Rāma Vaikuṇṭhārohaṇa

The Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa tells how Rāmachandra ended his Tretā Yuga avatāra (descent) on the bank of the Bhāgīrathī and rose to Vaikuṇṭha on Garuḍa. It happened on Caitra Śukla Pañchamī, which the text also calls Vasanta Pañchamī. Rāmachandra showed himself in the form of Bhagavān Mahāvishṇu. Sītā rose from his right side as Mahālakshmī. The Vedas took visible forms and went ahead. The people of Ayodhyā gave up their bodies in the Gaṅgā, and Brahmā gave them Santānaloka.

Rāma’s last morning

On the morning of Caitra Śukla Pañchamī, Rāmachandra rose early. He called Ajāmīḍha, the newly crowned king of Hastināpura, and gave him these orders: “When I leave, send all the furnishings and articles to Kuśa. Every being, from human beings down to the smallest insect, will come with me to the divine realm. After that, go to Kuśa and tell him. Perform my last rites in full. Tell Kuśa not to be overcome with grief.” Ajāmīḍha wept, but he accepted the words with full respect.

Rāma then walked calmly to the Bhāgīrathī (Gaṅgā). He bathed with the proper rites and finished his daily sandhyā-vandana (prayers at the junctions of the day). He performed a great homa (fire offering) with many oblations, gave many dānas (gifts) on the sandy bank of the Gaṅgā, and completed the prāsthāna-karma (rites of departure). Then he performed a last Agni-homa and sent the sacred fire itself ahead to Vaikuṇṭha. (Pūrṇa Khaṇḍa, Chapter 6)

Sītā leaves as Mahālakshmī

In front of all the beings who had gathered, something wonderful happened. The sāttvika Sītā, who is called the Lakshmī-rūpa (the form of Lakshmī) that goes with the Vishṇu avatāra, parted from Rāma’s right side and took her own cosmic form. She rose from Rāma’s right side (dakshiṇa-bhāga) as a separate shining being and went up to Vaikuṇṭha ahead of Rāma. (Chapter 6)

The Vedas and the divine qualities leave

Right after Sītā left, all the Vedas, which had taken bodily forms during Rāma’s avatāra, took their own forms and rose to Vaikuṇṭha.

Rāma then spoke the Tripada Praṇava, the threefold Oṃkāra. At that sound, the divine qualities that had been present in Rāma’s human form parted from him and went. They were Śānti (peace), Kshamā (forgiveness), Medhā (intellect), Dhṛti (steadiness), Tejas (spiritual brilliance), Bala (strength), Yaśas (glory) and Śaurya (heroism). Each took a person’s form and bowed before Rāma, and each went ahead of him to Vaikuṇṭha. (Chapter 6)

The citizens give up their bodies

All the citizens of Ayodhyā, the whole people who had followed Rāma to Hastināpura, bathed in the Bhāgīrathī. Then, together with all the vānaras, they held their prāṇa (breath of life) and together gave up their bodies (dehatyāga). In a moment the huge crowd was gone from the mortal world. (Chapter 6)

Rāma shows his form as Mahāvishṇu

Rāma sat on a darbha (kuśa grass) seat placed on the bank of the Gaṅgā. He faced north and was in silent meditation. At that moment the devatās who had gathered saw the change. Where Rāmachandra had been sitting, they now saw Bhagavān Mahāvishṇu. He had four arms and was dark blue like a fresh rain cloud. He wore golden-yellow silk (pītāmbara) and the Kaustubha gem, and the Śrīvatsa mark was on his chest. At his left side stood Mahālakshmī in her cosmic form.

At the same time these changes took place:

• Lakshmaṇa became the great serpent Ādiśesha. With his many hoods he took up again his eternal work as the divine couch of Vishṇu.
• Bharata became the Pāñchajanya conch (śaṅkha) in Vishṇu’s right hand.
• Śatrughna became the Sudarśana Cakra, the divine disc in Vishṇu’s left hand.
• The vānaras were each a part (aṃśa) of a particular devatā. In an instant they went back to the divine forms from which their parts had come. The whole assembly returned to its cosmic source.

(Chapter 6)

Santānaloka, the vara for Ayodhyā

Vishṇu said to Brahmā: “These countless beings of Ayodhyā, human beings, animals, birds and insects, have come here with me. Tell me where they will live.” Brahmā answered joyfully: “O Svāmī! Lit by your darśana, all these beings will live in Santānaloka, the world of unending plenty that lies above my Brahmaloka.”

Vishṇu then widened the vara (boon): “Let this hold not only for those who came here today, but also for all beings who die in Ayodhyā in future ages.” Brahmā at once granted it: “Tathāstu, so be it.”

So the everlasting promise was made. Any being, of any birth and however it lived, that dies within Ayodhyā (Sāketa Nagara) reaches Santānaloka above Brahmaloka. Brahmā himself recorded this vara at Vishṇu’s clear request. (Chapter 6)

The citizens in Santānaloka

The text tells how the people of Ayodhyā looked after they reached Santānaloka. They wore divine clothes and ornaments and were adorned with divine decorations. Apsarās attended them, divine scents moved around them, and they were fanned with chāmaras (fly-whisks). They boarded divine vimānas and shone with the light of Candra (the moon), and their faces glowed with the brightness of the sun. The whole population of Ayodhyā, with their households, their animals and pets, and every being, was honoured in this way. (Chapter 6)

Śiva’s praise of Vishṇu in one hundred names

Before the ascent, all the devatās who had gathered praised Vishṇu with many stotras. Then Śiva himself offered a formal stava of one hundred names. The text keeps the opening verse of this Śatanāma:

Rāghavā! Karuṇākarā! Bhavanāśanā! Duritāpahā! Mādhavā! Garuḍavāhanā! Jalarūpā! Parameśvarā! Pālakā! Janatārakā! Bhavahārakā! Ripumārakā! Jagadīśvarā! Nararūpā! Raghunandanā! I worship you.

In plain English, Śiva calls him Rāghava, the mine of compassion, destroyer of worldly bondage, remover of troubles, Mādhava, rider of Garuḍa, one whose form is water, Parameśvara, protector, saviour of the people, remover of worldly existence, slayer of foes, ruler of the world, one in human form, and joy of the Raghu line. He ends: “I worship you.”

Śiva then said: “Those devotees who read this hundred-name stava at dawn will live a long time at your lotus feet, together with their relatives, wives or husbands, and children, and they will stay devoted to serving you.” (Chapter 6)

Garuḍa comes and Vishṇu rises

Garuḍa arrived, bright as the sun, and bowed before Vishṇu. At the same time the kings of the Somavaṃśa and their queens, who had decided to go up to svarga with Brahmā, gave up their bodies on the earth. Ūrmiḷā, Māṇḍavī and Śrutakīrti held the bodies of their husbands, and then gave their own bodies to the sacred fire on the bank of the Gaṅgā. Thousands of divine women appeared and performed ārati (nīrājana, waving of lamps) before Mahāvishṇu with jewelled lamps.

Śiva said to Vishṇu: “Ramānātha, the time fixed by Vālmīki has come. It is Caitra Śukla Pañchamī, Vasanta Pañchamī. The whole span of your avatāra, 11,011 years, 11 months, 11 days and 11 nāḍīs, is complete. Mount Garuḍa, for it is time for you to go.”

Vishṇu smiled. He embraced Vālmīki Muni warmly and took leave of the poet of the Rāmāyaṇa of one hundred crore verses. Then he mounted Garuḍa. Divine instruments sounded. Nārada and other munis sang his glories. The devatās showered flowers, the apsarās danced, and divine vimānas surrounded him on every side. Slowly and with great dignity, Vishṇu looked down on all the worlds below as he rose, and travelled to Vishṇuloka.

In Vaikuṇṭha, Vishṇu took his seat on the Śeshatalpa, the serpent couch that is Ādiśesha (Lakshmaṇa), with Mahālakshmī (Sītā) beside him. He sent Śiva, Brahmā and all the devatās away with affection, and rested in his own everlasting state of ānanda (bliss). (Chapter 6)

What followed

Ajāmīḍha carried out Rāma’s last orders. All the furnishings of the camp were sent to Kuśa. Ajāmīḍha then travelled to Ayodhyā, told Kuśa everything that had happened, and comforted the grieving king. Kuśa honoured Ajāmīḍha, who then went back to Hastināpura.

Kuśa later married Kumudvatī and had sons. The Solar dynasty went on through Kuśa’s line down to Sumitra, the sixty-first king after Rāma. With him the Sūryavaṃśa ended in the Kali Yuga. (Chapters 6 and 7)

Sources

• Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Pūrṇa Khaṇḍa, Chapter 6
• Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Pūrṇa Khaṇḍa, Chapters 6–7 (what followed)