In the last post we had seen Rama issuing final orders after installing Lava and Kusa on the throne. We came to know all three remaining brothers prepare to depart together to celestial realm along with scores of others. Vanaras, bears, Sugriva and countless other people pine to accompany Rama to the higher world. This is unlike any other journey of a single person to leave the mortal world which is unseen in past, present and future. While Rama is about to pass away along with a numbers of accomplices, he orders three to remain on the earth. He asks Vibhishana, Hanuman and Jambavan to remain on earth while everyone else willing can come along with him. This is not without a reason that he entrusts the three to continue their earthly journeys. He asks them to remain since Rama, his ideals and his rule cannot stay void on earth without his presence. They are the ones who will continue his legacy in his absence and make sure future generations are inspired in the story of Rama.
Each of the three embodied a distinct aspect of dharma, devotion, and wisdom, ensuring that Rama’s legacy would continue far into the future. Vibhishana, the younger brother of Ravana, was crowned king of Lanka after the war. Rama asked him to stay on earth to uphold righteousness among the rakshasas. His presence symbolized the triumph of dharma even in a land once dominated by adharma. By ruling Lanka with justice and fairness, Vibhishana demonstrated that loyalty to truth and virtue transcends lineage or birth. He became a living reminder that Rama’s ideals were not confined to Ayodhya but extended across the world.
Hanuman, the eternal devotee, was blessed with immortality and instructed to remain wherever Rama’s name was remembered. His role was to preserve bhakti, ensuring that the story of Rama would never fade from human memory. Hanuman’s humility, strength, and unwavering devotion made him a beacon for devotees, inspiring countless generations to seek refuge in Rama’s name. His presence guaranteed that the Ramayana would not merely be a tale of the past but a living tradition of faith.
Jambavan, the wise king of bears, was asked to remain as a guardian of knowledge and continuity. Known for his wisdom and foresight, he represented the enduring presence of guidance across ages. His longevity allowed him to connect different eras, appearing again in later traditions such as Krishna’s time, thereby linking Rama’s legacy with future incarnations of Vishnu.
Together, these three figures embodied governance, devotion, and wisdom. Rama’s request ensured that even after his departure, humanity would not be bereft of guidance. Through them, the values of dharma, bhakti, and knowledge continued to flourish, keeping Rama’s spirit alive on earth.
Coming to the last post, messengers, sent urgently by Rama, traveled without rest and reached Madhura on the third day. They informed Shatrughna of the extraordinary events in Ayodhya: Lakshmana’s banishment due to Rama’s vow, the enthronement of Kusha and Lava in the splendid new cities of Kushavati and Shravasti, and Rama’s decision—along with Bharata and the people of Ayodhya—to ascend to the celestial realm. Struck with grief and devotion, Shatrughna summoned his people and his priest Kancana, resolved to join Rama, and completed his royal duties. He divided his wealth between his two sons, installing Subahu as king of Madhura and Shatrughatin as ruler of Vaidisha, before departing swiftly for Ayodhya.
There he found Rama radiant among sages and declared his wish to follow him. Rama accepted. Soon vast hosts of Vanaras, bears, Sugriva, and celestial beings gathered, unwilling to be separated from Rama. Sugriva installed Angada and prepared to accompany him. Rama instructed Vibhishana to remain in Lanka and Hanuman to stay on earth as long as Rama’s story was told, while Jambavan was to remain until the Kali Yuga. Surrounded by devotees, Rama prepared for his divine departure. We can look at Rama’s departure for mahaprasthana in the following chapter.
In chapter 109, Rama’s departure for mahaprasthana can be seen.
When dawn broke, Rama—the broad-chested, lotus-eyed, and illustrious king—prepared to undertake the final and most sacred journey of his earthly life. With serenity and divine radiance, he instructed his spiritual preceptor, the venerable Vasishtha, to lead the way. “Let the Agnihotra, burning brightly with the presence of the Twice-born, and the sacrificial canopy be borne ahead,” he said, adding respectfully that Vasishtha himself should precede them. This command marked the beginning of Rama’s Mahāprasthāna, the great departure.
Vasishtha, majestic and unwavering in his knowledge of sacred law, carried out every rite and ritual required for this moment, leaving nothing undone. When the auspicious preparations were completed, Rama emerged, clad in fine silk garments, invoking Brahma and reciting sacred Vedic mantras. Holding blades of kuśa grass reverently in both hands, he began his solemn walk toward the sacred river Sarayu. Rama moved slowly, pausing at intervals, traversing the rugged path in contemplative silence. His brilliance was likened to the sun, and he walked barefoot—an emblem of humility even in divinity.
As he left the palace for the last time, two divine beings accompanied him in visible form: Shri Lakshmi, resplendent with her lotus, walked gracefully on his right; on his left walked Goddess Vyavasāyā, the deity of the Earth. All of Rama’s celestial weapons—his unfailing arrows, his magnificent bow, and every divine implement that had served him during his earthly mission—took human shape and joined him on the path. The very personifications of sacred knowledge went with him: the Vedas embodied as brahmins, the holy Gayatri, the cosmic syllable aum, and the sacred utterance vaṣaṭ followed in Rama’s sublime procession. Great rishis, radiant deities, and guardian spirits of the Earth accompanied him as he moved toward the threshold of heaven.
Following closely behind were the women of the royal inner chambers—elderly women, young children, attendants, eunuchs, and personal servants—all of whom refused to be separated from their beloved lord in this final passage. Bharata, ever devoted, walked in Rama’s footsteps with his wives; Shatrughna followed as well, both brothers maintaining profound reverence. The ritual fire, symbol of purity and witness to countless sacrifices, was carried along the route.
Rishis of exalted virtue joined the assembly, bringing with them their ritual implements, families, and disciples. Ministers, officials, and servants, accompanied by their families and even their animals, streamed steadily into the procession, eager to witness and participate in this unprecedented event. The entire population of Ayodhya—healthy, joyful, and purified by their devotion—joined Rama’s march. Not a single resident stayed behind. Men and women alike brought their birds, beasts, and companions with them, as though the entire visible and invisible world were migrating in Rama’s wake.
Among those who joined were the Vanaras—the monkey warriors who had once stood alongside Rama in battle. Having bathed and purified themselves, they expressed their exultation in powerful cries of “Kilakila!” Their voices rang through the air, not in grief but in jubilant devotion, for they understood that they were accompanying Rama on his return to his divine abode.
What made this journey extraordinary was not sorrow but universal bliss. There was no mourning, no lamentation, no reluctance. Instead, an overwhelming joy filled every heart. Every being who walked with Rama did so with uplifted spirits, their faces glowing with devotion. Even the people living in the regions through which Rama passed were so moved by the sight of him that they instantly joined the procession, unable to resist the pull of his presence.
Bears, monkeys, mighty titans, humble citizens, and sages—all moved in harmony. The procession was a majestic river of beings, unified by a single desire: to behold Rama as he made his ascent from the mortal world. The invisible beings of Ayodhya—the subtle, unseen inhabitants who dwelt in the city beyond the perception of most—also accompanied the lord, proving that this was no ordinary departure but a cosmic event witnessed by all strata of existence.
Such was the magnetism of Rama’s presence that even the inanimate world seemed stirred into devotion. Trees, stones, and rivers appeared to participate through their stillness, as though bowing in reverence. Animals of every kind, even those born of lesser creatures, instinctively followed. Ayodhya became utterly empty—not a single being remained within its boundaries. Every lifeform, every sentient and insentient entity that could move or be carried along, followed him.
Rama’s journey to the Sarayu, accompanied by the entire fabric of creation, was the culmination of a divine life lived in righteousness. It symbolized the collective liberation of beings touched by his presence. As Rama moved closer to the river, the boundary between the earthly realm and the celestial seemed to dissolve, and all who followed him walked with the assurance that they were participating in a sacred and transformative passage.
Thus, in unmatched grandeur—accompanied by gods, sages, his brothers, his people, animals, and even embodiments of divine knowledge—Rama approached the gateway to heaven, fulfilling the final chapter of his earthly mission.
This concludes chapter 109 of Uttara Kanda, where saw Rama on a journey to depart the mortal world. The unprecedent event was marked by an atmosphere of bliss rather than sorrow from everyone who followed. Goddess Lakshmi, Vyavasaya, all of Rama’s weapons taking human shape, Vedas, holy Gayatri, women of inner chambers, Bharata, Shatrughna, the rishis, ministers, officials, servants, entire population of Ayodhya, bears, monkeys, titans and every form of life including animals, birds etc followed him on the majestic journey. As we can see, Ayodhya became utterly empty—not a single being remained within its boundaries. Every lifeform, every sentient and insentient entity that could move or be carried along, followed him. Such was the aura of a noble king who moved everyone from within to create a divine, radiant spectacle for ages. We can look at this journey culminating to an end as Rama ascends to heaven with every other being in the subsequent chapter.
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