Ramayana

After the tumultuous encounter with Jāmadagnya Rāma, the noble Rāma, ever respectful, first bowed to the venerable sages led by Vasiṣṭha. Then, seeing his father King Daśaratha weighed down by worry, Rāma, the joy of the Raghu dynasty, gently addressed him: “Jāmadagnya Rāma has now departed. Let the fourfold army proceed towards Ayodhyā, under your protection as its sovereign.” Hearing these reassuring words, Daśaratha’s heart swelled with relief and love. He drew Rāma close, embracing him with both arms and placing a tender kiss upon his head. News of Rāma’s safe return filled the king with boundless joy, as if both father and son had been granted new life. Without delay, Daśaratha ordered the army to advance, leading the way swiftly to Ayodhyā. The city blossomed before them, adorned with fluttering banners and resounding with the jubilant music of drums and instruments. The royal road was sprinkled clean and strewn with heaps of fragrant flowers, and at the city’s entrance, the townspeople awaited, bearing auspicious offerings in hand to greet their king. Daśaratha entered the city, now radiant and teeming with crowds of citizens, Brahmins, and townsfolk, all welcoming him from afar. Surrounded by his sons and illustrious companions, the king made his way into his beloved palace, as splendid and majestic as Mount Himavat itself. Within those walls, Daśaratha rejoiced among his family, his every wish fulfilled. His queens—Kausalyā, Sumitrā, and the fair Kaikeyī—shared in his happiness. The royal women busied themselves with the joyful task of welcoming the new brides. Sītā, blessed with great fortune, and the illustrious Urmilā were received with affection and reverence. The royal ladies also welcomed the two daughters of Kuśadhvaja, adorning them with auspicious words, offerings, and fine garments. All the women quickly offered worship at the shrines of the gods, while the royal sons paid their respects to those deserving honor. In the privacy of their chambers, the women, filled with joy, delighted with their husbands, their marriages now accomplished. The princes, skilled in arms and blessed with wealth and friends, found happiness in their new bonds. Ever attentive to their father, the best of men served Daśaratha faithfully. After some time, the king spoke to his son Bharata, Kaikeyī’s beloved child: “Dear son, here is the son of the king of Kekaya—your heroic maternal uncle Yudhājit has come to take you.” Hearing his father’s words, Bharata, accompanied by his devoted brother Shatrughna, prepared to depart. They took leave of their father and Rāma, the ever-composed doer of noble deeds. Together, Bharata and Shatrughna went to their mothers to bid farewell. Yudhājit, upon finding his nephews, was filled with delight. Bharata, the hero, entered his uncle’s city, bringing happiness to his father there. With Bharata and Shatrughna gone, Rāma and the mighty Lakṣmaṇa remained in Ayodhyā. Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa honored their father as if he were a god, always placing his commands above all else and diligently carrying out the duties of the citizens. Rāma performed all that was pleasing and beneficial, fulfilling his responsibilities toward his mothers with utmost restraint and respect. He attended to his teachers at the proper times, winning the satisfaction of Daśaratha, the Brahmins, and all the townsfolk. Because of Rāma’s noble character and conduct, the entire realm rejoiced. Rāma, steadfast in truth and valor, became renowned among the people. He was regarded as the most virtuous of beings, like the self-born creator himself, and together with Sītā, he enjoyed many blissful seasons. Rāma’s mind was ever thoughtful and fixed upon Sītā, who had been chosen as his wife by his father. Sītā, dear to Rāma, blossomed in his heart, and, for her virtues and beauty, his affection for her only grew. In her heart, Rāma held a place twice as dear. Their bond was so deep that even the unspoken was understood, heart speaking to heart. Sītā, daughter of Janaka, radiant as fortune herself and equal to the gods in form, was especially beloved by Rāma. United with the noble princess, Rāma, son of the royal sage, shone all the more, filled with joy, like Viṣṇu himself radiant with fortune. Now, listen to the first chapter of the next book. Bharata and Shatrughna remained in their uncle’s city, honored and cherished by him as if they were his own sons. While residing there, the two brothers enjoyed every comfort, yet their hearts often turned with longing toward their aged father, King Daśaratha. The mighty king, too, remembered his distant sons, Bharata and Shatrughna, who were as splendid as Indra and Varuṇa. All four of his sons were dear to him, like four strong arms sprung from his own being. Yet among them, Rāma, radiant in splendor, was his father’s greatest delight, embodying supreme virtue like the self-born creator among men. For, at the request of the gods who sought the destruction of Rāvaṇa, the eternal Viṣṇu had taken birth among men. Kausalyā shone with her son of immeasurable brilliance, just as Aditi shone with Indra, the wielder of the thunderbolt. Rāma was endowed with beauty, strength, and modesty, unmatched on earth, and his virtues rivaled those of Daśaratha himself. Always calm in mind, he spoke gently first and never returned harsh words, even when provoked. Content with a single act of kindness, he never remembered a hundred wrongs done to him. He continually sought the company of virtuous elders—those advanced in character, wisdom, and age—even among the skilled in arms. Thus, in Ayodhyā, Rāma’s noble presence brought joy to all, and his fame and virtue shone ever brighter.