (of the Vedas, of knowledge) |
Never neglect works (your duty) for the Gods and for the Fathers (ancestors) |
Treat your mother, father, teachers and guests like deities |

Taittirīya Upaniṣad, Śikṣā-valli, Ekādaśa Anuvākaḥ

Based on a translation by Swami Chinmayananda