When Vālmīki asked Nārada, “Who is the Supreme Person in the world?” Nārada described the qualities of Lord Śrī Rāma in order to establish that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and briefly described His pastimes.

After Nārada was respectfully worshipped by Vālmīki and had departed for Brahmaloka, Vālmīki went with his disciple Bharadvāja to the bank of the river Tamasā to take bath. There he saw a couple of Krauñca birds. When a hunter killed the male Krauñca bird, Vālmīki uttered a curse. When he later reflected upon his curse, he realized that it was in the form of a śloka in the anuṣṭup meter. With astonishment, he informed his disciple about this, took his afternoon ritual bath and then returned to his āśrama. Then, Lord Brahmā arrived at Vālmīki’s āśrama and benedicted him with the ability to perceive all events pertaining to Lord Śrī Rāma, His associates and the rākṣasas who fought with Him, even those events that had occurred in privacy. Having inspired him to compose Śrī Rāmāyaṇa, Lord Brahmā returned to his abode.

By the mercy of Lord Brahmā, Śrī Vālmīki directly saw in samādhi all of the events that had transpired in relation to Lord Rāmacandra and composed Śrī Rāmāyaṇa of seven cantos.

The number of Cantos, Chapters and texts of the Rāmāyaṇa have been delineated here. After Vālmīki compiled it, he began to contemplate on who among his disciples can take up the task of propagating it. Just then, Kuśa and Lava offered obeisances at his feet begging to be engaged in his service, and the sage taught them the Rāmāyaṇa. Once, in the assembly of some sages, Kuśa and Lava sang the Rāmāyaṇa as instructed by Śrī Vālmīki along with stringed musical accompaniment in line with gāndharva-śāstra, the Vedic science of music. The happy sages blessed them with gifts. When Kuśa and Lava were spotted by Lord Bharata and then reported to Lord Rāma, He had them brought to His residence and were respectfully requested to sing the Rāmāyaṇa. Then, when Lord Rāma and His family members were desirous of hearing from both of them, they began to sing the Rāmāyaṇa.

This chapter describes Ayodhyā.

This chapter describes the residents of Ayodhyā when Daśaratha was ruling it.

This chapter enlists the chief ministers and priests of Daśaratha. It also describes the capabilities of his other ministers.

Daśaratha still had a worry: he did not have any sons to continue his dynasty. He decided to conduct an Aśvamedha sacrifice. Through Sumantra, he called Vasiṣṭha and other sages and sought their approval of his decision. With their permission, he arranged for a yajna-śālā to be constructed on the northern bank of Sarayū and ordered that a horse be released to wander around the earth. He engaged his ministers in acquiring the ingredients for the sacrifice, informed his wives and became initiated into the sacrifice.

Sumantra briefly submits unto Daśaratha in privacy that Sanat-kumāra had stated that the cause of the generation of children for Daśaratha would be a Ṛśyaśṛṅga who would be brought by the king of Aṅga in order to end the famine there.

Sumantra explained in detail how Romapāda brought Ṛśyaśṛṅga to his city. After elaborating on Sanat-kumāra’s narration, he requested the king to bring Ṛśyaśṛṅga from Aṅga.

Daśaratha reached Aṅga and with the help of Romapāda brought Ṛśyaśṛṅga and his wife Śāntā to Ayodhyā.

Daśaratha satisfied Ṛśyaśṛṅga by offering him obeisances with his head and accepted him as a priest for the sacrifice. Then Sumantra brought Suyajña and others, and with their permission ordered the ministers to acquire the paraphernalia required for the sacrifice and release the sacrificial horse. They did so.

Daśaratha humbly requested Vasiṣṭha to take on the full responsibility of carrying out the sacrifice. Vaisiṣṭha organized all the people required to carry out all the activities of the sacrifice. He then arranged for Sumantra to call for kings from all places. With the permission of Vasiṣṭha and Ṛśyaśṛṅga, Daśaratha entered the sacrificial arena at an auspicious time with others.

Under the leadership of Ṛśyaśṛṅga, Daśaratha conducted the Aśvamedha sacrifice with Vasiṣṭha and others. The grandeur of the festival is described in detail here. At the end of the Aśvamedha, King Daśaratha honored the sacrificial priests and other brāhmaṇas with donations and so on. He then humbly requested Ṛśyaśṛṅga to conduct the Putreṣṭi sacrifice to grant him sons.

Ṛśyaśṛṅga begins the Putreṣṭi sacrifice for Daśaratha to beget sons. In the meanwhile, the demigods approach Lord Brahmā and pray to him to work out a means to kill Rāvaṇa. They describe how he has tortured the worlds. Lord Viṣṇu then appears unexpectedly and the demigods headed by Lord Brahmā pray to Him to incarnate at the home of Daśaratha and kill Rāvaṇa. Lord Viṣṇu promises to kill Rāvaṇa and consoles them.

The demigods submitted to Lord Viṣṇu that Rāvaṇa had become invincible to everyone other than human beings by dint of Lord Brahmā’s boon to that effect. Therefore, they prayed to Him to incarnate in a human form. Then, Lord Viṣṇu promised that He would incarnate on earth and disappeared from their vision. Then, a divine being arose out of a sacrificial fire in Daśaratha’s sacrifice, presented him with a golden pot filled with divine pāyasa sweet rice. That being informed King Daśaratha that that pāyasa would be the cause of his having sons and that he should give them to his wives to eat, and then disappeared. Kausalyā and the other queens ate that pāyasa given to them by Daśaratha and became pregnant.

Ordered by Lord Brahmā, the devas, gandharvas and other celestials incarnated on earth in the form of bears, monkeys and so on in order to assist Lord Rāmacandra.

After Daśaratha completed his sacrifice, he sent off the kings who had come to participate in it and then returned to Ayodhyā with his wives and family. The next year, Śrī Rāma appeared from Kausalyā on the ninth day of the bright fortnight of the month of Caitra. Bharata appeared from Kaikeyī the next day. On the same day, Lakṣmaṇa and Śatrughna appeared from Sumitrā. When the boys grew up and had their initiation and so on, Daśaratha began to think of Their marriage. By the will of providence, Viśvāmitra came to him. Daśaratha worshipped him and promised him that he would do whatever Viśvāmitra wanted.

Viśvāmitra informed Daśaratha of Rāma’s glory and requested him to send Rāma to his āśrama to protect his sacrificial performance by killing Subāhu, Mārīca and other rākṣasas.

Daśaratha presented arguments to Viśvāmitra that it is very difficult for Rāma to kill the rākṣasas and that therefore He should not be sent with Viśvāmitra.

When Viśvāmitra became angry upon Daśaratha’s refusal to send Rāma, Vasiṣṭha informed Daśaratha of Viśvāmitra’s greatness and requested him to send Rāma with him. The king then accepted Viśvāmitra’s request.

Daśaratha sent Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa with Viśvāmitra and they departed for his āśrama. On the way, Viśvāmitra taught Them two sciences—balā and atibalā—by which one can become free from hunger, thirst and so on.

On the bank of Sarayū, Viśvāmitra woke up early and called out to Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa to wake up from Their sleep and begin Their early morning duties such as taking bath. They did so and came to Viśvāmitra who led them to Kāmāśrama at the confluence of Gaṅgā and Sarayū. Then the sage described the history of that place and accepted the worship of the great sages living there. They then happily spent one day and night there.

After completing their morning duties, Viśvāmitra, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa crossed the Gaṅgā by boat. While on boat, Rāmacandra heard tumultuous sounds from the Gaṅgā. He inquired from Viśvāmitra as to their cause and Viśvāmitra replied by telling Him the history of Sarayū’s origin and that the great sounds are due to Sarayū. After crossing Gaṅgā, they went to the southern bank. Then Viśvāmitra informed Rāma that that great forest region through which they were walking was previously known as Malada and Karūśa and explained their histories. They had been destroyed by Tāṭakā, and so the sage requested Lord Rāma to kill Tāṭakā.

Viśvāmitra speaks to Lord Rāma about Tāṭakā’s life since her birth. She had obtained a benediction from Brahmā that she cannot be killed by anyone else. He also instructs Rāmacandra that she should be killed after describing incidents from the past that women have been killed in certain situations.

Lord Rāma then twanged His bow. On hearing that sound, Tāṭakā came out while laughing loudly. On the order of sage Viśvāmitra, Śrī Rāma killed her. Then Viśvāmitra, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa resided in that forest happily that night.

Viśvāmitra gave various mystical weapons and mantras to Śrī Rāma.

Viśvāmitra instructed Lord Rāma about the mantras that withdraw the weapons that have been put to use. When Viśvāmitra, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa came out of Tāṭakā’s forest and approached Siddhāśrama, Rāma asked Viśvāmitra about that āśrama in detail.

Viśvāmitra began to describe the history of Siddhāśrama to Lord Rāma. When Indra and the others were defeated by Bali, they prayed to Lord Viṣṇu to help. Lord Viṣṇu incarnated as Vāmana, the son of Aditi, and on the pretext of begging for some land, subdued Bali and reinstated the devas in Svarga. Viśvāmitra then stated that Siddhāśrama is also his āśrama and so the rākṣasas who disturb his sacrifices there ought to be killed. Then Viśvāmitra entered Siddhāśrama with the two descendants of Raghu and inaugurated the sacrificial initiation for Rāma on His request.

Viśvāmitra began his sacrifice that ran for six days. Foregoing sleep, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa continuously guarded the sacrifice for five days. On the sixth day, Subāhu, Mārīca and other rākṣasas appeared on the sky and poured blood all over the sacrificial arena. Rāma used the Mānava weapon to throw Mārīca into the ocean. He killed Subāhu and repelled the rest with the Vāyavya weapon. Viśvāmitra glorified Rāma after he completed the sacrifice.

Viśvāmitra informed Rāma about the invitation to attend Janaka’s sacrifice at Mithilā and the influence of the divine bow there. Then, along with the descendants of Raghu and the sages, Viśvāmitra departed for Mithilā. When they reached the banks of Śoṇā in the evening, Lord Rāmacandra asked the sage about the history of that place.

While talking about events pertaining to the land on the bank of Śoṇā, Viśvāmitra began to speak about his dynasty. That land is related to Vasu, the youngest of the four sons of Kuśa headed by Kuśāmba. Kuśa was a son of Lord Brahmā. The second son of Kuśa, Kuśanābha, had a hundred daughters. Once they came to a garden for sporting and Vāyu pleaded that they become his wives. When they refused to accept his request, he entered into their bodies and caused them to become hunch-backed. They went to their father and lamented about their situation.

When Kuśanābha’s daughters related what Vāyu had done, Kuśanābha glorified their tolerance and consoled them. He then gave them in marriage to Brahmadatta, the son of Cūlī. As soon as they touched his hand, their bodily deformities vanished and they attained wonderful beauty.

Kuśanābha performed a Putreṣṭī sacrifice and as a result, Gādhi, who later on became the father of Viśvāmitra, took birth. Viśvāmitra also had a sister named Satyavatī who followed her husband to Svarga. But she expanded herself in the form of the river Kauśikī. While Viśvāmitra was describing his dynasty it was already night, and so Lord Rāma and others went to sleep.

Early next morning, Viśvāmitra and others crossed over the Śoṇā and walked a long distance. They set up a camp on the banks of the Gaṅgā. When Viśvāmitra was asked about Gaṅgā’s history, he briefly described her history while describing the history of Umā.

Once upon a time, when Lord Śiva and his wife were united for a long time, apprehending dangers for the universe, the demigods prayed to them to desist. Angered, Lord Śiva released his powerful semen on earth. Goddess Umā was also angered that her union with her husband was broken, and she cursed the demigods that they would not be able to beget children. Then Lord Śiva and Pārvatī-devī went to perform austerities in the Himalayan mountains.

When Lord Śiva and goddess Umā began to engage in austerities and were averse to generating a son, the demigods informed Lord Brahmā of the same. They prayed to him to make an arrangement to give rise to a commander-in-chief for their army. On the order of Lord Brahmā, the demigods then requested Agni to place the powerful semen of Lord Rudra in Gaṅgā who was unable to bear that. Agni then requested Gaṅgā to place it at the foot of the Himālaya mountains. Thus Skanda was born. After the young Skanda was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the demigods, he was victorious in battle over the army of the daityas.

Once upon a time, Sagara, the king of Ayodhyā, performed austerities with his two wives on the Himālaya mountain to beget a son. Pleased with their austerities and blessed by Bhṛgu, the elder wife gave birth to a son named Asamañja. The younger wife gave birth to 60,000 sons. Asamañja gave birth to Aṁśumān who continued the dynasty. After a long time, Sagara began an Aśvamedha sacrifice.

Indra stole Sagara’s sacrificial horse and disappeared. On the order of Sagara, his 60,000 sons searched for the horse and dug the earth. The demigods and other celestial beings noticed the disturbances created by their digging of the earth and complained to Lord Brahmā.

Lord Brahmā consoled the devas that Sagara’s sons would be burnt to ashes by Lord Kapila’s anger. Sagara’s sons began digging the earth from the east. When they reached north-east, they reached Lord Kapila’s āśrama and found their horse there. When they thought that Lord Kapila had stolen the horse and went to kill Him, He uttered huṁ and they were burnt to ashes.

When Sagara’s sons had not returned even after a long time, he sent his grandson Aṁśumān to search for them. Aṁśumān followed the path dug out by his younger fathers (uncles) and reached the elephants guarding the regions pertaining to the cardinal directions. He worshipped them and continued his search. He then saw that his uncles had been burnt to ashes and the sacrificial horse. In order to offer oblations unto his dead uncles, he searched for a water body and came upon Garuḍa who informed him about the fate of his uncles and advised him to cause the descent of Gaṅgā and flood his forefathers’ ashes with her waters. Aṁśumān brought back the horse and informed Sagara about the fate of his sons. Sagara then completed the sacrificial performance. He then ruled over his kingdom for a long time and while contemplating on the means to cause Gaṅgā’s descent on earth, he left his body and attained the heavens.

Sagara’s grandson Aṁśumān handed over the responsibility of ruling his kingdom to his son Dilīpa and went to the peak of the Himalayas to perform austerities to being about the descent of Gaṅgā. However, he departed to the heavens without attaining the fruit of his austerities. Dilīpa also contemplated on the means to bring about Gaṅgā to earth, but he also departed to the heavens without accomplishing it. His son Bhagīratha handed over his royal responsibilities to his ministers and went to Gokarṇa to perform austerities to bring about Gaṅgā’s descent. When Lord Brahmā became satisfied with his austerities, Bhagīratha sought two boons from him: (1) that Gaṅgā should descend to earth and (2) that his lineage should continue without break. Lord Brahmā instructed him to prepare for Gaṅgā’s descent and instructed him to please Lord Śiva and request him to withstand Gaṅgā’s flow from the skies.

Bhagīratha performed austerities to please Lord Śiva. When Lord Śiva became satisfied with him, he prepared himself to receive Gaṅgā from the heavens. Then she fell from the heavens with great speed on his head. To destroy her pride, Lord Śiva restricted her within the locks of his hair. When Bhagīratha performed further austerities, Lord Śiva became satisfied with him and released Gaṅgā on to the lake Bindu-saras. She then departed following Bhagīratha’s chariot and then became known as Jahnu Muni’s daughter. She then flooded the ashes of Sagara’s sons with her waters. Purified of their sinful contamination, they left for Svarga.

Lord Brahmā praised Bhagīratha, instructed him to perform their final rites and departed for his abode. Bhagīratha did as he was instructed and then returned to his city. He ruled over the citizens and lived happily.

Early next morning, after completing their early morning duties, Viśvāmitra and the others crossed Gaṅgā by boat and saw a city named Viśāla on Gaṅgā’s northern bank. When Śrī Rāmacandra asked Viśvāmitra about that city, the sage first described the history of the churning of the milk ocean.

When her sons had been killed by the demigods, Diti beseeched her husband Kaśyapa to grant her a son who could kill Indra. Indra learnt of this and began to menially serve Diti who was performing austerities on the instruction of her husband. One day she slept during the day. Indra entered her womb through his mystic powers and cut the child in her womb into seven pieces. When she woke up, he begged her to forgive him.

By the order of Diti, the seven portions of the embryo cut by Indra were made into guardians of the seven regions from which winds blow. Viśvāmitra had introduced this topic because Diti had performed austerities in that very region where Ikṣvāku’s son Viśāla constructed a city named Viśālā that was currently ruled by a king named Sumati, a descendant of King Viśāla. King Sumati approached Viśvāmitra and respectfully worshipped him.

Viśvāmitra informed Sumati about Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, and accepted his invitation to stay overnight. The next day, Viśvāmitra, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa went to Gautama’s āśrama. He then related the history of Indra and Ahalyā and how they were cursed by Gautama.

When Indra had lost his testicles by Gautama’s curse, the devas satisfied the residents of pitṛ-loka and had the testicles of a ram fitted on him. On the order of Viśvāmitra, Lord Rāma entered the āśrama of Gautama. As soon as the invisible Ahalyā saw Lord Rāma, she appeared in a divine visible form; Gautama Muni also appeared. Then they worshipped Him.

When Janaka heard that Viśvāmitra, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa were approaching his city Mithilā, he got out of his palace with Śatānanda to honor them. Viśvāmitra informed Janaka about Rāma and described that He wanted to see the bow of Lord Śiva.

Viśvāmitra informed Śatānanda that his father Gautama had happily and fully accepted his mother Ahalyā. Śatānanda began to elaborately describe Viśvāmitra’s life to Lord Rāma. One day, while traveling about the earth with his army, King Viśvāmitra, the grandson of Lord Brahmā’s grandson, arrived at Vasiṣṭha’s āśrama.

Vasiṣṭha had a desire-fulfilling cow, Śabalā, to assist him in his sacrifices. Vasiṣṭha instructed her to create rice and other tasty food items to feed Viśvāmitra and his army.

Śabalā then produced varieties of foodstuffs. By eating them, Viśvāmitra and his army became fully satisfied. He then requested Vasiṣṭha to give him Śabalā in exchange for many cows, wealth and so on. Vasiṣṭha refused to give her to him.

When Viśvāmitra’s soldiers forcibly dragged Śabalā, she cried and lamented to Vasiṣṭha. On Vasiṣṭha’s request, she created soldiers who destroyed Viśvāmitra’s army. Viśvāmitra became angry and by the strength of his weapons scattered that army.

On Vasiṣṭha’s request, Śabalā created more mlecchas and similar men from her body. They destroyed Viśvāmitra’s army, and she did as he said. When a hundred sons of Viśvāmitra wanted to kill Vasiṣṭha, he uttered “huṁ” and burnt them into ashes. Viśvāmitra handed over his kingdom to his one remaining son and went to the Himālayas to perform austerities. Then he obtained all kinds of weapons from Mahādeva and came to Vasiṣṭha’s āśrama with pride and showed off his prowess to the sages living there. Then Vasiṣṭha brought his stick and placed it in front of him.

When Vasiṣṭha neutralized the weapons of Viśvāmitra using his brahminical staff, Viśvāmitra condemned the strength of a kṣatriya and ascertained that he should engage in austerities to attain the nature of a brāhmaṇa.

Viśvāmitra went to the south with his wife to perform austerities in order to attain the nature of a brāhmaṇa. Then Lord Brahmā appeared to him in his āśrama and certified him as a rājarṣi, a royal saint, and departed to his own abode. Because Viśvāmitra did not get what he had wanted, he again performed austerities. At this time, a king named Triśaṅku desired to go to Svarga without giving up his body. He approached Vasiṣṭha and requested him to perform a sacrifice to that effect. When his request was rejected, he approached Vasiṣṭha’s sons for the same.

When Vasiṣṭha’s sons refused to conduct a sacrifice transgressing the instructions of their father, Triśaṅku informed them that he would search out for other sacrificial priests. Vasiṣṭha’s sons then cursed him and made him into a caṇḍāla. Triśaṅku then approached Viśvāmitra, informed him of his history and beseeched him to conduct his desired sacrifice.

Viśvāmitra promised Triśaṅku that he would send him to Svarga in his own body and sent his disciples to various āśramas to bring sages for his sacrifice. His disciples did as he said and conveyed to him Vasiṣṭha’s sons’ ridicule of his attempt. Viśvāmitra cursed them to take birth in lower species.

Viśvāmitra submitted his intentions to the assembled sages and began the sacrifice with their help. When the demigods did not come to accept their sacrificial offerings even when called for, Viśvāmitra sent Triśaṅku to Svarga by the force of his austerities. When Indra and other demigods prevented him from entering Svarga and hurled him back upside down, Triśaṅku cried out loud to the sage Viśvāmitra for help. Viśvāmitra stopped him from falling, declared that he would create another Svarga and created some stars. The devas then consoled him and permitted the continued existence of the stars that he had created, after which they departed to their abodes.

When King Ambarīṣa of Ayodhyā had begun a sacrifice, Indra stole the sacrificial animal in disguise. The sacrificial priest told the king that either he should find and bring back the horse or else bring a human animal to be sacrificed. The king began to travel in order to purchase such a human animal and at Bhṛgutunda, he met Ṛcīka Ṛṣi. The king offered the sage 100,000 cows in exchange for one of his three sons as a human animal to be offered in sacrifice. When the mother and father refused to sell their elder and youngest sons, Śunaḥśepa, the middle son, offered himself for this purpose. Then Ambarīṣa took him with him.

Ambarīṣa reached the sacred Puṣkara and rested at noon. At that time, Śunaḥśepa saw Viśvāmitra engaged in austerities and informed him of his situation. He requested the sage to protect him without hampering the king’s endeavors. Viśvāmitra gave Śunaḥśepa two mantras to chant for his protection. Then Ambarīṣa returned to his city with Sunaḥśepa and began the sacrificial rites. Śunaḥśepa, kept as a sacrificial animal, then chanted the two mantras given to him by Viśvāmitra and satisfied Indra and Upendra. Indra then appeared and released Śunaḥśepa, but he also awarded the king the result of his sacrifice.

When Viśvāmitra was in Puṣkara-tīrtha, Lord Brahmā appeared to him and granted him the status and title of a ṛṣi. Viśvāmitra saw Menakā at Puṣkara and his mind became agitated. He happily enjoyed her company for ten years. Then, he realized his mistake and repented. He then left her and went to the Himālayas and performed austerity in a cave there. Then Lord Brahmā appeared to him and granted him the status and title of a maharṣi. Viśvāmitra was still dissatisfied with that and so he performed more austerities.

When Rambhā was sent by Indra to break Viśvāmitra’s austerity, Viśvāmitra cursed her to become a stone. But then he resolved to conquer his anger by performing more austerities.

Viśvāmitra performed fierce austerities in the east. Seeing this, Lord Brahmā and others recognized him as a brahmarṣi. When Viśvāmitra still did not desist from his austerities, by the request of the devas, Vasiṣṭha approved of Lord Brahmā’s recognition of Viśvāmitra as a brahmarṣi. Then Viśvāmitra desisted from performing further austerities. After Śatānanda thus revealed Viśvāmitra’s position, King Janaka worshipped Viśvāmitra and, with his permission, departed to his home.

The next day, Viśvāmitra requested Janaka to show his bow to the two descendants of Raghu. Janaka informed him of the power of that bow and how he got it. He then informed them how he got Sītā-devī and so on,  and promised to give the bow to Rāma to string it.

On Viśvāmitra’s request, Janaka had his soldiers bring the bow to the sage. With the permission of Janaka and the sage, Rāma lifted the bow and strung it, breaking it into two. Janaka happily praised Rāma and with the permission of Viśvāmitra sent messengers to Ayodhyā to bring Daśaratha.

Janaka’s messengers reached Ayodhyā. They informed Daśaratha that Lord Rāma had broken Lord Śiva’s bow and so on, and that Janaka had requested Daśaratha to come to conduct a great festival on the occasion of the wedding of Sītā and Rāma. Daśaratha was delighted to hear this and decided to depart for Mithilā on the very next day with Vasiṣṭha and others.

Daśaratha arrived at Mithilā with his family members, army and priests headed by Vasiṣṭha. Janaka came out of his place and honored him. Janaka and Daśaratha then spoke to each other. Then everyone spent the night happily in the quarters allotted to them.

The next day, Janaka sent messengers to his younger brother Kuśadhvaja and brought him. When Daśaratha was invited by Janaka’s minister, he arrived at the court with Viśvāmitra and others. On being requested by the king, Vasiṣṭha described Daśaratha’s dynasty culiminating in Rāma.

Janaka described his lineage and then promised to give Sītā and Ūrmilā to Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa.

Vasiṣṭha and Viśvāmitra requested Janaka to hand over Kuśadhvaja’s two daughters to be given in marriage to Bharata and Śatrughna. Janaka happily appreciated their request and accepted it. Then Daśaratha had the wedding ceremonies beginning with go-dāna conducted.

Rāma and His brothers who had been decorated and dressed in wedding attire as well as Janaka, Daśaratha and other elders entered the wedding hall. On the request of Janaka, the sages Vasiṣṭha, Viśvāmitra and Śatānanda began the wedding ceremony. In the presence of the sacred fire, after Janaka and Kuśadhvaja sprinkled water sanctified by Vedic mantras, on their request, Rāma and His brothers accepted the hands of Sītā and her sisters respectively. On the occasion of that wedding festivity, the devas, gandharvas and apsarās showered flowers, sang and danced with delight.

Viśvāmitra blessed Rāma and others and with the permission of Janaka and Daśaratha departed to his āśrama. Daśaratha, Rāma and the others took permission from Janaka to leave and departed to Ayodhyā with gifts for the brides. While on the path, by seeing various omens, Daśaratha became distressed and asked Vasiṣṭha about them. Vasiṣṭha explained them and pacified him. In the meanwhile, Lord Paraśurāma appeared. Daśaratha became frightened upon seeing him, but Vasiṣṭha and others brought arghya and other items for worship and worshipped him.

Discarding Daśaratha’s prayer, Paraśurāma informed Rāma, the son of Daśaratha, of the history of the bows of Lord Śiva and Lord Viṣṇu. He then gave Him Lord Viṣṇu’s bow to test His strength and requested Him to bend and string it.

Rāma took the bow, stretched it, fixed an arrow on it and asked Paraśurāma where He should shoot the arrow which necessarily requires to be released, once it has been fixed on the bow for shooting. Paraśurāma told Him that He can shoot the arrow at the worlds earned by his pious activities. Lord Rāmacandra did as told. Then, in the presence of the demigods and other celestials, the son of Jamadagni asserted that Lord Rāma is none other than Lord Nārāyaṇa Himself and departed for Mahendra Mountain.

After the son of Jamadagni had departed, Lord Rāma handed over the bow of Lord Viṣṇu that Paraśurāma had given him to Varuṇa. Delighted upon hearing that Paraśurāma had departed, Daśaratha instructed his armies and so on to go to Ayodhyā. While the citizens played musical instruments and made announcements, Daśaratha entered Ayodhyā with Rāma and others. Rāma and the other sons of Daśaratha were happy with Their respective wives in Their respective homes. After some time, Bharata’s maternal uncle Yudhājit took Bharata and Śatrughna to his city with the permission of Daśaratha. On the order of His father, Śrī Rāma ruled over the citizens and was happy with Śrī Sītā in His city.