We had seen Sita descending to reach Mother Earth as a test of her purity. At the moment when everyone was in awe of the spectacle, Rama was in grief beyond measure at losing Sita. Though he is an avatar of Vishnu, he has lived as a man—felt love, endured separation, and now faces irrevocable loss. His sorrow is not just personal; it is cosmic. The woman he loved, the queen he abandoned for the sake of dharma, has returned to the Earth, leaving him with nothing but memories and regret. The silence that follows is heavy, filled with the weight of choices made in the name of righteousness. He never stopped loving Sita. He had to choose raja-dharma (duty to kingdom) over pati-dharma (duty to wife). Her departure feels like the final severing of his earthly ties with her. He requests goddess Earth to return Sita or allow him into it to be with her or face the harsh consequences. When the world was terrified at the threat, Brahma appears and appease Rama. He speaks not to Rama the king, but to Rama the divine. Brahma reminds him of his true nature: that he is Vishnu incarnate, born to restore dharma on Earth. Sita’s departure marks the end of that mission. Her return to the Earth is not a punishment, but a transcendence—a return to purity, to the source. Brahma’s words are not just consolation; they are revelation. He tells Rama that his earthly role is complete, and that he will soon reunite with Sita in the celestial realm, beyond the bounds of human suffering. Brahma’s intervention is a reminder that the divine play (leela) must end, and that the actors must return to their true selves. Rama, the ideal king, must now become Vishnu once more. Sita, the ideal wife and mother, returns to the Earth, her purity unquestioned, her dignity intact. By reminding him of his divine nature, Brahma lifts Rama out of his human anguish. Rama’s role on Earth is complete. Sita’s return to Earth signals the end of the divine play (leela). Thus, the departure of divine mother triggered the end of divine play of Ramayana as it is.
Brahma also told Rama of Valmiki’s Ramayana, the sacred poem narrating his entire life, past and future. This tells ramayana is written before the story has happened. After Brahma departed, the sages of Brahmaloka stayed to hear the Uttara Kanda. Rama, still mourning Sita, asked Valmiki to narrate it the next day, and returned to the hermitage with his sons, Kusha and Lava, spending the night in sorrow and remembrance. We can look at the successive events past this episode in following chapters.
In chapter 99, the death of the queens can be seen.
When dawn broke after the night of sorrow, Rama gathered the great ascetics and gently instructed his twin sons, Kusha and Lava, to sing the concluding portion of the Ramayana. As the noble sages took their seats, the two princes sang the Uttara Kanda—the moving epilogue of the great epic that told of Sita’s final act of purity and the destiny of their divine father.
Having witnessed Sita’s descent into the earth, which served as the ultimate proof of her chastity, and with his grand sacrifice completed, Rama was left heartbroken. Deprived of Sita’s presence, he looked upon the world as an empty wilderness. Overcome with grief yet maintaining royal composure, he dismissed the assembled kings, sages, monkeys, bears, and titans, rewarding them with immense treasure for their loyal service and devotion. After bidding them farewell, the lotus-eyed Lord of Ayodhya—ever absorbed in the thought of Sita—returned alone to his kingdom, carrying the ache of separation deep within his heart.
Despite being urged to remarry, Rama never took another consort, for his heart remained forever bound to Sita. During every sacred sacrifice that followed, he installed a golden image of Janaki beside him, symbolizing her eternal presence. His love and fidelity to her transcended mortal loss. Over the centuries, Rama performed countless Vedic sacrifices: the Vajamedha Yajna, Vajapeya, Agnishtoma, Atiratra, and Gosava among others, each marked by magnificent generosity. The scriptures recount that he performed the Vajapeya ten times more than the Vajamedha, and his gifts of gold and cattle flowed boundlessly to priests, ascetics, and the needy. His reign was an age of sacrifice, charity, and divine order—a golden epoch under the shelter of righteousness (dharma).
For ten thousand years, Rama ruled Ayodhya with unwavering virtue and compassion. The bears, monkeys, and rakshasas who had once served him in battle now lived peacefully under his protection, and neighboring monarchs came regularly to pay homage to the righteous ruler. The kingdom flourished under his reign: rains came in proper season, harvests were abundant, the skies were clear, and disease and untimely death vanished from the land. No one suffered from poverty or sorrow; every citizen was content and prosperous. The city of Ayodhya shone with peace and purity—an image of heaven on earth.
As time passed, Rama’s mother Kausalya, now advanced in years, peacefully departed this world, surrounded by her sons and grandchildren. Her soul ascended to the celestial realm, where she was lovingly reunited with her husband King Dasaratha. Soon after, Sumitra and Kaikeyi, who had both performed many acts of devotion and penance, also left their mortal bodies, joining Kausalya and Dasaratha in heaven. There, they received the divine reward of their virtues and were embraced in everlasting joy.
In remembrance of his mother, Rama performed sacred rites and bestowed precious gifts upon ascetics and brahmins. He offered sraddha ceremonies with rare jewels and great humility, honoring the ancestors and sustaining the traditions of dharma. With each act of sacrifice and devotion, Rama strengthened the moral fabric of the world, upholding truth, compassion, and righteousness for the benefit of all living beings.
Thus, through thousands of years of peaceful and just rule, Rama, the scion of Raghu, embodied the divine ideal of kingship. His reign became a beacon of harmony between heaven and earth, a time when duty, faith, and compassion prevailed. The memory of Sita remained ever-present in his heart—his sorrow transformed into sanctity—and under his guidance, the world lived in the light of righteousness and bliss.
In chapter 100, Rama sends Bharata to conquer the Gandharvas.
In the prosperous reign of Rama, one day a distinguished visitor arrived at his court — Gargya, the son of the illustrious sage Angiras, a Brahmarishi of immeasurable glory and wisdom. He had been sent by King Yudhajita of Kaikeya, Rama’s maternal uncle, bearing tokens of deep affection and esteem. As a gesture of goodwill and kinship, Yudhajita sent ten thousand horses, along with rich carpets, gems, splendid fabrics, and ornaments of dazzling beauty — a royal tribute befitting the nobility of the House of Raghu.
When Rama received news of the arrival of the great sage and the magnificent gifts, he was filled with reverence and gratitude. Accompanied by his royal entourage, the virtuous Raghava went out from Ayodhya to meet Gargya, walking a full mile to honor him — just as Indra pays homage to his divine preceptor Brihaspati. Upon seeing the sage, Rama bowed with folded hands, performing every act of welcome and respect due to a holy guest. He then accepted the generous offerings, not as mere wealth, but as a sacred sign of love from his mother’s brother, King Ashvapati of Kaikeya.
Once Gargya was duly received and escorted into the royal palace, Rama offered him a seat of honor and inquired affectionately about the welfare of his uncle, his kin, and the people of Kaikeya. His words carried the warmth of family and the grace of a king who held dharma above all. Then, turning to the sage with devotion and curiosity, Rama asked what message his uncle had entrusted to him.
The venerable Rishi Gargya, glowing with divine wisdom, spoke with eloquence and calm authority:
“O Rama, Long-armed Hero, your uncle Yudhajita sends you this affectionate request. There lies a beautiful and fertile land of the Gandharvas, rich in fruits and roots, on the banks of the mighty Sindhu River. Its soil yields abundance, and its cities are splendidly built, but it is now under the control of valiant Gandharvas, well-armed and skilled in warfare. My lord Yudhajita desires that you, in your glory and strength, conquer this land, defeat these warriors, and claim the territory for your house. None but you, O Kakutstha, can accomplish this, for the task demands divine valor. The country is of great beauty and benefit—heed your uncle’s counsel, for it will bring you and your lineage lasting prosperity.”
Rama listened thoughtfully to the sage’s message and felt pleased by the trust and affection shown by his uncle. He smiled gently and replied, “So be it.” Then, turning to his beloved brother Bharata, Rama’s eyes glowed with resolve and brotherly confidence. He addressed Gargya again:
“These two young princes—Taksha and Pushkala, the valiant sons of Bharata—shall lead this expedition under their father’s guidance. Protected by my uncle Yudhajita and guided by their father’s wisdom, they will prove their devotion and bravery. Bharata shall command the army, conquer the land of the Gandharvas, and install his sons as rulers of the two principal cities. Once their rule is firmly established, Bharata, my righteous brother, will return to Ayodhya.”
Thus, with words of faith and foresight, Rama ordered Bharata to depart and begin the campaign. The auspicious moment was chosen under the constellation Saumya (Mercury), and accompanied by the venerable Rishi Gargya, Bharata set forth with a mighty army and his two heroic sons.
The departure of the army from Ayodhya was a magnificent sight—its radiance so great that even the gods themselves could scarcely approach it. The host was vast and disciplined, shining like a river of valor flowing across the earth. Alongside the human warriors marched titans, forest-dwellers, and mighty beings of fearsome strength—Bhutagramas, rakshasas, and creatures that fed upon flesh, eager for the spoils of battle. Even lions, tigers, boars, and birds of prey flew and ran ahead, sensing the approaching war.
With perfect order and morale, the cheerful and healthy soldiers marched tirelessly. After a journey of a month and a half, the army of Bharata reached the Kingdom of Kaikeya, ready to fulfill Rama’s command, conquer the Gandharvas, and establish the glory of the Raghu dynasty on the fertile banks of the Sindhu.
This concludes chapters 99, 100 of Uttara Kanda where we had seen the story unfolding following Sita’s departure. Rama listened to Uttara Kanda with a heavy heart and resume to rule the kingdom for thousands of years. The kingdom flourished under his reign as Rama ruled with unwavering virtue and compassion. As years passed on, Rama’s mother Kausalya and Sumitra,Kaikeyi departs the world peacefully. In remembrance of his mother, Rama performs sacred rites and bestow precious gifts upon ascetics and brahmins. One day, a distinguished visitor Gargya pays a visit to Rama’s kingdom and asks Rama to conquer the land of the Gandharvas. Rama accedes and promptly sends Bharata and his sons on this mission. We can look at Rama’s army defeating Gandharvas and taking over their kingdom in subsequent chapters. We are at the tail end where Rama bestows kingdom to his own sons – Lava, Kusha as well as Bharata’s, Lakshmana’s sons. This can be looked at in the next few chapters.
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