The royal women, their hearts full of joy and devotion, gathered together and took the two daughters of Kuśadhvaja into their care. The young brides were adorned with auspicious words and gifts, dressed in fine garments befitting the sacredness of the occasion. Together, the women hastened to the shrines of the gods, offering worship and prayers, while at the same time, the royal sons paid their respects to all those worthy of honor. With the marriages accomplished, happiness blossomed throughout the palace. The women, delighted, spent time in private with their husbands, who now, skilled in arms and surrounded by wealth and friends, had fulfilled the sacred rite of marriage. The princes, ever attentive and devoted, served their father Daśaratha with reverence and care. After some time had passed in this atmosphere of contentment, King Daśaratha spoke to his son Bharata, born of Kaikeyī and a delight to the Raghu lineage. He said, “My dear son, here is the son of the king of Kekaya, your heroic maternal uncle Yudhājit, who has come to see you.” Hearing these words, Bharata, ever obedient, prepared to depart, accompanied by his devoted brother Shatrughna. Taking leave of their father and of Rama, the ever-calm and virtuous, the two brothers went to bid farewell to their mothers. When Yudhājit found Bharata and Shatrughna ready to accompany him, he was filled with delight. The heroic Bharata entered his uncle’s city, bringing joy to his father there. With Bharata and Shatrughna departed, Rama and the mighty Lakshmana remained in Ayodhya, their hearts steadfast. At this time, Rama and Lakshmana honored their father, Daśaratha, as if he were a god upon earth. They placed his commands above all else, diligently carrying out the duties owed to the people and the kingdom. Rama, in particular, performed every act that was both pleasing and beneficial, fulfilling his responsibilities toward his mothers with utmost restraint and respect. He attended to his teachers at the proper times, earning the satisfaction of Daśaratha, as well as the admiration of the Brahmins and the townsfolk. Because of Rama’s noble character and conduct, all the inhabitants of the realm were delighted with him, and his steadfastness in truth and valor became widely renowned. Rama’s virtue shone forth among all beings, like the self-born creator himself. United with Sita, he enjoyed many seasons of happiness. His mind was ever thoughtful, fixed upon her, and she held a cherished place in his heart. Sita, chosen as his wife by his father, was dear to Rama, and her beauty and virtue caused his affection for her to grow ever stronger. In her heart, her husband occupied a place of double importance. Between them, nothing was hidden; their hearts spoke openly to each other. Especially for Rama, Sita—the Maithili, daughter of Janaka, radiant and equal to the gods in form—was like the goddess of fortune herself. United in love and desire, Rama, the son of the royal sage, shone brilliantly with the noble princess Sita at his side, radiant with joy like Vishnu, lord of the immortals, resplendent with his consort. Listen now to the next chapter. Bharata, with his brother Shatrughna, stayed in his uncle’s city, honored and cherished by the lord of horses, who loved him as his own son. While residing there, the heroic brothers were freely gratified, yet their thoughts often turned with longing to their aged father, King Daśaratha. Likewise, the mighty Daśaratha, radiant in splendor, remembered his two sons who were away—Bharata and Shatrughna—who were as noble as Indra and Varuna. All four sons were dear to him, the best among men, as if they were four arms sprung from his own body. Among them, Rama, radiant and virtuous, was his father’s delight; like the self-born creator among beings, he stood foremost in virtue. For, at the request of the gods who desired the destruction of the demon Rāvaṇa, the eternal Viṣṇu had taken birth in the world of men as Rama. Kausalyā, his mother, shone with her son of immeasurable brilliance, just as Aditi shone with the wielder of the thunderbolt among the gods. Rama was endowed with beauty, strength, and modesty, unrivaled on earth, and his virtues reflected those of Daśaratha himself. Always calm in mind, Rama spoke gently first, and even when harsh words were spoken to him, he never replied in kind. He was easily satisfied by a single act of kindness and, considering his own faults, never remembered even 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 warriors. Wise and sweet-spoken, Rama was always the first to greet others, his speech pleasant and powerful, yet he was never amazed by his own great strength. He never spoke untruth, was learned, honored his elders, and was beloved by the people, who in turn received his love. Compassionate and a master of his own anger, he honored the brāhmaṇas, showed mercy to the distressed, was knowledgeable in dharma, always self-controlled and pure. With a mind befitting his noble lineage, Rama highly valued the kṣatriya’s duty and cherished its heavenly reward. He did not delight in anything inauspicious, nor in discordant speech, but spoke reasoned words in proper order, like a master of speech. Healthy, youthful, eloquent, and handsome, he knew the proper place and time for all things, and was recognized as the best among men, singular in virtue. Endowed with the highest qualities, Rama was as dear to the people as the vital breath is to the body. Having mastered all disciplines and vows, and knowing the Vedas and their branches fully, Rama, the elder brother of Bharata, even surpassed his father in the skill of archery. Of noble birth, virtuous, untroubled, truthful and upright, he was well-trained by elders and by learned twice-born men in the ways of dharma and wealth. Knowing the essence of dharma, desire, and wealth, possessed of memory and intelligence, Rama was skilled in worldly customs and expert in proper conduct. Thus did he shine among men, the very embodiment of virtue and nobility.