As Kausalya grieved for her beloved son, her heart weighed down by sorrow, Sumitra, noble and steadfast in righteousness, approached her gently. With words full of wisdom, Sumitra comforted Kausalya, saying, “O noble lady, your son is adorned with every virtue and stands foremost among men. What purpose does such lamentation and pitiful weeping serve? Rama, mighty and resolute, has relinquished the kingdom, performing a noble deed for his great-souled father who always keeps his word. Rama, established in righteousness and supreme among men, follows the virtuous path that bears fruit beyond this life. There is no cause to grieve for him. Lakshmana, ever sinless and virtuous, compassionate to all beings, is a great soul who will surely find success. Vaidehi, though accustomed to comfort, follows your righteous son, fully aware of the hardships of forest life. Your son upholds the banner of fame in the world, devoted to righteousness and truth. Why should he not attain it? Even the sun’s rays should not scorch Rama’s pure and supremely great body. At all times, the gentle and pleasant forest wind will serve Raghava, moderate in heat and cold. At night, the soothing moon will embrace the sinless Rama like a father, dispelling the heat as it touches him. Rama, to whom the mighty Brahma gave divine weapons after seeing the lord of the Danavas slain in battle, is a hero, a tiger among men. Relying on his own strength, he will dwell in the forest without fear, just as he would in his own home. Any enemy who comes within the range of his arrows meets destruction; how, then, can the earth not remain under his rule? With the fortune, valor, and noble nature that belong to Rama, once his exile ends, he will swiftly regain his kingdom. As the sun is to the sun, fire to fire, lord to lord, so is Rama supreme in splendor, glory, and forbearance. He is the foremost among gods and beings; O noble lady, what faults could there be in him, whether in the forest or in the city? Soon, Rama, the best of men, together with the earth, Sita, and prosperity, will be anointed with these three. When Rama departed, the people of Ayodhya, struck by grief, shed tears born of sorrow. What could be unattainable for him, the unconquered hero clad in bark and grass, as fortune follows Sita who accompanies him? What could be unattainable for him whose foremost skill is with the bow, who bears arrows and sword himself, and for whom Lakshmana goes ahead? You will see him again, returned from the forest, O lady; abandon grief and delusion—I speak the truth to you. O blameless one, you will again see your son bowing at your feet with his head, like the risen moon. Seeing him re-enter, anointed and resplendent, you will quickly shed tears of joy from your eyes. Let there be no sorrow or pain, O lady; nothing inauspicious is seen for Rama. Soon you will see your son with Sita and Lakshmana. O sinless one, you must comfort all these people; why do you now harbor this distress in your heart, O lady? You are not worthy of sorrow, O lady, whose son is Raghava; for there is no one greater than Rama, steadfast in the righteous path. Seeing your son, accompanied by friends, bowing in respect, you will soon shed tears of joy, like a rain cloud releasing its waters. Your son, the bestower of boons, will soon return to Ayodhya and gently press your feet with his soft, plump hands. Seeing your heroic son, accompanied by friends, bowing and paying homage, you will sprinkle him with tears of joy, like clouds upon a mountain. With these comforting words, Queen Sumitra, skilled and blameless in speech, fell silent. Hearing Lakshmana’s mother speak thus, Kausalya’s grief vanished from her body, like a rain cloud in autumn with little water. Thus ends the forty-fourth sarga of the Ayodhya Kanda in the glorious Ramayana, the first poem composed by the sage Valmiki. Let the forty-fifth sarga be heard in the glorious Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kanda. As Rama departed for the forest, the people, devoted to him and recognizing his true valor, followed him. Though the king, their friend and protector, had already turned back out of duty, the people did not turn away but continued to follow Rama’s chariot. Among the men of Ayodhya, Rama, renowned and full of virtues, was as dear as the full moon. Though entreated by the citizens at that time, Kakutstha, upholding his father’s truth, set out for the forest. Looking at them with affection, as if drinking them in with his eyes, Rama spoke tenderly to the people, as a father would to his own children: “The love and great respect the people of Ayodhya bear for me—let that, for my sake, be especially shown to Bharata. For he, of noble conduct and the joy of Kaikeyi, will properly do for you what is dear and beneficial.” Thus, the story flows onward, guided by the sage Valmiki’s words.