Sri Rama, the hero of The Ramayana epic is heralded by the Hindus as an Avatar or divine descent or incarnation of Lord Mahavishnu. There is a significant difference between the births and deaths of mortal and divine incarnations. The births of human beings is described as Karma Janma or the birth resulting from one’s own deeds in the past births, while the birth of incarnations is known as Karana Janma or the birth with a superior purpose of achieving a divine mission on this earth. The incarnations of God are capable of deciding the time, place and mode of their birth. They choose their own parents. They have the total control over the activities they need to perform on this earth and once they achieve the mission they intended, they wind up their earthly sojourn upon their own will.
Following the war with Ravana and rescuing Mother Sita from his captivity, Sri Rama completed his fourteen years of exile and returned to Ayodhya to the merriment of all. He ruled the empire as a noble example for the posterity, with his statecraft being praised as Ramarajya or the most wonderful and epoch making rule. His brothers were assisting him with the administration. Meanwhile Mother Sita was sent in exile to the forest upon the derisive comments made by a commoner in the country. She took refuge in the hermitage of Sage Vasishtha and gave birth to two children named Lava and Kusha. At a point, Mother Sita decided to leave her mortal coil and the Mother earth who gave birth to her earlier broke open and accepted her inside.
Lava and Kusha were invited to Ayodhya and were trained in various arts and administration. Once Kaladeva or the god of death took the form of a sage and visited Sri Rama. He sought an audience with the Lord and demanded that no one should be allowed to enter inside their private room when they were with the discussion. Sri Rama deputed Lakshman on the gate to check the entry of anyone entering inside. He too ordered that if anyone is left inside Lakshman will have to be beheaded. Inside the private room, Kaladeva reminded Sri Rama that he had completed his divine mission on this earth and it was time for him to return to his divine abode.
Meanwhile, Lakshmana was guarding the gate vigilantly when the angry sage Durvasa came there and demanded an entry to see Sri Rama. He would not listen to the words of Lakshmana but threatened that he would curse Lakshmana if he was not allowed inside. Lakshmana had no other way than allowing him inside and conceding for the punishment as per Sri Rama’s decision. Lakshmana realized that it was time for him to leave the earth. He walked into the Sarayu River and left for Vaikuntha to assume his celestial form of Adisesha or the serpent couch upon which Lord Vishnu rests.
Following this, Sri Rama entrusted the care of empire to his sons and the sons of his brothers. He too walked into the Sarayu River and took the divine form of Mahavishnu once again reclining on Adisesha. Bharata and Shatrughna also followed the suite becoming the Shanka and Chakra respectively shining in the hands of Lord Vishnu. Thus a glorious epoch of Sri Ramavatar thus came to an end.
