Ramayana. The Last Days of Rama.
But now Rama was heavy-hearted, and the whole world seemed empty without Sita, and he knew no peace. He gave the monkeys and the kings and hermits gifts, and sent them back to their own homes, and he made a golden image of Sita to share with him in the performance of sacred rites, and a thousand years passed, while all things prospered in the kingdom of Ayodhya. Then Kaushalya and Kaikeyi died, and were united with King Dasharatha in Heaven. Bharata reigned in Kekaya, and Satrughna was king of Madhu, while the sons of Lakshman founded kingdoms of their own.
At length there came to Rama's palace the mighty yogi Time, and Rama honoured him. He named himself Time, begotten by Narayana on Maya, and he reminded Rama of his godly self and all that he had achieved in Heaven and on earth. "O Lord of the World," he said, "thou wast born on earth for the destruction of the Ten-necked rakshasa, and thou didst undertake to dwell on earth for eleven thousand years. Now that time is ripe and the grandsire sendeth me to tell thee: now wilt thou reign yet longer over men, or wilt thou return to the lordship of the gods?" Then Rama praised the yogi and said he had spoken truth, and for himself he would return to his own place.
But already Lakshman had left his home and gone to the banks of Sarayu to practise great austerities, and there the gods rained flowers upon him, and Indra lifted him from the earth and returned to his own city, so that all the gods, seeing the fourth part of Vishnu come back to them, were gladdened and began to worship him. Then Rama would follow the same path, and he sought to crown his brother Bharata as king of Ayodhya, but he refused and would have the king's sons Kusha and Lava set over North and South Kosala; and Rama granted it, and they were installed upon the throne and ruled over the new cities of Kushavata and Sravanti; but Ayodhya was altogether emptied of people, for the folk would all follow after Rama when he went away. News of these matters was brought to Satrughna also, and he set his two sons on the throne of Mathura and hastened to return to Rama. Hearing that Rama was going away, the monkeys, born of the gods, went to Ayodhya and beheld him; and Sugriva said: "I have set Angada upon the throne of Kishkindha, and I will follow thee."
Then Rama granted the desire of all the monkeys to follow him; but to Hanuman he said: "It is determined already that thou shalt live for ever: do thou be glad on earth so long as the tale of me endures." To Jambavan and some others Rama appointed life till the end of the Kali age, and other bears and monkeys he gave leave to follow him. To Vibhishana he gave good counsel regarding government, and ever to worship Jagannath, Lord of the World.
The next day Vashishtha prepared all due rites for those who go to the other world, and all men following Rama and the Brahmans set out for Sarayu. There went Bharata and Lakshman and Satrughna and their wives, and the counsellors and servants; and all the people of Ayodhya, with the beasts and birds and the least of breathing things; and the bears and rakshasas and monkeys followed Rama with happy hearts.
When they came to Sarayu, Brahma, the grandsire, came thither with the godly folk and a hundred thousand goodly cars, and the wind of Heaven blew and flowers rained down from Heaven upon earth. Then Brahma said to Rama: "Hail, O Vishnu! Do thou, with thy brothers, enter in again in whatsoever form thou wilt, who art the refuge of all creatures, and beyond the range of thought or speech, unknown of any save thy Maya." Then Vishnu entered Heaven in his own form, with his brothers, and all the gods bowed down to him and rejoiced. Then said Vishnu to the grandsire: "It behoveth thee to allot their due place to all these people who have followed me for love, renouncing self for my sake." Then Brahma appointed places in the heavens for all those who had come after Rama, and the bears and monkeys assumed their godly forms, after the likeness of those who had begotten them. Thus did all beings there assembled, entering the waters of Sarayu, attain to the heavenly state, and Brahma and the gods returned to their own abode.
But now Rama was heavy-hearted, and the whole world seemed empty without Sita, and he knew no peace. He gave the monkeys and the kings and hermits gifts, and sent them back to their own homes, and he made a golden image of Sita to share with him in the performance of sacred rites, and a thousand years passed, while all things prospered in the kingdom of Ayodhya. Then Kaushalya and Kaikeyi died, and were united with King Dasharatha in Heaven. Bharata reigned in Kekaya, and Satrughna was king of Madhu, while the sons of Lakshman founded kingdoms of their own.
At length there came to Rama's palace the mighty yogi Time, and Rama honoured him. He named himself Time, begotten by Narayana on Maya, and he reminded Rama of his godly self and all that he had achieved in Heaven and on earth. "O Lord of the World," he said, "thou wast born on earth for the destruction of the Ten-necked rakshasa, and thou didst undertake to dwell on earth for eleven thousand years. Now that time is ripe and the grandsire sendeth me to tell thee: now wilt thou reign yet longer over men, or wilt thou return to the lordship of the gods?" Then Rama praised the yogi and said he had spoken truth, and for himself he would return to his own place.
But already Lakshman had left his home and gone to the banks of Sarayu to practise great austerities, and there the gods rained flowers upon him, and Indra lifted him from the earth and returned to his own city, so that all the gods, seeing the fourth part of Vishnu come back to them, were gladdened and began to worship him. Then Rama would follow the same path, and he sought to crown his brother Bharata as king of Ayodhya, but he refused and would have the king's sons Kusha and Lava set over North and South Kosala; and Rama granted it, and they were installed upon the throne and ruled over the new cities of Kushavata and Sravanti; but Ayodhya was altogether emptied of people, for the folk would all follow after Rama when he went away. News of these matters was brought to Satrughna also, and he set his two sons on the throne of Mathura and hastened to return to Rama. Hearing that Rama was going away, the monkeys, born of the gods, went to Ayodhya and beheld him; and Sugriva said: "I have set Angada upon the throne of Kishkindha, and I will follow thee."
Then Rama granted the desire of all the monkeys to follow him; but to Hanuman he said: "It is determined already that thou shalt live for ever: do thou be glad on earth so long as the tale of me endures." To Jambavan and some others Rama appointed life till the end of the Kali age, and other bears and monkeys he gave leave to follow him. To Vibhishana he gave good counsel regarding government, and ever to worship Jagannath, Lord of the World.
The next day Vashishtha prepared all due rites for those who go to the other world, and all men following Rama and the Brahmans set out for Sarayu. There went Bharata and Lakshman and Satrughna and their wives, and the counsellors and servants; and all the people of Ayodhya, with the beasts and birds and the least of breathing things; and the bears and rakshasas and monkeys followed Rama with happy hearts.
When they came to Sarayu, Brahma, the grandsire, came thither with the godly folk and a hundred thousand goodly cars, and the wind of Heaven blew and flowers rained down from Heaven upon earth. Then Brahma said to Rama: "Hail, O Vishnu! Do thou, with thy brothers, enter in again in whatsoever form thou wilt, who art the refuge of all creatures, and beyond the range of thought or speech, unknown of any save thy Maya." Then Vishnu entered Heaven in his own form, with his brothers, and all the gods bowed down to him and rejoiced. Then said Vishnu to the grandsire: "It behoveth thee to allot their due place to all these people who have followed me for love, renouncing self for my sake." Then Brahma appointed places in the heavens for all those who had come after Rama, and the bears and monkeys assumed their godly forms, after the likeness of those who had begotten them. Thus did all beings there assembled, entering the waters of Sarayu, attain to the heavenly state, and Brahma and the gods returned to their own abode.
Footer section, if any
Ramayana
Previous Page
Table of Contents
Next Page
But now Rama was heavy-hearted, and the whole world seemed empty without Sita, and he knew no peace. He gave the monkeys and the kings and hermits gifts, and sent them back to their own homes, and he made a golden image of Sita to share with him in the performance of sacred rites, and a thousand years passed, while all things prospered in the kingdom of Ayodhya. Then Kaushalya and Kaikeyi died, and were united with King Dasharatha in Heaven. Bharata reigned in Kekaya, and Satrughna was king of Madhu, while the sons of Lakshman founded kingdoms of their own.
At length there came to Rama's palace the mighty yogi Time, and Rama honoured him. He named himself Time, begotten by Narayana on Maya, and he reminded Rama of his godly self and all that he had achieved in Heaven and on earth. "O Lord of the World," he said, "thou wast born on earth for the destruction of the Ten-necked rakshasa, and thou didst undertake to dwell on earth for eleven thousand years. Now that time is ripe and the grandsire sendeth me to tell thee: now wilt thou reign yet longer over men, or wilt thou return to the lordship of the gods?" Then Rama praised the yogi and said he had spoken truth, and for himself he would return to his own place.
But already Lakshman had left his home and gone to the banks of Sarayu to practise great austerities, and there the gods rained flowers upon him, and Indra lifted him from the earth and returned to his own city, so that all the gods, seeing the fourth part of Vishnu come back to them, were gladdened and began to worship him. Then Rama would follow the same path, and he sought to crown his brother Bharata as king of Ayodhya, but he refused and would have the king's sons Kusha and Lava set over North and South Kosala; and Rama granted it, and they were installed upon the throne and ruled over the new cities of Kushavata and Sravanti; but Ayodhya was altogether emptied of people, for the folk would all follow after Rama when he went away. News of these matters was brought to Satrughna also, and he set his two sons on the throne of Mathura and hastened to return to Rama. Hearing that Rama was going away, the monkeys, born of the gods, went to Ayodhya and beheld him; and Sugriva said: "I have set Angada upon the throne of Kishkindha, and I will follow thee."
Then Rama granted the desire of all the monkeys to follow him; but to Hanuman he said: "It is determined already that thou shalt live for ever: do thou be glad on earth so long as the tale of me endures." To Jambavan and some others Rama appointed life till the end of the Kali age, and other bears and monkeys he gave leave to follow him. To Vibhishana he gave good counsel regarding government, and ever to worship Jagannath, Lord of the World.
The next day Vashishtha prepared all due rites for those who go to the other world, and all men following Rama and the Brahmans set out for Sarayu. There went Bharata and Lakshman and Satrughna and their wives, and the counsellors and servants; and all the people of Ayodhya, with the beasts and birds and the least of breathing things; and the bears and rakshasas and monkeys followed Rama with happy hearts.
When they came to Sarayu, Brahma, the grandsire, came thither with the godly folk and a hundred thousand goodly cars, and the wind of Heaven blew and flowers rained down from Heaven upon earth. Then Brahma said to Rama: "Hail, O Vishnu! Do thou, with thy brothers, enter in again in whatsoever form thou wilt, who art the refuge of all creatures, and beyond the range of thought or speech, unknown of any save thy Maya." Then Vishnu entered Heaven in his own form, with his brothers, and all the gods bowed down to him and rejoiced. Then said Vishnu to the grandsire: "It behoveth thee to allot their due place to all these people who have followed me for love, renouncing self for my sake." Then Brahma appointed places in the heavens for all those who had come after Rama, and the bears and monkeys assumed their godly forms, after the likeness of those who had begotten them. Thus did all beings there assembled, entering the waters of Sarayu, attain to the heavenly state, and Brahma and the gods returned to their own abode.
Previous Page
Table of Contents
Next Page
Back to the top
Footer section, if any
Footer section, if any