In the last post, we saw Rama building two new grand cities and giving the responsibility of ruling them to Lakshmana’s sons – Angada and Candraketu. To look at briefly about the two cities built – Angadiya and Candrakanta, the first one was built by Rama himself - a fortress of grandeur, with towering ramparts, beautiful palaces, and gardens fragrant with blossoming trees. It became a model of prosperity, filled with citizens loyal to dharma and skilled in arts and trade. Candrakanta, located in the land of Mallas was designed to rival the celestial city of Amaravati. Its golden gates, marble halls, and luminous streets reflected the glory of Ayodhya itself. These cities built symbolize the delegation of power from Rama and his brothers to the next generation, marking a graceful transition of dharma and leadership. We need to grasp that great leaders or rulers build glorious cities and pass them on to successive generations as a permanent etching of their virtuous and great rule. In a world as good as today, we need to build those monuments as a token of our positive presence and pass them onto the future.
Indeed, we are in one of a kind of ages where this development is happening in India in front of our eyes. Just look at the magnanimous numbers and one will be spell bound. It takes a deeply virtuous and great rule to build a nation of 1.4 billion population from bottom-up, atleast in last decade and a half. We will look at the time lapse of last 15 years. In the past 15 years, India has transformed through major initiatives: 83,000+ km of highways under Bharatmala, 175+ GW of renewable energy capacity, and 100+ Smart Cities upgraded. The Digital India push enabled 1.3B+ Aadhaar enrollments and 10B+ monthly UPI transactions. Metro rail expanded in 20+ cities, while Ayushman Bharat provided health coverage to 500M+ citizens. GST unified taxation, and the Startup India movement fueled 100+ unicorns. Projects like the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train and Central Vista Redevelopment reshaped infrastructure. These developments reflect India’s leap in connectivity, governance, and sustainability, positioning it as a rising global power. While other countries may have achieved remarkable feats, India’s breadth, scale, and inclusivity—within a democratic framework—are nearly unprecedented in a short span of 15 years. This is the kind of progress one can witness in the land which bred Rama as the ideals of Rama takes shape. Taking a cue from this progress, the Telugu home state should also build a capital Amaravati as great as Amaravati itself, for the future to reminisce these times. In short, any ruler should take Rama as an ideal and rule like him – expanding nations, building cities and developing the land for an empowered citizens. To reiterate, the nation “should become a model of prosperity, filled with citizens loyal to dharma and skilled in arts and trade.” This should be the destination on the long road towards the goal where better people build better rulers and better nations.
Coming back to the story, after building the cities and giving them over to Lakshmana’s sons, Rama ruled for 10 thousand years without any major obstacles or incidents. This is the most peaceful time a land can ever have. His reign, known as Rama Rajya, was marked by perfect justice, prosperity, and peace. Citizens were free from sorrow, disease, and crime. Nature flourished, and dharma prevailed. Rama upheld truth and righteousness, guided by sage counsel and divine wisdom. His long rule symbolized an ideal kingdom where all beings thrived. The 11,000-year span is symbolic, reflecting timeless perfection rather than literal chronology, portraying Rama as the eternal embodiment of ideal kingship and divine governance. As told many times, any President, Prime Minister or other leaders of states, should have the welfare of Rama rajya as prime motto in presiding over the nation/state - Our mission as a President should be to lead a nation as glorious as kingdom ruled by Rama because “Rama Rajya was a golden era of perfect governance, where truth, justice, and compassion prevailed, and every citizen lived in peace, prosperity, and harmony. Nature flourished, diseases vanished, and no one experienced sorrow or fear—symbolizing the highest ideal of righteous rule.” The ultimate destiny for any man is to be a ruler as noble as Rama. Let us rule and live in the service of humanity.
At last, after a perfect rule over fortunate citizens, death finally comes to seek out Rama. Death appeared at his court in the guise of a radiant ascetic, bearing a secret message from a great Maharishi. With deep reverence, Rama welcomed him and offered due honors. The ascetic declared that the message must be heard in absolute secrecy, warning that any eavesdropper must be slain. Rama solemnly agreed and appointed Lakshmana to guard the door, vowing to uphold the command. The court fell into hushed awe as Rama prepared to hear the revelation. Let us look at the message delivered in following chapter.
In chapter 104, death delivers his message.
In the later years of Rama’s reign, when peace and righteousness flourished across Ayodhya and the earth was at rest under his just rule, a moment of divine destiny approached. Death itself—bearing a radiant and awe-inspiring form of an ascetic—appeared before Rama with a secret message from the Grandsire, Brahma, the Lord of all creation. His arrival, cloaked in mystery and reverence, signified that the divine purpose for which Vishnu had incarnated as Rama was nearing its fulfillment.
After being received with royal courtesy and reverence, Death revealed his true nature and the solemn purpose of his visit. Addressing Rama with humility and awe, he said, “Know, O Magnanimous Sovereign, that I am Death, born of Maya, sent by the Grandsire himself. Once, in a previous existence, I was his son; and now I come as his messenger to speak the words of the Creator.” Then, in a voice that resonated with divine authority, Death delivered Brahma’s celestial message — one that recalled the eternal cycle of creation, preservation, and dissolution, and the divine role that Rama, as Vishnu incarnate, had played within it.
Through Death’s lips, Brahma spoke to Rama: “Your task on earth is accomplished, O Protector of the Worlds. In ancient times, when the universe lay submerged in the cosmic waters, you—through your infinite power—had manifested the Serpent Ananta, and from your navel arose a radiant lotus. Upon that lotus, I was born and received from you the command to create the worlds. You sustained me then, and even now, it is upon you that I depend for strength. You, the Eternal One, who assume many forms to guard creation, are the refuge of all beings.
“When the forces of evil oppressed the world, and Ravana’s cruelty spread terror among men and gods alike, you resolved to take birth as a mortal, descending upon earth for the welfare of all beings. In your human form as Rama, you fulfilled that purpose—you destroyed Ravana, restored dharma, and brought peace to creation. You had vowed to dwell among men for eleven thousand years, and now that time has been completed. Therefore, the time has come for you to return to us, O Vishnu, to resume your celestial abode among the gods.
“Yet, O Mighty One, the choice rests with you. If it is your wish to remain longer among mortals, do so and enjoy happiness; but if you choose to return, then the gods will rejoice, freed from their anxieties, knowing that their divine protector once more dwells among them.”
These words, spoken by Death on behalf of Brahma, carried both reverence and inevitability. They reminded Rama that his human incarnation had a divine limit — that his mission as an avatar had been fulfilled, and that the time had come for his return to the eternal realm.
Rama listened to this divine message with serenity and joy. The revelation did not surprise him, for it aligned with the cosmic rhythm he had always embodied — the harmony between divine will and moral order. Smiling gently, Rama addressed Death with calm majesty: “These words of the Grandsire delight me deeply, for they speak of truth and destiny. I came into the world for the welfare of all beings, to restore dharma and destroy evil, and now that my purpose is complete, I shall return as commanded. Your arrival gladdens my heart, O Destroyer of Worlds. Tell the Grandsire that I shall obey his will without delay, for it is right that I should once more attend to the concerns of the gods.”
With these words, Rama reaffirmed the supreme balance that defined his existence: the perfect harmony of duty, detachment, and divine purpose. There was no sorrow in his heart, only the calm fulfillment of destiny. Having restored righteousness to the earth, he was now ready to return to his eternal station as Vishnu, the preserver of the cosmos.
This episode thus marks the beginning of Rama’s departure from the mortal world — not as a king relinquishing his throne, but as a god completing his earthly mission. It reveals his serene acceptance of cosmic law, his humility before the Creator, and his unwavering sense of duty. Even Death, the destroyer of all, bowed before him, for in Rama, the embodiment of Vishnu, death itself found its master. Through this divine dialogue, the Ramayana reaffirms its timeless vision: that dharma, upheld by divine will, endures beyond creation and destruction, and that Rama’s life — and his return — are but expressions of that eternal truth.
This concludes chapter 104 of Uttara Kanda where we had seen death delivering his message to Rama in complete secrecy and binding to the wise words of the creator. According to the messenger, Rama’s divine time as a mortal human being has neared its conclusion as the purpose of this birth was met and he needs to return to the celestial realm by ending this cycle in human form and re-emerge in his true natural form which is lord Vishnu. Rama accepts the advice and prepares for departure which can be seen in subsequent chapters.
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