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Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana: Book 9: Chapter 11: Verses 16-28
The other pastimes of Sri Rama
Hearing of this and recalling Her manifold virtues, Sri Rama, the almighty Lord, could not restrain His grief, even though He tried to suppress it by force of reason. [1] Excessive fondness of men and women for each other is always such as brings fear (and grief in its train) even to powerful souls, and much more to a voluptuary whose thoughts are riveted on his household ! Since then for (a period of) thirteen thousand years without interruption the Lord poured oblations into the sacred fire, observing (a strict vow of) celibacy (throughout). Leaving, in the heart of those who remember Him, an impression of His feet-tender as a pair of young leaves-pierced (earlier) by the thorns of the Dandaka forest, Sri Rama then left for His own effulgent (divine) realm. Extirpation of demons through the instrumentality of multitudes of missiles and the bridging of the ocean-this is no praise to Sri Rama (the Lord of the Raghus), who assumed a form for the sake of sport at the entreaty of the gods and whose glory is absolutely matchless and unsurpassed. Did monkeys (actually) serve as His helpmates in disposing of the enemy? (No, not at all, Destruction of demons was as good a sport on His part as enlisting the help of monkeys for that purpose.) I seek as my protector the aforesaid Lord of Raghus, whose unsullied glory-which is capable of destroying (all) sins and serves as an adornment for the elephants guarding the (four) quarters (pervades all the quarters)-sages sing in royal courts even to this day, and whose lotus-feet are touched by the crowns of (even) rulers of heaven (like indra) and custodians of wealth (like Kubera, the god of riches). (All) those people of the Kosala country by whom He was lovingly touched or fully observed or seated by their side or even followed (while moving about) reached the goal which Yogis (those adept in Yoga or deep meditation) attain to. A man treasuring up (in his mind) the narrative of Sri Rama through the
repeated process of hearing, and pledged to (a vow of) tenderness (cessation from violence), O Pariksit, is freed from the shackles of Karma (in the shape of virtue and sin, which make for transmigration). The king (Pariksit) submitted : How did the said Lord Sri Rama conduct Himself and how did He behave towards His (younger) brothers (Bharata, Laksmana and Satrughna), who were His own selves (part manifestations)? How, again, did they (Bharata and others) as well as His subjects and residents of Ayodhya (in particular) behave in their turn towards Him, their (almighty) lord?
Sri Suka replied Sri Rama (the Ruler of the three worlds) now charged His (younger) brothers with the conquest of the (four) quarters, and Himself looked round the city with His followers (attendants), allowing Himself to be seen by His people. With its roads sprinkled all over with perfumed water and (fragrant) drops of temporal fluid (emitted by elephants in rut), the city looked highly inebriated (exhilarated) as it were to see her lord arrived. It was adorned with domes of gold set on the top of palaces, city gates, council-chambers, sanctums and temples, as well as with flags. It had festal arches erected by means of (fresh) areca-nuts joined with their foot-stalks and banana trees (fixed in the ground), strips of beautiful cloths, mirrors, tapestries and wreaths of flowers.
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