The Dasaratha Jalaka, a Buddhist version of Ramayana.

In this text Dasaratha is the king o Varanasi (Benares) and to his chief queen were born three children, namely, Rama Pandita (Rama the wise), Lakkhana Kumara and Sita Devi. After the death of this queen, the king married another. Bharata was born to her. The new queen persuaded the king to give the kindom to her son. Fearing that Rama, Lakkhana Kumara and Sita would be put to trouble by the queen, if they were to stay with him, the king asked them to stay at some other place for a period of twelve years. Accordingly, they went to the Himalayas, where they lived in a hermitage.

It was then predicted that the king would die in about twelve years. But after nine years, Dasaratha died. Then, the queen tried to put Bharata on the throne. But he rejected it and went to the hermitage where Rama lived and urged him to return to Varanasi; but Rama would not. Instead, he gave Bharata his wooden sandals saying that they would rule the kingdom. At the end of the twelfth year, Rama returned to the capital. He was then made king with Sita as his queen. It is interesting to note that Ravana is not available in the story and that Sita was married to her brother Rama.