With a heavy heart and trembling lips, King Daśaratha, sighing deeply, entrusted his two beloved sons to Viśvāmitra, the sage renowned for his mastery of the sacred scriptures. Accepting this charge, the two princes—Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa—bowed repeatedly before their father, their spirits uplifted by the task ahead. With joy, they set forth with Viśvāmitra, intent on protecting the world as instructed. The sage, delighted with their devotion, bestowed upon both brothers the supreme knowledge of Maheśvara, with the science of archery at its forefront. He instructed them in the arts of weaponry and missiles, the worldly skills of chariot warfare, the lore of elephants and horses, the science of clubs, and the invocation and withdrawal of potent mantras. Armed with such wisdom, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa soon proved themselves. For the sake of the forest-dwellers, they entered the wilds and slew the fearsome demoness Tāṭakā. By the mere touch of their feet, they freed Ahalyā from her curse, and there too, they destroyed the rākṣasas who sought to ruin the sacred sacrifice. Having mastered the sciences and bearing their bows, they protected the sacrifice with vigilance. When the great rite was complete, Viśvāmitra, lord among sages, took the king’s sons with him to the court of Janaka. In the assembly of kings, he revealed the wondrous bow. There, Rāma—accompanied by his brother Saumitri (Lakṣmaṇa)—demonstrated his mastery of archery, just as his guru had taught him. Pleased, King Janaka gave Sītā, the goddess of fortune not born from a womb, as bride to Rāma. Likewise, arrangements were made, under the wise guidance of Vasiṣṭha, for the marriages of Lakṣmaṇa, Bharata, Śatrughna, and the others. King Daśaratha, illustrious and noble, performed the sacred marriages of his sons. In time, he resolved to bestow the kingdom upon Rāma. With the consent of all, and even his guru, he prepared for the coronation. Yet, fate intervened—prompted by Mantharā’s jealousy and the misfortune she stirred, Kaikeyī demanded her boons, creating an obstacle and sending Rāma into exile. The kingdom was not given to Bharata either. True to his father’s word, Rāma entered the great forest, accompanied by Sītā and his devoted brother Saumitri. With virtue shining in his heart, Rāma entered the pure minds of the righteous. When Rāma, Sītā, and Lakṣmaṇa—free from all desire for the throne—departed for the forest, Daśaratha was overwhelmed by sorrow. Recalling the ancient curse of Brahma, the king, afflicted and grief-stricken, relinquished his life. By the force of his past deeds, Daśaratha was seized by Yama’s attendants and led to the realm where all beings, moving and unmoving, must eventually go. In Yama’s abode, O Nārada, there exist many dreadful and terrifying hells—Tāmisra and others. There, the king was cast into these hells, where he was subjected to torments: cooked, cut, crushed, ground to powder, dried, torn apart, burned again and again, and submerged in terrible suffering. Meanwhile, Rāma journeyed onward and reached Citrakūṭa. There, three years passed. He then turned south and entered the Daṇḍaka forest, famed throughout the three worlds as a land of merit. In that great and fearsome forest, haunted by demons and abandoned by sages, Rāma slew the demons and rākṣasas, restoring peace and making it a haven once more for sages. As Rāma wandered through Daṇḍaka, he made it a place frequented by holy men. There, an event occurred, O Nārada, which I shall recount carefully. Rāma advanced slowly, covering five yojanas until he reached the Gautamī river—even as King Daśaratha remained in hell. At that moment, Yama addressed his attendants: “Rāma, son of Daśaratha, is approaching the Gautamī river, near to his wise father. Now, draw the king out from the hells—there is no doubt; after crossing the Gautamī, he will have covered five yojanas. Until Rāma has crossed, let his father not be tormented in hell. If my messengers do not carry out this meritorious command, they themselves shall be plunged into dreadful hell. The Gautamī, whom the virtuous revere as the embodiment of water, is honored and worshipped by Hari, Brahmā, and Maheśa.” “No one can cross over the sin born of transgression, but even a sinner, if he remembers Gaṅgā, or if his son does so, is freed from many terrible hells and attains liberation. What, then, of a son like this, standing near the Gautamī? No one can make him suffer in hell, hearing the command of the lord of the southern direction, O attendants of Yama.” Thus commanded, Yama’s attendants rescued King Daśaratha from torment and spoke to him: “Blessed are you, O best of kings, to have such a son! In this world and the next, who but a worthy son can grant such rest?” Finding peace at last, Daśaratha addressed the attendants: “While I was repeatedly tormented in these terrible hells, how was I so swiftly drawn out? Please, tell me the cause.” One of tranquil mind replied: “This is a mystery, carefully kept secret in the Vedas, scriptures, and Purāṇas. Yet it is revealed to you now, due to the power of your son and the sanctity of this holy pilgrimage.