Jnana's defeat

1. Chakravarthy, recovering from his faintness, opens his eyes. sees Vasishtar standing before him and asks him, "Did the hero come home?" Hearing the king's words, Vasishtar could utter no words and stand there despondent. The poet describes the scene: the languished king, and unable to bear his condition, the Muni moves aside. 

2. Rama believed that Vasishtar would offer solace. But the great Muni could not cope with the great pain. The flood of despair washed away the Vedic wisdom.  

3. Vasishtar's moving aside, unable to bear the king's grief, Dasarathar looks at Sumanthiran, who stood there wiping his teary eyes without evincing much grief on his face. Dasarathar feels a faint hope. The king believes his beloved Rama would at any moment step into his presence, though he knew Rama was not with him. The king, casting his eyes on him, asked Sumanthiran, "Is Rama coming at a near or at a distance?" 

4. Immediately, Sumanthiran, without self-awareness, narrates the entry into the forest scene (by Rama).

5.  As Sumanthiran said, "Rama, his brother and the love of his life, his wife entered the bamboo forest. Dasarathar's life leaves his body. Sumanthiran wondered whether his message would mark him as the killer of Dasaratha by words. In the end, Sumanthiran became the Yaman, the god of death.

Three Scenes

6. Hearing the death of Dasarathan, Kosalai recovering her faint, again cried and lamented.  Sumathirai appeared as if her life was ebbing.   

7. Vasishtar, returning from the Kosala country, said that they could complete the final rights, though he was aggrieved that considering Dasarathar had four children, none were available in the opportune moment. Until then, Dasarathar's body remained submerged in a tub of herbal oil.  

8. A host of palace girls swarmed around the dead body and lamented. It became difficult to move the body to the herb-oil tub while the palace girls' swarmed around the dead body.  

Immortal Beauty

9. As Raman lead, Sita followed him. The younger was the last in tow. Sita follows Rama as his shadow. Raman takes her in his shade. Our mind reflects the beauty and splendor of his body and color, as Kamban shows.   

10. A pair of swans were strutting as Lakshmana was lagging. Rama seeing the two, enjoys thinking Sita and he are strutting along.  

11. As Sita walking behind Rama, she picks fragrant flowers along the way and wears them on her hairdo.   

12. Sita stopped to take in the sights of the bamboo and the Banyan tree. Everything appeared terrific since she knew little outside the palace. They enthused her. Having seen them all, Rama walked quite a distance in front of her since Sita strolled, taking in the sights and sounds of the forest.  Saying, 'Oh, I am far behind,' she would run up to Rama and play, holding his shoulders.   

13. In this way, strolling along the forest path, Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana arrive at the Ganga riverside.

14. Height of happiness

Rama and the rest came to the Ganga's northern riverside, going past the Kosala country. On the way, they saw lotus ponds, groves, mud mounds, gardens, rivers, and canals. At noon they came and saw the vast water expanse with undulating waves.

15. They wanted to see the divine river, take Darsan of Tapasvins of the Ganga riverside, and receive boons from them. The ascetics came to take a Darsan of Rama, thanking their luck that the sought-after god himself came looking for them.