Saumitri, known as Lakshmana, spoke with concern, reflecting on their circumstances. He said, “Surely, we have not offered oblations into the mouths of Brāhmaṇas; out of neglect, we have not satisfied or worshipped the deities of the earth.” He explained to Rama that those who are always hungry are born so, and that after bathing and worshipping the gods, one should offer oblations into the fire. Then, in due course, the gods would provide them with food. As the two brothers discussed these matters, observing the unfolding events, King Dasharatha gradually arrived at their place of exile. Upon seeing someone approach, Lakshmana quickly called out, “Stop, stop!” Drawing his bow in anger, he declared, “You are a demon or a rakshasa!” But Rama, seeing the figure more clearly, said, “Go, go! Here is a righteous king, a virtuous man; observe how he stands.” He described Dasharatha as one who stands devoted to his elders, steadfast in truth, serving the gods and brahmins, and skilled in protecting the three worlds. Rama then warned, “There is no entry for those like you, who perform evil deeds; if you enter, you will surely meet your death.” Hearing his sons’ words, Dasharatha slowed, called out, and spoke with folded hands to his daughter-in-law and sons. He was downcast, repeatedly pondering the fate of one who has committed evil. He said, “I am King Dasharatha; listen, my sons, to my words. Surrounded by three acts of brahma-hatya, I have come into suffering. Behold my body, severed and cast into hell.” Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana, with joined palms, bowed to the earth and asked, “O father, best of kings, whose deed’s fruit is this?” Dasharatha then narrated, as it happened, the three acts of brahma-hatya that had brought him to this state. “There is nowhere any expiation for those who slay a brahmin, my sons,” he lamented. Overwhelmed with great sorrow, all went to the earth—the king, the exiles, the mother, and the father alike. Recalling the arrival of sorrow, the course of karma, and the fall into hell, Rama fainted. Seeing him unconscious, Sita spoke: “The great-souled do not grieve at the onset of misfortune; they consider remedies, both divine and human. Even grieving for a thousand ages, calamity is never overcome; those lacking discernment here fall into confusion, never are they wise. What use is this fruitless sorrow, O lord of men? Tell us first of the murder that occurred, which was exceedingly dreadful.” She asked about the brahmin, devoted to his father, virtuous, accomplished in the Vedas and their branches, innocent, who was slain: “What is the expiation for that sin here?” Sita declared, “I shall act according to scripture; do not grieve, you two. Let Lakshmana take the second murder, and you, the other.” Her statement, filled with righteousness, was firmly spoken. Both agreed, saying, “So be it.” Then Dasharatha spoke: “You are indeed the daughter of Janaka, knowledgeable in Brahman, not born from a womb, and the wife of Rama. What is surprising if you speak what is appropriate? No one among you has any hardship, but there is a slight effort in bathing Gautami, giving offerings, and performing the ritual of offering balls of food.” He continued, “Freed from three Brahmin-murders, I go to heaven; what you have spoken, born of Janaka, is fitting for your family. The women of noble families bring others to the far shore of the ocean of existence by the grace of the Godavari. What indeed is difficult to obtain here?” When the ritual of offering balls of food was being performed, Shatrughna did not see any food or provisions. He spoke to Lakshmana, who replied respectfully, “There are fruits of the Ingudi tree, and their flour has been brought, almost instantly.” With the flour, Rama prepared to offer the ball of food to his father on the banks of the Ganga, but he became slow and sorrowful. At that moment, a divine voice arose: “Abandon sorrow, prince! You have lost the kingdom and reached the forest; what is there for you to lack? You are not deceitful, devoted to righteousness; you should not grieve here. One who acts righteously with deceit regarding wealth is indeed sinful. It is heard in all scriptures, O Rama, listen carefully: whatever food a person eats, O king, the deities of his ancestors eat that same food.” When the ball of food fell to the ground, Rama did not see his father, nor the corpse where the supreme funeral site was. Then, remembrance that destroys the mass of great sins occurred there; the guardians of the worlds—Rudras, Adityas, and the Ashvins—arrived. Each mounted their own celestial vehicle; among them, one exceedingly radiant mounted the best vehicle, praised by the Kinnaras. Dasharatha shone among them, resembling the sun. Rama did not see his own father at first, but saw the gods in their vehicles. With hands joined in reverence, Rama spoke, “Where is my father?” Then a divine voice addressed Rama through Sita: “Freed from three Brahmin-murders, King Dasharatha is surrounded by the gods. See, son,” the gods also spoke to him, “You are blessed, accomplished, Rama; your father has gone to heaven. Whoever lifts his ancestors from the multitude of various hells is praised. He is blessed, adorned by that meritorious act, O mighty-armed one; see him, shining like the sun, freed from sin, in all three worlds. Even if endowed with all wealth, a sinner is like a burnt tree; but even without possessions, a virtuous man is seen as radiant as the moon-crested one.