The famous epic Ramayana, written by Saint Valmiki has taught us countless of lessons about life. Our knowledge of Ramayana usually ends with Rama defeating Ravana and the entire town of Ayodhya celebrating with pomp and glory. However, do we know what happened after that? How Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana ended their mortal lives? Here are all the answers. We need to understand that Rama was an avatar of Vishnu and the way these avatars end their lives on Earth are interesting stories.

How did Sita end her life?

According to Valmiki Ramayana, Sita after returning to Ayodhya after the war, left for her second exile, pregnant, and settled herself in sage Valmiki’s ashram.

Rama continued to rule righteously and held many yagnas and one of them was the Ashwamedha Yagna, in which a horse was let loose and had to be caught. As he went to catch the horse as per the challenge posed by the Yagya, Ram came across sage Valmiki’s ashram. Rama, realising that Sita has all along spent time in Valmiki’s ashram, once again asked her to return home to Ayodhya with him, but only after performing ‘Agni Pariksha’.

A mortified Sita, who had already undergone an Agni Pariksha after returning from Lanka to please the people of Ayodhya, decided that she couldn’t take it anymore and pleaded with Bhoomi Devi, her mother, to give her solace. Indeed, Mother Earth, in whose lap Goddess Sita had been found by her father Raja Janak, opened up and accepted Sita. And so, the story of Sita ends.

This holy place where Ma Sita went into the earth as per her wish is named Sita Samahit Sthal or Sitamarhi, which is now located in Uttar Pradesh.

How did Rama & Lakshmana end their life?

It’s not the Valmiki Ramayan, but the Padma Purana which sheds light on  how Rama and Lakshman ended their life. After Sita gave up her life, Rama returned to Ayodhya with his sons (Luv & Kush) and ruled for several years, besides grooming his sons to take over important roles in the kingdom.

Rama Has A Visitor

As life goes on, one day, Kala Deva, the god of time, in the disguise of a sadhu, came to visit Lord Rama and sought his private audience to convey something of crucial, but personal nature. Rama agrees to listen to him. As per the sage’s advice, Rama gave strict orders to Lakshmana to not let anyone in while he was having a meeting with Kala. Anyone who would enter, Rama would kill him personally.

Kala Deva was there to remind Sri Rama that his “time” on earth was over, and he should plan to return to his original abode, Vaikunta.

Durvasa Maharishi Arrives

Around the same time, Sage Durvasa, known for his hot temper and infamous for his curses, came to meet Rama. Lakshmana refused to let Durvasa Maharishi in as per his brother’s orders and tries to explain the situation to him (The last time Laxmana had disobeyed Rama’s orders, Sita was kidnaped. He would not repeat such a folly again).

But Durvasa Maharishi displays his proverbial temper and threatens to curse the whole of Ayodhya of misfortune if he is not allowed inside. Lakshmana is flummoxed. Disobey his brother or make Ayodhya suffer due to the curse? Lakshmana disobeys Rama and walks into his quarters.

Lakshman’s End

Rama would have to kill Laxmana, as per his vow. But Laxmana refused to bring this sin upon Rama. And hence, Laxmana walked into the Sarayu River and ended his life. Lakshmana then takes the form of ‘Ananta Sesha’, the many-headed serpent.

Rama’s End

Seeing this was a cue for Rama to end his life too, Rama also followed Laxmana into the Sarayu River, leaving the mortal world behind. And thus, Rama’s stay on the planet ended.

It is also said that Rama knew beforehand that this was going to happen and this is how he decided to end his life.

Back To Godhead

Soon, Maha Vishnu appeared at the very same spot, in his original form, to bless the people gathered there. Rama had become Vishnu and Lakshmana had become Adisesha.