Rāma’s messengers quickly conveyed the message to Sage Vālmīki. The maharṣi said, “So be it! A husband is a wife’s divinity. Sītā will act in a way that Rāghava is satisfied.” Rāma was happy to hear the maharṣi’s message. He declared that Sītā’s śapatha – test of purity would take place the next day and those interested in witnessing it may assemble.
Next morning all sages and kings assembled there. Vālmīki entered the place with Sītā and everyone hailed her coming. Sītā walked behind the sage with her face downcast and her palms joined in reverence. Vālmīki said to Rāma, “O Dāśarathi! Here is Sītā, the pious and dhārmic lady, who you had abandoned near my āśrama, though she was flawless. Sītā will prove her chastity to you, Rāma, as you are scared of the malicious accusations of the world. And here are Jānakī’s twin sons. With the power of my tapas, I examined Sītā and I can tell you with confidence that all her five organs of sense and her mind are pure. She holds you as her divinity and is of blameless conduct!”
Rāghava saw Sītā who looked had a divine charm. With his hands joined in reverence, he said to the sage, “Your words are proof enough for me, O maharṣi. Moreover, Sītā’s chastity was proved beyond doubt in the presence of the devas long ago. I knew well that Sītā was innocent, but still abandoned her out of fear of my people. Therefore, please forgive me. I understand that the twin kuśīlavas are my sons. I will welcome Vaidehī with all affection once she proves her innocence to the people assembled here!”
The devas along with Brahmā assembled there to see the glorious scene. Vāyu spread fragrance all around. Sītā saw everyone who had gathered there; with her eyes downcast and head bent down, she said, “If it is true that I have never thought of any man other than Rāghava, may devī Mādhavī, the goddess of the earth, open wide for me.” As Vaidehī thus pronounced her śapatha, a dazzling throne emerged from the surface of the earth. Dhāriṇī devī, who sat on the throne, welcomed Sītā and took her in her arms. As Sītā entered the Rasātala, there was a celestial shower of blossoms and all the divinities hailed her act. Everyone who had gathered in the yajña-bhūmi, watched her with amazement; some cried out, some delighted and some were lost in thought; some simply gazed at Rāma and others at Sītā. And for a moment, the entire world was transfixed.
As Vaidehī had entered the earth at the conclusion of the yajña, Rāma was deeply disconsolate. No longer able to see his beloved wife, he felt the world was an empty place. After dismissing all the kings, sages, vānaras, and rākṣasas, who had assembled there, Rāma entered the city of Ayodhyā in great pain. He did not marry again, but in every yajña, placed a golden image of Jānakī next to himself. He ruled his kingdom for many long years; during his rule, it rained at the right time and there was no untimely death; all beings lived in great harmony and delight and there was never a breach of dharma. There was prosperity all around.
After a long time, Rāma’s mother Kausalyā breathed her last and was followed by Sumitrā and Kaikeyī. Rāma performed innumerable yajñas and offered generous donations to his people.
As time rolled on, the sage Gārgya brought a message to Rāma from Aśvapati Yudhājit; as per the sage’s suggestion, Rāma sent Bharata along with the latter’s sons Takṣa and Puṣkara to defeat the gandharvas. After their defeat, Bharata founded two splendid cities called Takṣaśilā and Puṣkarāvatī and put one city under the care of each of his sons. Rāma then extended his kingdom through dhārmic conquests; he coronated Lakṣmaṇa’s sons Aṅgada and Candraketu as the kings of the cities of Aṅgadīya and Candrakāntā respectively.
The brothers lived happily in Ayodhyā, ruling their kingdom in adherence to dharma. After some time, Kāla arrived at Rāma’s kingdom in the guise of a tāpasa. He sought a meeting with Rāma under the condition that anyone who overheard or witnessed the conversation would be sentenced to death. Rāma agreed to the condition and instructed Lakṣmaṇa to guard the door of their chamber. Kāla conveyed to him the message of Brahmā, the pitāmaha. He said, “Brahmā wishes to remind you that you are the almighty out of whom all the worlds take their birth. You have performed your deed of establishing dharma in the world by vanquishing Rāvaṇa; you took a human birth out of your own will and now your life span among men is nearing its end. If you wish to serve humans for longer, you may remain on earth; but we would be glad if you returned to the suraloka.” Upon hearing the words of Kāla, Rāma expressed his wish to return to suraloka.
As the two were conversing, Durvāsa muni arrived at the king’s door, eager to see Rāma. He commanded Lakṣmaṇa, “Show me in to Rāma at once, lest my purpose will go waste!” Lakṣmaṇa tried to ask him about the purpose of his visit but the muni got enraged and said, “Saumitri! You must announce of my arrival to Rāma right away. Or else, I will curse your kingdom, you, your brothers, and your offspring!” Lakṣmaṇa decided in his heart – let me alone die; let there not be a destruction of the entire kingdom. He informed Rāma about Durvāsa’s arrival. Rāma quickly saw off Kāla and rushed to welcome the sage. Durvāsa demanded freshly prepared food as he had just finished an austerity for a thousand years. Rāma offered the food and the sage departed, contented.
Rāma became despondent thinking of Kāla’s words. Looking at his elder brother, Lakṣmaṇa said, “You must not suffer anguish for my sake. You must keep your word and slay me without any misgiving. Those who don’t keep their promise go to naraka!” Rāma assembled his purohitas and ministers and consulted them on the matter. Upon their advice, Rāma banished Lakṣmaṇa from the kingdom.
No sooner than he heard the words uttered by Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa swiftly departed, his eyes clouded by tears. On the banks of the river Sarayū, Lakṣmaṇa sipped its water, and with reverentially joining his palms, he closed off his senses and held his breath. Thus, through the path of yoga, Lakṣmaṇa gave up his life. Indra and the apsarās escorted him to svarga; thus, one-fourth of Viṣṇu returned from Earth.
As soon as Lakṣmaṇa departed from the world, Rāma decided to follow his path. He decided to coronate Bharata as the king, but the latter wished to join Rāma in his journey. Thus, Rāma summoned his sons and coronated Kuśa as the king of Kuśāvatī and Lava as the ruler of Śrāvatī. Messengers rushed to Śatrughna to inform him of Rāma’s decision to depart. Śatrughna immediately handed over his city of Madhurā to his son Subāhu and created the city of Vaidiśa for his son Śatrughātī. He alone went to Ayodhyā and expressed his desire to follow Rāma.
As Rāma got ready to depart, vānaras, rākṣasas, as well as the children of the devas and gandharvas assembled there. Rāma instructed Vibhīṣaṇa to continue ruling Laṅkā. He said to Hanūmān, “You must remain alive, for you must not violate your vow. As long as tales about me are heard in the world, O vānara, remain alive!” He then asked the other vānaras to follow him in his departure.
Sage Vasiṣṭha performed the rituals required for his departure. Rāma wore clothes made of linen and held kuśa grass in his hand. He proceeded blazing like the Sun, uttering no unnecessary words. The devas, the vedas and oṅkāra followed him in their embodied forms. Bharata and Śatrughna followed him with all the citizens. They joyfully followed him, without any pain. People from the countryside gathered there just to witness his departure. Pitāmaha Brahmā appeared there and welcomed back Rāma and his aides. They entered the river Sarayū at the Gopratāra-tīrtha. All beings, upon reaching the waters of Sarayū attained their divine state, left their mortal bodies in the water, and returned to the devaloka. Rāma thus returned to his abode causing delight to all beings.
Here ends the best of ākhyānas named Rāmāyaṇa along with the Uttara-kāṇḍa. It was composed by Sage Vālmīki and is worshipped by Brahmā.'
Here ends the condensed rendition of the Rāmāyaṇa, based on the critically constituted text.
