Ayodhya Kand Part 2 — The Road of Separation | A Modern Reflection on Ramcharitmanas

Tulsidas wrote that even the air of Ayodhya stopped moving when Ram left.
And for me it felt like watching the world go still when someone you love walks away.

The Father’s Collapse

As Ram disappeared into the forest,
King Dashrath regained consciousness.

He whispered to his loyal sevak Sumanth:

Follow Ram’s chariot for four days.
Show him the paths of the forest...
and try to bring him back.

Then, in a trembling voice, he added:

I know Ram won’t return...
but convince Sita.
Show her the dangers of the jungle.
Maybe she’ll return — and I’ll live a few more days if she would come back.

When Sumanth came back after 4 days alone and told everything to king.

Moments later, the king collapsed —
not defeated in battle, but by his own promises.

Even today, when I read this part, I imagine a father watching his child walk away
not because he wanted to, but because of his own promises.
That’s a pain that exists beyond Treta Yug.

✨ Reflection

Tulsidas saw Dashrath as a symbol of love bound by dharma.
I see him as every parent — torn between pride and helplessness.

The People Who Followed Love

The entire city of Ayodhya was heartbroken.
Wherever Ram went, people followed — barefoot, crying, singing his name.

That night, Ram stopped near the Tamsa River.
He saw the people resting nearby and felt even heavier.
At midnight, he quietly told Sumanth the servant to move the chariot while everyone slept so that by dawn, they’d be gone.

When the people awoke, Ram was already deep in the forest.
Their tears filled the river; It feels like Ayodhya lost its heartbeat.

The Crossing of Ganga

By morning, Ram, Sita, and Lakshman reached the Ganga, near Sringaverpur.
The local king greeted them joyfully, but Ram humbly refused royal comfort:

I am on Vanvas, not a visit.

He chose to stay outside the city — under the Ashoka trees —
a symbolic beginning of simplicity.

They bathed, rested, and prepared to move again.
Sumanth, the sevak, pleaded one last time:

At least let Sita return. She is too delicate for the forest.

Ram also pleased Sita to go back and take care of her in-laws.

But Sita replied firmly:

My world is shree Ram.
I know it feels rude. but its my dharma to stay in feet of my husband.

And she gently asked Sumanth to go back

✨ Reflection

For Tulsidas, Sita was devotion.
For me, she’s courage — the kind of woman who chooses love over comfort, husband over family and Saadhvi over Queen.

The Sailor and the Feet of Ram

When they reached the Ganga, Ram asked the boatman(निषादराज) to help them cross.
But the man hesitated:

My lord, if your feet touch my boat, it might turn divine and float away.
Then how will I earn my living?

Ram laughed and said softly,

Then wash my feet first, and we’ll see what happens.

The sailor washed Ram’s feet
and helped them cross the sacred river.
When Sita offered him a golden ring as payment, he refused:

My payment is the chance to serve you. if you want to pay me. i like to stay with you until you get a proper place to live in forest.

The Meeting with Bharadwaj Muni

The group soon reached Prayag, where the holy rivers meet.
There they met Bharadwaj Muni, who welcomed them with love and fruits.

Ram told him everything — his exile, Kaikeyi’s demand, Dashrath’s grief.
The muni listened silently, eyes closed, as if he already knew.

That night, Ram, Sita, and Lakshman rested in peace for the first time since leaving Ayodhya.

The Unknown Man and the Path Ahead

As they continued, Tulsidas describes a mysterious man they met on the way
someone who wept upon seeing Ram.
He is unnamed, but readers believe he might have been Hanuman — or even Tulsidas himself.

Whoever he was, it shows that even strangers recognize light when it walks by.

The trio kept moving — through villages and forests,
through eyes that stared at their royal presence,
through hearts that couldn’t believe why such pure souls were exiled.

Women asked Sita,

Who are they?

And Sita, shyly, would point to Ram and whisper,

He is my husband.

Even that small act feels divine — devotion disguised as grace.

The Arrival at Valmiki’s Ashram

Eventually, they reached Valmiki’s Ashram, hidden among trees and rivers.
Valmiki welcomed them with fruits and blessings.

Ram narrated everything — from his birth to his exile.
And as legend says, this was where Valmiki began to write their story —
the Ramayana in Sanskrit.

When Ram asked for a place to stay,
Valmiki smiled and said,

You are a king with a pure heart wherever you step, the land becomes holy.

But still, he guided them to Chitrakoot,
a mountain filled with calm air, soft soil, and the holy river Mandakini.

The Birth of Peace in Exile

There after bathing in Mandakini river, near Mandakini, Ram and Lakshman built two huts
one small, one large — and began their life in exile.

Villagers, sages, and travelers came to visit.
People brought food, leaves, and wisdom from the forest.
Everyone found peace in Ram’s presence.

Tulsidas calls this place “Chitrakoot — where sorrow forgets its name.”

And I believe it.
Because sometimes, when you stop fighting pain,
you start living through peace.

✨ Reflection

For Tulsidas, Chitrakoot was divine land.
For me, it’s the reminder that peace doesn’t come when everything is perfect it comes when you finally stop resisting what’s already true.

🌙 End of Ayodhya Kand — Part 2

As I closed this part, I realized —
this isn’t a story of exile; it’s a story of evolution.

Ram didn’t lose a kingdom.
He found a truth:
that power fades, but peace endures.

Tulsidas wrote it in the 16th century.
I’m reading it at 24.
And somehow, it still feels like he’s writing about us —
about losing what we love,
and finding something even deeper in its place.

this is from the ram, laksham and sita's side. in next part you will get to know what happening in ayodhya.

Thank You for Reading.