Śrīmad Vālmīki Rāmāyana (English Translation)

Rāma, Sītā and Laksmana dwell in a cottage built by Laksmana in Pancavatī.

Meeting with Jatāyu.

Agastya advises Rāma and others to stay in Pancavatī.

Rāma and others enter the hermitage of Agastya, enjoy his hospitality and receive divine missiles and weapons.

The episode of Sage Māndakarni and the Pancāpsara Lake. Rāma visits several hermitages and returns to Sutīksna’s hermitage. From there he goes to the hermitage of Agastya.

Rāma expresses his firmness in keeping the vow of killing the rāksasas for the protection of sages.

Sītā requests Rāma not to kill innocent animals and to observe non-violence.

In the morning Rāma, together with Laksmana and Sītā, takes leave of Sutīksna and departs.

Rāma goes to Sutīksna together with Sītā and Laksmana and stays with him during the night.

The sages request Rāma for protection from the molestations of the ogres and Rāma assures them of it.

Rāma, Laksmana and Sītā visit the hermitage of Śarabhanga, see the deities,and are honoured by the sage. Sage Śarabhanga ascends to Brahmaloka.

Śrī Rāma and Laksmana kill Viādha.

Conversation between Rāma and Viādha; Rāma and Laksmana strike at him; he goes with them to another forest. 

Viādha’s attack on Rāma, Laksmana and Sītā in the forest.

Reception of Śrī Rāma, Laksmana and Sītā in the hermitages of sages.

Glorifying the evening shades, that had now fallen, Anasūyā sends away Sītā, decked with the ornaments bestowed on her by herself, to the presence of Śrī Rāma. To the latter, who was agreeably surprised to behold Sītā resplendent with heavenly jewels, she relates how she received the jewels as a loving gift from the hermitess. Accepting the hospitality of the hermits and staying with them for the...

At the end of her dialogue with Sītā, Anasūyā requests her to ask a boon and, highly pleased with her, the hermitess bestows heavenly flowers and ornaments on her. Urged by Anasūyā, She relates to the hermitess the story of her marriage.

Afraid of prolonging his stay at Citrakuta because of many handicaps, Śrī Rāma leaves that mountain and, reaching the hermitage of Sage Atri, greets the aforesaid Rsi. Glorifying the ascetic life of his wife, Anasūyā, the sage urges Råma to send his consort, Sītā, to her. Kindly receiving the princess, who greeted the venerable old lady on reaching her, as instructed by her husband, Anasūyā gives...

Learning from outward signs that the ascetics who lived in the vicinity of Śrī Rāma were anxious to shift to some other forest, the latter asks them why they wished to leave the place. Being told in reply that they were being molested by Rāksasas under the leadership of Khara, he gives his consent and, sending them away with great respect, retires to his own hermitage.

Permitted by Vasistha and accompanied by Śatrughna and others, when the queens had entered the gynaeceum, Bharata proceeds to Nandigrāma and, installing the wooden sandals of Śrī Rāma on the royal seat, himself puts on the garb of an ascetic and carries on the rule under orders ascribed to the sandals, holding the royal umbrella over them.

Vālmīki portrays the gloomy appearance of Ayodhyā with the help of a number of similes. Bharata enters his fatherís palace with a heavy heart, speaking to Sumantra about the sorry spectacle which Ayodhyā presented at the moment.

Departed back for Ayodhyā alongwith Sage Vasistha and others, Bharata pays his respects on the way to Sage Bharadwāja and, apprising him of what had happened at Citrakuta and also of the pair of wooden sandals that he had received from Śrī Rāma as the latter’s representative, and proceeding further, crosses the rivers Gangā and Yamunā alongwith his followers. Departing from Śrngaverapura, he catch...

Collected in the heavens to hear the dialogue of Bharata and Śrī Rāma, heavenly beings applaud the two brothers. Having decided upon his course of action, Śrī Rāma turns his face towards his hut; while pleading his inability to protect the kingdom, now that his attempts to take Śrī Rāma back to Ayodhyā had been frustrated, Bharata prays to Śrī Rāma for mercy once more. But when he comes to know th...

Pleading the superiority of a teacher in comparison to one’s parents, Sage Vasistha by virtue of his superiority and as a concession to Bharata, a dependant of Śrī Rāma, whose vow it has been to respect the feelings of his dependants, urges Śrī Rāma to grant the prayer of Bharata. Śrī Rāma, however, contends that oneís parents are more worthy of respect even than oneís teacher and is accordingly i...

Pacifying Śrī Rāma, who had got angry with Jābāli, Sage Vasistha urges him to get himself consecrated as king since from Ikswāku, the progenitor of his race, downward the eldest son alone had ascended the throne of Ayodhyā and because he was not only the eldest of his father’s sons, but the ablest too.